“ NOVICE’^ ” GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTUKE. 
39 
make it good and use it at once. We have ! 
never failed in getting our irortl combs 
made good if given a colony of Italians 
or Hybrids. When absolutely necessary 
take your bees to a warm room to over- 
haul, but otherwise never disturb them in 
weather that will prevent their returning 
to the hive, for we can’t afford to lose bees 
in the spring “ no how.” Follow instruc- 
tions given in ” Starting an Apiary ” and 
you can’t well go wrong. Haven’t you 
waited some of the $200 for patents? 
Either you have the value of the money 
in materials, etc., or it has not been ju- 
diciously expended. As we have said be- 
fore, we insist again, that the greatest dif- 
ference is in the bee keeper, and not seas- jj 
ons or localities. Experience will show 
you where you have failed, and if good re- 
sults have been made with bees in your 
vicinity, they probably can be again. 
Don’t emigrate, but see if you can't give 
us a better report ere long. 
No 02. — I don't know but that our bee 
doctors will make “confusion worse con- 
founded” by tbeir teachings, (compare 
together the last two numbers of the 
American Bee Journal , at Washington, 
for instance), but we learners still “want 
to know.” You may perhaps remember 
that Gallup and 1 had a short passage at 
arms some time ago about wire gauze. 
Notwithstanding, I still use the gauze 
and think it a very convenient thing to 
keep the bees from gnawing through the 
quilt or sticking it fast to tbe frames with 
propolis. And then it is so nice in tbe 
spring to turn back your quilt and 
sprinkle stimulating food through the 
gauze on the cluster of bees beneath ; 
and no danger of even cross hybrids 
standing on their heads, getting in a pas- 
sion, or going for vou lilts a shower of 
shot. — [Dec. 21st., ’72.] 
Weli, “Novice,’’ I don’t know but that 
J too will have to swing “my old hat. 
Bees so nice, bright and active. No rob- 
bing this spring; no use to try, too many |i 
wideawake guards to face. Bees carrying | 
in flour, pollen, and water, and drones on j 
the wing to-day. Guess they don’t know i 
what an arctic winter has lately visited ;j 
these parts, and consigned most of their | 
summer-stand sisters to the shades. Per- tj 
haps tlieydon’t look with an artistic eye on ji 
the bright ami symmetrica) appear nice of 
"our city," caused by an application of 
white paint, combined with a “honey-comb" 
arrangement of the apiary, "a la” “Nov- i 
>ce,” though they fill the air with their mu- it 
sie. D. P, I, am'. 
KosHKONoXG.RockCo ,Wis.,Apr. IS), ’73. 
We don’t know how the doctors get 
along wintering, but- do know we succeed 
with very little trouble. Thanks for the ] 
idea of stimulative feeding. 
No. 63. — And now, if you judge the 
length of a man’s face by the number of 
bees lost (ns friend Lucas does), just put 
me down as the longest-faced bee man in 
Summit county, I suppose you can judge ! 
somewhat how a poor fellow feels under 
such circumstances. Not much discour- 
aged, hut a little tired. I am almost 
ashamed to own it, hut truth must out. I 
have lost 35 swarms last winter and' this 
spring, the greatest loss I have ever, sus- 
tained, and I am not alone in our town, 
for from one-half to two-thirds of all the 
bees are dead. Old fogies have fared 'the 
best this winter, and they have nothing to 
brag of. I bad a great many die out, leav- 
ing plenty of honey in their combs. I 
have a nice lot of combs in frames for 
over GO single hives. My intention is now 
to build np swarms this summer and 'not. 
make honey only in a few hives scattered 
abroad amongst my neighbors. I was to 
blame in my great loss; it being late 
when I returned from Nebraska (I not 
having reduced my two story hives before 
going West.) and the weather being so Un- 
favorable I neglected to do any thing with 
them at the time, hoping the weather 
would change for the better; a delusive 
hope. This being the second time in 15 
years that I have left my bees out of the 
house, with about the same result; a too 
dear experience, I hope, for me to try 
again. Tuomas PiEitsox, Ghent, 0? 
»»UE KERNELS FOR “GLEAN- 
INGS.” 
To those who are anxiously and pa- 
tiently working for simplicity and ease in 
handling hives and bees, I would ask a 
question and offer a suggestion for their 
digestion, if you please. I use no glaves, 
and seldom a veil, and when I get stung 
I squeeze the poison and sting out of the 
skin with ray thumb nail against the fore 
finger. Keep the thumb nail long. 
1 would like to hear of an extractor at 
a reasonable price. From $10 to $18 and 
express charges is simply prohibition to 
the great majority of bee-keepers. The 
inside, or running parts, might be made- 
portable, packed in small bulk and sent at 
less expense, with instructions for putting 
together and use. The can, or outside 
part, could be made by any tinsmith, or n 
half barrel might be used in an emergen- 
cy. There might be a patent here for 
some of our landsharks. 
Those that are troubled with their bees 
"laying out” can cure that by a wire cloth 
bottom board. An opening at least 1 foot, 
square, covered with wire cloth 8x8 strands . 
to the inch, and a slide to close tight, stop- 
ping all draft when necessary, I consider 
indispensable, in very hot weather, even 
when they have plenty of room inside. 
Wm. H. Kiuk, Chesire, Conn. 
We can furnish the inside work for an 
extractor for $2.00; gearing included, 
$3 50. This includes everything except 
the barrel or can; two size castings are 
made, viz: to fit 17 and 20 inch cans. 
With movable bottom board we should 
thiuk an opening covered with wire cloth 
unnecessary, 
