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 theydid“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.

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 informationto 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.

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 continualtroubleandanxiety, 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 ofsomeof our readers, had they no worse trouble thanrobbersto contend with.

When I ordered the two first volumes I thought I could do withoutGleanings3rd Vol.—But it won’t DO. Don’t forget the Jan. number.’Twont do!No, if “blue eyes” falls down over the boards youmust 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.

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.

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 ofGleanings. 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 toobefore morning perhaps. This should only be done when the bees are gathering honey nicely.

Ila Michener, Low Banks, Ont., Can.

If it is only yourself that readsGleanings, 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 beenused, 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.

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 porticoif 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 wantshisbees 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.

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.

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 sealat 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 thatpurehoney willalwayscandy, 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 perfectlymovable, 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.

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.

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.

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 beentestedand foundpoor; and we do not wish to include the names of any who propose to do this, in our list.

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 throughGleaningsthat I will give one of my hives complete for a sample to any one that will send you a club of 10 new subscribers forGleanings, 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 offeryousomething in this case, but at 50c each there is scarcely any margin at all after paying expenses.

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.

If you mean that you put ten frames in a space of 15½ inches we should advise using eleven frames instead of ten. If you mean 15½ is the length of top bar, we should consider it as good as any unless you use your hives two story, in which case a little longer frame might be better. Small frames put inside of larger ones, have often been tried but there are many difficulties; they must be made very accurately, to stay in place, the bees do not seem to like so much wood in their way, every thing is covered with propolis, and their owner generally concludes that the arrangement is too much bother to use on a large number of hives. We have just as much fear that too much butter and cheese will be produced, or too many eggs, as that the market will ever be overstocked with honey. What has been the result with small fruits? Remember too that they are perishable goods, while honey will keep safely for years.

In answer toJ. H. Irwinin Feb. No., page 22: He can find as much comb honey in Langstroth frames as he may need, by writing Paul Dunken, Freeman, Cass Co., Mo. He has 500 to 700 frames.

W. G. Smith, St. Louis, Mo. Feb. 4th, 1875.

I thought it was quite settled now that to raise brood, bees are obliged to have farina in some shape, but I was amazed to find what a quantity they consume, by starting my three colonies with only brood and 25 or 30 bees to a hive. I thought I was liberal in supplying them and they got on swimmingly at first, then the dead brood commenced appearing and I gave them more pollen and all went well again. I found out too thatvery young beesin an emergency like that, gather pollen as well as older ones.

Annie Saunders, Woodville, Miss.

In ’73 my bees paid in honey sold $22.50, in ’74 about $12.00 per hive. I have had your experience for the last two years in the loss of bees.

H. W. Miner, Saranac, Ionia Co., Mich.

Excellent season for bees, had between 1500 and 2000 lbs. surplus in boxes. Sold, for from 18 to 25c per lb. Box hive man—can see no better way yet.

J. F. Temple, Ridgeway, Lenawee Co., Mich.

Gleaningsis indispensable, but my wife says I get some new hobby from every number.

Wm. H. Root, Port Byron, N. Y.

Tell your wife that healthy, wholesome hobbies are always productive of good, and that we shall always strive to haveGleaningsteach none other.

Can I make a bee hive and use a movable frame such as Mr. Quinby describes, without paying for the individual right? And if I have to pay for the right, who is the proper person to be paid? and how much will it cost to make and use for myself, say one or more?

T. H. Apple, Meadville, Pa.

We are happy to be able to say that you may make hives, in any way you desire, so far as we know, without the least necessity of paying any body a right for any thing.

We got up a resolution at our convention, to apply to our Legislature for a law to label all packages of honey with the producer’s name, and let the seller be responsible for adulteration, if not mentioned,—subject to a penalty when detected, etc., etc. Can you give us advice how to act?

M. Quinby.

We do not know that we are able to give any advice in the matter. Would not the law like many others be dropped and forgotten because no one would enforce it? It seems to us that the great work is to educate consumers to knowhoneyand to demand it. This is all that we have to rely on in a great variety of goods, and that establishment that once gets a name of dealing only ingenuinecommodities, has its fortune made. People are learning rapidly. If any one likes thecheaphoney let them use it.

I have given my bees some rye flour, they take it first rate, for the last two days they have been carrying it in pretty freely. It is bolted flour such as the bakers use. Is it as good as the unbolted or not? I have not lost a colony yet and they all have sealed honey enough to spring them I think, but I have commenced to feed for brood rearing; feed syrup made of white sugar.

Now friend Novice, I want some advice. I want to adopt some other hive than the Buckeye, but I want a two story hive that I may procure, not box honey, but frame honey, and I want the frames in both stories alike so I may use them interchangeably.

T. B. Parker, Goldsboro, N. C. Feb. 1st, ’75.

The bolted flue flour, is just as good as the unbolted, except that the bees sink down in it. If mixed with bran or sawdust it does very well. When they can choose, bees always prefer rye and oats, to wheat flour.

