386 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



HAND-MADE HIVES, ETC. 



HOW Tf) MAKE A SAW-TABLE OUT OF AN OLD 

 SEWING-MACHINE. 



fOR the benefit of your ABC class 1 will give 

 my four-years' experience in making evei-y 

 thing I use iu my apiary. Some of these A 

 B C scholars, who doubtless, like myself, have 

 more time than money to spend with bees, 

 and can not afford the expense of a $35 or $.')0 order 

 (including a heavy freight bill) for a small apiary 

 of some 15 or 'Zu hives, perhaps may be trying to 

 manufactuie their own hives, frames, crates, etc., 

 with hand-tools. 



For an L. liive 1 make a plain box of right di- 

 mensions, wiiii a rabbet % inch cut on the upper 

 inside edge ot each end board. I also cut a ;!8-lnch 

 slot in the lower edge of one of the end boards for 

 an entrance, and nail on a tight bottom-board 

 (Which I much prefer). For upper stories I use 

 these same plain boxes without bottom. The end 

 boards can be cut in a miter-box, and have very 

 true and accurate work. 1 use inch pine boards 

 dressed on the heart side, and nail well. For cov- 

 ers 1 use a plain board cleated at each end, and 

 laid directly tm the hive. 



For section crates, I make a plain box (sides of 

 ^-inch stuff), with a strip of tin nailed on each 

 lower edge of the ends, to support the wide frames 

 one tier of sections high. 1 make all my frames for 

 brood and extracting purposes from common lath, 

 ripping them through the center. This gives a 

 nearly =!i-inch frame (I use the Heddou reversible 

 frame); and after nailing the end bars to the top 

 and bottom bars with the additional top bar, I find 

 they are very stout and easily manipulated. After 

 once reversing they need no wiring, as I tested b>- 

 having to move ray whole apiary a distance of 35 

 miles over a rough road the past winter, with only 

 two heavy combs of honey breaking. I will here 

 say, that I much value this reversing system for 

 perfect combs. For nailing frames, the Hoof wire 

 nails are indispensaiile. Until the present season 1 

 have cut and made all my bee-tlxtures with hand 

 tools, such as saw, plane, square, and hammer. 1 

 can say to your ambitious ABC youth, you can 

 make all you need, without machinerj% even if you 

 have but little knowledge of tools, for I am but a 

 youth, and never handled tools until I began mak- 

 ing hives and fixtures for my own use. 



A HOME-MADE SAW-MACHINE. 



I will speak of a home-made sawing-machine 

 which I rigged up the present season. This will al- 

 so answer friend Pouder's query on page 315. I 

 have an old cast-away Wheeler & Wilson sewing- 

 machine table, with treadle, given me by a neigh- 

 bor. To the shaft I adjusted a twenty-inch band- 

 wheel, taken from an old cider-mill. With a $3.50 

 Hoot mandrel, a 6-inch saw, and this machine, I cut 

 all my lath for frames, and make my honey-crates. 

 I am so well pleased with such accurate work I 

 would not part with it on reasonable terms. Tell 

 friend Pouder that, in place of the treadle former- 

 ly used, use a stout 4-ft. board with one eiid on the 

 floor, the other attached to the shaft by means of a 

 strap. 4— w. H. Laws, 35—37. 



Lavaca, Ark., May 2, 1887. 



Very good, friend L. The fact that yoii 

 have used ihese things siK^.cessfuUy is an un- 

 answerable argument, and we heartily com- 

 mend your energy and industry. 



OUR P. BENSON LETTER. 



THE SW.VRM APPEL TREE. 



f^ WUZ a maden fare 

 ^ With golden hair 

 •> W^hitch sot thare 

 In the place whare— they was a big stone. 

 She sot onto the stone. Madly the wild winds 

 tost her flowing lo.\, while the gentle zeft'ers softly 

 fand her peach-blow cheeks. She wuz a chankin 

 down a appel. 



Twus at the witchin our of nit & oil wuz cam. Oil 

 wuz still. (311 wuz screen. She took anuther bite 

 of the appel and a seed fell out. Softly and thot- 

 lessly iu the still darkness, mayhap unkonshus of 

 the grate fntnr before it, the little seed meandered 

 on its wa to the ground. That thair seed groad up 

 into a big ai>pel tree. 



THAT APPEL TREE. 



Years passed, time went on, & 1 da, it was Joon lo, 

 a swarm cum out. The swarm lit onto that identikle 

 appel tree. The swarm and the appel tree boath be- 

 longd to me, whitch 1 am P. Benson, A. B. S. 1 spose 

 you noad who I was without my tellin you, but it's 

 no harm to maik sure. Well that swarm was a big 1. 

 It wuz enormuss. I never see sitch a big swarm on 

 enny uther tree. That was a Toosday. T woont be 

 sure now, but I think it was a Toosday. I like to 

 tell a thing jist as it is. Well, a Monday next fol- 

 owing, a swarm cum out of the same hive and lit 

 onto the same tree. It was a big swarm. I never see 

 a tree have 2 sitch big swarms. Then a Wensday a 

 swarm cum out, also a Thursday. I never see a 

 tree befour git 4 sitch fine swarms onto it oil from 

 the same hive. A Friday & a Satterday cum 2 more 

 swarms, makin (6) six swarms whitch that thair 

 tree fetched out from the same hive. The equill of 

 that tree for gettin fine swarms and plenty of them 

 izzent to be found. It haiut enny equill. 



That fall in the otum of the year we gethered off 

 that tree sixteen— I disremember .list now if it was 

 barrels or bushels, but we woont quorl about that, 

 weal call it barrels,— sixteen barrels of as nice ap- 

 pels as you ever sot ize on. 



The benefit of sitch a tree is eesy to see. Suppose 

 a man or even a wooman or a invalid, stai-ts with 40 

 hives and gits one of these trees. Eech hive will 

 make 6 swarms and countin the old 1, that makes 7. 

 So if he starts with 40 he will hev 



in 1 yeer 380 



in 2 yeer 1.960 



inSyeer ....13.730 



in4yeer 96,040 



But mebbe the 4th yeer wood be extra good, sum 

 yeers is better then uthers, in whitch case instead 

 of '.1(5 thousand it mite be 100 thousand. Weal call it 

 a hundred thousand. Now let him sell these at $10 

 apeace & ittel make a cool million dollars. 



The price of seeds of this appel tree is 5 sents 

 eech; i{ for a dime. Cash must accumpenuy the or- 

 der, or a draught on Noo York. P. Benson. 



Apiculturistical B. S. 



