134 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Mav 



I have no difficulty in sawing with my busw saw 

 when it is properly fed, but the leeding is a little diffi- 

 cult for an inexperienced hand. I think I can work, 

 remarkably well on it for the experience I have had. 

 I wish to run it by horse power, since I have a good 

 horse standing in the stable to be cared for two or 

 three times a day. I would like to know of tlie 

 cheapest effective gearing I could use for that pur- 

 pose. Probably yon could give something on this 

 point that might interest a number of your readers. 



Isaac I^ Pakkek. 



McMinnvIUe, Tenn., Mai'eh 8th, 1S77. 



The feeding is very important, and if you 

 CTOvyd the saw so as to reduce the speed, you 

 are standings very much in your own way. 

 Will some of our readers who make light run- 

 ning horse powers, please answer ? One of our 

 readers once mentioned maliiug a cheap horse 

 power of an old worn out mowing machine. 

 These can 1k' purchased cheaply almost any 

 where. 



STIMULATIVE FEEDING. 



i:>o yon feed in the spring to promote Ijrceilins: ? 

 Calvin Otis, Stockbridge, Wis. 



A few seasons ago, we found spring feeding 

 a benefit, without doubt, but of late there 

 seems to be very good ground for thinking it 

 aggravates spring dwindling. Especially when, 

 we feed during cool spring weather. After the 

 weather gets settled and warm, there is no 

 nicer way in the world to make combs and 

 colonies, if you can only afford to buy the 

 sugar. 



COMB HONEY PKOM BEES THAT HAVE DIED; 

 GIVING THEM TO NEW SWARMS. 



I have lost 3 stocks that left pienty of honey and as 

 they are in mov.^ble frames, I think it too bad to destroy 

 Ihe combs to use the honey. I found on examining them 

 that they had not (blustered in the centre of the hive, but 

 m two of them, entirely to the south side. Thera was no 

 brood in one and plenty of bees, in another a few bees 

 almost ready to come out, and a goodly quantity of bees, 

 in the last not many bees and no brood. They all .seemed 

 lively and all right through the nice weather in February. 

 Now shall I put new swarms (in case I have any) in tliose 

 hives where the bees have died without removing the 

 honey ? M. J. Robinson. 



Toledo, Ohio, March 21tth, 1S77. 

 Do not think of destroying the comb.s by 

 any means. We have repeatedly used such 

 for making artificial swarms, and haA'e hived 

 natural swarms on them ; the result was al- 

 ways satisfactory. Fasten the hives up so 

 moths and robbers cau not get in, and they 

 will ])robably be all right until wanted. It 

 will be well to brush the dead bees out of the 

 hives and look them over occasionally to see 

 that no worms have found a lodgement, but 

 the dead bees that remain in the cells can be 

 left for the bees to carry out ; they can do it 

 better and cheaper than asy one else, and if 

 you watch them, you will see they do it very 

 quickly. Your bees probably died becau.se 

 tiiey had clustered away from the honey, and 

 tihey are very apt to work over to the south 

 side of the hive, at this season, to get the 

 warmth of the sun as it strikes the south side. 

 On. this account we have practiced during 

 .March and April, pushing the well filled 

 ffiombs up to tliis side. The hive that had just 

 hutching brood, it would seem had the modern 



spring malady, for it usually seems to take oft' 

 the bees just about as the young are hatchinif. 

 Very likely the chaflT cusliioas would hav.- 

 saved them. Their sUrtiug brood rearing in 

 February, may have been all the worse for 

 them. 



I am a beginner and one year ago moved from 

 Michigan to this place, and bought one Kentucky bee 

 gum which was all I could find in this vicinity for 

 sale, thoughlmany kept them. Result, May 20th, firf^t 

 swarm— small — put into an L. hive of my own make 

 no upper story. Another swarm came out May 30th - 

 both small swarms. July 6th the swarm of May ^CHi.s 

 sent out a swarm, and July yth its second swarm^ 

 At 'thlsjitlme the honey yield ceased and 3 swarm^; 

 starved before winter set in. I then commenced t(> 

 feed the two left, with crushed sugar made into thlek 

 syrup. They are still alive and yesterday left thf- 

 meal and floi^r and gathered genuine pollen. Over 

 three-fourths of the Dees in this vicinity are dead. 



Will it paylto transfer into hives and get an ex- 

 tractor with only two swarms to start with ? Will it 

 do to put sections in the sides of the hive and extract- 

 fromjthe body of the hive ? Are section boxes in tht- 

 sidejas^good as on top ? How do yon examine the In- 

 side of hive when supers are on top ? 



I have Quinby's work but am disappointed in It. It. 

 seems strange to me that it should be recommendcS 

 as a standard work; good as far as it goes but how i^~' 

 one to learn the extracting business out of a work 

 that does not treat on that subject. And what aboiu 

 foundation combs, there ought to be a supplemeiis 

 added t work. H. Scranton. 



Plummer's Landing, Ky., March Slat, 1877. 

 The above shows plainly the value of ex- 

 pending a little in sugar rather than let the 

 bees starve. There is quite a chance af getting 

 enough honey from even two colonies, to pay 

 for ah extractor, and should, they increase as 

 heretofore, you will very soon have an apiary- 

 Transfer them by all means while your num- 

 ber is small, and then it will be as easy to put 

 the new swarms into frame hives, as into tivc 

 boxes. If you use the section boxes at tlu- 

 sides, we would hardly advise extracting the 

 central combs, lest you let your bees starve 

 again. It is hard to say which position is 

 best for the boxes, but it is pretty certain a 

 strong colony, will need them both at sidi^s 

 and above. Lift ofT the upper story when you 

 wish to examine the brood combs, to be siui-. 

 We are well aware, that both Quinby's au<f 

 Langstroth's book are almost sure to disap 

 point one who wishes to become posted up to 

 the times. 



SECTION BOXES MADE BY GLUEING. 



After trying all ways that I ever heard of or coul^t 

 think of myself for putting together section frames, 3 

 find glue the "Bo93,'\that is, if you want them put 

 together solid out of very thin stuff, no grooving, no 

 nailing, and no bother about it. Make several lon.u 

 boxes just the size ol inside of section box so that you 

 c."»n pwt lf» on at a time with a cleat on each side ol 

 the long box tc kold them i,n place. I can put togeth- 

 er section Sfiamcs; enough in'one.vlay to hold all the 

 honey that 10» stocks ofjbcos wili make In one season 

 In any locality. !Iii:\m Eoor. 



(^ireon Oity, Mich.. March 30t.h, 1877. 

 We suppose our friend refers to making 

 boxes out of wide, thin lumber, aad then saAV 

 Ing off ring-* -m it were from a number of the 



