348 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



Will you please tell us how you make your li;ht covers ? 

 Also how your hives are fixed, that the queen may re- 

 turn again? Does your hand ever tremble when catch- 

 ing queens ? If you do not like a stone on top of a hive, 

 set a bucket hoop, cut off four pieces about three inches 

 long, punch holes through and nail to the side3 and ends, 

 letting the ends i)roject the thickness of cover. Put holes 

 through the cover to receive the hoops, push a nail 

 through on top of the cover and it has to stay there with 

 no warp about it. This will also keep top story on. 



Henet Funk, Jk. Bloomington, Ills. Aug. 11th. 1876. 



Covers are made of }4 inch piue about 16x30, 

 with a groove made all round the edge with a 

 very thin saw. Into this cut, we push strips 

 of No. 28 galvanized iron, folded thus : 



The dotted lines represent a section of the 

 wood, and when the metal is in place, the 

 corners are lapped slightly and soldered. The 

 wood is by this means clamped in a stout iron 

 frame, yet it is free to swell and shrink by the 

 weather without splitting or drawing nails, 

 for it can slide along the saw cuts. The metal 

 is l}-'4 inches wide, and the folds are made % 

 inch from each edge. The lower fold is of 

 such an angle as to fit the bevel on the upper 

 edge of the hive or hoop that holds the quilt. 

 We have very rarely had such covers blown 

 off by the wind, and the machinery you men- 

 tion friend F., would be more complicated 

 than we should like for a bee-hive. We can- 

 not see why the upper stories should ever need 

 any fastening ; ours are more in need of some 

 invention to keep off the propolis that they 

 may be separated when needful. When ship- 

 ping bees we like things keyed down fast, but 

 at no other time. Our hives are all directly 

 on the ground and we keep it so clean arouud 

 them that any bees or queens that are drop- 

 ped, have no difficulty in getting back. Al- 

 though we have worn off all nervousness in 

 handling queens, we seldom do it, for fear of 

 their being stung as intruders when returned. 



The honey machine sent, came at an earlier date than I 

 expected. Considerably damaged by express, shait bent 

 by pitching, probably. I wns very unwell when I receiv- 

 ed it, but as soon as I became better I straightened the 

 machine, anl using it, filled 3 barrels (nearly 15001bs) and 

 having a note past due I put out peddling honey, but 

 found it quite slov/ business on account of the manufact- 

 ured honey that has been in the market heretofore. But 

 I think I am on the right track for a fair market and a 

 fail- price. I made a thorough canvass in one lively town 

 at least. Sold or left sample at almost every house. Sold 

 ill quantities of from 1 to 15 lbs. at 20c. per lb. Disposed 

 of about 500 lbs. It was very thick and nice Ihin honey. 

 Had to spend much time to got many to e-»'en look 

 at it. I did what I could for you and Gleanings ; hav- 

 ing a number with me you sent as a sample, I exhibited it 

 when I thought there was any use. I also had copies of 

 A. B. J. Have no subscribers yet but each office will 

 certainly get orders for machines and Journals. I will 

 send names of a few jjersons having bees and others who 

 were much interested in bee-keeping and talk of making 

 it their business. I left home with the expectation of 

 selling out in four or five days, but I could not wholesale 

 it to grocers, and was ne^r]y 50 miles from home, so I 



went to work in earnest, taking street by street, visiting 

 aim )st every family in the city, and if I have not gained! 

 some customers for my honey I shall be much mistaken r, 

 also an opening for some bees, hiv'es and extractors. 

 Times are very dose here. We shall commence extract- 

 ing again this week and probably get 10 or 1500 lbs. Ha\'e- 

 at present 5S' colonies of bees; Moses Bailet. 



Winterset, Iowa, Aug. 2Sth, 1876. 



What is the size of the rollers in the comb foundation! 

 machine ? Of what metal are they made, and what is the 

 price of them ? "WTiat kind of punches do you use to 

 make them with, and what is the price of the punches ■ 

 L. Heine, Smithville, N. Y. 



The diameter of the rolls is three inches and 

 they are made of lead and tin, about in the 

 proportion of tinner's solder. At present we 

 could not furnish them with the cut gearing 

 neccessary to run them, for less than $100. 

 The punches are of tempered steel, and they 

 can only be used in a very ingenious machine 

 made to gauge the depth, and to move the roll 

 the proper distance at each stroke. The 

 punches alone could be furnished for perhaps 

 $5.00, but they would be of no use without 

 the graduating engine. Since the fdn. is 

 proving such a boon, we should be very glad 

 indeed if the machine could be afforded at a 

 low price. As -it is quite a trade to use them 

 and to handle the wax, perhaps it is just as 

 well to have it worked by experienced hands 

 who make it their business. 



The comb fdn. came to hand. It is a capital thing, the 

 invention of the Extractor is nowhere compared with it. 

 I cut your 12x18 sheets into 40 to 50 small strips and sim- 

 ply use them as ladders for the bees to climb up on. I 

 received 2 lbs. of yellow fdn. from Perrine to experiment 

 on in the body of the hive. To fill a Langstroth frame 

 half full, fastening at top and ends is the best way. 



T. G. McGaw, Monmouth, Ills. Aug. 17th, 1S7(;. 



I am getting the "biggest crop"cf buckwheat honey you 

 ever dreamed of. I moved 10 hives 5 miles, and placed 

 them where they have access to a hundred acres within 

 two miles. The first two weeks they avei-aged 25 lbs, to 

 the hive. Most of the cases are full and nearly scaled up. 

 Hurrah for our side. Hurry up the 400 sections. 



S. F. Newman, Norwalk, Ohio, Aug. 28th, ISTtl. 



The fdn. came duely to hand and I must s;iy it is a much 

 better article than Perrine's and just as cheap, for it is :i 

 great deal firmer and heavier while we get just as much 

 surface to the Hi. It works A. No. 1, and here goes our 

 old hat for the "fdn." 



We here have much risk to run in getting our 

 queens by mail, for they ome on the Lightning Express 

 which does not stop here, and the mail bag comes off with 

 force enough to kill a man if it should hit him. But we 

 have received several dollar queens from J. Oatmm & Co. 

 Dundee, Kane Co. 111. by this same train, and they have 

 all come as lively as crickets. If queens cm stand such 

 treatment as that, they can endure a good deal, .and I 

 must say that the dollar queens from Oatman & Co. are 

 the quietest, stick- to-tbe-comb bees I have ever handled. 

 3Iy "Dundee" bees are my pet and pride. 



Will M. Kellogg, Oneida, 111. Aug. 21st, ISvO. 



I had in one place last spring four hives ; I now Inve 

 twelve, and 3 went to the woods, which makes eleven 

 swarms from four old ones, and all are strong. How is 

 that for Orvi le. I have 51 hives in all. I am hatching i;i 

 l.imp nursery ; Ixst week I '.atroduced six and have four 

 now. C. I. YoDEK. 



Orville, W:iyne Co. Ohio, Aug, I'Jth, 1S7G. 



