414 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 July, 191 2. 



apiarist's own hiome, round water-taps, tanks, and tlie drinking dishes of 

 poultry, wlien tiie weatlier is liot, and any other supply of water rather far 

 from the apiary. The writer was confronted with all the troubles enumer- 

 ated when first establishing his apiary in its present location ; an automatic 

 artificial supply close to the apiary has overcome these difficulties, and 

 has now been working continuously for fourteen years without a hitch. 



The water is obtained from the roof of the honey house and stored 

 in two tanks of 1,000 gallons each. An iron water-pipe, laid underground 

 (18 inches deep) so as to keep it cool in summer, conducts the water to the 

 drinking troughs, which are at a distance of about 100 feet from the 

 building, and the same distance from the nearest hives. This distance 

 is necessary, otherwise the bee5, when flying to and from the water, 

 interfere with work in the apiaiy, and also cause confusion at swarming 

 time. There are two drinking troughs ; they are placed on a stand at a 

 height of 3 feet from the grou/id, in order to prevent poultry going to 

 them, and to keep drifting leaves and other material out as much as 

 possible. Each trough measures 36 inches x 24 inches insid?, with a 

 depth of 6 inches, and consists of a frame made of 6 x f white Baltic 

 flooring boards, with a bottom of 6 x | lining boards. It is lined with 

 plain galvanized iron, No. 26 gauge, neatly fitted inside the wooden 

 casing, to which it is secured at the top with fine tacks. It is better to 

 have two or even three of such troughs instead of a large one of the same 

 surface area as the two or three combined. If only one large trough i.^ 

 used the bees are too much concentrated, and a good deal of fighting 

 and stinging takes place occasionally. It is, therefore, better to have 

 several troughs a little distance apart, and if they are placed on the same 

 level and connected by means of a piece of garden hose attached to a 

 stud at the bottom of each, one stand pipe, with automatic tap, will supply 

 them all. On the top of each trough floats a raft, upon which the bees 

 alight to drink, and it is so constructed that they cannot drown, and even 

 dead bees cannot drop into the water and thus pollute it. The raft 

 is made of slats of |-in. lining boards, 35I inches long, i5-i6th inch wide, 

 ^ind J inch thick. The edges on the upper side are planed away at an 

 angle of 45 degrees, so that when the slats are placed side by side they 

 form V-shaped gutters, with an opening i-i6th inch, wide at the bottom. 

 Twenty-four of these slats are nailed on to three cross-pieces of |-inch 

 flooring board 23^ inches long and 2 inches wide, in such a way that 

 the thin bottom edges of the slats are 1-15 inch apart. The raft is then 

 fitted into the trough and dressed till a space of not more than \ inch 

 remaims all around between the raft and the lining of the trough. _ To 

 keep the raft always at the proper level, that is, with the water not highei 

 than about | inch between the slats, air-cushions are fastened under- 

 neath the raft, one at each end. They are made of light zinc, such as 

 the lining of piano or drapery cases. Fold a piece of this material, cut to 

 the correct dimensions, over a piece of wood 35 inches x 5 inches x i inch, 

 solder the joints, and, after withdrawing the board, also the end. It may 

 be tested as to being air-tight by pressing it under water to see whether 

 air-bubbles escape; if so, there is a leak which has to be re-soldered. In 

 soldering zinc, raw spirits of salt, diluted somewhat with water, should 

 be used, not killed spirits (chloride of zinc); this rule also applies to 

 galvanized iron. The solder-iron should be clean, well faced with solder, 

 and only just hot enough to melt the solder, but not the zinc; this is only 

 possible if the solder is of good quality. If the air-cushions raise the 

 raft too high at first the latter should be weighted down to the proper 



