"TH® AMBRICKrC nSB JOURNair. 



361 



auger-hole for ventilation. This is 

 protected by a wire-doth fmiiiel jiro- 

 jecting outward, which allows the bees 

 to leave one at a time, but not to en- 

 ter. This is an important proviso 

 when bees are hastily shut in, or when 

 surplus honey is removed. The 3-inch 

 space between the walls is tilled with 

 cliatt' or sawdust, which is allowed to 

 remain during the winter and summer. 

 When damp, it can be readily replaced. 



Having so many loose parts, the hive 

 can be moved without heavy lifting, 

 and, when ])roperl}- packed, is sutR- 

 cient protection from Eastern winters. 

 The hive-stands rest on two lengths of 

 joist to keep them oil' the ground, and 

 are set perfectly level. Hives once 

 located are not afterward moved un- 

 less carried awaj- from the yard. 



The brood-cluimber is covered by a 

 board, when the .sections for honey are 

 not in place, and contains 12 hanging 

 frames, 12 inches long by 9i inches 

 deep. 



The surplus arrangement consists of 

 cases, at one end of which are a "fol- 

 lower" and a wood screw, by which 

 the sections are tightly clamped to- 

 gether. Each section is supplied with 

 a full sheet of foundation, and between 

 each row are placed thin wood separa- 

 tors to insure perfect combs. 



Mr. Manum was probablj- the first 

 to make white-poplar dovetailed sec- 

 tions, which are now so much used. 

 Previous to this thej- were of pine, and 

 made to nail. These sections, put to- 

 gether with glue, are not only the 

 strongest, but the neatest sections in 

 use. Two of the Bristol clamps cover 

 the brood-chamber, and can be tiered 

 up as high as desired. Mr. Manum 

 has lately discarded all but one-pound 

 sections. 



When filled with finished combs, the 

 cases are disconnected from the brood- 

 chamber, and before they are removed 

 to the honey-house, the bees find their 

 way out at the Ijee-escape in the gable. 

 A cord and a sim])le device allows the 

 hive-cover to be tipped back instead 

 of having to lift them off bodily when 

 opened. 



Carins- tor Jieveral Apiaries. 



The hives are 5 feet from each other, 

 in rows 12 feet apart. To prevent up- 

 setting by heavj- storms in winter, a 

 large cord is thrown across the roof 

 and fastened to a stake driven in the 

 ground on each side. During the win- 

 ter eveiything needed in the summer 

 campaign is prepared ready to be 

 quickly supplied to the different yards 

 by the teams which are then constantly 

 on the road. In the spring, at certain 

 intervals, Mr. Manum and his assis- 

 tants spend a day in each apiary, giv- 

 ing the aid to colonies which is so im- 

 portant. These rounds are made more 



and more often until the swarming 

 season is about to commence, when 

 one competent person is placed in 

 charge, and is in constant attendance 

 for 6 or 8 weeks, or until the honey 

 sea.son is over. 



Board is usually obtained at the 

 farm-house near wliich the yard is 

 located, and the help are continually 

 employed in hiving swarms, putting on 

 or taking off sections, and in attending 

 to other necessary details. As exi^eri- 

 enced men are not always to be had, 

 many knowing nothing of the business 

 must be taught, and as thej- usually 

 commence for themselves as soon as 

 really competent, this instruction must 

 be given again and again. After a 

 few weeks' instruction, some are able 

 to do niceh' the remainder of the sea- 

 son with occasional looking after. 

 Women are also emplo3"ed, and one 

 who did not know a queen from a 

 drone when she commenced, took 

 charge of ll(i colonies the second 

 season. 



Keeping- a Kecord ot Colonies. 



At each apiary there is a building 

 containing a honey-room, where 

 "clamps" of hone}- are temporarily 

 stored, and a work-room where fixtures 

 not in use are also housed. In each 

 j-ard one hive stands on scales, of- 

 which a close watch is kept after the 

 clover and basswood blossoms open. 



