182 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



If a swarm issues and I want increase, I 

 take the old hive and place it at a vacant 

 entrance on the opposite side of the house, 

 set the swarm on the ukl place and secure a 

 powerful strong colony at the old stand in a 

 few hours, as all the field bees will be with 

 the swarm in a short time. 



In comparing the house to a car I ought to 

 have said, "all but the glass," as I use no 

 windows, no screens or light of anj' kind. 

 When I shut the door it is as dark as night. 

 If the bees come in the door when I am at 

 work I close the screen door and go on with 

 my work. 1 have the screen door arranged 

 for escapes while taking off honey, also one 

 or two other escapes, simply a funnel made 

 of screen wire ; and I can take o£E from one 

 to five hundred lbs., close the screen door, 

 and sometimes every bee will be out in one 

 hour, or two at most. In or near the top of 

 the door I have several holes made through 

 the screen, and on these holes on the outside 

 small cones of wire like thimbles are stuck. 

 I sometimes lift off one or two dozen cases, 

 lay them on one edge, go off and do anything 

 I wish to, and in a short time all is clear. 

 Of course, I face them to the light, and 

 there being no other light they all make to 

 the door, run up the screen, out of the small 

 cones, and back to their own hives ; and 

 should any try to return, (for of course many 

 of them will fill themselves with honey and 

 then wish to come back), they alight on the 

 outside, run up to the top, fly off and try 

 again, but never go out on the end of the 

 cones to come in at the end. 



In looking over the Review I see some are 

 giving plans for a bee-house although they 

 do not use them as yet. Will you allow me 

 to drop a hint or two ? If I were to build 

 one as I would like it to be, it would be 

 something on this plan : Select a south slope, 

 build a wall running east and west as long 

 as needed for the number of colonies. For 

 the front use any kind of frame-work. I 

 should prefer it double if to winter in ; if 

 only for summer, single thickness would 

 answer. Put a door in each end. The only 

 olijectioD to this arrangement is, we only 

 have the use of one side, but for everything 

 else I think it is good. 



The houses I am using stand endwise north 

 and south. I use east and west sides only, 

 and have objections to those running north 

 and south. I will hereafter build them run- 

 ning east and west. 



Argyle, Wis., Jan. 10, 18<)2. 



Bee-Keepers' Review. 



PUBLISHED MONTHLY. 



W. Z. HUTCHIflSOfl, ed. & Pfop. 



Terms : — Sl.fK) a year in advance Two copies, 

 S1.90 ; three for |2.70;five foi$4.<>0; ten, or more, 

 70 cents each. ^^~ The Review is stopped at 

 the expiration of the time paid for. 



FUNT, MICHIGAN. JULY 10. 1892. 



Double glass in a wax extractor causes 

 10° greater heat than a single glass, so says 

 Ernest Root in Gleanings. 



An old fashioned, white clover, honey 

 harvest is what this locality is now being 

 blessed with for the first time in five years. 



Narrow bottom bars {}4 or % inch) cause 

 the bees to build their combs clear down to 

 the bottom bars and attach the combs to the 

 bottom bars. 



Gleanings says, editorially, " Whatever 

 may have been our position we recognize, 

 and are glad to encourage, all useful patented 

 inventions." Good. 



Rambler suggests in Gleaninys heating 

 with electricity the knife used in uncapping 

 combs for extrjicting. Mr. Root is probably 

 correct in thiniing that a current sufficient- 

 ly strong would be too expensive. 



Self-hiveks placed in front of the old hive 

 in such a manner that the working bees pass 

 through the hiver while on their way to and 

 from the hive, give promise of catching full 

 swarms. The trouble with the old kind is 

 that many of the bees return to the old en- 

 trance. 



Empty combs and their care have re- 

 ceived some discussion of late. Instead of 

 sulphuring the combs to destroy the bee 

 moth's larv», C. H. Dibbern douses them 

 in a trough of cold water, where they remain 

 two or three hours. A quick, swinging 

 movement of the hand throws out the water, 

 when the combs are piled loosely to dry. 

 This does away with the odor of sulphur, 

 and washes out impurities. 



