948 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



slanting roads. Tlie side ear is very light 

 (weighs about 75 lbs.), and its width is 

 not quite that of the track in the road, 

 which, however, makes little difference on 

 an ordinary road. 



My apiaries are scattered, and all away 



from home, so I save a great deal of time 

 by using a motor cycle, and also a lot of 

 expense by using it instead of an automo- 

 bile. Of course, if I have heavy hauling to 

 do I hire a team ; but this is not very often. 

 Erie Beach, Ont. 



HOW TO OBVIATE ALL TWIST WHEN PUTTING HIVES TOGETHER 



BY C. E. FOWLER 



I bought a deep sujier for a sample; and 

 after nailing it together I found it twisted 

 1-16 of an inch. Now, if I put it on top 

 of another super that is twisted as badly in 

 the opposite way, and three corners touch, 

 there will be an Vg-inch opening at the 

 fourth corner. The twisted hive seems to 

 me the great bugbear in home-made hives. 



Of course you can use your eye; but I 

 wanted something more accurate, and some- 

 thing that could be used by unskilled per- 

 sons; so I studied the matter over, and 

 found that if three straight boards form a 

 triangle, every part of this triangle is in 

 the same plane. I made my triangle three 

 feet on a side, of 1/2 x 3-inch pieces. If you 

 place this triangle on top of a hive, one 

 side of the triangle on one side of the hive, 

 the other two sides of the triangle will 

 touch the two opposite corners of the hive. 

 If all your edges of tlie triangle and hive 

 are straight, and the triangle touches all 

 four corners at once, your hive is absolutely 

 true. You can use the same triangle on 

 your bottom-boards, covers, frames, or any 

 thing that has four sides to it. 



If you are making many hives it would 

 be better to have your triangle heavier (but 

 of the same size — three feet), and resting 

 on the bench, and to put your hives on top. 

 You can use both sides of the triangle, and 

 it makes no difference if the sides of the 

 triangle are wider at one ena than the other, 



provided the edges are straight and meet at 

 the corner. No matter how light it is you 

 cannot strain the joints as would be possible 

 if there were four sides. 



If every hive is square and made the 

 .same size, half the battle is won. 



If you make your own hives you can 

 make them 1-16 or i/g inch deeper than you 

 need; and then, after they are thoroughly 

 nailed, make the top true; then gauge each 

 side and true up the bottom. Paint it be- 

 fore it gets wet. 



Hammonton, N. J. 



NET-WEIGHT REGULATIONS UNJUST TO BEEMEN 



BY E. C. BIRD 



The net-weight regulations, demanding 

 that the net weight of each section of comb 

 honey be stamped upon the top of each 

 .section, is manifestly unfair, onerous, and 

 impossible to comply with. The basic prin- 

 cijDle is the same as though the farmer were 

 required to stamp each ear of corn with the 

 net weight, or the poultry-raiser to stamp 

 the net weiglit of each egg placed on the 

 market for interstate shipment; or that 

 bananas be required to show net weight. 



When a dealer has an order for eggs or 



bananas he does not select for a dozen 

 twelve of the smallest and least desirable 

 ones, but witli the nine or ten large and 

 most acceptable ones adds a few of the 

 smaller, so that on the whole he gives a 

 jiroportionate share of the large and small. 

 Now the section of honey, like the ear of 

 corn and the eggs, is the product of nature 

 over the thickness and extent of which the 

 yjroducer has no control. The bees may 

 finish it in any conceivable variation of 

 weight from 10 to 18 ounces. 



