Part 4

In the spring of ’73 bought two colonies of bees, having poor health thought the attention to them in the open air would be beneficial; finding the business so pleasant and profitable concluded to make it a permanent business, and have given my whole attention to it. Increased my two colonies to ten, bought 12 more, making in all 22. All came out good in the spring of ’74, and I got 2100 lbs. box honey and 400 lbs. extracted, and increased to 47. I have now 65 colonies in my cellar all in good condition except one, which showed signs of dysentery. I gave them a fly, and this is how I did it. Took pine strips one inch square, made a frame 4 feet square and 2½ deep; covered sides with news-papers tacked on, spread papers on the carpet of sitting room near south window. Set my frame on it covering the top with mosquito bar, set hive outside with entrance opening into it through a hole cut in paper. Waited until bees were all quiet then warmed up room to 65°, standing thermometer against hive; all flew well for five hours, cleaned out their hive, and as darkness came on, all returned to hive again, making it a perfect success. The papers were badly soiled. Shall serve the rest the same if necessary. By flying them this way with but a trifling expense you need not lose a bee. Winter my bees in cellar with dirt walls, temperature 40 to 45°, cellar very dry. I use Langstroth hive, got most of my honey in 20 lb. boxes, two boxes cover a hive—not quite as salable but I get good deal more honey in large boxes. Box honey averaged me 24c. per lb., extracted 20c. per lb. Extracted only to give room for the Queens to lay.

D. BASSFORD, Watertown, Wis. Jan. 25th, 1875.

P. S.—Would not advise any man to fly bees in the sitting room without the full consent of his better half.

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BASSWOOD OR LINDEN: STARTING A PLANTATION.

I have no Linden seed on hand at present. The seed should be planted in the fall or kept in damp sand and planted _early_ in spring. As a general thing the seeds are about two-thirds bad. I think cuttings are best to raise plants from. They nearly all grow, if rightly handled. I sell the cuttings in spring at 30 cts. per 100, free by mail.

THOMAS J. WARD, St. Mary’s, Vigo Co., Ind.

The above answers many inquiries. In the fall of 1871 we gathered and planted about a half peck of basswood seed, according to the directions given in Fuller’s Forest Tree Culturist. So few of these came up that we never used them at all, preferring to get our 4000 for the 10½ acres from the forests. We have reason to think that basswoods grow better when partially shaded, than in the open ground. On a part of our lot, there are about 50 large white oaks; we at first hesitated about planting the young trees among these, but now find those among them, have made the best growth of all. Perhaps many of our readers have noticed the rank vigorous growth that these trees often make when young, where they stand in a thicket of bushes and briers sometimes in fence corners. Shading the ground around the roots, from the hot sun, when young, we think perhaps an important item. Although we have never tried cuttings, we think it probable they would answer excellently. A tree on one of our streets that was planted out with some maples about seven years ago, blossomed last year for the first time, but it was taken up when so large that it did not begin to grow, until about three years after transplanting. For reasons mentioned, we should advise close planting at first, say 10 or 12 feet apart, on a plan similar to the one given in Vol. 1, pages 2 and 25, for locating hives in the Apiary. When the trees get crowded, thin out. The timber will soon pay all expenses.

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Heads of Grain, FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

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Listen to the patent right vender and do nothing but shake your head, says the _Rural New Yorker_, but I don’t approve of that way. My Mother often told me when I was little that I would learn to _butt_ if I shook my head so much. I will tell you how I served an “Agent,” of some kind. I was in my Apiary working with my bees, and he laid his satchel on a hive that was near, and while he bothered me, he still kept knocking the hive with his satchel. The bees began to get cross, but he didn’t think you know. Pretty soon the bees came out and “went for him” lively, he began to dodge and slap, but he soon grabbed his satchel and began to “beat a retreat,” slapping and cracking his head with the satchel and spoiling his fine hat all to pieces, he “hollered” back he had enough of the bee business and left. It was laughable to see him “light out.”

