1878 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CTLTUIiE. 



361 



sonietiines go out after they are purchased, 

 I do not know how I can lielp it, nor shall I 

 undertake to be responsible for such luiwar- 

 Tantable behavior on their part. Who can 

 tell us more about itV 



You can make a chaff hive as you suggest, 

 ibut I do not think you will like it. The 3 

 box case is for setting on top of frames. You 

 ■can tell that a queen is fertilized in the fall, 

 "Only by feeding the colony, until she begins 

 •to lay. 



This department was suggested by one of the 

 clerks, as an opposition to the "Growlery." I think 

 I shall venture to give names in full here. 



^nP^ EAR NOVICE:— In April, 'TT, I bought one tli- 

 MM liipiflfited swarm of black bees in an odd old 

 ~!!^ hive, and will report for this season. I have 13 

 swarms, all large and heavily provisio'ned for win^ 

 ter, in lawn uhatf hives, with brood chamber 14xl4x 

 9^2, and have taken over 900 Ibs^ of section honey, 

 made from clover, buckAvheat and linden, tnostly 

 the latter. 



One swarm that issued June loth, yielded 117 lbs. 

 of honey in sections, 4^4x5^4; one which issued June 

 15th, yielded 123 lbs., and one issued Aug. 15th, 

 yielded 30 lbs. Due first to G^leanings, next to at- 

 tention. Long may you flourish. 



My other half flx'es your wooden frame with heavy 

 tin corners,— well, here is one.— 2'i") liuIiV/ See for 

 yourself. Kesult— cr^t/af/j/ spaced always, metal edge 

 to metal edge, as we use your rabbets. This obvi- 

 ates the difliculty we found with your metal cor- 

 mers— they being too movable— and is much cheaper. 



Oh! "Providence" hybridized my bees from woods 

 swarms, until some second swarms all have yellow 

 l)ands, mostly three. They are beauties, and'l han- 

 •dile them like flies; bare-headed, bare-handed, and 

 ibare-footed. Yours for the "Smilery." 



Mrs. Jennie Leete. 



"West Amboy, N. T., Oct 14th, 1878. 



Your metal corner is very ingenious, and 

 •certainly accomplishes one result at least, 

 but I do not like frames at fixed distances, 

 nor, if I am correct, do the majority of bee- 

 Iceepers. Are you sure yovt would be a fit- 

 ting candidate for this department, my 

 friend, if you should happen to step on a bee 

 "wiien working among them barefooted. 



JBBES KIM.IIVG THEIR OWN QUEEN, 



AliSO BOKROAVINO FROM OTUER 



HIVES. 



'Wr' AM before you to ask you a few questions con- 

 m cerning bees, or rather their curious ways of do- 

 ■r^ ing things. First, why do they sometimes kill 

 their own queens? Don't say honey is scarce, or 

 that they were overpowered by robbers; fori know- 

 that neither was the case with mine. I have had o 

 ■ or 4 killed this season by being balled to death, one 

 of them being balled about one week. They had 

 gone so far as to build 25 queen cells, some of them 

 being almost ready to seal, before I discovered the 

 matter; they had not quite killed the queen, but 

 were clinging to her like so many leaches. 



Why do bees borrow from each other? I noticed 

 a few days ago, while it was raining, 2 hives, Nos. 23 

 and 29, seeming to be f)n extra duty, but bv close ex- 

 amination, I found them roblilng, or rather liorrow- 

 ing, from each other without c\en a cross look or 

 word between them. This case "cut me down," at 

 first, as to how to stop it. My first move was to 

 carry one of them into a close room for that day; It 

 was set out again at night, but by daylight they were 

 at it again. I once more housed one for that day, 

 and set it out at night, but hero thev were ne.\t 

 morning for an early breakfast. I then closed the 

 hive and rarried it ofi' one mile into tlie midst of the 



flowery valley, where they can work to their satis- 

 faction. 



We have had a good season for swai-ming, but not 

 as good for honey as last season. Our betis are all 

 very strong; they have filled their hives from tbo 

 fi!ll flowei-s, and there is no need of borrowing anj' 

 more. 



When you get your fine house finished and 4,000 

 more subscribers, I will give you a call. 



Your everlasting ABC Frieni>. 



Lenoirs, Tenn., Oct. 15, 187H. 



Before I can guess at the cause of these 

 troubles, my friend, I should like to knoW 

 more of the circumstances. Are you sui'« 

 it is not because your hives are too close to- 

 gether V I once had a dozen liives, all alike, 

 standing in a row, in a buckwheat field, and 

 after the yield had partially ceased, they be- 

 gan balling their queens, getting into each 

 other's hives, and behaving much as you de- 

 scribe. Give your bees separate stands ; 

 have them at least 6 feet from center to cen^ 

 ter, not in straight rows, and I think yoi\ 

 will do away with at least a part of such 

 troubles. Your course was a very good one 

 for such borrowing must be stopped, or it 

 will ruin an apiary. 



GRINDING TOOLiS ACCURATELY* 



^SpjVERY bee-keeper dhoidd have in his 

 JCiji shop, not Only a good grindstone, but a 

 ~" tool like the one below, that he may do 

 nice trlie work with it. The man who is 

 arlned with sharp tools is head and should- 

 ers above the one Avho is not, for almost any 

 kind of work. 



WOLCOTT'S tool GlilNDEK. 



Mr. Kirk, of Waterbury, Conn., wants a cheap and 

 efficient guide for holding plane irons, chisels, &c., 

 while grinding. Here it is. Take a piece of hard 

 wood, 32 inches long, 2I4 inches wide, and U thick; 

 put an iron spur in one end, and taper the piece 10 

 inches from the end to the spur. Cut a mortise 

 through the center, 15 inches long by U wide, com- 

 mencing 13 inches from the spur end. Kound the 

 corners of one side, to make it easy for the hand. 



Now, take a hexagonal piece of wood, 3 inches in 

 diameter, and 1 inch thick; in one side, put a spur to 

 hold chisel handles, cut the under corner of another 

 for plane bitts; make a mortise in another for 

 plough bitts; a % inch round hole in another for 

 small ehi^jcl handles, &c. This hexagonal piece is- 

 held in place by a hand-screw, running through the 

 mortise. l)eing movable up and down, and can be 

 turned in aiiv direction. In grinding, never take 

 the spur from the post or wall which holds it, till the 

 work is finit-hed, but turn it up as often ae you 

 please, to look at it. No extra hand is reiiuired to 

 turn the stone. We gritul liatclicts and drawing 

 knives on the same principle. No patent. I have 

 used it 37 years. J. L. Wolcott. 



Hloomington, Ills., Sept. 17th, 1878. 



Thank you, friend W. I am so mucli 

 pleased with your tool, tliat I have had an 

 engraving made of it, which, 1 think, with 

 your description, will make it plain euougli 

 to anyone. We send y<»u (;lkanin<;s oue 

 year for the idea. 



