GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aph. 



stood oil the hive. The purchaser can have 

 one section, a case of o, or the wiiole case of oO. 

 So !ar nothiiiii' has ))eeii said of glassinj? them; 

 ami as some discussion lias arisen as to wheth- 

 ci the consumer should he asUed to purchase 

 the wood and ijhiss at the same price as the 

 honey, we will use a fancs' case to be slipped 

 over the section or not, as may be preferred. 

 This case we make entirely of glass and metal, 

 as we want somethinj; that can be readily 

 washed or wiped off with a damp cloth. 



To have it nice, we will use bright tin, at a 

 cost of al)out .f3.00 more per box. Cut the 

 sheet lenjjthwise into 5 equal pieces. Now by 

 ineausofa pattern, mark out and notch in to 

 them as in the diagram, and then fold them 



along the dotted lines. These folds should be 

 of such depth that when the edge is folded at a 

 little more than a right angle, they will hold 

 the .■) by 5 glass securely against the section. 

 When the whole is bent around the section, 

 the tin will make a very pretty curve where 

 the notches arc cut, and the edges of the glass 

 will be entirely covered by a molding some- 

 thing like a picture frame. To hold the last 

 corner we i)reviously fold one end slightly out, 

 and the other so as to make a slight hook ; 

 this allows it to clos" with a snap like a snuft" 

 box. To ornament it, cut and paste on the 

 glass some honey labels printed in blue and 

 gold, or have an ornamental label printed for 

 it. So far we are well pleased, nay, proud of 

 our work; but we air not, as yet, well suited 

 with any glass honey box to go on the hive, 

 that we have ever seen. Mr. Wheeler, who 

 makes them of the strawbt-rry bo.x material, 

 lias a very pretty box for so small an amount 

 of money, but the glass is not to be put on un- 

 til the boxes are removed, and in this respect 

 they are ralln-r section frames than boxes. He 

 has one very ingenious idea in this connection, 

 the bees will build as close to the tin separa- 

 tors as they can, and get room to work, per- 

 haps f4 in. ; well, the glass when in place 

 comes up within 1-16 of the honey and yet 

 never touches it, as we have been told by those 

 who us( them. Messrs. Barker & Dicer, and 

 Mr. C. K. Isham advertise honey boxes in this 

 No., and perhaps it would be a good idea to 

 get samples from all. 



The tools required to work tin rapidly in the 

 manner we have mentioned, are squaring 

 shears, cost about $35.00, and folder, at about 

 .'^2iii.OO. With the former you can cut tin or 

 ttie thin wood veneers used for berry boxes, in- 

 to pieces exactly alike faster than you can 

 well count, and with the latter you can fold 

 tin almost as fast. If you are making hives to 

 sell, or have a very large apiary it may pay 

 you to own the machines, but otherwise you 

 can make some arrangement with your nearest 

 tin smith, to allow you to have the use of these 

 two tools. Whatever you do, be careful you 

 do not trouble him without giving him a gen- 

 ero us equivalent. 



Is it nec( ssary to have the tins between the boxes as 

 wide as the boxes ? or will they answer if hi or % as sdde? 

 Will guides made as described in Feb. Gleanings, do for 



boxes? \\i\\ bees u.se them as soon as natmral ones? h;«e 

 they ever been trietl ': I wish to lotate another npiary. 

 Itow far should it Ix) from my old one V Will sheet iron 

 do instead of tin 1)l'Iwccu boxes ? If not, is rooting tin as 

 good as any ':■ it is cheaper. Please don't think me too in- 

 (juisiti\c, for I have had a hard strufrgle witli bees foi over 

 two .years. Wm. II. Balch, Oran, N. Y., March -11, '70. 

 The tin separators must come within 3^4 or 

 ;i-y of l)oth top and bottom bar, or the bees 

 may upset the whole idea by bulging the comb 

 at these points when they are cramped for room 

 and thus preventing the glass from going iu 

 place without bruising the comb. Tlie thin- 

 nest tin for these separators is most desirable, 

 botli on account of cheapness, and because 

 very thin sheets of metal are much like wood 

 in being nonconductors of heat ; we certainly 

 do not wish to introduce so much metal into 

 the cluster of bees as to rob them of the ani- 

 mal heat they generate. Rooting tin is just as 

 good, but does not look quite so nice ; it is 

 the kind used by the York State honey men. 



WHEN TO STIIttllI.ATE. 



^H'lIIS depends on what time we can expect a sur- 

 Jjl "^ plus of honey in any given locality. The time 

 ^™ to cominancc is about weeks bst'orc the har- 

 vc St commeners, and about 8 weeks before there is a 

 plentilul flow. In our locality the miildlc of March is 

 early enough to teed rye meal in an ordinary season, 

 which is about S weeks before white clover bloom?:, 

 in localities where basswood is the chief supply wc 

 may wait nearly a month longer. Wo do not feed 

 syrup in tiie spring at all, unlesa our bees are defi- 

 cient in stores, when they must be fed. Unseasona- 

 ble brood-rearing is one of the causes of spring 

 dwindling, as it is called ; the bees are allowed to wast* 

 themselves by fruitless efl'orts at brood-rearing. As 

 longas there are cold spells compellini!;them to remain 

 in their hives two or three days at a time, they allow 

 allow a consiilcrabic portion ol their larva> to starve, 

 even in the strongest colonics; and by so doing waUe 

 their numbers without any corresponding increase. 

 You will pleaee excuse me, for perhaps L don't know 

 anything about the spring dwindling, not having lost 

 any bees by that disease yet. I may perhaps enumer- 

 ate other causes at some future time. 



Bees winter well without any pollen, if the colonies 

 are strong, but they require flour early in the spring, 

 tliough not too much until the proper time. I would 

 rather winter them without pollen, if I could get them 

 In good condition, (as they keep more quiet) but whu« 

 in good condition they always have pollen, which is 

 not hurtful if the hives have the right quantity of veu- 

 tilation. E. C. L.LAitCH. Ashland, Mo. 



EXTRACTEK VEKSUS COITIB HONEY. 



^P|6))EGINNEI{S are almost sure to fail 

 ■1±3) with box honey, whereas they are almost 

 equally sure to make a success with the ex- 

 tractor ; that is, they get a crop of honey, all 

 they can use and generally some for their 

 neighbors. It /.s true they frequently take 

 away so much they have to feed it back, but 

 this only gives them a more intimate acquaint- 

 ance with the bees, and prepares them to get a 

 knowledge of their habits they could scarcely 

 acquire in the same time were they not obliged 

 to invade the domain of the queen to secure 

 the crop. 



