128 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 15. 



through, and then about >» of the projecting 

 point is bent nearly K over (always across the 

 grain), and then drive it in without starting the 

 head. 



CLOSER PACKING. 



For years I have looked for manufacturers to 

 pack their larger sizes of nails in about one- 

 fifth the space now used, and at less expense, 

 by using two sheet-iron heads and a sheet-iron 

 band, either round, for convenience in handling, 

 or square, to utilize space in packing. Who 

 would not welcome such an improvement for 

 handling and storing? Our wooden kegs that 

 sometimes fall to pieces before reaching the 

 consumer are a disgrace to Yankee invention. 



HEAVY GOODS IN LIGHT PACKAGES. 



How much easier it is to roll a heavy barrel 

 than to handle half the weight in a box! I have 

 packed books, glass, etc., weighing 300 lbs., in a 

 sugar barrel weighing 2,5 lbs., which, to have 

 carried equally safe boxed, would have required 

 a box and extra packing weighing 1.50 lbs., 

 thereby saving in the cost of box and freight on 

 it, sufificient to pay the freight on the goods 

 hundreds of miles. 



FILLING FOR DOUBLE-WALLED HIVES. 



From reading and observation I conclude that 

 double-walled hives capable of producing an 

 interior uniform temperature have decided ad- 

 vantages over thin walls, where cost, bulk, and 

 weight do not prevent their use. Dead air 

 has its defects, because it is not dead, as a vary- 

 ing temperature on either side sends warm air 

 up and cold air down, causing a current. May 

 not this be overcome in part by thick paste- 

 board on each side of the air-chamber? or en- 

 tirely so by a central partition of pasteboard, 

 as paper is the best non-conductor of heat or 

 cold? Cheshire says cork dust, to fill a one-inch 

 vacuum, is 14 times better than dead air. Fill- 

 ing for hollow walls must be impervious to 

 moisture and heat, to secure permanent results. 



Allegan, Mich., Jan. 10. W. H. Gardner. 



[Our correspondent writes as though he had 

 had experience in nail-driving. We believe all 

 he says is true.] 



HIVE-COVEKS. 



USEFUL TOOLS ABOUT THE BEE-YARD, ETC. 



the iron cover to the bottom side of the shade- 

 board, and it is practically one; and, combining 

 three very essential qualities, they will not 

 leak, will not get liot, and will not wear out 

 soon: and the cost is not more than that of any 

 other good cover. 



My work-block is a piece of solid oak,(J inches 

 thick, 13 inches wide, 3 feet long, placed on a 

 hive-body. This makes a very^solid low bench 

 on which to nail up hives, supers, etc. The 

 sides and ends being square, it is very little 

 trouble to nail pieces on it for forms to hold the 

 piecesof hives while nailing; and when through 

 with the form, the block can be turned upside 

 down, the form put out of the way, and smooth 

 block on top. You would not like to be with- 

 out it. 



One of the most useful small things about my 

 bee-keeping is a short stout putty-knife. The 

 regular knife is much too flexible, and should 

 be ground down in length until it is stiff, and 

 about one inch wide. This will pry apart cov- 

 ers, hives, supers, and frames; clean wax and 

 propolis from any thing, and will always be the 

 right thing in the right place. 



My Barnes foot-power circular saw is not oft- 

 en used to do much work; but how could I get 

 along without it? It cost me, second handed, 

 less than ten dollars. I got the last one here, 

 and it pays its way nicely. 



A pair of cheap scissors — yes, and you can't 

 do better than to order several pairs from A. I. 

 Root — are the best for the money I ever saw. 



It is with some satisfaction that the writer 

 has lived to see his idea of the bee-escape march 

 steadily to the front, and to see that those who 

 were inclined to laugh or sneer at it fall into line 

 and bring up the rear. Portf'i""s improvement is 

 the best I have used, and will clean a super in 

 short order, if the conditions are right; and if 

 they are not right, they can be made so very 

 easily with a little experience. 



Can bees smell ? This question was called to 

 mind the past season by a queensware dealer 

 sending for me to see my bees in one of his 

 show-windows. Examination showed that they 

 were trying to enter a lot of paper boxes con- 

 taining "aromatic toothpicks" made of bass- 

 wood and flavored with cinnamon — no sweet 

 taste about them. J. S. Reese. 



Winchester, Ky., Jan. 26. 



A friend in Florida recently wrote to know 

 how I now like the corrugated iron covers rec- 

 ommended by me in Gleanings several years 

 ago, and just how I used them. My answer 

 was, "They are indispensable with me." The 

 smaller corrugations are best, as the cover lies 

 closer and smoother. The sheets are cut at the 

 factory, any size ordered. Mine are about thi-ee 

 inches wider and five inches longer than the 

 hives. This gives a small projection all around, 

 which is quite a protection to the life of the 

 hive, aside from the shade. The corrugations 

 should run the long way of the hive. Now, let's 

 see; First, we have the thin wood cover, which 

 is framed something like honey-boards. This 

 thin cover takes the place of all other inside 

 covers such as cotton cloth, enamel cloth, etc., 

 both winter and summer, as it is made to fit the 

 surplus cases as well as brood-chambers. Next 

 we have the corrugated iron cover which will 

 not leak; and, next, a shade-board made of %- 

 inch common boards, about five or six inches 

 wide, cleated on to two narrow pieces, which 

 raises the top cover or shade-board K of an inch 

 above the iron cover. This shade-board is of 

 about the same size as the iron cover, and heavy 

 enough to hold all down. If three covers seem 

 too many to handle, a few wire nails will fasten 



THE OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHERN ^CALIFORNIA 

 NOT FLATTERING. 



THE WONDERFUL HONEY RESOURCES OF THE 

 STATE IN A GOOD YEAR. 



The outlook for honey here this year is by 

 no means flattering. The great and abundant 

 rains that have flooded the northern part of 

 this State did not reach us, except in a very 

 moderate form — so very moderate that we came 

 very near getting no rain at all. We have not 

 yet had over five inches, and it is now past the 

 middle of January. But to you folks in the 

 East this would be nothing to cause any alarm; 

 but here it means bread without butter— and 

 very little of that. There you have snow and 

 ice, sleet and frost in abundance. When the 

 frost is drawn out of the ground in the spring, 

 you have slush and mud too numerous to men- 

 tion. Your ground at that time is just in the 

 condition that every bee-keeper here wants our 

 ground to be on the first of April — so wet, 

 slushy, and swampy that there are but few 

 places where an animal will not bog down. Ah I 

 that would make a honey year like 1884 or 1886. 

 But, no! if every year were like those years, 

 California would flood the world with honey! 



