1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



327 



those who at times make a try at raising queens. 

 Would it be toomuch to ask that we might be favored 

 with seeing it appear in an early number of Glean- 

 ings? I believe Doolittle, to me the highest author- 

 ity on all bee-doings, writes in favor of this way of 

 raising queen-cells. Ed. Noti.ee. 



New Orleans, La., May 3, 1883. 



Your queen came to hand in excellent or- 

 der, friend N. I think you did pretty well 

 for your first attempt.— In regard to again 

 printing the directions for getting good 

 queen-cells, as it appeared as recently as 

 1880, 1 hardly think it would be best. Most 

 of our friends can turn to the pages you in- 

 dicate. However, we give the drawing 

 again, for the benefit of our new readers. 



HOW TO RAISE GOOD QUEEN-CELLS. 



We would explain to our readers, that 

 queen-cells are obtained as above by putting 

 in two more bottom - bars in your frame, 

 as you see. Strips of comb containing just 

 hatched larva' are then fastened with wax 

 on the under side of these bars. To get the 

 cells regular distances apart, the surplus 

 larva" is removed, and the whole hung in the 

 center of a strong queenless colony. The 

 plan IS virtually the one given in Alley's 

 new book ; and on turning back to the vol- 

 ume for 188(1. and reading the descriptions 

 alluded to by friend Noiioe, it would seem 

 almost as though Mr. Alley got his plan 

 from this source. Those wlio have Glean- 

 ings for 1880 can turn to the pages men- 

 tioned above. 



IS THE EXTRACTOR TO BLAME? 



In looking over Gleanings I see so many Insing 

 bees in wintering, and I wish those brother bee-keep- 

 ers would tell us whether they used the extractor or 

 not last summer, as those bees here that had the 

 honey taken from them last summer or fall, and had 

 to fill up their hives with fall honey, have died, or at 

 least lots of them; but those that did not take any 

 out of the brood-frames had splendid luck, some of 

 them not losing any, and giving them no protection, 

 or scarcely any. 1 think the reason is, the fall honey 

 was not good to winter on. I believe the extractor 

 is a good thing; but I think a person needs to have 

 judgment in using it. The prospect for honey here 

 is good. The fruit-blossoms were abundant, and 

 now the white clover is coming in bloom. 



John Haskins. 



Empire Prairie, Mo., May 18, 1883. 



Friend H., several years ago, when the ex- 

 tractor was used more extensively than now, 

 there were several surmises that it was to 

 blame for much of the wintering troubles. 

 Now, however, many of the bee-keepers pro- 

 duce comb honey so exclusively that they 

 don't use the extractor at all. Yet these 

 losses in wintering and springing bees are 

 just about as before. I think very likely, 



however, that many colonies are lost for the 

 reason you mention — that their honey has 

 been taken away, so that they are obliged to 

 fill up with fall stores not as suitable for win- 

 tering as the clover and basswood honey. 



WHEN TO PUT ON THE BOXES, ETC. 



Will you please state how I can tell when I should 

 put boxes on upper stories? Would you recommend 

 beginners (and I am one) to place fdn. in the brood- 

 frames, and in boxes, or would it be well to wait 

 a while until we get more experience? I have but 

 one hive. They are Italians. I bought them of 

 Alfred McMains, Chariton, Iowa. They were out 

 all winter, unprotected, when the thermometer stood 

 26" below zero. They came out all right. I have had 

 no experience in bee keeping. Having but one 

 stand, I am like a hen with one chicken. I want to 

 be careful, or else I'll get " busted." I have your A 

 B C book, and I think it's splendid, because ii aims 

 at makmg every thing so plain. 



I am glad that you are concerned in the moral 

 standing of society, and advise men so invitingly to 

 quit the use of tobacco, with all other kindred evils. 

 Evan. B. Morgan. 



Cleveland, Iowa, May 7, 188}. 



Nobody can tell you just when to put on 

 your surplus boxes, friend M. It can be 

 determined only by watching the work in 

 the hive. When the bees get every thing 

 full in the brood department, and are begin- 

 ning to build new bits of comb at the end of 

 the frames, in their desire to occupy more 

 room, then is just the time. Or, l)etter still, 

 have the boxes on a day or two before this 

 time. You don't want to get them on until 

 they are just ready to go right into them. I 

 would recommend hcghwers to use fdn., and 

 they can't well do any harm with it, if they 

 don't do anv good, especially if they don't 

 have more than one colony to experiment 

 with. The hen that takes good care of one 

 chicken will probably have more in due 

 time, so I think you are all right where yon 

 are. 



DO BEES EVER GO OFF WITHOUT CLUSTERING? 



Yes, they do when they come out the second time. 

 And that carries me back to my first experience in 

 bee-keeping. In the summer of 1862 I had a swarm 

 issue, and after flying a short time they returned. 

 The next day they again came out, rose up in the 

 air, and left for the woods. I followed them about a 

 mile, and they clustered on a tree 40 feet from the 

 ground. I cut the tree down, and hived the part 

 that I did not kill. They went to work contentedly, 

 and prospered. I have never lost a swarm of bees 

 by absconding, and that was the nearest that I ever 

 came to it. C. H. France. 



Erie, Pa., May 20, 1883. 



SWARMS GOING RIGHT OFF, AND NO "MISTAKE." 



I had thought, like "Old Fogy," that bees never 

 went away without clustering; but last summer I 

 had one go right off, and did not stop to say good-by 

 either; but I did not see it go. I will let my wife 

 tell how it went. Plere it is : "They were partly 

 out when I saw them— perhaps half out; they did 

 not scatter as much as bees usually do, but remained 

 in a body; they did not wait till they were all out, 

 and a great many returned to the hive." But, hold 

 on ! may be this is not enough evidence for Old Fogy. 



