178 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



1. T should prefer it made of I lumber, with pack- 

 ing' space of 3 inches between outer and inner case. 

 2. Too much lumber and too little protection. 



New York. C. G. M. Doolittlb. 



Why, yes, I suppose it is practicable, but I doubt 

 if a three-inch wall would be any better than a one- 

 inch. Still, it might be, but it would take no little 

 experimenting to settle the matter. 



Illinois. N. C. C. Miller. 



We should object to any style of hive being made 

 of three-inch stuff, as the joints will be sure to open 

 in time. I don't see that it makes much difference 

 about the top and bottom board. Come to reconsid- 

 er the question again, we don't see what the fellow 

 Is driving at, any way. 



New York. E. Rambler. 



I should object to such a hive at all seasons, on 

 account of the increased expense, weight, and bulk. 

 It would be but very little better, for wintering out- 

 doors without outside protection, than a hive with 

 sides of I stuff. I should not want to winter bees in 

 such hives without additional protection: and that 

 given, I can see no advantage whatever in their use. 



Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. 



No, sir; you will be sorry if you ever make thick- 

 walled hives. We tried that on quite an extensive 

 scale. We have also tried double-walled hives, and 

 don't want any of them. Make the sides % inch, 

 your ends Js inch, and your covers and bottoms fa 

 inch; then your hive will be light, and it will not 

 warp nor go to pieces as quick as your thicker ma- 

 terial. Always have your packing-bqxes dark-col- 

 ored for winter, and your hives light-colored for 

 summer. 



Michigan. S. W. James Heddon. 



If lumber is cheap, and you can afford so much of 

 it, all right. Why not have the covers and bottoms 

 of three-inch plank too? One feels better satisfied, 

 after having "gone the whole hog," than when 

 stopping half way. A chaff-packed wall of the 

 same thickness is lighter and better, except the im- 

 portant matter of durability. The most common ob- 

 jection would be, " Too heavy to lug around." In my 

 apiary practice, hives are carried around but little; 

 and I think I could tolerate the plank hive. 



Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. 



Why should the sides of a hive be made of three- 

 inch stuff when the bottom is one inch? I can con- 

 vince anybody that hives made of inch stuff will 

 winter bees as well, if not better, in this latitude, 

 than the best chaff hive made. Cause: A chaff hive 

 is cellar-like, and its temperature is not much af- 

 fected by the outside atmosphere all winter, while 

 the mild rays of the sun in January, February, and 

 March, have a most beneficent effect on the sides 

 of a single-walled bee-hive. 



Ohio. S. W. C. F. MuTH. 



Ernest was greatly chagrined to discover, 

 after the answers all came in, that the 

 question reads "three-inch stuff" where it 

 should have been '' three-eighths stnE.'''' In 

 order to test single hives out of doors, we 

 are now wintering several made only I inch. 

 We have decided, however, to print the re- 

 plies, inasmuch as plank hives have been 

 many times suggested and several times 

 put into actual use. They are a little better, 

 so far as protection is concerned, than thin 



hives, but not enough to recommend them, 

 and not nearly as good as a porous wall 

 made of rather narrow strips of thin wood, 

 with chaff or some similar porous material 

 between. Our older readers will remember 

 my experiments years ago with the hoop 

 hive. This hive was made of thin narrow 

 stuff so as to be something like a corn-crib. 

 The slats were arranged, however, so as to 

 shed rain. Bees wintered in them, and 

 stored honey ; but the sections near the out- 

 side wall could be worked in only when the 

 weather was exceedingly warm. On this 

 account, hives made of inch stuff gave bet- 

 ter results. 



PYgELF ^ND MY ]S[EI6pB0«g. 



And the devil said unto him. If thou art the Son 

 of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 

 —Luke 4 : 3. 



While in Salt Lake City, one young 

 friend who keeps bees, learning I was in 

 the place, telephoned all the hotels to find 

 out my whereabouts. After he found me I 

 proposed we should go around and gather 

 up the bee-friends, so we could have a little 

 visit all together. Of course, A. I. Root 

 would have something to say to these 

 friends before leaving, that was not direct- 

 ly connected with bee culture. I have told 

 of my visit to friend Woodmansee's, who 

 lived a little outside of the suburbs. Street- 

 cars, however, ran within perhaps a quarter 

 of a mile of his place. On our way home, 

 at the terminus of the street-car line, while 

 waiting until it should be time for the car 

 to start, we were entertained by some boys 

 who had gotten up a sort of amateur string- 

 band. They had a violin, banjo, guitar, tri- 

 angles, and cymbals. I am fond of music, 

 and the performance of these boys out in the 

 open air on that December night filled me 

 with thanksgiving, and, I hope, with praise. 

 I thanked the boys for their entertainment 

 while we were waiting, and expressed my 

 pleasure to the friends who were with me. 

 The street-car conductor was one of our 

 number. He was very affable and pleasant, 

 but smiled with a look that seemed to me 

 somewhat savoring of irony or sarcasm, as 

 he gave us a little speech something like 

 this : 



" Bovs," said he, " the music was very 

 nice, and music is a good thing, especially 

 when the performers are experts. But, my 

 friends, let me tell you there is no music in 

 this world so entrancing and so satisfying as 

 the music of golden coins as they rattle in 

 your own pocket." And then he patted the 

 place where his pocket was, evidently pleas- 

 ed at his pleasantry. I ventured to demur a 

 little, but he replied again : 



" There is no getting around it, boys. You 

 live until you are as old as I am, and go 

 through the world and try all it has to offer, 

 and you will decide with me. sooner or 

 later, that the chink of gold throws every 

 thing else into the shade." 



At our recent Ohio Convention, a fine- 

 looking man, and one I should judge of 

 much ability, came up and shook hands ; 

 but it was evident from his manner that he 



