148 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



^AR. 1 



FIG. 3.— BEES IN A FARMER'S GARDEN AT PAYERNE, 

 SWITZERLAND. 



many hives of bees are seen about the 

 homes of the farmers. Most commonly the 

 "skep" is seen, but occasionally one notices 

 a modern movable-frame hive. The style of 

 hive shown in the picture is 

 rare. It was, indeed, a wonder. 

 Consisting of a long case, the 

 back part of the roof hinged to 

 open, it contained three sets of 

 movable frames, and had suf- 

 ficient space above for three 

 sets of one-pound sections. 

 The sets of frames and sections 

 were placed end to end without 

 partitions between them. After 

 a spirited speechless sign con- 

 versation carried on with the 

 farmer and his "frau," I was 

 permitted to view the interior 

 of the h've in the foreground 

 and to take a picture of the 

 yard. Tne bees were of the 

 black variety, and decidedly en- 

 ergetic, so that my investigation 

 was neither thorough nor pro- 

 tracted, and I am unable to state 

 whether there were multiple 

 queens present or not. 



Fig 4 is an apiary near Arn- 

 hem, in Holland. The shed is 

 covered with tile. The "skeps " 

 have openings above the mid- 

 dle. Usually the skep super is 

 made of straw, being a minia- 

 ture hive, but in some instances 

 supers of wood are used, and 

 t is not unusual to lind skeps 

 tanding in the gardens cover- 



ed with large red earthern bowls 

 to protect them from the rain 

 and heat. 



Black bees, a warm day, and a 

 hot time in getting the pictures 

 are my recollections of this api- 

 ary. 



Amherst, Mass. 



HIVE-STANDS. 



How the Ideal Foundation for 

 a Hive Should be Built; the 

 Value of Concrete Slabs un- 

 der the Regular Stands. 



BY F. GREINER. 



Judging by the many line il- 

 lustrations of bee- yards in the 

 different bee journals, for ex- 

 ample on pages 772, 773, Dec. 15, 

 the hive-stands often employed 

 have some grave faults. Even 

 our good Dr. Miller, according to 

 his own words, makes use of a 

 very poor affair. A hive-stand 

 alone may be considered an in- 

 signiticant factor m honey pro- 

 duction; but it is myopmion that 

 a good one may at times increase 

 the yield from the apiary mate- 

 rially. It may save valuable time 

 to the bees; it may prevent loss of bees and 

 sometimes even of queens A good hive- 

 stand should, according to my views, embody 

 certain principles of which some seem to have 



FIG. 4.— AN APIARY OF STRAW SKEPS NEAR ARNHEM,^ 

 HOLLAND. 