V. McBride, [page 11, Jan. No.] says that during the winter of the malady, all the bees in Langstroth hives died, and two-thirds in others etc. I saw bees in all kinds of hives that died, some in box hives from one foot to five feet high and some in some old washing machines turned up side down, others in the gable end of a house, some in the old straw hives and all kinds of patent hives, and by the way they died in all kinds, about the same. Some had the patent hives and lost their bees and then blamed the patent hive, but I found it was their fault oftentimes, as it makes it a little handier for them to divide their bees and to take their honey. They think the patent hive ought to make honey without bees almost. I guess the “_king_” don’t manage right some how as some of those old farmers call them; don’t you think Mr. Root, that it is the King’s fault that the bees die?

D. H. OGDEN, Wooster, O.

We guess it must be the _King_ friend O., for we feel sure the _Queen_ is not to blame. Our very best colony in 1873, dwindled down to the weakest in the spring of ’74. They went down to a mere handful, swarmed out twice, and it was only by giving them hatching brood several times that we could barely get the Queen through until July, and then she proved herself fully equal to what she had been the season before; in fact she kept putting two or more eggs in a cell all through the spring months. It is only the _workers_ that die off as soon as brood rearing commences. The very same process is now going on in our forcing house (Feb. 5th.) yet the brood will get ahead we think. Keeping the sick bees warm in the lamp nursery revives them some but they soon die nevertheless. The idea advanced that it is a kind of _fly_ that kills the bees, can certainly have nothing to do with our losses.

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NOW FOR THE HOT-BED.

Jan. 22nd, we let the sun in to the pit and at 2 P. M. there was a perfect jollification, just like a lot of young bees playing in summer. And they _did_ “spot” things inside the pit at a great rate, showing they needed a fly. As soon as it began to cool down they all went in to the hives except some dead ones on the straw, no more than would have been found if they had flown the natural way, and about two-thirds of a tea-cupful which were stuck on the sash in groups from one to a dozen. These latter we brushed out on a dust pan and put in top of one of the hives, as they were still alive, and said hive was mighty “sassy” too; seemed strong in bees, plenty of honey, and combs dry. The pit was not dug till after the ground was frozen 8 inches deep, consequently there was considerable frost on the glass which we swept off as soon as the sun loosened it a little. The dampness inside the pit was soon dried and everything went lovely.

We were going to hoist our hat for the hot-bed, but guess we’ll wait till spring before we shout too loud.

Don’t forget the “Medley” for we want to see Katie Grimm, Mr. Grimm, and all the rest.

W. M. KELLOGG, Oneida, Knox Co., Ills.

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A Mr. Abbot, of Wakeman, O., uses leather instead of Quilts. He says the leather is cheaper and does not rattle or stick. He fits them tight on the top of frames and they did not mould last winter and the bees wintered better than under quilts or tight frames. My bees in my hot-house when it has been warm enough for them to fly (no fire as yet) readily find their way back to their own hives, while those on their summer stands (though protected on the top and north sides) died by hundreds if not thousands on the snow as they lit and fell on it last week.

T. L. WAITE, Berea, O. Feb. 4th. ’75.

We had an intimation some time ago that Mr. Abbot had a remedy for propolis, above the frames. Leather being porous, might do very well, but will it not kill bees when pressed down on them? Again, can we get a piece that will cover a hive for the price of a quilt, and what kind of leather is best? Mr. Abbot claimed that he had some valuable information _to sell_, on the subject. We presume most of you have discovered that those who claim to be possessed of valuable information, _not to be found in books_, are generally somewhat of a fraud; never mind friend Abbot, if you have by experimenting got hold of something valuable, bring it along. We will pay you for your time and trouble.

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I had to-day to open the entrance full size to almost all hives. Bees keep up a lively hum and are carrying in loads of pollen equal to spring work. Considering your mortality from disease and cold in the North and your continual _trouble_ and _anxiety_, I think we have far the advantage of you.

