#OVJCEV GLBAWIWflS 1M flEB CULfU&g. 



8f 



There seems to be quite an error pro* 

 valent in regard to the "dollar" hive, ft 

 is the plan of making the case to hold the 

 frames, only, wherein it differs from 

 other hives, and the same idea will 

 answer for "a case to hold frames for 

 American hive, Gallup hive, Quinby 

 hive or any other hive so far as we know, 

 and one story, or rather a ease sufficient 

 to hold the number of combs required for 

 the brood and for wintering, can be made 

 for $1.00; no matter what size or form of 

 frame be used, and two of them will be 

 needed for surplus. IT frames be pre- 

 ferred spread out horizontally make hive 

 of double width (see Jan. No., page 5,) 

 and if the Quinby or Hazen form be de- 

 sired use two stories of double width ; 

 these will cost three dollars instead of 

 two, and can at any time be used for 

 frames instead of boxes, and with 40 

 frames (common kind) at 2.} cents each, 

 the total expense of a mammoth hive 

 equal to the wants of any colony, under 

 any circumstances, is only $4.00. Re- 

 moving a part or all of the sides of a 

 hive tc get out the frames, or using close 

 fitting frames of any description, would 

 make it perfectly imposible for us to open 

 and close hives with anything like the 

 rapidity we do at present. We do not 

 kill our bees in removing combs and sel- 

 dom use smoke. The dollar hive is not 

 our hive but can be made easily at the 

 price, by any hive manufacturer. ' 



"Oh, papa! Can't we make a grape- 

 vine grow up each post, and then meet 

 the next, one overhead, so we can walk un- 

 der it?" 



" Novice, with hammer in one hand and 

 saw in the other, staring in open-mouthed 

 astonisbment first at his "precocious off- 

 spring," and then at the grapevine trellis- 

 es, replies : 



"Yes, my son, your idea is most excellent 

 and opportune: for our three-fool trellis- 

 es will prove rather small for a vigorous 

 Concord without an amount of pinching 

 back that would be irksome. A piece of 

 hoop timber can easily be nailed against 

 the first trellis, the other end extending 

 up in the air and down again to the post 

 i>f the next trellis, making an arch or bow 

 of such heighth as to admit walking under 

 if easily. 



The effect of these 'arches of foliage.' 

 and later, when they are covered with 

 gracefully drooping pendants' of 'pur- 

 ple' " 



"Tie 'em up with blue ribbons," inter- 

 rupts "P, Of.," at which Novice breaks 

 down. 



P. S. — Novice, Jr., thinks if he is but 

 ten years old, his plan should be patented, 

 but his papa tells him he thinks pat- 

 ents — — "Supper is ready," announces 

 Mrs. N., and Novice forgets both poetry 

 and patents, at least for the present. 



Ill A l>S OF ORAIX FROM DIFFER. 

 i:m FIELDS, 



Ho. .">.'>. — Dkar Novice: — Do you know 

 why bees sometimes leave the hive during 

 the winter, if there is a day warm enough 

 for them to fly? During this last week 

 the weather has been pretty warm and 

 several stocks have left their hives and 

 joined themselves to others. If the\ 

 keep on at this rate 1 will only have one 

 large stock next season. If the bees 

 would only settle together, I could pur 

 them back, but they separate amonti the 

 hives and force themselves in to them. I 

 cannot understand why they do this, for 

 alt have plenty of honey ; there is no sign 

 of dysentery among them and they even 

 leave brood in the combs. 



('has. 10. Widexeh, Cumberland. 



M.wuuSth, 1sT.°,. 



Tbe above is some thing decidedly be- 

 yond our comprehension, and we would 

 enquire if this happens with bees wintered 

 on their summer stands, as a general 

 thing. We have noticed solitary instance* 

 of the kind but never, Ave supposed, with 

 strong, healthy colonies. Caging all the 

 queens would be coiisiderable°trouble and 

 would even then only prevent losing them. 

 for they at such times do not hesitate to 

 desert their queens, and a contracted en- 

 trance would lie but little better. Give us 

 all the facts we can have in the matter. 

 and we will find a remedy we think. Mr 

 W. adds further : 



1st. Do you allow your bees to swarm? 

 2d. How do you give meal to bees? 1 

 have tried everything but they will not 

 have anything to do with it. 3d. Is 

 maple sugar lit for bees fc eat? 4th. Do 

 you use the same quantity of sugar to a 

 gallon of water, when making feed to 

 stimulate the bees in spring? 5th. In 

 an apiary of your kind, don't your young 

 queens sometimes gel "muddled?" .' 



1st. Never it' we can help it: though 

 Minn limes they swarm without being 'al- 

 lowed: ' we think the proper use of the 

 extractor will rarely fail to be a perfect 

 preventive; we know of none other. 

 2d. We used to coax them near it wit h 

 honey, but of late years they "go for it" 

 very soon of their own accord. 3d. In 

 the spring and perhaps if very pure for 

 winter use also. Ith. For sprang feeding 

 we observe no rule and don't think it mat- 

 ters. If too thick they can fetch water, 

 and i! the reverse evaporate it. Stli 



Never. 



No. 56. — Where I live is rather a poor 

 place to keep bees after the middle of Ju- 

 ly, and about thirty miles north west front 

 here it is first-rate after that date on the 

 Monarda Punctata, which yields till frost 

 plenty of honey, and the best kind, even 

 better than basswood. There is nobody 

 up there who has used a machine that J 

 know of. Only box honey, of which 1 

 bought a box for a treat to my friends, al- 



