438 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 



per and lower fx-ames is not more than 'i and 

 not less than i, mcst colonies will leave this 

 space and build in comb between. There 

 are, however, exceptions. While going 

 through the apiary yesterday I found that I 

 could lift almost {"ill of the combs easily in 

 the upper stories; but once in a while 1 would 

 lind a colony where every upper comb was 

 attached to the one below it, so that when I 

 attempted to raise one 1 raised both. The 

 sheet of perforated zinc, illustrated in oar 

 price list, will probably remedy this. IJut 

 if I were working hives for extracted honey, 

 I should prefer to get along without it if I 

 could. I think I would leave all colonies 

 without this sheet of zinc, that would not 

 attach the combs. Where they persist in so 

 doing, I would scrape the wax from the top 

 and bottom bars, and put in the sheet of 

 zinc. 



ATTACHMENT OF COMIiS. 



In these new hives I find that the frames are 

 crowded, alth )ugh [ have fewer frames in than you 

 forwarded in the hives, and they built so that two 

 frames are sometimes attached to each other. How 

 can I prevent their attaching two frames together? 

 and how many frames shall I put into a Simplicity 

 hive? 



Bees, as a general thing, bridge their 

 combs across from one to the other, more or 

 less ; and a beginner is almost always sure 

 to think these attachments prevent the 

 combs from being movable. Such, however, 

 is not the case. When- you wisli to lift out 

 a frame from a full hive, select one of the 

 central combs, and one containing consider- 

 able brood. Now move the combs on each 

 side a little away from it, until the attach- 

 ments are broken. You can now raise it 

 carefully without any danger of injuring the 

 combs or killing the bees. If a hive has not 

 been opened for some time, and the bees 

 build the combs all together solid, apparent- 

 ly, it may be best to move nearly all of the 

 combs a little, so as to make room for the 

 one you wish to take out. JSIuch depends on 

 the combs being straight and true. Also 

 where the combs are bulged, by leaving the 

 bees some time without space in which to 

 store their honey, the matter of opening the 

 hive is rendered very much more difficult. 



HANDLING HYKUIDS, ETC. 



Prom the way the bees sting and go for me, 1 

 should judge, after reading your article, that they 

 are hybrids. Now, I am not sufficiently expert yet 

 to introduce Italian (luecns and remove the hybrids, 

 and do not want to go to the expense of buying new 

 bees, Italians, and disposing of my present stock. 

 Can I, by getting an Italian nucleus, raise queens 

 sufficient for my hives, so that I can introduce them 

 next year, when I shall have more practice? and can 

 I add to this nucleus, frames with brood from ray 

 present stock without danger of hybridizing the nu- 

 cleus? 



Even if your bees are hybrids, you should 

 be able to "handle them without being stung. 

 Use smoke, and a little more care, and never 

 mash a bee. You can easily build up a nu- 

 cleus to a full colony by giving them combs 

 of brood ; and even if these combs do come 

 from hybrid stocks, I should not think it 

 would matter materially, 



CYPUIANS AND HOLY-IiANDS. 



Are Cyprians or Holy-Lands any better than Ital- 

 ians? Are they less liable to be ferocious? 



At present, all things considered, I am 

 inclined to give the preference to the Ital- 

 ians over either the Cyprians or the Holy- 

 l^ands, although the latter have qualities 

 that make them much more desirable than 

 Italians. As a general thing they are not 

 as easy to handle. Very likely a cross be- 

 tween the two races mentioned and the Ital- 

 ians will be found superior to either of the 

 three races pure. 



WAITING UNTIL I HAVE TIME. 



If you have not time to answer all of the above 

 queries now, lay them aside until you have leisure. 

 I will not be offended. C. L. Baumann. 



Dayton, O., July 14, 188:-:;. 



Friend B., I very seldom wait until I have 

 more leisure. Experience has taught me 

 that it is cheaper and easier to dispose of 

 every letter I receive, when it is once in 

 hand; for after I have given my mind to 

 the consideration of any subject or letter, it 

 is a waste of time to lay it down and then 

 take up the whole thread again at some fu- 

 ture time. My answers are often brief, but 

 they are, I believe, as a general thing, pretty 

 prompt. 



SOME OF A BEGINNER'S TROUBLES. 



REARING QUEENS, GETTING BEES TO WORK IN BOXES, 

 ETC. 



^N July No. of Gleanings you ask the question, 

 " Has any one else had bees work on lilac?" I 

 have lilacs in front of my house, and while they 

 were in bloom, they were alive with bees all the time 

 that was suitable for bees to work. I have a mixed 

 multitude of bees, Italians, blacks, and mongrels, or 

 hybrids. I did not observe which race worked on 

 them the most (if there was any difference), as I 

 supposed it a common occurrence for bees to work 

 on them. 



Has any one succeeded in raising queens on the 

 improved H. Alley system? I bought a book, work- 

 ed according to directions the best I could, with 

 good faith, but got not a cell, and injured three of 

 my best stocks very much by the experiment. I 

 feel to exclaim with Josh Billings, "Egspcriuns iz a 

 gud skule, but the tuishun iz purty hi." If I keep 

 bees I shall need to raise queens, as the loss of 

 queens seems to increase every year. I have had a 

 greater loss this season than any one for thirty 

 years. 



My bees have done but very little thus far. Clover 

 has yielded but little honey. We have had a 

 great deal of cold rainy weather. Basswood is now 

 in bloom, and to-day they seem to be doing a driving 

 business. Still, they are very obstinate about work- 

 ing in 1-lb. boxes with tin separators. I have six 

 broad frames in upper story, and one at side of 

 brood-nest, and a frame of brood or a frame of fdn. 

 in center of upper story. They will fill the frames 

 of fdn., but never a bit the boxes. Now, Bro. Root, 

 may the Lord bless you in the work he has intrusted 

 to your care, and he surely will; for he has promis- 

 ed, " He that is faithful over a few things, I will 

 make him ruler over many thii<ra." S. B. Seaman. 



Harford Mills, N. Y., J ily 10. 1883. 



I am very glad to liear that bees do work 



