6 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
JAN. 
Gleanings in Bee Culture, 
I'llbliNhcd Iflonllily, 
-A— I. ROOT Sc CO., 
EDITOHS AND PROPRIETORS. 
MEDINA, OHIO. 
Terms : 73e. Per Annum. 
For Chili Rate* see Second Page. 
IVLETOJlSr^A, JLA-JSr. 1, 1874. 
In answer to several inquiries in regard to 
the “tea-kettle feeder,” we would say that it is 
neither patented nor patentable , nor is the idea 
of soldering perforated tin over the mouth of a 
tin fruit can, or any other utensil, for feeding 
hees, patentable. 
On the wall opposite arc a very pretty pair 
of cliromos. They were received from II. A. 
King & Co., as samples of those they offer with 
their Journals. While we should not think of 
estimating their value at $5 or $10 each, we 
certainly consider them well worth the price 
they ask for them to any one wishing to purchase 
pictures. 
When we quoted from Pres. Bingham’s speech 
last month we had not learned he had said 
“Novice” where Mr. King had placed a blank, 
nor did we know that he had a “patent hive” 
“all his own.” Novice rubs his nose meditativc- 
1 f on receiving the above items and remarks 
something about having supposed he had fin- 
ished that piece of work and “got everything 
swept up cleau.” 
This No. with our circular will be sent to 
many who are not subscribers, but hereafter 
none except sample copies will be sent unless 
paid for in advance; no exceptions. 
We prefer to send Gleanings to none except 
those who really value it, and we should be 
very sorry to intrude it upon any one who 
might consider it an unwelcome visitor; there- 
fore we accept no evidence of its being sincere- 
ly wanted other than the customary remittance 
of tlie modest little sum of 75c. or less in clubs. 
Mns. Tupi’ek, in her Nov. Journal, says: “But 
if we must have a rule for the syrup we will 
say a gallon of water to four lbs. of sugar.” 
Now we thought Mrs. Cotton’s “feed” at six 
cents a pound very cheap even if the recipe did 
cost $10.00, and had we not wasted all our 
money for the “Ambrosial” we might have sent 
for it; but Mrs T.’s plan is cheaper and she 
don’tcharge anything either. Let us see, a gal- 
lon of water weighing eight lbs, and sugar four, 
makes 12 lbs., and total expense is. less than 
48c., or 4c. per lb. and we really think it the 
“most wholesome food that can be made,” only 
we fear ’twould be like the old gent's discovery, 
viz: that sawdust was excellent food for cattle 
when mixed with bran, but a queer fact was 
that the more bran he used, the better was the 
“feed.” We presume Mrs T. meant one quart 
of water, instead of a gallon, but she should 
remember that “little pitchers sometimes have 
very long ears.” 
We believe the consistency of the syrup as we 
find it sealed up by the bees is at about the rate 
of 20 lbs. of sugar to a gallon of water, with 
sugar at 11 1-2 c., the real cost of syrup that 
will compare well with honey and will cer- 
tainly go as far for feeding, is very near eight 
cents per lb. When feeding must be done 
does any one doubt which is the cheapest ? We 
have just sold our last barrel of Clover honey 
for twenty cents. 
Bee Keeper's Magazine for Dec. contains an 
excellent article by Mrs. Tupper, entitled, “All 
About Hives.” Her view of the subject is 
liberal and broad, with a clear view of wants 
and needs of future Bee-keepers. Iler remark 
that “the time is coming soon, however when 
honey will not be sold in the comb at any 
price,” is rather a bolder assertion than even 
Novice would make, yet we think it quite 
probable, We can hardly agree with her that 
bees should not be examined in winter, for our 
view of things, if we had waited until March, 
for the past two seasons, might have been a 
sorry one. 
We have supposed that a good many had 
been saved by nursing them through the win- 
ter, and that "a stitch in time saved nine,” etc., 
but it may be our efforts availed little after all. 
So many report having wintered finely in cel- 
lars where vegetables were kept, and where 
lights and footsteps were matters of daily oc- 
currence, that we are inclined to think the dis- 
turbance occasioned by frequent inspection 
not injurious. 
The suggestion that Novice claims to have 
first discovered that bees could be wintered on 
sugar is certainly a grave error, but that he 
first advocated the idea in print that sugar 
stores for winter was a remedy for the bee dis- 
ease, and hence safer as well as cheaper, we 
shall maintain until some document be shown 
to the contrary. If Mr King do; . not yet feel 
