1999 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



777 



TODD'S TWO-STORY DIVISIBLE HIVE WITH TELESCOPE COVER. 



The bottom-board has a I'^-inch rim; the winter side of entrance block'is turned down. In very cold weath- 

 er the entrance may be further contracted by means of the block lying at the left of the alighting-board. 



Another writer in the same issue of Glean- 

 ings, Mr. F. P. Clare, gives this formula: 



Boiling water, 10 quarts, or 20 lb3. ; granu- 

 lated sugar, .30 quarts, or 51.5 lbs.; extracted 

 honey, 10 quarts, or 28 lbs. 



To me this looks like a total quantity of 36 

 quarts with a probable density of 1.39, being 

 about 7 per cent thicker than is recommend- 

 ed by Mr. Doolittle, and even a trifle denser 

 than the official quotation for honey in the 

 United States Pharmacopeia. Let it be noted 

 I can only estimate the bulks as the result of 

 my experience in compounding the formula 

 given in a succeeding paragraph. 



Not having any honey of my own produc- 

 tion on hand, and being afraid to use that 

 from other sources, I practically followed 

 Mr. Townsend. 



There is considerable convenience in 

 measuring out large quantities of sugar rath- 

 er than weighing it, and so I use one of the 

 ordinary tin quart household measures that 

 are so common in American homes. I have 

 the use of a rather large galvanized-iron pail 

 whose full capacity is 20 quarts; but it is 

 wisdom to handle only KJ in it. Assuming 

 that a quart of sugar weighs 1^4 lbs., the 

 formula for a thick feeding syrup works out 

 as follows: Boiling water, 8 ([uarts, or 16 

 lbs ; granulated sugar, 14 quarts, or 24.5 lbs., 

 making 16 quarts of syrup weighing AO'/z 

 lbs., with a density of 1.26. 



When evaporated by the bees, each pound 

 of this syrup will weigh 14 '2 ounces, less the 

 amount used up in energy by storing and 



evaporating, probably amounting to the odd 

 half-ounce; consequently for every quart of 

 this thick feed given the bees, there will be 

 in the hive 2>4 lbs. of stores. 

 covers. 



Following out the idea hinted at in the ar- 

 ticle on covers, I have, this past summer, 

 used only the telescope variety, and like it 

 first rate — so much so that I have discarded 

 the shallow one altogether. The galvanized- 

 iron roof is excellent for this climate of wet 

 and dry seasons; but I find it a necessity to 

 have a wooden roof below it, so now I make 

 what is really an all-wood telescope cover, 

 and then put on the iron roof. 



I also find I must increase the depth of the 

 sides from 7;^^ to at least 8 inches, so as to 

 have a clear space of at least I's inches 

 above the upper division, to give ample 

 room for quilt and super-cover, also to take 

 care of the honey-board when such is used. 

 For quite a while I was bothered as to 

 whether the "lug" of the end strip should 

 overlap or be tucked under the side piece; 

 but the first heavy rain quickly settled the 



f)roblem in favor of the latter, as the former 

 eaked freely. 



I am sending a photograph to show how 

 one of my hives looks when complete. They 

 are all ready for winter. Notice that the 

 rear has been raised about an inch so that 

 the rainfall will run off the alighting-board. 

 In the dry summer months they are perfect- 

 ly level in both directions. 

 \'ictoria, B. C, Canada. 



