100 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mat 



Langstroth frames: [Yes.] Will they winter belter 

 iu deejier oues ? [No.] How many frames stioukl 

 broorl chamber hold? [ti to 12.] How wide inside 

 should liive be for tliis number of iramcs.' [S.'i to 17 

 inches.] Have you small frames for tjueen rearing 

 and size of? [Discarded.] I would like to keep a 

 surplus of queens till fall. Had I better make some 

 small Irames for this purpose ? [Xo.] Will you cut 

 stuiT for any size Irame? [Yes.] But before I say 

 any more, is there any better frame to begin ivith ? 

 [No.] Docs tin answer well for roof of hive? [If 

 painted.] .Should a hive liave a portico ? [No.] How 

 much room above the frames should we have for tuck- 

 ing the quilt in ? [1 inch.] Can we feed too much rye 

 flour to bees? [No.] I am anxious to begin with a 

 good frame and hive, and am studying hard. One 

 thing bothers me. You say Langstroth frames are 

 17 /a inches long, but (Langstroth' j book page 372), the 

 bill of stufl" cut for frame will not make it more than 

 17|; did Langstroth ever alter these dimensions? 

 [No.] If not why do you difler from the book for a 

 standard size ? Hakry S. Mekiuck. 



Brownsburg, Pa. 



[Our measurements were taken from a frame sent 

 us by Mr. Langstroth, by particular request, and we 

 have the frame now in our possession. The L. frames 

 in use, or in use at the time we tried to establish uni- 

 form dimensions, were found to vary from 1-16 to sev- 

 eral inches, both in width and depth. We have now a 

 set of guages made in such a way that any frame we 

 send out sliall not vary the 32d of an inch — we hope- 

 even should several years elapse between the orders.] 



there have been many patents on the idea since, all wc 

 lielieve arc now dropped. There are usually so few bees 

 out when a colony swarms, that the returnini; bees, if 

 thej do not he.xr the call of their comrades and join with 

 thorn are of but little account. The hive need not be 

 moved more than 10 or 20 feet, to salisfy them, and then 

 all will find it. The nan-swanner mentioned, has with all 

 the rest, we beliavo, gone into oblivion. 



1 have 20 Quinby closed end hives, and never used 

 imolcer hut once or twice last ycar,cinc[ have some cross 

 hybrids too. W. G. Smith, St. Louis, Mo. 



I got 100 lbs. of best sugar candy made at the confec- 

 tioners at li cts. per lb. It is much nicer than liquid feed. 

 Geo. L. Gast, Le Clair, Iowa. 



I have 25 swarms which I wish to Italianize. Will Ital- 

 ians work on red clover ? and will they keep the moths 

 entirely out of the hive ? Will the workers raised from 

 queens reared from your advertised larvae do aU this ? 

 K. Baeboue, Alamo, Mich. 



[Most assuredly. Both points have been fully proven in 

 thousands of instances. The matter can be decided in a 

 few minutes in any locality where Italians are kept, by 

 simply opening a hive, or going to a clover field.] 



I see Mr. Doolitlle seems to have good success using 

 frames 10?4XlO?j, eight in number ; do you think it would 

 be safe for me to use hives with that number and size of 

 frames in this state, or would they be in danger of starv- 

 ing through the winter ? 



D. WooDBCRT, Huntington, Mass. 

 * [If the eight frames were well filled with stores, and 

 the colony not unusually large, they would be in no dan- 

 ger of starving if looked to in April. Mr. Doolittle is a 

 very skilful and careful man, and succeeds with such a 

 small hive, when careless people would not.] 



Is Langstroth's method of contracting the entrance to 

 prevent swarming, recommended? Your method is to 

 carry the parent hive to a new place and return the 

 swarm. Immediately? or after "three days?" How 

 about the bees returning from the field and finding their 

 hive gone? Canyon recommend Mrs. Parnham's non- 

 swarrming attachment ? 



J. 11. Parson, Pranklin, N. Y. 



[In a later edition of his work Mr. L. himself j)ronounces 

 the plan of contracting the entrance a failure, so far as 

 proven tiou of swarming is concerned. And although 



I have three stocks of bees which I notice have dysen- 

 tery badly. Is there a remedy ? or will I have to let them 

 make the best of it. I am a young hand at bees. 



S. M. Peachey, Allensville, Pa. 



[We really know of no sure remedy except warm weath- 

 er. If that don't come, i^er/frtp.s artificial heat may an- 

 swer, if they can be allowed to lly inside a cage made of 

 gauze or wire cloth. Removing the toj) ar.d allowing the 

 sun to shine directly on the cluster has a very beneficial 

 effect when the weather is warm enough. As a prevent- 

 ive, be careful to guard against unsealed and watery food 

 for cold weather.] 



I am just going into t'ne bee business and want to start 

 light. I will therefore follow the teachings of Glean- 

 ings, knowing many who have been rewarded by so doing. 

 H. P. GiMisoN, Adams, jS^. Y. 



[We have had many encouraging words, friend G., but 

 none more acceptable than the above.] 



Will the comb foundations answer as good a purpose as 

 the natural comb for starters in section boxes ? Would 

 you run them (a strip say an inch wide) from top to bot- 

 tom, or till the box with sheets ? 



P. H. Gates, Chittenango, N. Y. 



[Notwithstanding the quantity that Mr. "Long" sent 

 out last ^eason, it seems we have had very few experi- 

 ments with the foundations, for comb honey. We can not 

 answer questions from our own experience, but advise all, 

 especially our Southern friends to test the matter and re- 

 port as soon as possible. We have noted that where the 

 combs are fastened at the bottom, there is almost sure to 

 be bagging or bulsing, when the cells are raised ; and 

 where they are left hana;ing, there is a tendency to twist 

 about, unless the bees commence all over the sheet at 

 once.] 



Y''ou say, (commenting on my letter in March number) 

 cotton rags saturated in saltpetre are "exi)ensi\'e.'' Not 

 very. I usually take an old book and saturate the leaves 

 in a solution of nitre, and dry. One or two leaves thrust 

 into a bellows smoker are sufficient for a single hive. A 

 book is convenient to carry in the pocket. 



What is the customary way of renting bees ? Please 

 give details. S. W. Hall, La Moille, Iowa. 



[We believe the old way was for one party to furnish 

 the bees and and another the care, skill, and hives, both 

 sharing equally in the honey and increase. Since the 

 time of Italians, and hives that are a trifle more expensive 

 than the old boxes, things are somewhat dilTerent and we 

 know of no better advice than to agree about the minor 

 points as best you can. Be careful to have it all plainly 

 understood, or you will have "onpleasantness ;" and in 

 view of the complaints that have been made in such cases, 

 we woidd advise the one who has the skill, to buy the 

 bees if he can. We think you will find it the better way.] 



I want to know if bees are taxable property, as our as- 

 sessor says he is going to assess our bees in the spring. 

 G. M. Doolittle, Borodino, N. Y'. 



[We consider bees as much taxable property as auj' oth- 

 er kind of stock ; and although one of our assessors some 

 years agj thought, as they were not specified they might 

 be left out, we desired him to assess them as he would 



