1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



FRED HOLEXBECK S METHOD OF PACKING THAT RESULTED IN NO LOSS LAST WINTER. 



and many times this edge is weakened by 

 hot wax. The melted-wax j^lan, moreover, 

 allows no swing, and consequently many 

 sheets give way and drop down. 



By the pinching or rubbing process, as 

 employed in my machine, a fair amount of 

 swing is allowed, and shallow supers with 

 foundation thus fastened can be roughly 

 handled and even thrown on wagons and 

 hauled for miles to the apiaries without do- 

 ing any damage. We have often had supers 

 fall off the top of the wagon to the ground, 

 and yet the foundation ciid not break loose. 

 As a precaution, however, we usually carry 

 along the machine when taking loads of su- 

 pers to the apiaries, and place it on the top 

 of a hive in some shady place. Then if, for 

 any reason, any of the sheets have given 

 way, they can be quickly put back with lit- 

 tle loss of time. 



The fastener is simple, and any mechanic 

 could make it in an hour's time after the 

 proper material has been obtained. The 

 material is about j| inch thick. The piece 

 attached to the lever that serves to press the 

 foundation into the tojj-bar should be made 

 of hardwood; and the wire, used as the mov- 

 able hinge, should be heavy enough to stand 

 the strain. I used a wire hoop from a sugar- 

 barrel, the ends being turned over under the 

 machine, and securely fastened with staples. 



It is easy to fasten foundation with this 

 machine. The board that presses in the 

 wax should be dampened occasionally on 

 the under side where it comes in contact 

 with the wax, so that it will not adhere to 

 it. The lever should be raised about the 

 same as the one on the Parker fastener; but 



the foundation should not be pressed hard 

 enough to mash it the instant the lever 

 touches it, as this would be likely to cut it 

 in two. There should be just enough pres- 

 sure at the start to make the wax adhere to 

 the wood, and then the lever should be pull- 

 ed up gradually until the wax is smoothed 

 out on the top-bar. 

 Cordele, Ga. 



A WHOLE ROW OF HIVES COVERED WITH 

 TAR PAPER FOR WINTER. 



BY J. C. BOGARDUS. 



I am sending a photograph of Mr. Fred 

 Holenbeck's colonies as they were last win- 

 ter. They were packed with leaves, and 

 covered with tar paper. Every colony came 

 out fine last spring. 



For protection a piece of carpet is cut to 

 fit over the frames under the cover. This 

 lies flat on the top-bars. Between and back 

 of the hives dry leaves or buckwheat straw 

 is packed, and then more of the material 

 placed on top over the covers. The back is 

 made rather higher than the front so that 

 when the tar-paper roof is put on, the water 

 may run off. The tar paper is cut in pieces 

 and tacked on with lath at the top and 

 bottom, a hole 2x6 inches being left in the 

 front to give an entrance for the bees of 

 each hive. The entrances, which face the 

 east, are contracted by entrance-blocks to 

 the size 2x^ inches. 



Horseheads, N. Y., May 20. 