I lost one very weak swarm this winter by robbers. This is by far the worst enemy I have to contend with.

J. B. RAMSEY, Abbeville, La. Jan. 21st, ’75.

And with your advantages, friend R., why do you not build up larger Apiaries, and raise honey by the car load as do our friends in California? We can imagine the smile of relief that would spread over the faces of _some_ of our readers, had they no worse trouble than _robbers_ to contend with.

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When I ordered the two first volumes I thought I could do without GLEANINGS 3rd Vol.—But it won’t DO. Don’t forget the Jan. number. ’TWONT DO! No, if “blue eyes” falls down over the boards you _must stop and help her up_. In our haste, don’t let us make a God of our Bees.

Have 35 stands in box to be transferred, have adopted the Standard. Shall want an extractor etc.

C. M. JOSLIN, M. D. St. Charles, Mich.

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I examined several of my colonies the 20th of Jan. and found brood in all stages, from the egg to the hatching bee. One stock with brood on four combs. Lost none to date, though one hive has soiled its combs considerably.

H. PEDEN, Mitchellville, Tenn.

From several similar items, we see it is nothing very unusual to find brood even in Jan., in the Southern and Middle states, whether this is desirable or not, we are unprepared to say.

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Many thanks friend “Novice” for the binder you sent me, I never expected such a nice premium. We have every number of “GLEANINGS” in its proper place in the binder, and let me tell every bee-keeper, to get Emerson’s Binder for “GLEANINGS,” then they can preserve them for their children’s children if they like. But “Novice” I never said “confound it” if I could not just find the desired number of GLEANINGS. No indeed! we always kept them in a drawer by themselves so that we always knew just where to find them. (Teach us order and precision and then ask such a question as per advertisement.)

“Novice” tells us to “have every comb built between one and the side of the hive” in order to have them straight, but it won’t always work unless the old combs have brood or sealed honey at the top. I have had the old combs widened out so as to fill the whole space, and nothing put in the empty frame at all. I believe this will always happen if empty frames are inserted immediately after extracting. The remedy is, use the Standard hive, move back the division board just to give room for one frame at a time, move back the combs till you come to the middle of the brood nest, insert the empty frame there, and, Ho! you will have the whole frame nearly filled, with nice worker comb, _and eggs too_ before morning perhaps. This should only be done when the bees are gathering honey nicely.

Ila Michener, Low Banks, Ont., Can.

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If it is only yourself that reads GLEANINGS, they might easily be kept nice “in a drawer,” but we confess that we felt rather flattered a short time since in visiting several bee friends, to find the last number at one place conveniently on a stand with a pair of spectacles laid on the pages to keep the place, and at another the number, (although it had only been out a week) looked as if some urchin had used it for a spelling book during a whole term at a country school. It certainly had been _used_, and we went our way rejoicing. Friend Ila is right about strait combs, and we thank him for the correction. But beware of spreading the brood combs however, before the weather is quite warm.

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Mr. D. Dubois, Newburg, Orange Co., N. Y., sends us an ingenious plan for a movable portico to be applied to any kind of a hive. It is made of two boards 4×11 inches, fastened together at the top like a letter A. Now imagine the horizontal cross bar on this letter, a button, with a screw through the centre to hold it up firmly to the hive, and you have it all. Each end of this button is made with a projection that enters a slot cut in each of the boards, but not quite through them. By boring a hole just above the button, we have an upper entrance, with the button for an alighting board; in the winter by turning this button perpendicularly, it closes the upper entrance. To keep the portico from slipping down, a nail is driven just underneath the peak. This allows us to make the upper and lower story just alike and yet have a portico _if any body wants one_. After testing hives with, and without, for two seasons past, we really cannot think it makes any difference either way with the honey crop. Our friend Dean says a portico encourages the bees in hanging out of doors, and he wants _his_ bees in the hive. Now if the spiders should persist in making a new web in these porticos every morning, as they sometimes do in ours, we can easily lift them off and put them away. Some will probably always prefer porticos, while others will not, as in other things.

