1878: 



GLEA^^INGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



199 



especially, if they were not packed over and 

 above the enameled cloth, with chaff, or 

 something of that nature. In the experi- 

 ments 1 have made, with the enameled cloth 

 inider the chaff' cushions. I have seen no 

 dampness, and nothing objectionable. I 

 tried them clear through one winter, before 

 ventm'ing to adopt and recommend them. 



BEES AnSCONDING FROM A BEE TREE. 



I cut a couple of bee trees the other day, with the 

 Intent of hivinj; the bees; but as soon as the tree 

 toll, the bees left brood, honey, and all, and cluster- 

 ed high up in a neiirhborinL' tree, and finally swarm- 

 ed and went off. Is that the way they commonly 

 do? if so, what is the remedy to prevent them from 

 g-oing off? C. A. Brigham. 



New Ijondon, Ohio, May 4th, 1878. 



It is very unusual to have a swarm go off 

 in the way you ment'on. Probably, the 

 queen was started out by the drumming 

 whilechopi)ing the tree down, andtook wing; 

 the bees would be very likely to follow her, 

 and this constituted a swarm. I have seen 

 one such case, where the hive contained 

 young queens, it being near the usual 

 swarming tiine^ 



I have a quantity of old sour honey, probably 

 three years eld. Can I feed it to my bees without 

 injury? Or can it be prepared in any way so that it 

 will not do injury? M. H. Wolfax. 



Richmond, Vir", May 2nd, 1878. 



Sour honey, and every thing of that de- 

 scription, may be safely fed in warm weath- 

 er, but you should beware how you make 

 such ex])eriments early in the spring, or late 

 in the fall. The colony I fed on brown 

 sugar last fall, did nicely during warm 

 weather, and went into winter qunrters, full 

 of brood and bees, but this spring, they 

 showed signs of dysentery, and have dwin- 

 dled so badly, tliat they are almost a fail- 

 ure. 



As I use a ^ig saw a good deal, I thought I would 

 saw you some letters frr your office. And, as you 

 always give full instructions about your things, I 

 will give my Idea about ihe letters. They are made 

 of white holly, and I am thinking of making section 

 l)o.\es of some of the same wo(^dr If you should 

 put the letteis on some dark wood iblack walnut 

 would be good) fasten them on with common pins 

 and cut the points of the pins off, so they will just 

 Ijo through the letter and the board you put tliem 

 on, enough to clinch a little. D". S. BASSEa'T. 



Fainumsville, Mass., April 15th, 1878. 



The letters, wood, and w^orkmanshi]). nre 

 beautiful. I have often thought of white 

 Lolly for section boxes, but would it not be 

 rather expensive, friend B.V Many thanks. 



straining honey. 



In .Ian. Gleanings, friend Collins complains that 

 he couldn't strain his honey through your cheese 

 cloth. I use cheese cloth for my strainers, and if 

 my honey Is very thick, as it almost always is, I put 

 it on the stove in a huge tin pail, with three or foi:r 

 nails to keep the pail from touching the stove, and 

 stir the honey with a big. long spoon. It soon gets 

 so I can whip it aroinid the pail very easily, and 

 when waim enough, goes through the cheese cloth 

 "a kiting." Try it, bro. Collins. '. You can warm 3 or 

 4 pailfuls ,nt a time. Will M. Kellogg. 



Oneida, 111., Jan. 21. 1878. 



The hives and honej- boxes work nicely. The frame 

 for surplus honey can not be beat. I am disap- 

 pointed in the chatf hives; I expected much difficul- 

 ty in getting at the brood chamber. I wish now I 

 had ordered a\\ chaff hives. C. J. Quinby. 



White Plains, N. Y., May Sd, 1878. 



Thanks for your report, and criticisms. 

 Yours, friend Q., were about the first, all 

 wood frames w^e made, and we soon mnde 

 ttie narrow neck of wood stron^'er, besides 

 adding to the thickness of the top bar. I 

 agree with you on the chaff hives ; there is 

 hardly inconvenience enough in getting at 

 the lower frames, to make it worth while, 

 to consider a better way. Tell. us how much 

 will make those weak top bars good, and we 

 will remit. __^ 



TItANSFERRING AND TRANSFERRING IMPLEMENTS. 



As I have been tran^fcTring a number of swarms 

 with good success, I think I wil' give you my plan 

 of operation. Armed wiih a bellows smoker,"honey 

 knife, and other tools which I will mention soon. I 

 first smoke the bees which I wish to transfer. Pud 

 move them away Trom the apiary, to a building 

 where they will be free from robbers, and. as soon 

 as they are removed, put a no>7 hive in their place. 

 I then goto the bees to br> transferred, turn the hive 

 bottom side up. and, with the snw knife of wh-'h 

 you see an engraving, cut the cross stii-k each side 

 of thelirst comb; then loosen the combat the sides, 



TOP BARS AGAIN. 



1 fear travhTr with those wooden nailed frames, 

 when filled with honey. I transferred a few partly 

 filled combs: the frames bend and sag in some, and 

 tlic tiid breaks c tf. 1'he top bar is entirely too light; 

 when stiffened by the tin corners, it is all right. I 

 fear the tilled combs will bend the frame until it 

 reaches the bottcin beard, unless the end hnakt). 



TRANSFERRING IMPLEMENTS. 



aijd, with the pruning knife (see engraving) cut it 

 loose from the top of the hive. I have reauy some 

 sticks ',1 in. wide, laid on a clean folded cloth; on 

 these 1 place the ec.mb, and put over it the frame, 

 and then laj' on the top other sticks opposite 

 those under the comb, and fasten the ends of the 

 sticks together with wiie. This holds the comb in 

 place in the frame, and it is ready to be put into the 

 new hive. By using the smoke frequently I am 

 able to keep the bees out of the way, and as soon 

 as the comb is transferred, I take the bees which 

 are in the old bo.v. to their new hive, which they 

 readily enter. When they have fastened the comb 

 in the frames, I remove the sticks. 



C. A. Brigham. 

 New London, O., April 29th, 1878. 



Please send me a back number of Gleanings that 

 has something about Gould's Common Sense Bee 

 Hive. Gillespie, the agent for this hive, says you 

 are a humbug. Re sold this county for $125.00. 



A. A. Potter. 



Columbus, Mo., March 28t h, 1878. 



I have no doubt he would be very glad to 

 m;ike me out a humbug ; I freely forgive 

 him. 



I return to you my April No. of Gleanings. I 

 suppose some of the boys must have been sleepy 

 when this No. was put up, but as I can't afford to 

 lose any of the good things that it alwaj's contains, 

 you will please send me a good one. Now, don't 

 scold any of the fellows for this; mistakes will be 

 made sometimes, and they usually get it lifjht. 



John D. Slack. 



Plaquemine, La., April 7th, 1878. 



Thank you, my friend, for yonr consider- 

 ation. I feel the more ashamed cf having 

 sent out a journal in the plig'ht in which 

 yours was, since you pass over it so mildly. 

 I lioi)e the boys (and girls too) will all read 

 this. 



Mitchell (N. C. of Indiana) and his agent have been 

 selling (juite a lot of farm rights to make and use a 

 liive, which, to my notion, is a perfect swindle. I 

 bought a farm riglit. and paid him $10.00; so I sent 

 to Washington and got a copy of the letters patent. 

 1 can use everytjiing that is of any value without 



