1874. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



tion, thev have raised a Queen this spring. My trarnes 

 are lll»xl0 inches, this will be my standard size 

 hereafter as it gives me power over my bees that a 

 longer cannot give, it also gives me the New Idea 

 principle, which is old to me, let Adair say what he 

 pleases. I will use it with the entrance at the side ot 

 the hive the whole length; which, wiUi what we give 

 above, makes the best ventilator in the world. Bees 

 live longer in mv hive, than in any I ever used before. 

 Delhi, Mich. April 10, 1874. J- L. Davis. 



OUR STANDARD HIVE, 



we make as follows : 



E B 



The diagram above, is drawn on a scale of 

 % inch to the foot, and the lines are supposed 

 to represent a section of the % dressed, boards. 



A, is the cover 16%x30; B, bottom-board 

 15%x28)£. The one inch less in width, is^to 

 allow the side boards to lap over and cover 

 the joint in the same manner as does the back 

 end board as seen at D, for the lower edges of 

 both back ends and sides, are rabbeted out 

 "%x%. Before nailing in the bottom-board the 

 front end is to be beveled as seen in diagram, 

 and then it is to be nailed very securely to 

 door-step E, which is 16%x6, and beveled on 

 its front edge, also. The front board C, is like 

 D, except that it lacks the rabbeted edge, be- 

 ing therefore 7 3 less in width, that is, 15%x- 

 14)^ in width ; this allows the triangular 

 blocks, when placed on the door-step, to be 

 pushed back under the edge of C, until they 

 strike back against the sharp edge of bottom- 

 board B. E, is to stand directly on the ground, 

 or at least on a thickness of saw-dust sufficient 

 to keep down weeds, and to keep the rest of 

 the hive up to the same level, we nail strips 

 lx%, clear around under the bottom-board, 

 and just flush with its edges. We hardly need 

 repeat what we have said, about rabbeting 

 clear around the under side of the cover, and 

 nailing in the square frame, made of the strips 

 G, G, and similar ones sawed off the sides of 

 the hive; as this has been given in previous 

 number. The manner in which the cover shuts 

 on a bevel to exclude rain, is seen between 

 G, C, and G, D. We prefer the entrance below 

 the top surface of the bottom-board, because it 

 thus excludes driving storms and wind. When 

 the blocks are in place, 'tis true some rubbish 

 such as dead bees etc., may accumulate behind 

 them ; but if they are occasionally removed as 

 they should be, this will do no harm. Several 

 inquiries have been received like the following : 



In making Long Hives to hold 20 or more frames, if 

 the bottoms are nailed fast will they not need an 

 opening in the bottom covered with wire cloth for 

 ventilation ? or rather how much ventilation will 

 such hives need in hot weather, whether nailed fast 

 to bottom or not, and standing in the sun? 



Manalapan, N. Y. Mar. 30, 1874. Chas. II. Rue. 



If the combs are kept under careful super- 

 vision as we have advised, we think no more 

 ventilation will be needed than is given at the 

 capacious entrance, when the blocks are taken 

 away entirely. We should never think of al- 

 lowing a strong stock to remain entirely un- 

 shaded We think examination will show 

 that i 1 . enl latins: holes covered with win 



cloth are invariably waxed up by the bees 

 very soon, and are therefore useless. 



Any opening not covered with wire cloth is 

 used as an entrance, and when closed, makes 

 them trouble and confusion. It is our opinion, 

 that too much ventilation, has produced more 

 mischief on the average, than too little. We 

 would advise those who are in doubt, to try 

 both extremes and see what the effect is on 

 brood-rearing. Keep the hives shaded in the 

 hottest weather, by all means, but until about 

 the time your grape vines leave out, we think 

 it almost impossible to give them too much of 

 the sun's heat; and also almost impossible to 

 jjive them too little ventilation. 



H©p <> irt« Hn®© m x n n gia^« 



MY bees are all right so far, I have not lost a sin- 

 gle colony from 86 which I am wintering, all 

 — on Buck-wheat honey. I sold 1100 lbs. of hon- 

 ey last year at an average ol about 20 cts. per pound, 

 and increased from 49 swarms in box hives to 86 in 

 "Simplicity." Castalia. O. April 1st. N. E. Prentice. 



Mv bees are wintered all in good condition, except 

 the "one which bad dvsenterv, it being Queenless, and 

 another that is a drone layer. They have all wintered 

 on sugar-syrup not sealed, and fed all through the 

 winter ; perhaps no man has ever disturbed his bees 

 so much; they cleansed, the 15 of March, I shall feed 

 on sugar forever. Weqidock, Wis. J. Buffelek. 



Our 40 stocks are now reduced to 34. Fortunately 

 we have lost but one choice Italian as yet, and even 

 then (April 9,) we found the Queen alive on one of the 

 combs, and surrounded by ahandlul of her bees. We 

 removed the comb, bees, and Queen, and carefully 

 Inserted the same in the center of a stock of black 

 bees that had been Queenless two or three days. Per- 

 haps this was an act of audacity, but to-day her new 

 subjects resumed work on middlings, and an exami- 

 nation inside the hive revealed Her Royal Majesty at 

 her legitimate business— O. K. 



Koshkonong, Wis. April 14, 1874. D. P. LANE. 



DEAR NOVICE:— Can report the successful win- 

 tering of 197 colonies bees. I removed the caps on 

 upper story leaving top of hive open; with L. hive 

 set aside caps, and left open two cr three holes in 

 honey-board, closing all downward ventilation. Win- 

 tered in cave and cellar, and found all in good condition 

 upon setting them out quite recently. A neighbor put 

 away 66 swarms within few rods of me in same way, 

 only leaving downward ventilation, also, all wintered 

 well and seem to be in good condition now. 



Onawa, Iowa. April 8, 1S74. Aug. Chkistie. 



All of my 90 colonies of Bees came through the win- 

 ter safe, and some of them stronger than common at 

 at this season. I had drones living on the 19th of this 

 month, three weeks earlier than I ever saw them 

 before. Cornersville, Tenn. March, 1874. Eli Coble. 



Bees have wintered finely on natural stores, lo6t 

 none— no dysentery— winter very mild. They gath- 

 ered pollen in Feb. from alder. 



Mitchelsville, Tenn. H. Peden. 



Bees in the best condition. All alive— no dysentery, 

 and working on the fruit trees as only tie Industrious 

 bee can work. Dr. W. P. Moore. 



Richland Station, Tenn. April 6, 1674. 



Took out my bees Tuesday. Lost two; the balance, 

 46, consumed five and one-third lbs. honey on the av- 

 erage, per colony, for four months. J. (' i: all. 



I did not get my bees out of the cellar until the 10th. 

 My 34 stands and 5 of my neighbor's (put into my cel- 

 lar) came out all right. Six of my four frame Nuclei 

 were all right— two had run out of honey and starved. 



Grandvlew, Iowa. Apr. 16, 1874. W. J. Ronald. 



Editor Gleanings : We have taken away the ma- 

 nure, so that the sun may shine directly on the hives, 

 (as you have so often recommended) and our twenty 

 fivo colonies have nearly all been bringing in pollen 

 the past two days. Some of the strongest, (!) have 

 actually got brood in three combs- April 21st. Novice. 



