558 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July ]5. 



advantage to them; and by this design they 

 require to pass only once through the metal. 

 The queen, passing the two metals by means 

 of the channel, finds herself at either one side 

 or the other. This portion of the design is the 

 idea of W. M. Bayless. His proposition was to 

 do this by means of a bee-escape. I proposed a 

 simpler device, and the leading of the queen to 

 the outlet, which his did not possess. 



Next, I like an alighting-board, and the ac- 

 companying one is a simple device. It can in a 

 moment be attached to any hive. The tin clips 

 are slipped between the self-hiver and the wall 

 of the hive. The slight bevel to the front 

 board gives the alighting-board a slight pitch. 



The objection raised as to the necessity of 

 lifting hives to see whether the bees have 

 swarmed can be overcome readily, and I have 

 arranged the following device: The new hive 

 has at the front of it, and about half way down, 

 an auger-hole which is covered with a large 

 button. In passing from hive to hive to exam- 

 ine for swarms, all that is necessary is to open 

 and close the buttons. If the bees are down, 

 examine for swarms; if not, pass on and save 

 your back. I have as yet had no swarms, as 

 increase Is kept down and supers are on most 

 of the hives; but several self-hivers are in 

 place, and some have already reported success 

 in hiving bees with the Pratt self-hiver. The 

 Ontario Apicultural and Experiment Union 

 are testing the Pratt self-hiver. I thought it 

 best to say this first, as it had to a certain ex- 

 tent already been tested. The idea was, to 

 test the principle of self-hiving— not special 

 designs. Self-hivers must mean a great deal 

 for the agricultural classes; hence the selection 

 of the experiment. The Langdon device may 

 be good. It has some things entirely original; 

 but the device of throwing the bees into a new 

 hive to overcome the swarming impulse is, I 

 believe, that of C. W. Post, Murray, Out. His 

 plan was published some years ago. He placed 

 two sticks, crossing one another at right angles; 

 and where they crossed they were placed upon 

 a post and joined to it by a bolt, allowing the 

 top part to swing around. Upon each arm was 

 placed a hive with bees; and during the season 

 each hive was given a quarter-turn, thus each 

 day giving the flying bees a new home. Mr. 

 Post, who has had a wide experience, having 

 about four hundred colonies, claimed then, and 

 has claimed ever since, that this system pre- 

 vents swarming. 



In closing, permit me to say I have for years 

 felt that swarming can be easily prevented. 

 Mr. Post runs out-apiaries, and watches for 

 swarms only when other work is to be done; 

 and as several go from yard to yard, and 

 together finish up the work, this is only a small 

 proportion of the time. He does not claim, in 

 the ordinary way, that no swarms issue; but 

 the f^ercentage is so small it is not worth while 

 watching the bees. Between a self-hiver and 

 greater attention to methods of prevention of 

 swarming, a far higher yield per colony will be 

 obtained. I have not had twenty (probably 

 not fifteen) per cent of swarms during the past 

 six years. K. F. Holtermann. 



Brantford, Ont., Can., June 13. 



P. S.— Since writing the above there is a little 

 experience which may be of benefit to others. 

 Perhaps it reveals stupidity on my part not to 

 have thought of this in the first place, but I 

 have no objections to allowing others to benefit 

 by my mistake. I find the best way when put- 

 ting on self-hivers is to close the lower entrance 

 and slant the board from the self-hiver alight- 

 ing-board to the ground, covering up entirely 

 the old ehtrance, when the bees will readily 

 take to the new. R. F. H. 



RAMBLE NO. 88. 



HOW MR. HUNT PUTS IN FOUNDATION; NEW 

 SQUARE CANS IN CALIFORNIA AT 72 CTS. 

 PER case; rambler's ACKNOWL- 

 EDGMENTS TO HIS LADY 

 FRIENDS. 



There is probably no bee-keeper who has 

 been obliged to handle the many pieces that 

 pertain to his calling but has studied upon 

 mechanical means to handle the multitude of 

 pieces more rapidly, and thus cheapen the cost 

 of production; and the many little inventions 

 all show that busy minds are at work trying to 

 make short cuts to the desired end. 



hunt's METHOD FOR PUTTING IN FOUNDATION. 



I found in the shop of Mr. Hunt, of Redlands, 

 several of these cunning devices, and among 

 them a very rapid method of putting founda- 

 tion into sections. Mr. Hunt's apparatus will 

 be readily understood by reference to the 

 sketch It consists ol a wide board upon which 

 are arranged permanent blocks, the thickness 

 of which is half the depth of a section, and 

 large enough for a section to fit quite loosely 

 over it. Any number of these blocks can be 

 thus arranged, but usually as many blocks as 

 there are sections in a crate. It is but a mo- 

 ment's work to pick up a number of sections 

 that have already been put together, and dis- 

 tribute them over the blocks. A pot of white 

 glue, kept warm over a lamp, is placed near at 

 hand; the foundation of proper size is picked 

 up, and the edge lightly touched with a little 

 paddle from the glue-pot. and the foundation 

 is dropped into the section; the board upon 

 which the blocks and sections rest is set up at 

 quite a sharp angle, and the piece of founda- 

 tion drops immediately against the section, 

 where it becomes a permanent fixture. The 

 whole number of sections for a crate are filled; 

 and by the time the last piece of foundation is 

 dropped in place, the first one is ready to come 

 out, and the whole are soon in the crate. I 

 never saw Mr. Hunt try to compete with the 

 Daisy or any other fastener; but he claims that 

 he can beat any machine made; that his wife 

 can also do the same, and his twelve-year old 

 boy ditto. There is also an advantage in using 

 glue, for it holds the foundation in place more 

 securely than any other plan. This is quite a 

 consideration where the crates and contents are 

 to be rattled over rough roads, up canyons and 

 down hogbacks. The same plan can be applied 

 to any size of section and to brood -frames. 



The subject of old versus new cans comes up 

 again this year, and will continue to present 

 itself until new cans are used altogether in 

 place of the old. This year the old cans cost 

 nearly as much as the new; and under this 

 condition of things there is no excuse whatever 

 for bee-keepers to use them. The chief disad- 



