1S7C. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Kil 



We were sent the neccesary shipping cards from 

 the Centennial, for our hive and extractor on the r2th 

 of June, and were very coolly informed that unless 

 they were on hand by the 14th, they would not be re- 

 ceived. Xow we are altogether too busy to waste our 



time or money, in cliasing after we Avonkt like to 



have the sentence ended pleasantly, but it don't occur 

 to us just now, how to do it. 



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A CASE of section boxes is now filled and capped over in 

 about a week, when filled with foundations ; and our gro- 

 cery-men pronounce the universal section box ahead of 

 any package heretofore seen. Of course they are to be 

 given away with the honey, and the wood looks nearly as 

 clean and nice as wlien first sawed. Wo would suggest 

 that the boxes be not put together until wanted to put on 

 the hives, and that fhey be left in the original bundle, 

 that they may be clean and briglit when put into market. 

 We sell them at 2oc per lb., box and all, extracted at It!. 



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OuK better half catches a queen when the bees 

 swarm, by turning a glass tumbler over her. As soon 

 as she climbs up on it the ttxmblcr is held over a queen 

 cage, and she very soon slips oiT the glass into the 

 cage, and is all safe without risk being incurred in 

 handling such tiny morsels of royalty. \\e. have not 

 yet quice discovered whether she fears they will sting, 

 bite, or take some perverse notion to die, i( she picks 

 them up in her hands as we do. At any rate she is 

 getting to be quite expert at the business as she has 

 not failed in a single instance. 



It stems almost inci'e;iil)l ; tla" a good 4}^ power steam 

 engine all complete can be made for $300.00, yet we 

 seat a check for one on Monday morning, and had it run- 

 ning all our machinery on Friday of the same week. But 

 about 3 hoiu's work was I'equired to get it into our cellar 

 and have it all ready to fire up. It gives us far more 

 power than we need with 10 lbs. of steam, and we fre- 

 quently run our saws on liglit v.'ork, with 15 lbs of steam 

 only. The cost of fiiel cannot exceed 25c. per day, but 

 we use sawdust and refuse mostly. It is the Bookwalter, 

 made by James Leffel & Co., Springfield Ohio. See ad- 

 vertisement. 



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When we arransred our table of prices on our extract- 

 ors, we took it for granted t bere were no frames in use 

 exceeding U in :hes across the narrowest way, nor ex- 

 ceeding 20 inches— projections oti top bar included— the 

 longest way. But this was a mistake, for we have been 

 obliged to make machines to order several times of late, 

 at a considerable additional expense ; and in one case we 

 found a frame in use 22 inches in length. Now wo have 

 no objection to making these extreme sizes, but as 20 in- 

 ches is the extreme length of a sheet of tin, we shall have 

 to charge Sil.OO for machines with frames longer than 

 this, or wider than 14 inches the narrowest way. 



Thkee coli'nies are now working on the founda- 

 tions beautifully, in glass boxes in the house apiary, 

 but they are two or three weeks behind those out- 

 doors. It is a beautiful thing to show to visitors, but 

 for practical work, we. like the bees, prefer the open 

 air. Our imported queen has until now been an in- 

 mate, but the business of sending out larva; has re- 

 quired that the hive be opened so much, we have 

 moved her out-doors again. The great trouble in 

 opening hives is that the young bees insist on return- 

 ing the same way they went out, and ordinarilj- they 

 find the entrance without trouble, but in the house, we 

 can get them out- loors it is true, they would never get 

 back into their own hive in the world. 



Not a single favorable word has been received in 

 response to our inquiry if any one who had purchased 

 gloves, had found them of value in the apiary. Nov/ 

 if those who advertise them know they are of no prac- 

 tical use, or even if they don't know any thing about 

 it, it is time for those who do know, to speak out. 

 Beginners are writing to us every fevT days, to know 

 wh}' we too, do not advertise gloves, and several have 

 sent us money; our reply is, that we offer nothing for 

 sale that we have not tested and approved. Bubber 



gloves at S2,00 arc very taking to the uninitiated, 



and unlets those wiio have i>aid out their money for 

 them, in good faith, can some oi them give a favora- 

 ble report, we shall feel it a duty to put rubber gloves 

 in the "Humbug & Swindle" deviarlment. 



June 2(U/^— Our bees did swarm on Sunday after all. 

 One came out just before church time, and was clus- 

 tered on the rake as usual ; the other came out while 

 we were away at our missiou Sabbath school, and our 

 14 year old hopeful, under the incentive of a whole 

 dollar that had been promised him, hived the largest 

 swarm of the season. It came from the hive belonging 

 to Blue Eyes, and the little folks felt considerabh' ela- 

 ted at the feat they had performed. Master Erjiest 

 deemed it his dutj' to hold the rake nearly a whole 

 half hour while thoy were clustering, but we have 

 discovered that it is just as vx'ell to hook one outside 

 tooth ot the rake over a limb of the tree on which they 

 are clustering and let them take their own time in 

 finding where the queen is. Be sure that enough 

 have found her to set up a call, and you are all right. 

 They can be laid in front of the hive as quietly as you 

 wish, and as you open the cage, make sure that she 

 goes into the hive, and then you are all right. 



Our new swarms when supplied with empty combs, 

 get their hive full and begin to cluster out in about 4 

 days. In about as many more, they have filled the 

 second story, and as our friends will give us no time 

 to think of extracting, we just keep adding stories of 

 empty combs, or frames filled with foundations. 



It is our opinion, that even the most extravagant 

 have failed to appreciate the value of the foundations. 

 We have tried to induce a few stocks by way of ex- 

 periment, to start without in the section boxes, but 

 those supplied with them, will have their boxes full 

 and partly capped, before the others will have fairly 

 commenced. Full sheets of comb put in the upper 

 stories Saturday night, were raised into combs and 

 heavy with honey Monday morning. During ver^' 

 hot weather, the sheets of pure white wax are bulged 

 to some extent, but not near as badly as with the par- 

 affine. We shall at present use oiily the pure white 

 wax ; yellow wax, seems almost as objectionable as 

 the paralline. Perhaps we may be able to get the cells 

 raised satisfactorily during cooler weather. The 

 foundations sent us by Mr. Long, were evidently pure 

 wax, and we have had as yet but one single complaint 

 of liis failing to fill orders, and that was for a very 

 small amount. 



27i'/i— Hurrah for chaff! The tjuinliy hive has sent 

 out a large second swarm. The rake, bush, and queen 

 cage answered to hive them as well as the others, for 

 the scent of the cage that had held so many queens, 

 induced them to cluster on it when held among them 

 without trouble. This swarm also clustered on the 

 same limb of the same tree as did our first swarm ot 

 the season ; can it be that ic is the wonderful intluence 

 that pervades the sjioc wliere the queen has osu-.e rest- 

 ed, that thus altr;icts them? beveral severe rain 

 storms have drenciied the limbs since. 



Don't let your liees "'roost" on the outside of the 

 hive, uuiler any circumstances. Give 'em moic room, 

 and dip them into the boxes with a sjioon, if you can't 

 do any better. They will take the hint. 



