472 



GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



THE NEW SECTION-BOX ALIi IN ONE 

 PIECE. 



A NEW AND VALUABLE INVENTION. 



M FEW days ago, Mr. Gray brought me a 

 Jrh piece of thin wood that he had by acci- 

 s= * dent sawed nearly through, and, fold- 

 ing one piece at right angles across the saw 

 cut (as shown in the cut below), asked me 

 what I thought of his new folding joint for 

 section-boxes. I thought at once it would 

 make fun for the boys who have buzz saws, 

 and so it has proved. The engraving our 

 artist has given you will explain the matter 

 almost of itself. 



Get out of planed, 2 inch plank, blocks long 

 enough to make the four sides of your sec- 

 tions. With a wide cutter-head or suitable 

 tool, cut wide shallow grooves across the 

 plank near the ends, where you wish the en- 

 trances for the bees to come. If you want a 

 closed-top section, cut them across one end 

 of the plank only. If you wish the box to 

 go together with a dovetail joint, dovetail 

 each end of the plank; but, if more con- 

 venient, you can omit this and nail them 



with the wire nails. When your plank is 

 ready, pieces ripped off should be exactly 

 like the long strip I have shown in the cut, 

 partly folded up. After ripping off, you are to 

 cut most through where each corner come3, 

 with a thick saw, such as we use for dove- 

 tailing. Saw a thin cut for slipping in the 

 fdn.j if you choose ; but I believe the latest 

 and quickest way is to put in the fdn. with 

 rosin and wax, as given in our catalogue. 

 Almost no machinery is required where the 

 one corner is nailed, and we have a strong 

 section that can be put together quicker than 

 you can think. For making the crosscuts 

 rapidly, you want a long arbor with three 

 small thick saws on it, held at the right dis- 

 tances with suitable sleeves. Mr. Gray and 

 Mr. Washburn are now at work at an au- 

 tomatic machine that is to pick up the pieces, 

 saw the grooves, count them, and put them 

 in boxes, all of its " ownself ." Next month I 

 will try to give you a picture of it. The 

 sections made by it will be at the same prices 

 as the old style. If you wish, I will send you 

 one by mail as sample, for 5c. You will see 

 that the invention can be applied to a vast 

 number of other purposes. 



OKAY'S NEW SECTION BOX, MADE ALL OF ONE PIECE OF WOOD 



DEPOSITORY OF 



Or Letters from Those Wlio Have Made 

 Bee Culture a Failure. 



*f5p AM disgusted with bee-culture. After some ex 

 i|| pcnse and considerable labor I have made a 

 i~») complete failure. Send me one more copy of 

 Gleanings: it may be that I will get into the notion 

 to " tru, try aoain." G. S. Henderson. 



Soltillo, Miss., Oct, 27, 1879. 



Perhaps you would like to hear from this locality 

 in regard to bee keeping. I have met with nearly 

 all the principal bee keepers within 20 miles of me, 

 representing nearly 2000 colonies of bees, mostly 

 black or common bees, and the uuiversal cry is, we 

 have no surplus honey this season. Many of the 

 young s Warms have not gathered supplies sufficient 

 to carry them through tha winter. Last season my 

 bees averaged over 10} lb3. of honey each, largely 

 extracted; and I sold at 13 to 14c per lb. Last win- 

 teri the loss of b»es in this locality was great, U of 



all the bees through the country died, except those 

 of the most practical bee keepers, who lost from 1-5 

 to M of their colonies. I lost 12 out of 69. I go into 

 winter quarters with 90 colonies, all in fair condi- 

 tion. H. S. Halkm.vn. 

 Peru, 111., Oct. 25, 1879. 



Thanks, friend II. such reports remind us 

 that if we do get 100 fb. of honey per colony 

 one year, we must not base our calculations 

 on doing the same every year. It occurs to 

 me, you may not belong in this department, 

 but your letter comes the nearest of any I 

 come across. 



This has been a verv dry season. Two-thirds of 

 the bees here will die if not fed this winter. There 

 was no fruit tree bloom and therefore no brood rear- 

 ed until white clover and basswood, the bees having 

 become weak in the time. I have 50 colonies and 

 not a pound of surplus. W. C. Smith. 



Warsaw, Mo., Sept. 20, 1879. 



TRIALS OF A BEGINNER. 



It seems from Nov. Glbanings, that thU season 

 has been rather trying to bee men, especially In 

 this region, aud I hare my share. More than one- 



