1873.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



215 



the entrance two inches wide and running to six 

 or seven inches in width at front end, also increas- 

 ing the depth of cut to one-half or three-quarters 

 of an inch, making a V or triangular shaped 

 entrance. The advantages are, that by simply 

 sliding the hive back it may be effectually closed, 

 or it may be contracted or enlarged at pleasure. 

 To give a populous stock sufficient entrance and 

 air in very hot weather, we raise the front end of 

 hive and insert blocks three-eighths of an inch in 

 thickness. 



W. J. Davis. 

 Youngsville, Pa., Oct. 14, 1872. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



G-allup's Explanations to Wurster, 



Mr. C. Wurster, on page 137, December number, 

 seems to wish for an explanation. In my own 

 hive, the combs run lengthwise of the entrance, as I 

 failed entirely a few years ago with combs running 

 across the entrance. But Mr. Adair's "New Idea" 

 runs across the entrance, and he claims that a new 

 swarm placed in said hive will commence the brood 

 nest near the entrance. Here he is correct, but 

 after the brood nest is once established, we must 

 move it to the rear, or into the centre, and then a 

 strong stock will build both ways, or both front and 

 rear of the brood nest. I am inclined to think that 

 they are more apt to build towards the front than 

 towards the rear. But if we have the hive four 

 feet long, and after placing the brood nest in the 

 centre, the bees are inclined to build too much to 

 the front, we can reverse the hive, and bring the 

 other end to the front, as I make both my own 

 hive and the "New Idea" with entrances just alike 

 in both ends. Now, Mr. Wurster, you will see that 

 by keeping the brood nest in the centre of the 

 "New Idea" hive, the bees will not starve in win- 

 ter, as they have plenty of honey both front and 

 rear of the cluster of bees. 



I think in that form of hive they would not move 

 to the rear in winter, but move towards the front, 

 if at all. If what Mr. Adair claims for this form of 

 hive is correct, we certainly ought to be willing to 

 give it a fair and impartial trial. Mr. Adair and 

 myself have arrived at the same conclusions in 

 many respects, and both at about the same time. I 

 am inclined to think that the same results can be 

 obtained to a certain extent in both the "New 

 Idea" form and the square or twin form of hive, 

 but the twin form is the most expensive hive, and 

 will require more manipulation than the "New 

 Idea" form, even when both are of the same ca- 

 pacity of 32 combs each. But as I have said before, 

 it will require a better season than the past for a 

 satisfactory test, and it is of importance that it 

 should be tested by impartial persons in different 

 localities. Four feet is not one particle too long for 

 my locality, and if I was going to start with new 

 combs and new hives, I should make the hive so as 

 to hold the same sized combs as Mr. Adair's, and 

 still retain the same length of hive. My combs 

 that I now use, are the same depth as his, but two 

 inches narrower. With Mr. Adair's sections or 

 comb frames, with a half-inch thick side bar to the 

 frame, the queen does not usually deposit eggs to 



within one inch of the wood on each side. There- 

 fore I get as much width of brood to within an inch 

 as he does in a comb two inches wider. The side 

 bars to my combs are only about one-eighth of an 

 inch thick, consequently the queen will deposit 

 eggs in the very outside cells. We have used zinc 

 side bars, but thought them too cold. But perhaps 

 it was only a notion of ours after all. Now, please 

 take notice, that we never like to have our hives 

 filled up with great big bungling sticks, improperly 

 nailed together for our bees to brood. You will 

 readily see that it is impossible to nail down 

 through the top bar into our side bar, as they are 

 so thin, consequently, they always have to be 

 nailed right, and then are never pulling to pieces. 

 So we don't want Novice's tin corners, and could 

 not be bothered with them at any price. Mr. 

 Editor, isn't "Novice" trying to get his fingers into 

 our pockets a trifle, with his tin corners, tin tea- 

 kettles, bed quilts, pillow cases, honey knives, and 

 twenty-five cent magazines ? E. Gallup. 



Orchard, Iowa. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



On Extracted Honey and the Proper Manner to 

 Put it Up for Sale. 



The use of movable comb hives and honey extrac- 

 tors, and the consequent increased supply of honey, 

 has brought into existence new industries, such as 

 the manufacture of glass honey-jars, corks, labels, 

 tinfoil caps, etc., for putting the honey in salable 

 shape, or packing it for transportation. Every- 

 thing in the line of articles above mentioned, I can 

 furnish from this city at rates as favorable as they 

 can be bought at any other point. 



The best shaped honey jars, in my estimation, 

 both for sale and for packing with the least waste 

 space, are square jars, containing one or two pounds 

 of honey. I shall have on hand for next season a 

 large lot of these jars, with the imprint, " One or 

 two lbs. Pure Honey," respectively on each jar. 

 with suitable place for label. I also furnish corks 

 and tinfoil caps, and labels with blanks left to insert 

 producer's name and address. Or, if ordered in 

 quantities not less than 1,000, I can, at a slight 

 advance, have the address printed. 



After the jar is corked, press tinfoil cap over the 

 cork and neck of the bottle with your hand first, 

 and then finish with a leather strap about five- 

 eighths of an inch wide and four feet long, one end 

 of it fastened to the wall. The strap should be 

 wrapped once around the neck of the bottle, and 

 while one end is held tight by one hand the bottle 

 should be passed forward and backward until the 

 tinfoil is properly smoothed down. For my own 

 use I have made a "horse," so I can sit down to 

 the work of capping my jars, keeping the strap 

 tight with one foot, and using both hands on the 

 jar. 



For shipping, jars should be packed tight with 

 sawdust, and one dozen in a box specially made for 

 the purpose. A bee keeper should sell by the gross 

 his one or two pound jars of honey to merchants 

 in the country or city, or have it sold on commis- 

 sion until his brand is known. With his label on 



