ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE. 315 



and continues to bloom till the frost comes. 

 The Italian bee is said to prefer it to white 

 clover. 



BEE HIVES, the Best. — Mr. M. 

 Quinby, the noted bee culturist, prefers 

 the movable-comb bee-hive on account 

 of its special fitness for removing the 

 honey, feeding the bees, and for artificial 

 swarming. Bees generally store much 

 more honey than their necessities require. 

 With this hive each sheet of comb may 

 be taken out when it is filled, and the 

 bees will restore it ; or the comb may be 

 emptied of its honey by means of a ma- 

 chine for that purpose, and the empty 

 combs replaced. In this case the bees 

 will need only to fill the old comb-cells. 

 This makes a great saving of labor for 

 the bees, as they will collect thirty 

 pounds of honey in the time it would 

 take to make one pound of comb. It is 

 estimated that a swarm of bees, when 

 supplied with the comb, as may be done 

 with the movable comb-hive, will store 

 more than two hundred pounds of honey 

 in a favorable season. 



How to Make. — The shape of a box- 

 hive should be long from front to rear, 

 fifteen inches deep, twelve inches wide, 

 and the same in height. Inch boards un- 

 planed are the best, and the boards should 

 be well seasoned and carefully put to- 

 gether. The hive should set in a groove 

 in the bottom board and not be fastened 

 to it. Place two or three half-inch sticks, 

 crossing each way in the middle of the 

 hive, aids to support the combs. One- 

 quarter inch from the top of the hive, fas- 

 ten slats four to six inches in width of 

 one-half inch stuff", leaving cracks from 

 one-fourth to one-third inch in width be- 

 tween them. Over the top of the hive 

 place a cover projecting on every side, 

 and fasten the same to the hives by means 

 of small hooks, which not only gives you 

 a movable top and bottom board, but 

 also a honey board. This is as near a 

 movable c omb hive as we can mention. 



BEE HIVES, Position of.— So far as 

 our experience goes, it is better that the 

 hive should be near the ground. All of 

 our hives are on the ground, or separated 

 from it only by a board. The comb does 

 not mold. The weary and heavy laden 

 bee returning late at evening not seldom 

 misses the entrance, and falls to the 

 ground. Though chilled, they can still 



crawl into the hive, whereas, if it were 

 high they would never reach it. Weeds 

 must not be allowed in front, nor high 

 grass. Neither is it very important in 

 what direction the hive faces. If it 

 fronts the south in the summer the heat 

 of the entrance is too great, and in win- 

 ter the bees are invited forth by the sun 

 in unsuitable times. If the west, the 

 high winds of summer and winter dash 

 them to the ground, and the setting sun 

 invites them forth when they should re- 

 main at home. If the north, they get to 

 work too late of a morning, and quit too 

 soon at night, besides other objections. 

 If the east, some think they get to work 

 too soon, and many are lost, chilled by 

 the morning dews. I think the east or 

 southeast less objectionable than any 

 other. It is the early bird that catches the 

 worm. Many plants, such as buckwheat, 

 and our yellow prairie flowers, are rich in 

 honey in the morning only ; whereas after 

 ten o'clock, unless the day is cloudy or 

 moist, the fount of honey is dry. Neither 

 would this aspect tempt them forth too 

 late in the evening. Many bees foraging; 

 after sundown are lost and never return. 

 My Italians have been found watering 

 three miles from home as a regular thing. 

 A neighbor found them at that distance, 

 and lined them home, supposing he had 

 found a wild Italian hive ; and yet there 

 was plently of water at all times within a 

 stone's throw of their home. 



BEE HIVES, Common. — The common 

 box hive is the one most generally used. 

 It is usually made of one and a half inch 

 pine boards, though other materials are 

 used, according to the taste of the maker 

 or the cost of the material. The size of 

 the hive varies much, but generally con- 

 tains two hundred cubic inches, with 

 cross-bars placed in the center to aid in 

 supporting the combs. In general, they 

 are simple boxes. This form is varied at 

 times, however, by placing on the top of 

 the hive drawers or boxes for surplus 

 honey. In these hives the bees are left 

 to take care of themselves, as very little 

 can be done to aid them. The old-fash- 

 ioned basket or straw hive is seldom used, 

 and it will soon be wholly discarded, save 

 by a few bee-keepers, who may retain it 

 rather as a curiosity than for any practi- 

 cal use. 



In the Southern States the favorite form. 



