GLEANINGS IN BJEE CULTUKE. 



Nor. 



much posted in regard to conventions, and 

 therefore I would request Prof. Cook and C. 

 C. Miller to answer your question. Friends 

 Cook and Miller, please give us a good 

 article on the above subject, each of you. 

 Make it so plain that even the juveniles will 

 know just what to do to start a bee-keepers' 

 convention. 



DANGER OF CLIPPING QUEENS' WINGS. 



On June 30, Mr. T. J. Lewis sent with me to you 

 for a f 1.00 queen, which was received in due time, 

 and introduced according to instruction. On the 

 eighth day after introducing her, in looking through 

 her hive we discovered queen-cells, and he, fearing 

 they would swarm, had me clip her wing, which I 

 did, holding her by one wing while I clipped the 

 other. I was very careful, and am sure I did not 

 hurt her, but she has never laid an egg since. 



Tank, Mo., Aug. 31, 1883. T. A. Wright. 



Friend W., although you do not say that 

 the queen had been laying before her wing 

 was clipped, we infer she had. As this is 

 the first case of the kind I have ever heard 

 of, I can hardly think there is much danger 

 of spoiling the queen that way, by clipping 

 her wings. It is well known, that a sudden 

 disturbance often results iu depriving a 

 queen of the power of laying, and we have 

 given many reports of queens that would not 

 lay after having been shipped. This very 

 fact has led to many uncharitable and un- 

 kind thouglits and feelings. For instance, 

 a man who receives a queen and introduces 

 her, and finds she does not lay an egg, will 

 say the shipper sent liim a bad queen, and 

 he '-didn't believe she ever did lay," while 

 the fact is, the disturbance of taking her 

 from the hive, and sending her away, was 

 what caused it. Neighbor H. once removed 

 a queen of great fertility from one of his 

 hives; but aiter carrying her to his other 

 apiary, three or four miles distant, and in- 

 troducing her, she never laid afterward. I 

 must say, friend W., however, that I agree 

 with you insomuch as to prefer queens witli- 

 out being clipped. 



THE REASON WHY FRIEND POST DID NOT NEED ANY 

 OUTFIT. 



I built me a bee-house last fall, a year ago, to 

 winter my bees, and did not get it done till a late 

 hour, and ceiled it up inside and out with matched 

 lumber, and rushed my bees in before I had it ven- 

 tilated. I thought I could throw the doors open 

 nights to ventilate it sufficiently in that way, and I 

 neglected to do so, and there came a thunder- 

 shower in the winter, and the bees smothered, al- 

 most all. I had only 13 colonies left, and they were 

 very weak. Benj. Post. 



Caro, Mich., Oct. 17, 1883. 



Friend P., if you did have bad luck, yet 

 you have furnished a timely caution for 

 others who might otherwise be tempted to 

 do as you did. Look out about letting 

 things go by, thinking you will keep watch 

 of them. It pays to take care of bees in 

 season, and to do vour work well, so far as 

 you go. _J 



REPORT FROM CORONACA APIARY. 



As I have seen no report from this section, I will 

 tell you how bees have done this year. Many, if 

 they would express themselves, would, I fear, be 



placed In Blasted Hopes. Upon the whole, it has 

 been the poorest year for honey that I have seen 

 since I commenced bee-keeping. I have had but 

 few swarms during the season, and will go into 

 winter quarters with about 33 colonies. They will 

 perhaps have honey enough to carry them through, 

 by taking from the stronger and giving to the 

 weaker, but will have no surplus. The pea crop 

 was a perfect failure, consequently did not gather 

 any fall honey, except from goldenrod and asters, 

 and it was very dry, even for them. I have taken 

 about 800 lbs. of extracted honey from twenty col- 

 onies, and sold nearly SlOO worth of queens, which 

 will keep me out of Blasted Hopes; but if I had 

 worked for section honey, I should have been there 

 for certain, for 1 had about 10 colonies working for 

 comb honey, and did not get more than 50 lbs. This 

 is not only the poorest year for honey, but the most 

 unprosperous farming year we have ever known in 

 this section — worse even than 1881, and I believe 

 the entire State has made a worse failure than in 

 1881. 



HONEY FROM COTTON. 



You ask me if bees work on cotton every year, I 

 answer that they do, if it is dry during the height of 

 cotton bloom; but if wet and seasonable, I would 

 say no, as the bloom lasts only a day, and the plant 

 does not bloom rapidly, or in rapid succession, with 

 a vigorous growth in it. Kagweed is our pollen- 

 plant for Aug. and Sept. I think it equal to buck- 

 wheat in that respect, and I think that is all that 

 buckwheat has ever proved fit for here. 



Coronaca, S. C, Sept. 35, 1883. J. D. Fooshe. 



UNSEALED BROOD FOR HOLDING SWARMS, AGAIN. 



I have just been reading what Doolittle and others 

 have to say about giving new swarms unsealed 

 brood to hold them. This remedy may vary in dif- 

 ferent localities, and under different circumstances; 

 but as a general rule it has proved successful with 

 me. Before I commenced this practice, a swarm 

 would leave every little while; but since 1 have fol- 

 lowed this plan I have had but one or two swarms 

 desert and leave the brood. I have hived some 35 or 

 30 swarms this year, invariably giving them a frame 

 of unsealed brood, without losing a swarm. Of 

 course, other preventions, such as plenty of ventila- 

 tion and shade, are necessary. 



PREVENTION OF SWARMING. 



I had several first swarms throw off swarms after 

 filling their hives, which was against the rules, as T 

 wanted honey and not bees, so I set about trying to 

 stop such nonsense, and succeeded by raising the 

 front of the hive the thickness of a lath, or more, if 

 very warm; after that I had no more swarming, 

 and they went to work instead of lying out in front 

 of the hives. Of course, this can't be done with 

 tight bottom-boards. Bees did well here after the 

 first of June, until the middle of July, in spite of 

 rain and cold nights. Since then we have had very 

 little rain. S. H. Mallory. 



Decatur, Mich. 



CLOSED-TOP SECTIONS. ETC. 



I want no more open-top sections, but will take all 

 in closed-top for my use, as I find bees fill a single 

 tier much sooner, and then when removed they are 

 whiter than when more tiers are used. The lower 

 ones get dark. M y boy and I can care for 100 col- 

 onies of bees, even if I am a cripple. I lost a leg in 

 the army in 1861 ; so when the bees sting my wooden 

 leg, why, they get fooled, don't they? We have 93 