On the front of every hive in plain 

 black figures is the colony's number, 

 while inside is a record of the colony, 

 its origin, age of queen, date of each 

 examination that season, and their 

 condition when examined. This is 

 written in abbreviated characters on a 

 piece of section or smooth board, and 

 laid on the packing. The apiarist also 

 keeps in a book a list of the colonies 

 casting swai'ms, and of those requiring 

 special attention at a certain time. 



Hiving: tlie Swarms. 



The wings of all queens are clipped 

 to prevent their going off with the 

 swarms. When the latter attempt to 

 leave, they are caught by an arrange- 

 ment consisting of a wire-cloth cage 

 fastened to a pole. It is made to stand 

 anywhei'e by two legs, which fold up 

 when not in use. A suflScient number 

 of these are always at hand. When a 

 swarm issues, the queen is caught on 

 the ground near the hive and placed 

 in the cage of tlie catcher, which is 

 stood or held in the midst of or near 

 the flying swarm, and the bees soon 

 settle" upon it. They are then left, and 

 attention is given to the othei-s, which 

 usually issue at about the same time. 



If the swarm has gone some dis- 

 tance, or clustered in the top of a tall 

 tree, it will soon return, as it is with- 

 out a queen. So the catcher contain- 



ing tlieir i|ueen is |)laced in front of 

 the hive from wliich tliey came, and as 

 they reUu-n tlicy find her and cluster 

 upon it. To make this more certain, 

 the entrance of tlie old hive is covered 

 with a cloth. Tliis plan differs from 

 that of most bee-keepers, and enables 

 Mr. Manum to quickly handle many 

 swarms. 



In hiving, when time is more plenty, 

 about a third of each swarm is shaken 

 back in front of tlie old hive, and the 

 balance of two or tliree swarms, with 

 one queen, is hived in a new hive. As 

 this makes a powerful working colony 

 in the new hive, abundant room in sec- 

 tions is immediately given. 



Markelinsr the Honey. 



A close watcli is kept of the apiary, 

 and more storage room is added as 

 fast as used to advantage, and the 

 tilled clamps are removed as .soon as 

 they are completely sealeil. A large 

 crop can be cut off from communica- 

 tion with the brood-chamber in a short 

 time, and when free from bees is car- 

 ried to tlie honey-room, and afterward 

 carted to the central honey-house. It 

 is then scraped clean of propolis by 

 women and girls, and, after being 

 graded, is stored in the honey-room to 

 ripen. 



In the fall, wood sides of white pop- 

 lar, instead of glass, are fastened to 

 each section, and they are shipped to 

 market in white-poplar crates, holding 

 two one-pound sections. Sections full 

 of nice white comb, those full of darker 

 combs and those light in weight, are 

 each crated separately, and the crates 

 are marked " Green Mountain," "Comb 

 Honey," and " Light Weight," accord- 

 ing to contents. A few of the ver}- 

 best and most perfect are selected 

 from the first quality, and go as the 

 " Snow Flake " brand. 



Feeding: the Itees tor Winter. 



As most of the crop is secured as 

 surplus, and but little is gathered after 

 its removal, that remaining below is 

 no more than the bees need during the 

 season. Therefore, to keep them alive 

 until spring, each colony must in early 

 fall have its ration of sugar syrup. 

 This season 28 barrels of the best 

 granulated sugar were required to in- 

 sure sufficient winter food. 



For feeders, ma|)le-syrup cans with 

 small holes punched in their bottoms 

 are used. Three short legs of tin raise 

 them enough to give the bees room to 

 get at the holes. These cans are filled 

 with syrnp, and put over holes in the 

 cover of the hive, and are renewed 

 until the proper amount of food is con- 

 sumed. 



After the honey season, instead of a 

 constant attendant at the out-yards, 

 frequent visits are made, as in the 



