1878. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



253 



from the proprietor of the house, that about i or 5 

 o'clock he had g-one out to look at them, when he 

 discovered a swarm hanging on one of the limbs on 

 the same tree, about 30 feet from the ground. They 

 presentlj' took flight. He followed them some dis- 

 tance, and thought he "could *((xi7.i/ have stopped 

 them, as many of them were not more than 3 feet 

 from the ground, "but he ."(/of frinlitrnid for fear 

 they would light on him," so he let them go. Now. 

 to return to the hives which they had left; I found 

 evidence that the bees had "woi-ked like beavers," 

 judging from the amount of comb built, and the 

 change made on the fdn. On one comb were about 

 a pint, or \\i pints, of bees very quietly clinging to 

 each other as in comb building, while some were go- 

 ing out and in as in regular honey gathering. On 

 examination, I found my clipped cjueen quietly 

 walking about; I diminished her quarters, determin- 

 ed to see what she would make. Next morning, a 

 swarm having been hived near her home, "Here 

 they come again" was heard. The few bees she had 

 aU forsook her and came to the new colony. 1 

 caught her and put an end to her career. 



Several questions arise. Was the swarm seen 

 hanging to the sugar tree the sanir that had entered 

 it, or another? If the same, why did they leave their 

 selected home? Why alight on the same tree and so 

 much lower down? Did any one ever know of such 

 a case? And as to the queen whose wings were clip- 

 ped, why did the bees leave her? I have conjectur- 

 ed that, being young, she may not have been fertil- 

 ized, and being disabled from Hjing, their instinct 

 taught them the consequences. What do you think 

 on the various points? In A B C, caution beginners 

 about clipping, or tell how to manage; also to be 

 careful never to clip young queens. 



WILL. TOADS CATCH BEES? 



I have read statements on the affirmative, but 

 never saw it until a few weeks since. One bright 

 morning, I espied a large toad making towards a 

 colony of fine Italians, head erect and eyes spark- 

 ling. I watched him. Straight to the hive he went, 

 and pei'ched his forefeet on the alighting board. 

 He went through the motions of a cat watching for 

 a mouse. Directly, one unfortunate bee, coining 

 home, struck on the side of the hive and tumbled 

 down. Toady had him in less time than you could 

 wink, and seemed to smack his lips as over a dainty 

 morsel. I watched for signs of sickness but they 

 came not. He was ready for more. I removed him 

 to the garden. I have several times noticed anoth- 

 er about twilight, coming towards the hives, but 

 have not "proved it on him" yet. 



PATENTS. 



I saw a man, a few days since, who set up a claim 

 that he had patented "f7ic Tjottomlr^s hona.i box;" i. e. 

 as he said; "No one can use frames with anything 

 over them, unless there is a huncy haard hetwrrn." 

 On my telling him that I had known that to be done 

 HcarK ngo,hadd(>ne it myself, he said; "Yes, I know 

 people are doing it; but they are i/ifrnir/uif/ on my 

 patoit, and as soon as I get things in order, T am go- 

 ing to put them through." Here, thought I, is 

 another "patent right swindle," and I'll write to Mr. 

 Root about it, and ask him if this thing hasn't been 

 done years ago. He says his patent is dated ISTO. 

 I know I have read in Gleanings about initting 

 both boxes and section frames riijht nrrr ilw hni<»l 

 comb frames, without any honey board between. I 

 wish you would look this thing up, and give us an 

 item in Gleanings for Aug., so that we may be 

 ready for our friend when he calls round to collect 

 money for tlie pririlcije of exereisuw comnnm sc/i.^e. 



A neighbor called on me last week to double up a 

 couple of feeble swarms, one 4S hours, the other 10 

 hours old. In searching for the queen in the older 

 hive, she was found running up the division board. 

 Before 1 could catch her. she took wing; not, how- 

 ever, until I had (j\iite distinctly noticed an apend- 

 age of which I have lead and heard, but ne\'er saw. 

 Sorry she escaped entirely, as I would have pre- 

 served her in alcohol. Yoiu- smoker did good ser- 

 vice. The gentleman offered me .?! for my trouble, 

 and when I refused it, he told me to send for Glean- 

 ings. So you see by my refusing compensation j/ou 

 got a subscriber. J. H. Buchanan. 



Huntsville, O., July 9, 1878. 



I am afraid, my friend, that notes and 

 (jneries was dropped because beginners tell 

 sucli very long stories when they ask tlieir 

 (juestion's, just as you have done. Besides, 



the A B C is now beginning to answer the 

 greater part of them. Much has been said 

 in back Nos., in regard to looking oitt foi- 

 queens with clipped wings, during swarm- 

 ing time, and repeated cautions have been 

 given against clipping ([ueens before they 

 are fertilized. Had your first (lueen beeii 

 put in a cage, and tied securely to your 

 brush, I opine that your troubles would all 

 have been saved. 8o much for not doing 

 things thoroughly. The rampage your bees 

 got into was caused by a kind of mania that 

 sometimes seems to possess them for a few 

 days, during the swarming season. There 

 have been a great many complaints tliis 

 season, of bees leaving their hives without 

 any apparent cause, and even, attimes, with- 

 out any queen, as you have narrated. One 

 crazy swarm in an apiary will start the 

 fever, and at the very sound of the swarm- 

 ing note, all in the vicinity seem to become 

 suddenly demoralized ; at such time they 

 will desert queen, brood, and well tilled 

 combs, and rush out to join the rioters. 



We liave not, at present, a clipped queen 

 in our apiary of over 200 hives, and it is 

 mostly for the reasons you have given. 

 Such excessive swarming results in sucli 

 losses, that I have rather favored artifiicial 

 divisions ; we have had scarcely a touch of 

 the swarming mania this season, and all 

 have worked right along, uninterruptedly. 

 Of course, sheets of fdn. and frames of sec- 

 tions have been furnished tuisparingly to all 

 stocks. It may be the swarm deserted the 

 tree, after going into it. Why do you not 

 look and see if they are still there? You are 

 right about the toads. 



■ — m ■>■ m 



ANOTHER COMB HOLDER. 



¥'OUR cut, in July Gleanings, of your comb 

 holder is very nearly like one we used last 

 — , season ; but we did not like it so well as one 

 I made this spring, a rough drawing of which I send 

 you. I don't know that any one would like one ; if 

 they would, nearly any one can make something 

 similar. Ours is 34 inches high ; the standards are 

 Hi X 'b in.; a piece IV.i in. square runs aci'oss the 

 top to hold it together, and for a handle to lift it by; 

 the shelf is 13 inches wide, is placed 4 inches below 

 the bottom of the frame when hanging on the arms 

 of the stand. This shelf is handy to lay cages &c. on. 

 There is a drawer 6x8x3 in. under the shelf, in which 

 we keep a dozen, more or less, of queen cages, a 

 pair of small curved pointed scissors, a slim sharp 

 knife, etc. Our Queen Stand (as we call it) weighs 

 just 1 lbs. We leave it out in the bee-yard, as it is 

 well painted and a groove is cut around on the un- 

 der side of the shelf so that no water can get into 

 the drawer. When we are in the yard, and happen 

 to want to look into a hive, the stand and its con- 

 tents are ready near by. T. M. Valentine. 

 Carlinville, 111. 



valentine's queen STAND. 



Our engraver has taken the liberty of ad- 

 ding to the picture, a smoker, ancl a stool 

 whereon the tired apiarist may repose (?). 



