1G76 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



217 



We fear our friends ha^e some of them, thought us un- 

 courteous in the brevity of our replies to their kind let- 

 ters. It is not because we do not wish to reply in the 

 same kind spirit, but because it is simply impossible. 

 Should we attempt it, we could make no practical exper- 

 iments with the bees, could rot give this Journal the 

 time it needs, and perhaps should lose the good health we 

 have been lately enjoying. All letters are opened and 

 read, and the answers read and approved by us person- 

 ally ; this is all we can do, and we very often regret the 

 brevity that is made a neccessity on account of their num- 

 ber. If any thing is amiss, do not hesitate to make it 

 known, and please do not doubt our willingness to do all 

 that is right ar.d proper. 



THE U]V1VEI£>«AL, SECTION BOX. 



I 



WE should be very "lad indeed if we were 

 able to decide on the simplest and best 

 form of implements for the apiary at first trial, 

 but those who have fallowed Gleanings may 

 have observed that things liave a kind of fash- 

 ion of fashioning themselves, as it were, after 

 they are put into practical use in the apiaries 

 of our liundreds of readers. The Universal 

 section box seems to be no exception, and by 

 repeated working with them, wc find that we 

 can, not only get along without the tin sepa- 

 rators, but of late we have found it an advan- 

 tage to set the section boxes directly on the 

 frames, dispersing with the cases i'or holding 

 them, entirely. Not only do the Italians get 

 into them quicker when placed thus, but they 

 can be lifted out as fast as filled, with gfeater 

 ease than when placed in cases. As we wish 

 to have the bottom bars free from wax and 

 propolis, we will simply lay some slips of pine 

 ^gxTg and as long as the width of the hive, di- 

 rectly on the frames crosswise. With this 

 simple arrangement, the bees find it impossible 

 to fasten the bottom bars so that there is any 

 danger of pulling them oft' from the section, as 

 sometinif'S happens when they are placed di- 

 rectly on the frames. Agnin, we thought it 

 necessary at first, to make a case purposely, 

 instead of using the ordinary upper story, just 

 as made for a set of frames. We now find that 

 an upper story is just what is needed. 



In the engravings on our front, Fig. 1 shows 

 the simple piece of wood from which the other 

 8 figures are made. Fig. 3, is the Universal 

 section box composed of (J of these pieces. Ob- 

 serve that the four tipright pieces gauge, the 

 distance of the frames from centre to centre ; 

 in the one shown, it is about IJg, but by turn- 

 ing one of the side pieces over, we can reduce 

 it to 1^4 exactlj'. By using 3 pieces for the 

 sides and two each for the tops and bottoms, 

 we can make it 2°^g, this is right for very thick 

 combs. These cau all be used on the same 

 hive, where the size happens to be of odd di- 

 mensions. Fig's. 3, 4, 5 and 7, are difterent 

 forms for getting honey in fancy shapes for 

 fairs, weddings, etc. No. 7 is easily made by 

 placing it on the hive in halves, and uniting 

 the two when filled and scaled. AVith the fdn. 

 it is an easy matter to fill all these difterent 

 forms. No. 9 is the storing and shipping case 

 for No. 2 when ready to come off the hive. It 

 holds 1") sections, and v.-ilh glass in the ends, 

 it is almost sure to be handled carefully. The 

 depth is such, that the cover when screwed 

 down, holds each section firmly in its place. 

 It is made entirely of ^o inch pine; top and 



bottom, 6x28}o' ; sides, 5x28J2. The latter are 

 cut in with a saw }'4 inch from the ends to 

 hold the glass. If you will promise to keep it 

 all to yourself, we will tell you confidentially 

 that No. 6 is a hive having all the brood in the 

 hexagon, and all the honey in the squares and 

 triangles. 



For wintering, a pillow of chaff i8 to take 

 the place of the boxes, and as the lower half is 

 bedded in a box of chaff permanently, the bees 

 will be in the best possible shape — a sphere al- 

 most — for economy of their animal lieat in 

 winter. The hive will be especially suitable 

 for those foolish fellows like Novice, who are 

 always trying to tinker through, a lot of weak 

 colonies. It also accommodates the queens in 

 their disposition to have their brood in the 

 form of a circle, and allows the apiarist to re- 

 move all the honey from the hive in a market- 

 able shape without disturbing the brood. 

 These frames are so nearly round, that we can 

 wrap them up in chail' \y\i\ows precisely sis we 

 would a baby, and the supply of stores is cor- 

 tained in the end frames. Frames cost 1 cent 

 each and chaft" pillows — you will see them in 

 our price list for next month. We will tell 

 you how it works, next 4th of .July. 



BEE BOTANY AND ENTOMOLOGY. 



^[rJ|NCLOSED I send you a small box iu wbicL I put 

 jSmi a few dead bees. (I killed them). I wish you 

 to examine the feet and see what there is at- 

 tached to them. I think it is a parasite of some kind. 

 DonH think they get it from flowers. In magnifying 

 them it has the appearance, partly of a vegetable and 

 partly of an insect. I believe it to be an insect, as you 

 can sec some of them In a state of development. They 

 have an appearance something like this, (if they 

 should get dry). The wings or leaves are of a yellow- 

 ish green, the body black, and the attachment nearly 

 black. They pi'event the bee from using his feet. 

 One bee has some of them on his proboscis. Now can 

 you tell me any thing about it ? If it Is a jiarasite 

 where did it come from ? And what can prevent its 

 spread ? It it is vegetable it is of no account. 



W. Blanchakd, Peoria, III., July 27th, 76. 



Please examine the feet and legs of the enclosed bee 

 through a microscope and tell me what you And. 



A. A. Fkadexbukg, Cleveland, O., July 31st, "76. 



We have received an unusual number of let- 

 ters similar to the above this month and are 

 glad to be able to assure all, that it is no pa- 

 rasite, but only the pollen of the milk weed 

 that the bees accidentally get entangled in 

 when searching for the honey. It is the same 

 that Prof. Riley alluded to when he recom- 

 mended that the milkweed be planted to kill 

 oft" the bees when they became troublesome to 

 the fruit grower. The folly of such advice — 

 think of the labor and expense of starting a 

 plantation of useless weeds just to entrap hon- 

 ey bees — becomes more apparent when we 

 learn that it is perhaps only the old or enfee- 

 bled bees that are unable to free themselves 

 from these appendages, and that the milkweed 

 cau scarcely be called an enemy. On page 52, 

 Vol. I of the Mcujazino we find a very fuU de- 

 scription of the whole matter, and the Editors 

 have very kindly loaned us the ctits below, 

 which will enable any of our readers to re- 