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DEAR NOVICE:—Please say to the inquisitive ones, through “GLEANINGS,” that the $34.45 mentioned on front cover of No. 6, Vol. 2, was the cost of the iron work mentioned in the same sentence, at the factory.

That the saws, bolts, belting, and lumber ran the bill for materials up to about $48.00.

That I put the machine together myself, without adding to the figures.

That while the machine does do more accurate work, than I have ever succeeded in having done, by more portentous machinery; nevertheless, the idea of using human muscles, as the motive power, for the amount of work that looms up, prospectively, in the immediate future, does not correspond, very well, with the boasted ingenuity of this age and nation.

Therefore I am preparing to “attach” a lever horse power to the machine, by means of a belt thrown over a pulley, placed on the driving shaft.

This winter, in these parts, would do no discredit, to an arctic region. This morning the mercury fell to 40° below zero, and was still going down, when I took it in out of the cold; because it had reached (and in fact was a little below) the end of the graduated scale, at 40°. The mercury in the cellar, of late, keeps vibrating about, and near to the freezing point. Bees quiet.

D. P. LANE, Koshkonong, Rock Co., Wis. Feb. 9, ’75.

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How long will it take to feed 25 lbs. of sugar syrup with the Universal feeder to an average colony of bees in warm weather?

We have never tested the matter, because we deemed feeding a pint or a quart a day, more desirable in preparing for winter, than more rapid feeding. If the bags were made to hold about a quart each, and were filled morning noon and night, or oftener, we could probably get them to take 25 lbs. in two or three days, in warm weather.

How will molasses hhds. answer for holding honey temporarily? Say, take one head out—thoroughly clean—heat in the sun—then coat the inside with hot wax, using a brush for the purpose. When the honey candies there will be no difficulty in getting it out.

We would advise trying the plan you mention. If you pour in a quantity of melted wax, and run it all over the inside, it will assuredly make it hold honey.

How long before you can give us a simple and infallible remedy for honey crystalizing? Such would be worth a good deal to me as my whole crop is sold in bottles and will not retail well in a solid state. For the present, will heating to the boiling point in a vessel set in water answer? Must the honey be bottled and sealed while hot or will it do as well when cold?

We find no trouble when we follow directions given heretofore, viz., heat your honey almost to a boil, fill the jars full, and seal _at once_, while hot, just as if it were fruit. If not made hot enough, it will candy again partially. We think the writers who say that _pure_ honey will _always_ candy, a little hasty.

The frames in my hives rest on a metal rabbet and are not secured at the bottom. They slide about very easily. When I send off a load of hives to an apiary, I secure the frames by placing half inch strips reaching to the bottom board between the combs at each end. It takes considerable time to fix them. Can you devise anything that will be less bother and answer equally well?

To be sure if we have frames perfectly _movable_, they must of a necessity be made stationery when we wish to transport colonies and the question arises as to whether it is advisable to be bothered with any arrangement for keeping frames fixed, every time we open a hive, just because we have once in a great while a case that makes such an arrangement desirable. In moving our bees to the swamp, see Vol. 1, page 75, we put strips between all of the end bars to the frames, except one hive which was overlooked, but as this hive had not been opened at all, the bridge of wax from one comb to the next, kept the frames all in their places. This is generally sufficient for moving short distances, where the combs have been in use several years, and where they have not been taken out for some little time before moving. In shipping bees considerable distances, we know of no plan better than the sticks. Something could be added to the hive for this when making, but would it be advisable, when the hive in many apiaries may not require to be moved in years? In moving the hives in doors and out, even with Metal Corners as well as rabbets, no preparation is needed, if the hives are carried so that the frames do not oscillate by the motion of stepping.

