10 



GLEANINGS IN J3EE CtJLTUUE. 



Jan. 



a task to hunt her up in this old mansion — our home 

 in Cyprus. Frank Benton. 



Larnaca, Island of Cyprus, Mediterranean Sea. 



Many, many thanks, friend ]5enton. I do 

 not know what you could have sent us that 

 would have pleased us more than such a 

 picture. Is it indeed you, away off there 

 among those strange foreign surroundings V 

 There are many here at home who think of 

 you often, and our boy Ernest is planning 

 to take a trip over to Cyprus when he gets 

 through with his college course. You have 

 not even told us a word about that native 

 brother who is climbing that tree. Is he 

 after Apis dorsata/ Kiss the little ''prize 

 queen " for us all ; and may God grant she 

 may some time see her hosts of friends in 

 the fatherland, away off here in America I 



OLK BEE-HIVE, 



WlXn A PICTURE OF THE GENTLEMAN HIMSELF. 



^D^ELOW please find draft of hive, and inclosed, a 

 PO) photo of hive and of your humble servant. 



You sec I have the side cushion under my 



foot,--not that I have discarded it, liut that it is the 

 foundation of my success. It is made so that it 

 does not come to the bottom by H in.; not raised, as 

 that would let the heat pass under the top cushion 

 at the ends of the side cushion. 



^■•>^^W^\'i»\\^\m^ 



I .^\^^ '^NX^XSiTs 3. x'^CwtS.I 



DIAGRAM OF THE INTERIOR OF THE HIVE. 



The lower story is 18J4xl814xlO, and the upper one 

 181/4x26x10, inside; coffee-sack, filled full of planer 

 shavings, just- fills it full, but leaves the corners 

 open so the fresh air can come in at the entrance, 

 and pass under the side cushions, and up at the cor- 

 ners of the top cushions, and out at the holes at the 

 gable ends. By this plan the draft is not direct, and 

 they can not smother, if the ciUranco should get 

 closed up. I use your L. wide frame for surplus 

 honey, at the side below, but mostly use a long wide 

 frame (holding 8 sections) above, running parallel 

 with brood-frames. The frames below are of a Elze 

 to hold six 1-lb. sections. I find this is very handy, 

 for I can get at the brood by just raising one wide 

 frame above. The piece at the end of the long wide 

 frame passes below the bottom piece 4 inches, so it 

 will not kill bees in sotting it in the hive. I use the 

 standard L. frame. Geo. W. Stites. 



Spring Station. Ind., Dec, 1881. 



Our friends will observe that this hive is 

 arranged to combine the protection afforded 

 by chaff hi\'es, with the ideas that have 

 been brought out so strongly in regard to 

 thorough upward ventilation ; that is, while 

 he has protection from the frost, he also has 

 almost the ventilation afforded by leaving 

 the section boxes on all winter. His plan of 

 having the frames in the upper story a third 

 longer than those below, is the same as has 

 been given with illustrations in some of our 

 former volumes. In some respects this plan 

 is very convenient ; but having two sizes of 

 frames in the same hive, or apiary even, 

 seems to be so objectionable that, so far as 

 I can learn, it does nottind permanent favor. 



A NEW TlINNEl. FOR HANDLIiNG HONEY. 



no has not been bothered in trying 

 to get lioney into a bottle, jug, or 

 even fruit-jar V Well, a friend in an 

 adjoining county has got up a very neat 

 little implement 

 for the house- 

 hold, which wfc 

 tigiire below: — 



THE COMBINED AD.TDSTABLE 

 TUNNEL AND STRAINER. 



The engrav- 

 ings explain the 

 utensil so fully, 

 I need hardly 

 say a Avord of 

 explanation. 

 The large figure 

 shows how it is 

 used for a fruit- 

 jar, or similar 

 large-mouthed vessel. Well, for a small- 

 mouthed vessel you just slip on the little 

 cone seen below, and if you then wish the 

 honey or other liquid strained, you just slip 

 in the circular piece of perforated tin, and 

 you have a strainer also. The whole is very 

 neatly and strongly made, with a polished 

 enameled handle, and yet the price is but 

 little more than a good-sized tunnel. We 

 can furnish them for 15 cents, or i:0 cents, 

 where sent by mail. 



