GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Pig. 1. — Front view of Byer's nailing-device. 



and marked at each corner a, is simply 

 made of a piece of inch lumber the exact 

 size of the inside measurement of the frames 

 to be nailed, and is fastened to the other 

 boards that extend from the bottom upward. 

 Figure 2 shows the rear of the machine, 

 and I think it is made so clear that little 

 explanation is necessary. The strip from 

 tlie foot lever up to the two diagonal pieces 

 in the center is made of a heavy piece of 

 band iron. It is fastened at the bottom with 

 a small bolt, and the two pieces above are 

 sawed so that there is an inset to allow the 

 iron strap to enter them about two or three 

 inches. Small bolts fasten them to the iron. 

 At the toi3, each one of these diagonal 

 pieces is fastened to the pieces shown on 

 other side, marked xx, by wooden pins. 

 When the lever is pressed down these pieces 

 move down in the grooves as shown in the 

 left side of Fig. 2, and so firmly lock the 

 frames to be nailed that they can not move 

 while the nailing is going on. 



A REMOVABLE PORTICO FOR WINTER PROTEC- 

 TION. 



At different times I have mentioned the 

 name of J. F. Davison, Unionville, Out., as 

 a beekeeper Avho believed in a low tempera- 

 ture for cellars in Avhicli bees are being win- 

 tered. Whether right or wrong, it is quite 

 evident that for his cellar it is all right, as 



lie invariably winters liis bees in tirst-class 

 order. In addition to the bees wintered in 

 the cellar, he also winters about as many 

 outdoors, and the picture shown illustrates 

 the plan he uses to protect the entrances 

 from wind, snow, and also to keep the sun 

 from shining directly in the entrance on 

 days when cold winds are blowing but 

 when the sun is quite warm, enticing the 

 bees out only to perish as fast as they come 

 out. The bottom-boards of the packed hives 

 project about four inches, and the por- 

 ticos shown rest on the bottom-boards, and 

 project out at the bottom about two inches 

 further than the bottoms of tlie hives. This 

 allows the bees to carry out their dead; and 

 if by chance the beekeeper is away and a 

 warm day comes, allowing a good flight, the 

 bees can find their way back to the hive. 

 The portico always insures an air-si^ace 

 next to the entrance, no matter how much 

 snow may be piled over the hives; and it is 

 an effectual preventive of cold winds blow- 

 ing in at the entrance. The sides of the 

 portico rest on the bottom-board of the 

 liive; and on the top a piece of band iron 

 screwed fast to the hive is bent so as to 

 turn down over the portico and hold it in 

 l)lace. The hive marked witli a cross shows 

 the "button" turned down in place, while 

 the one at each side of this hive shows the 



Fig 2. — Rear view of Byer's nailing-device. 