Are Basswood trees ornamental, and of rapid growth? Would they grow here? Our climate will admit of the culture of the hardier varieties of grapes.

G. C. MILLER, Mt. Hanley, Annapolis Co., N. S.

The Basswood is a most beautiful tree for ornament, and when it blooms the perfume extends for a great distance around. It is a very rapid grower when once started and we believe is perfectly hardy so far as frost is concerned.

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Bees worked on rye flour all through the month of Dec., and most of the month of Jan., but are housed up now on account of cold. I have 68 colonies mostly in good condition, and think I will have same number when spring opens. “Long may you wave.”

J. F. MONTGOMERY, Lincoln. Tenn.

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DEAR NOVICE:—I am in favor of deep frames for these reasons: Experience has convinced me that bees winter better and breed earlier in deep than in shallow frames. In hollow trees: the natural home of the bee (and the one they like most) the depth is always greater than the width. In shallow frames they have to spread out so thin, or cluster on the cold honey, that it makes it much harder to keep up the necessary warmth. They seem to think they must have bees where they have honey; and I have noticed these outside guards often get chilled and die at their post. The natural place for bees to store honey, is in the top of their combs; and when they want to know what they have in store they look for it there; hence we often see them start from the cluster run over the honey as if estimating it then pass into the cluster, doubtless to report. When the honey is directly over them I think they are more fully impressed with its possessions. A hive 12×12 and 16 inches in depth I believe is the best size and shape for wintering. Such a hive will allow plenty of honey in the top and enough empty comb at the bottom for the bees to cluster on, and keep in a round form which is certainly the best. But it will be said shallow frames are handier—should we not try to please our bees as well as ourselves? Again they swing together too badly—cannot some fixture be made to keep them apart? What says Novice?

CHAS. WILKINS, Ott, Oregon. Dec. 4th, ’75.

But bees die in hollow trees nearly, if not quite as badly as in hives; as new swarms generally select these vacated hollow trees, we forget that not one colony, but a half dozen may have occupied the tree in a dozen years. We know bees run over the combs, frequently, but we can hardly accept the idea that they do it exactly for the reason mentioned. We do not use shallow frames for the reason that they are handier. See pages 16, Vol. 1, and 29, Vol. 2. If hives and frames are properly made, they can be made to hang true even when 16 inches deep.

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I wish to have all understand that my one dollar Queens are the poorest. My prices are for a Queen $1.00, for a choice Queen $2.00, for a tested Queen $5.00.

J. W. HOSMER, Janesville, Minn.

The above was sent us by a subscriber, who had written Mr. H. in regard to $1.00 Queens. We are alone responsible for Mr. Hosmer’s name appearing in our list. He wrote us that he had been selling Queens for $1.00 for some years; shortly after he sent us (we presume by mistake) 75c. the second time. As he made no reply in regard to a query as to how we should use this, we took the liberty of keeping his name in during the year.

We need hardly repeat that we never intended dollar Queens, to include such as had been _tested_ and found _poor_; and we do not wish to include the names of any who propose to do this, in our list.

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I make a hive, 12 frames about 11×13 inches, inside measure, frames, division boards, entrance blocks, bottom and cover, with one cotton cloth feeder as you recommend, painted three coats, all complete for $1.50. If you wish, you can say through GLEANINGS that I will give one of my hives complete for a sample to any one that will send you a club of 10 new subscribers for GLEANINGS, from Canada, (no patent on it) for 1875 by your giving them the certificate showing that they have done so.

D. A. JONES, Tecumseth, Can. Feb. 8.

Many thanks friend J. We would be very glad to offer _you_ something in this case, but at 50c each there is scarcely any margin at all after paying expenses.

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FRIEND NOVICE:—My hives are 15½ inches wide for ten frames; would they be any better if narrower? Will bees work as well in small frames for surplus honey as in boxes? Do you think the bee business will ever be over-done in the United States?

H. LIBBY, Lewiston, Me. Dec. 14th, 1874.