1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



459 



the cold wet weather through May caused me to go 

 to feeding to keep up brood-rearing. But to-day, 

 June 18, they are just booming on white clover and 

 poplar. I tell you, it does me good to see how they 

 rush out to work these bright warm mornings, and 

 to see how fast they can till up. I have all of my 

 bees in the Langstroth frame, but have been using 

 the Langstroth, Simplicity, and chaff hives. I am 

 working them into the chaff hive as fast as I can get 

 them made, for I can get better satisfaction from 

 those kept in chaff hives. I will give you my report 

 at the end of the season. Jno. R. Crooks. 



Keiths, O., Juae 18, 1883. 



Oae of the greatest yields of clover is in progress 

 in this locality that I have yet seen. There is an 

 enormous crop of white clover here. Every old idle 

 field looks almost like a white sheet, and it seems to 

 be thrivingeverywhere, where it has got rooted. For 

 this locality the yield of honey is very great, where 

 swarmmg is kept down. Bees have the swarming 

 fever terribly, and lean not control it with boxes; 

 but the colonies with full upper story for extracting 

 seem to be getting down to business. 



I have extracted up to date about 100 lbs. of clover 

 honey from 4 colonies. I could do much better; but 

 I am not a muscular man myself, and could get no 

 one competent to help me. I have got behind, and 

 can not catch up. The orders for brushes come 

 pretty slow, and I am of the opinion that bee-keep- 

 ers do not put much faith in our brushes, or else they 

 are overlooking the matter. I must say, if it is I 

 who am advertising them, that I have been using one 

 that was put up to sell, and no better than those we 

 have been sending out, if as good, and I would not 

 do without it for $1.00 now. I find it second only to 

 the smoker and veil. I have to use a veil, as I can 

 not stand stings in my face. Here is an extract 

 from our good friend Chas. F. Muth's letter, after 

 using a sample brush I took him, May 35: "I gave a 

 fair trial of the one you left with me. They are nice' 

 easy brushes; I mean, easy on the bees, and answer- 

 ing their purpose first rate. ***** 

 It would be an improvement, I think, to have about 

 double the amount of manilla on." This last is on a 

 par with my own opinion, as the brush gets softer 

 after using awhile. I hope to get a perfect brush for 

 next season, as improvements are being added every 

 few days; but those that go my mail must have the 

 handles left out, as they can not stand the rough 

 handling of the mail-pouches, except bunches of !4- 

 dozen and upward. T. J. Cook. 



Newpoint, Ind., June 18, 1883. 



NOTES FROM THE BACHELOR APIARY. 



I went into the winter just passed with 44 colonies; 

 10 buried, and 34 on their summer stands. All came 

 through the winter in good condition. You know, 

 "no upward ventilation " is my hobby, and, after 

 practicing it three successive winters without loss, 

 ought I not to be satisfied with the result? 



DECAPITATE ALL WORTHLESS QUEENS. 



The queen of every colony that does not prove 

 to be superior workers, is removed. I think it bad 

 management to keep a worthless queen longer than 

 her place can be supplied with a good one. Suppose 

 each colony in your apiary should store as much 

 honr-y .13 yon obtain from your host stock, what 

 would iour pri.lii b, V 



NATUttAL STARTERS FOR SECTIONS. 



I think I shall never again use fdn. for sections. 1 



find it a very easy matter to obtain all the natural 

 starters I need; and my experience is, the bees take 

 to the boxes much quicker where they are filled, 

 or partly filled, with natural comb, than where they 

 are filled with fdn. M. J. Harris. 



Calhoun, 111., June 13, 1883. 



SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT FOUNDATION. 



I sent for your special foundation-mill circular, 

 and didn't receive any, so I want to ask a few ques- 

 tions, as I expect to buy one ne?ct season. 



1. How much will the wax waste in making? 



3. How do you manage to save the odd pieces to 

 advantage, when a customer orders an odd size; for 

 instance, 10x14, your size 13x18? 



3. How much parafflne would j'ou dare mix with 

 wax for your own use, if you use wired frames? 



4. How wide a sheet will a 13-inch mill roll con- 

 veniently? 



5. How much could one expect to sell, if he should 

 advertise in two or three papers, and did business 

 on the square — 100, 500 lbs., or a ton? 



I don't intend to sell paralHne foundation, but if I 

 could mix in, say one-third for my own use, it would 

 be quite a saving. C. J. Sanford. 



Unionville, Ct., July 10, 1883. 



I do not know just what the waste is. In 

 some specimens of wax it should be com- 

 paratively nothing, while with some others 

 there might be 10 per cent of waste. Some 

 very bad lots of wax would perhaps waste 25 

 per cent ; but such we always take at a low 

 price, trying not to pay too much for it, as a 

 matter of course. Wax rendered from cap- 

 pings with a wax-extractor ought not to 

 waste any, unless you drop scraps on the 

 floor and trample them in the wood. — We 

 melt up our scraps, as a matter of course ; 

 but as it is good economy to have as little 

 scrap as possible, we have dipping-boards of 

 many ditt'erent widths ; and for special or- 

 ders of an odd size, we manage to dip so as 

 to make a certain number of sheets, with 

 but little waste in trimming. — Your last 

 question is a hard one to answer. One who 

 does business on the square ought to have 

 his business increase every year of his life ; 

 but please bear in mind, friend S., there are 

 but very few men in this world who can be 

 said to be strictly on the square, in spirit as 

 well as in letter; and it also takes a little 

 time to build up a reputation. Be patient, 

 and take good care of every customer you 

 get ; and sooner or later you will find your 

 reward. — I have never yet tried paraffine for 

 wired frames, for we have been too busy ; 

 besides, I am a little afraid to try it. — A 12- 

 inch mill will roll conveniently a 10 -inch 

 sheet of wax. Any thing much wider will be 

 apt to trouble by running out at the sides, 

 unless- it is handled very carefully. 



BEE CULTURE ON THE OLD PLAN. 



I have 131 very large colonies of hybrid bees in 

 Simplicity hives, or about the same hives, except 

 the bottom is permanently fastened. I have never 

 given my bees much attention, but have let them 

 wag along, usually starting in the spring with about 

 80 hives which yield me some $500 the following year, 

 besides as many more hives which I usually lose the 

 next winter. When taking honey I just cut it out of 

 top boxes, carry to a press wbich 1 uiade, and pri-sis 

 the honey into biirrels. 1 then boil the « ax, and 

 ship. I was tolerably well satisfied with my botch 



