1878. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



183 



description. Last fall, I sold the very light- 

 est and yellowest for $18., and the purchaser 

 took them to a State fair, and got $25 pre- 

 niiiun on them, because they were so very 

 gentle, as well as pretty. The best one we 

 liave now in our apiary, we use to get bees 

 from to put in with queens, before we re-ship 

 them ; stiould I go to other stocks, they 

 would be pretty sure to sting tlie queens, 

 and that you know would be expensive bus- 

 iness. If you keep raising queens, you will 

 get now and then, one that will produce 

 these gentle yellow bees. At present, I have 

 none for sale. 



You invite criticism, and though it seems hardly 

 proper for a newly fledged amateur to attempt it, 

 on the products of an old professional, yet 1 think I 

 will do so and disregard consequences. 



HEAVIER TOP BARS. 



In the first place, T consider the top bar, on your 

 brood frames, much too thin and weak for a heavy 

 comb to be suspended from it continually. 1 have 

 seen heavier bars sag in the centre and become 

 warped from this cause. You further weaken it 

 also, bv cutting a groove in it for fdu. Your 

 method of inserting the fdn. is not handy or very 

 practical for those not having special conveniences; 

 this I know from experience. Neither does the 

 sheet of fdn. hang exactly in the center of the 

 frame, as theoretically it ought to do. Metal hang- 

 ers for top bars I consider a needless and expensive 

 addition, when metal rabbets are used; in fact wood- 

 en ones are preferable, as they move easily enough, 

 and not too easily. 



Our top bars are made considerably heavi- 

 er, and a much heavier comb guide is added, 

 and I think them now strong enough. In 

 transferring heavy combs, there is a much 

 greater danger of sagging than where combs 

 are built naturally, or on fdn. ; because in 

 the latter cases, the comb, when it gets old 

 and tough, adds greatly to the strength of 

 the frame. We have metal cornered frames 

 made of -Jr inch stuff, that have done excel- 

 lent service. l)ut the combs were built nat- 

 urally, and the honey was' for several years 

 taken out with an extractor, before it could 

 become very heavy on the frame. I dislike to 

 have top bars unnecessarily heavy, because 

 it makes the frame so unvvieldy to handle. 

 F think the dimensions given in our circular, 

 11-82, about right, if we have a strong comb 

 guide, to give additional support. We have, 

 this season, sold a great many thousand all 

 wood frames, and they are having a pretty 

 good test, but for all that,, the metal corners 

 are being called for in far greater (luantities 

 than ever before. 



BEVELING THE ENDS OF TOP BARS. 



For your top bar, I would substitute one about, 

 or not quite, twice as thick, with beveled ends; thus: 



The sides and bottom of yours are well enough, 

 and also metal bottom corners. 



I have also used top bars with l)eveled 

 ends, as you suggest, and have thought 

 seriously of making all our wood frames in 

 that way. It has not been done, because it 

 would somewhat weaken the ])rojecting ends, 

 and it woulil also add considerably to the 

 expense. Our neighbor Shane, uses frames 



with the projecting arm sharpened on each 

 side, instead of being beveled down from the 

 top, as you have it. His plan admits of 

 doing it in the board, before the strips are 

 ripped off, but yotirs would require a sepa- 

 rate handling of each piece. 



FASTENING IN THE FDN. 



The fdn., I should insert in a very different way 

 from yours. If practical to manufacture, 

 I would recommend strips of a triangular 

 shape, with a groove nearly to the bot- 

 tom, thus: Tack one side to the frame, 

 with brads, then spring open the groove, 

 insert the fdn., and tack down the other 

 side; or, if the triangular shape is difficult J^g 

 to make, use a strip like this: Mr. W. W. 

 Gary, Jr., has made me several hives with |gJ'^^^| 

 frames like above and suggested the im- 

 provement. John D. White. 



Chicopee, Mass., April 17th, 1878. 



The device you mention for holding the 

 fdn., is precisi?ly what we used, when we 

 first commenced to make fdn.; but it is an 

 additional piece to be added to the frame, it 

 must be fastened on with nails, or brads, and 

 although it is a ^reat deal more work, I do 

 not see that it is one bit better than the 

 simi)le plan of rubbing the fdn. on the comb 

 guide, as I have advised. The strips of 

 grooved lumber can be made at a little ex- 

 pense, but it is some trouble to put them on. 



A WOITIAIN'S OPINION OF THE R. K. AND 



EXJ^RESS CO'S, AND SOME 

 OTHER THINOS. 



WITH all your fault?, we love you, because 

 you have a tender conscience; but 

 pray, do not lacerate it any further, or add 

 to your manifold cares, by looking after the inter- 

 ests of the railroad and express companies. The 

 following figures tend to confirm the general opin- 

 ion, that they are abundantly able to take care of 

 themselves. 



The little box of shipping cases, frames, &c., which 

 you sent us hy freight, to ttnve expetise, reached us in 

 12 days, weighed 65 lbs., and cost $3.42, at the rate of 

 $3.73 per hundred; while they freight from Chicago 

 to New York, for 15c per hundred, and from St, 

 Louis to New York, for 10c. Do they not play high? 

 do they not play low? the game certainly is theirs. 



In Cincinnati, after smashing up a lot of light 

 comb honey, so that it had to be dumped into but- 

 ter jars, and reducing it from iiSO lbs. to 'Z'SIVt lbs., 

 they said they were not to blame, and collected $9.00 

 expressage; while honey is carried from California 

 to New York, for .?8.00 per hundred. 



FUMIGATION. 



I read Mr. Doolittle's statement as to the necessi- 

 ty of fumigating box honey, with some disquietude; 

 but your i-eport in April Gleanings, together with 

 another year's experience of my own, has reassured 

 me. 1 have never been troubled with worms, 

 though I have had a supply of honey the entire win- 

 ter for several years. Last Aug. and Sept., we put 

 nearly 8,000 lbs. directly from the hives into the 

 kitchen chamber, with an uncurtained south win- 

 dow. It was hot enough in that room to hatch 

 worms, if not to roast them. About that time, I 

 saw a worm or two in an exjiosed glass box; but, 

 from its rarity, it occasidiicd no alarm, and was so 

 little regarded, that I did nut even watch the honey 

 in consequence. Wc have sold honey all winter, 

 and have not seen or heard of a worm, web, or dam- 

 age. During the past month, we have overhauled, 

 bo.ved, and shipped what remained, al)out ISOO lbs., 

 and only found one small wnrm '4 inch lontr, which 

 was dead and had done no harm. Uut, (I must con- 

 fess it) I did lind one small web, and a few cells un- 

 capped, perhaps a square inch or two altogether, 

 which was the first and only thing of the kind I 

 have ever noticed. 



CLIPPING QUEEN'S WINGS. 



While it may be easy for ;/oh to open the Simplici- 

 ty hive, lift the right tin-cornered frame, and clip 

 the queen before she knows you are around, I be- 