Use the Langstroth frame by all means, if you are going to have a two story hive. If you have not seen the L. frame you had better have us send you a sample by mail. We should also use the Simplicity hives to hold them, for then you can have both stories also, just alike, and perfectly interchangeable. We can furnish a one story hive, frames, quilt, and all complete for $1.75, andtwo of thesemakes a complete two story hive. We decidedly prefer the L. frames for two story, on account of their shallowness, any of the other frames loom up so tall when placed one above the other. We think we have ample evidence that the Langstroth hive winters equally as well as any deeper frame in any climate.

Our only reason for giving a preference to the Standard frame over the Langstroth, under any circumstances, is that more than 10 L. frames, placed side by side, make a hive inconvenient to make and inconvenient to handle. Therefore if you are going to get your surplusabovethe brood combs, use the L. frame every time. The Quinby would come next to it, as it is much the same thing on a larger scale, but the American, Gallup, or Standard, are not suitable to be used two stories as a general thing. Single instances ’tis true, may sometimes seem to point otherwise, but we havegleanedthe above from a large number of reports extending over several years. Any of the frames will we think, work very well on the plan given on another page by friend Joiner, but the last three mentioned would stand a little the most compactly.

Do you believe a pure Queen fertilized by a black drone will produce pure drones? and do you believe pure Queens fertilized by such drones, will produce pure stock, and do you allow such drones in your Apiary? What would you charge for—say 3 cards 4×5 inches each of drone comb filled with fresh laid drone eggs from your imported Queen, with bees enough to keep up the heat, and send by express in May next?

George K. Huffman, Effingham, Ills.

So much time has been wasted in discussing this question that it is questionable whether it be best to hazard an opinion, until we can besureof solving the question positively. If a black Queen could be fertilized,beyond mistake, by an Italian drone, we might readily decide the matter, for we should then have one or two banded workers, and black drones invariably. Will those who are equal to this task, if any such there be, please experiment and report. Will. R. King, of Franklin, Ky., did claim to have made such an experiment, but evidence was brought forward almost immediately, showing that his statements were only a series of falsehoods. [See page 93, Vol. 1.] We see no reason at present to doubt the experiments of Langstroth and Berlepsch; besides we find Italian workers, in almost all Apiaries of black bees in our vicinity, but the colonies producing them show only black drones.

So long as our object is honey, and we only procure Italians because they gathermorehoney, we cannot see that the question matters particularly either way. Every Apiary of 50 colonies should have at least one Imported Queen, and all colonies should be made with Queens reared from this one. You will then have good bees in every hive without bothering about drones at all. All Apiaries of less than 50 stocks can have an Imported Queen’s daughter—as they cost but $1.00 each, you can buy 4 or 5 if need be, until you get one whose workers suit you. Every one who rears Queensfor saleshouldcertainlyhave an Imported Queen. At the low price at which they are now offered there is no excuse for such blundering, and if our readers would decide to patronize none but those havingbona fideImported Queen mothers, advertisers would make haste to supply themselves. The plea that Imported Queens do not always produce three banded workers, we think a mistake. All the reports from Queens of the Nunn importation agree without an exception that the workers are not only three banded, but that they are quite superior as honey gatherers. James Bolin’s letter just at hand is a sample of one of them.

The idea of judging a Queen by herlooksand granting a diploma etc., on the strength of it, is simply ridiculous. Concerning Imported Queens, I would say that I obtained one of friend Nunn and if there are any better ones anywhere I would like to know it. Her progeny and those of Queens reared from her are the very best workers I have in my Apiary.

James Bolin, West Lodi, O. Jan. 7th, ’75.

Friend H. had better have sealed drone brood instead of eggs, it can then be sent safely by mail without bees. We can send it at the same price we do eggs from our Imported Queen, viz., 25c for a piece 2×3 inches. We have little faith however that the drones can be made available.

I have a hot-bed and my bees are doing well in it. I have about 60 plants in it, I think they help the atmosphere a great deal.

A. N. Draper, Upper Alton, Ills. Feb. 1st, ’75.

My boy had when we came here a small box of sun-flower seeds, which he kept as one of his playthings, last spring he accidentally spilt them down in the garden by the fence, and, old as they were, they came up profusely. They looked so thrifty, I took it into my head I would transplant them. I went to work and set them all around in the fence out of the way where there would nothing else grow to advantage, and if you will believe me, I had an enormous crop; and behold when they blossomed the bees went at them in earnest, and after the bees got through with them, there were several quarts of seed. I sold a dollar’s worth to my druggist, and the balance I fed out to my hens, and as a writer of old has said, I found nothing so good and nourishing for laying hens as sun-flower seeds. Then I cut off the heads and place them near the bee hives, fill them with sugar and water, and that suits the bees to a T. So you see I was to no expense, and they paid well, I write this that others may be benefitted as well as myself, by so doing.

Common sense, philosophy and religion, alike teach us to receive with becoming reverence, all undoubted facts, whether in the natural or spiritual world; assured that however mysterious they may appear to us they are beautifully consistent in the sight of Him whose “understanding is infinite.”

Dr. R. Hitchcock, South Norwalk, Conn. Feb. 2nd.

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