134 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



which is drawn on a scale of % inch to the 

 foot, A. A, are these rafters resting on posts 

 B. B, made almost o feet long. These latter 

 should be sharpened and driven into the floor 

 of our room about inches, this will leave 

 them 2 \4, feet high on the inside, and as they 

 are to be level with the general average of the 

 ground F, F, on the outside, our room is sup- 

 posed to set in the ground about 2 1 ., feet. C, 

 is a piece of 2x4 scantling strongly spiked 

 across A. A, just high enough up to allow the 

 proprietor to walk under, unless we can afford 

 to make a little extra provision for visitors, a 

 matter depending somewhat on our resources. 

 When this is done, get some cheap pine boards 

 (ours cost only §12.00 per M.) and nail on the 

 inside, at both top and sides. Use 10 penny 

 nails and nail strong. When this is done put 

 earth overhead and at the sides, G, G, G, at 

 least 18 inches thick. Then cover all with a 

 shingled or board roof something like D. D, 



D, D^ If short bits of boards are nailed from 

 the rafters A, to the rafters D, at frequent in- 

 tervals, the whole structure will have some- 

 thing the strength of an arched bridge. The 

 dimensions of the room inside on the floor 



E, E, are 10x13 feet; it will hold 100 ordinary 

 hives. In case the Bidwell process proves a 

 success, and it bids fair to prove so, you can 

 at any future time add on a similar structure 

 to either the east or west end, having the south 

 roof all glass. This is to be used as a voiding 

 room when colonies become diseased before 

 the weather is suitable to put them out. 



"We need hardly add that provision must be 

 made to keep such a room perfectly dry. If 

 the land lies in such a way as to render it 

 likely that water will soak under the walls, it 

 will be necessary to cut a deep ditch all around 

 it, and to provide a good underdrain. 



P. S. — "We would nail the boards on the in- 

 side to prevent bumping our heads against the 

 rafters. The whole expense of materials need 

 not exceed §10.00, and not more than §15.00 

 more, if the apartment with glass be added. 

 Double doors afford access, and the outside one 

 is to be made like an outside cellar door. 



In our Nov. No. ot last year we mentioned 

 having prepared nine colonies for winter on 

 their summer stands. These belonged to Dr. 

 J. H. Salisbury, Cleveland, O. As we remark- 

 ed then, we did nothing but to equalize the 

 stores of some, removing all honey and combs 

 ni upper stories, and covering the frames with 

 nothing but their accustomed quilts, ma- 

 king no provision at all for any more ventila- 

 tion than is aflbrded under the cover of the 

 Simplicity hives. These bees all wintered fine- 

 ly. No dead bees, no trace of dysentery, and 

 no particular weakening down in the spring, 

 yet they stood unprotected on the summit of a 

 hill, exposed to blasts from Lake Erie of such 

 force as to render it necessary to keep a couple 

 of bricks on the Simplicity cover to prevent 

 their in sing blown ofl*. Now why did these 

 bees winter well and come out with their 

 combs all so clear and bright ? Had we used 

 straw mats, or given some peculiar ventila- 

 tion, or had them in somebody's patent hive 

 embodying some great discovery or other, 

 what an excellent chance here would be for a 

 testimonial. We are very happy to say how- 

 ever, that there was nothing at all peculiar in 



their management. Nothing unusual was 

 found in the hives, unless it was that the hon- 

 ey was all nicely sealed up. So far as we can 

 recollect, and we noted all conditions care- 

 fully, the whole of the nine hives contained 

 almost no unsealed stores. The Doctor declares 

 he gave them no attention after w e pronounced 

 them all in order. 



"We have just been out to prepare the same 

 Apiary for winter again. They ext'd about 100 

 lbs. ot honey from the nine, in June or July, 

 aud made seven artificial colonies ; the whole 

 16 are in the same condition as we fouud them a 

 year ago, unless it be that they have more 

 honey. The hives are too full ; almost every 

 space being filled up solid. One hive only, we 

 thought might possibly need a comb from one 

 of the others, and in lifting a comb out, we 

 broke into one side of the cluster which was 

 in the form of a perfect sphere, and perhaps a 

 foot in diameter, — the day being rather cool — 

 now the bees that we unceremoniously pulled 

 out, at first seemed to be dead — for all the 

 world like a nest of ants, such as we some- 

 times find in splitting timber in Jan. — but soon 

 began to move feebly, and finally stirred around 

 until they revived enough to show they were 

 hybrids. These bees were dormant, or very 

 nearly so ; they were so densely packed and 

 knotted, that it seemed as though separating 

 the combs would tear them in two. The tem- 

 perature was then perhaps a little below 50°. 

 Is it not possible that if they could be kept at 

 just about that point until next April, they 

 would winter without food? The way in 

 which they were packed in the empty cells 

 from which brood had emerged renders it 

 seemingly impossible that they could move 

 about to get food, unless the cluster greatly 

 enlarged. "We feel sure that at least one of 

 the requisites for such successful wintering, 

 is being fed early, that their stores may be all 

 sealed. Perhaps another is that after they get 

 thus nested, they be not roused up in cool 

 weather, as friend Boliu has suggested. Is it 

 not likely that after being stirred up, they 

 commence eating and then perhaps get a de- 

 rangement of the — ahem, "bowels ?" 



The Doctor certainly has very little trouble 

 with his bees, yet they are increasing yearly at 

 a rate that begins to look serious to him, as he 

 only proposed to get enough honey for family 

 use from the three stocks he procured in 1872. 



Now here is a point: his time is too much 

 occupied to attend to so many himself. No 

 cme can be hired to extract the honey when it 

 should be done, as he has proved by actual 

 trial. The principal crop of honey seems to be 

 from the Autumn Flowers, perhaps principally 

 from the Golden rod, as we decided by the fla- 

 vor of several "chunks" gouged out of some of 

 the most tempting looking combs with our 

 pocket knife. The honey is very thick, of a 

 rich golden color, and of flavor — well, prepar- 

 ing an Apiary for out-door wintering as we do 

 it is not a very unpleasant task. As usual we 

 forgot our point which was this : that during 

 the cool autumn weather, bees will not store 

 honey in an upper story as they will in combs 

 at one side, for we And the lower story cram- 

 med full. Again if the Doctor had had Stand- 

 ard hives instead of Simplicities would he not 

 have had 20 combs filled with honey, or nearly 



