1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



SG.-) 



ian queens, tested the same plan for cell-building, 

 as given in the last No. of Gleanings. Mr. B., as 

 well as myself, found that way of cell-building im- 

 practicable (for reasons that all will who test it 

 thoroughly), and abandoned it, and I am quite sure 

 every one who tests that way will soon give it up. 

 Then again, friend II., there is another reason why 

 I did not get the idea from any thing that ever ap- 

 peared in Gleanings or any other journal. I never 

 saw the number of the journal you alluded to (1880); 

 and if I did, I did not read the item you speak of. 

 I seldom ever read much in any journal, unless 

 some friend calls my attention to some particular 

 article. And again, friend R., I have been rearing 

 queens by the present method since 18T8, a part of 

 which I can prove to you, if you so desire, and have 

 been experimenting on this thing for 23 j-ears to 

 perfect it. I think there is a good deal about my 

 method of queen-rearing to make it a success, be- 

 sides merely having cells made in rows. My system 

 is the most perfect and systematic of any in use. If 

 you can find any thing new in regard to queen-rear- 

 ing that has not been tested here, I should be pleas- 

 ed to see it in print. Wc have tried and tested every 

 namable experiment ever thought of. 

 Wenham, Mass., June It, 1883. Henry Alley. 



NEW nONEY, and SNOWSTORMS. 



From the Ifith of April to the 2.5th we had line 

 weather, and the bees gathered plenty of new hon- 

 ey. I extracted 13 lbs. of new honey on the 20th of 

 April, from one colony, and left 5 or 6 lbs. of new 

 honey in the hive, with plenty of old capped ho'iey, 

 and this was a half-blood Holy-Land. But since 

 May 1st they haven't done much, on account of rain 

 and cold weather. They had only two or three 

 houi's in mid-day that they could work nicely; and 

 on the 31st and 33d it snowed pretty fast for a few 

 hours, with the apple-orchard in full bloom, and the 

 thermometer 4° above freezing. J. C. Misuler. 



Ligonier, Noble Co., Ind., May 23, 1883. 



kjiariiff0it 



A CLEANSING FLIGHT; IS IT ALWAYS AN ADVAN- 

 TAGE? 



On page 331, you thank Jas. Beaton for facts given 

 regarding one swarm purchased, which had a cleans- 

 ing flight in March, that lived, while the 30 not pur- 

 chased all died, not having a cleansing flight at that 

 time. Well, here is another fact to put beside it: 

 In the fore part of February, 1870, I purchased one 

 swarm of a party (having tO colonies all in box hives), 

 and moved it 3 miles over a rough road. Upon 

 reaching home I placed them in a cellar, thinking to 

 set them out for a fly the first good day. This came 

 the last of February; but as the colony purchased 

 was quiet, I let them be where they were till the 

 middle of April, when they were set from the cellar 

 in splendid condition, and turned me $45 that sea- 

 son. The 39 left had a good flight in Feb. and March ; 

 but on May 1st, all were dead. 



Borodino, N. Y., June II, 1883. G. M. Doolittle. 



I confess the above is a little stumbling. 

 If it points out a truth, the truth would be 

 something lilve this, it seems to me: Condi- 

 tions that would save a colony at one time, 

 might prove the ruin of them at another. 

 In the above case, I think I should prefer to 

 take the chances of having the bees so lo- 

 cated tliat they could take a fly of their own 

 accord when the weather was suitable ; but 

 I would by all means have them protected 

 froin the prevailing winds. 



HOAV TO MOVE BEES, ETC. 



WENT into winter quarters with 37, and one 

 died. All the rest came through in splendid 

 condition. We sold our farm, and had to move 

 9 miles, and every one was wanting to know what I 

 was going to do with the bees. I told them I would 

 take them with me. So we set the day to move; and 

 the day before, I went and packed them all snug in 

 the lower part of the hive, and then late in the after- 

 noon 1 tacked wire screen over the front to keep 

 them in, and then they were ready to move. My 

 husband put his rack on his wagon that night, so as 

 to have no delay, and then next morning we loaded 

 the bees into the wagon. We set the hives in two 

 rows, side by side, until it was full, and then we set 

 on top of them another row of hives, and we got all 

 of the 36 into the wagon. I tell j'ou, it was full. We 

 then put two straw beds on top, and tied them down 

 tight, until they were solid, and then we started and 

 went slowly, so as not to jar them until we arrived 

 at our new home, and then we set them out. I tell 

 you, the little fellows were pretty cross, being in 

 prison. I did not have one comb broken down. 



The bees have done well since we moved, I sold 3 

 ssvarms for SIO.OO apiece, and that left me 23, and I 

 have 7 new swarms. I like to work with the bees; 

 but I have to put on the armor, to keep them from 

 stinging. They sting me terribly when they can. 

 Part of them are very cross to handle, and part are 

 very quiet. Malinda A. Wilkins. 



Seneca, Kan , May 37, 1883. 



TWO OLD QUEENS IN A HIVE, ETC. 



We have 19 colonies of bees all in good condition. 

 All wintered in cellar with thick cushions on and 

 covers off. I found two old quoees in one hive, lay- 

 ing side by side. One had both wings off. My hus- 

 band fed oil cake to the stock early this spring, and 

 the bees would gather thick on it wherever they 

 could And it. Mrs. B. L. Scarlett. 



Anita, Iowa, May 17, 1883. 



"tramp" uees. 

 Now don't put me in Blasted Hopes, for I am not a 

 bit discouraged; for a bad beginning makes a good 

 ending. But I do think the spirit of emigration has 

 taken possession of my bees. They will swarm, and 

 settle all right; are easy to hive, but they will not 

 work. They are genuine tramps. They stay in the 

 hive from three to seven days, then take a stampede, 

 then I herd them like sheep. I sit down and let 

 them fly until they settle; then I hive them and 

 bring them back. Sometimes they will stop two or 

 three days; sometimes only a few minutes, and 

 away they go; and this has been the experience of 

 nearly every bee-keeper here. Now I shall put two 

 swarms together, when they will not work alone. 

 I put four swarms into two hives yesterday, and one 

 of them is at work flneljs and I think the other will 

 go to work now. 



QUEENS THAT ARE NOT QUEENS. 



I don't think they have any queen when they act 

 like that; do you? There is some kind of a bee in 

 all the hives that act so, that some call queens. I 

 will send j'ou three. Tell us what they are. Some 

 of the hives have eight or ten; but the bees kill 

 every one they can get. I think they are too small 

 for queens, I sent to H. A. March for queens, but 



