250 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[May, 



Gallup, in the March number of the Journal, page 

 215. R. M. Argo. 



Lowell, Garrard Co., Ky. 



NEW IDEA HIVE, WITH FRAMES. 



Bottom-Board. — This is best made of narrow 

 flooring boards, tongued and grooved, but may be 

 made of a single width of inch plank, four feet 

 four inches long, sixteen inches wide, nailed 

 on to two or three sills, fourteen inches long, one 

 and a half by three inches. A strip, one by three 

 inches, four feet long, is boxed on the ends of the 

 gills, under the edge of bottom-boards, and edge of 

 bottom-board nailed to them to prevent sagging. 

 Chamfer or slope otF front end of bottom-board, two 

 and a half inches back, for alighting board, and cut 

 entrance holes in bottom board, if preferred, instead 

 of in the case. 



Case. — A box with only sides and ends, without 

 top or bottom, four feet long inside, and width of 

 bottom-board outside. Set on bottom board. A 

 portico may be added by extending the sides half 

 their width, sloping off and covering. Make it deep 

 enough for the frames you decide on. Glass in the 

 ends, covered by shutters, is a great convenience. 



Frames. — I have experimented with many sizes, 

 and I would, under no circumstances, make them 

 deeper than ten inches, inside, nor wider than 

 thirteen. If deeper, add two inches to the width 

 for each additional inch in depth. If less, in same 

 proportion. See " Progressive Bee- Culture," page 9, 

 " More-Room," and what follows, for reason. 



Honey-boards. — Have four honey-boards, each to 

 cover one foot of top. The object in dividing the 

 honey-board is that they are more easily worked, 

 and you can open a part of the hive without dis- 

 turbing the balance. You can open the rear end 

 without stopping work in the front, and you can 

 drive all the bees away from the uncovered part, so 

 that there is no danger of crushing any in putting 

 on. 



Roof. — The easiest way is to make a frame of 

 inch plank, two inches wide, for side pieces ; the 

 end pieces arched up two or three inches. Cover 

 with plastering lath, touching each other, over 

 which, after wetting, stretch common roofing paper, 

 and nail close with saddler's tacks, six or eight 

 ounces. After the paper dries, give two good coats 

 of white lead paint, and it will out last wood, as it 

 neither shrinks, swells, cracks nor warps. I have 

 paper roofs, now four years old, that are as perfect 

 as when made. The best paper is made by C. J. 

 Fay, Camden, N. J., but a cheaper article can be 

 had of A. V. Dupont, Louisville. Common flour- 

 sack paper, if doubled, with a coat of white lead 

 between, and well painted, makes a good roof, and 

 can be put on with paste. 



Most of my hives have shingle roofs, with comb 

 in middle and eaves on sides, nailed on light frames. 



The best and most convenient roofs I have, have 

 the eaves at the ends, and are in two parts, hinged 

 in the middle, at the comb, so that one half can be 

 turned up on the other. A little cap covers the 

 joint. To carry out the New Idea perfectly, it is 

 important to have the entrance holes in the end, 

 and only at one end. See Progressive Bee-Culture, 

 page 19. D. L. Adair. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Our Question Department. 



Mr. Editor: — I was just going to ask why some 

 of our knowing ones did not answer the questions 

 in the February number. I wrote the heading, 

 then turned to the March number to be sure that 

 there were no answers, and beheld the editorial 

 "Too Kind," but am not sure the "tornado of com- 

 munications" will cover that ground. 



Answer No. 1. Bees usually commence breeding 

 rapidly in February, and not unfrequently winter 

 out with comparatively no dead bees left in the 

 cellar or room. 



No. 2. No ; but the thickest honey will settle in 

 proportion to its thickness, and not color or flavor. 



No. 3. Yes, when there is no honey to gather. 



No. 4. Yes, when queenless, or when the apar- 

 ian lacks the ability or time to equalize them. All 

 are not skilled like Hosmer. 



No. 5. Yes, those functions appear to be nearly, 

 if not entirely, under their control. 



No. 6. What would have become of us if we 

 had never been created? 



No. 7. Take one or two cards from each colony, 

 substituting empty comb, more or less, according 

 to your ability. 



No. 8. There are various causes which cannot 

 be explained in this article, but a good card of 

 brood will prevent it. 



No. 9. To put in genuine honeycomb, stick to 

 the flat surface of the top bar with wax and resin. 



No. 10. Still an open question. 



No. 11. Let him who knows tell us. 



No. 12. None except uniformity. Italian queens 

 may be bred from "grades," which our experts 

 will pronounce extra, until they see their stock ; 

 hence the novice has no more security against 

 imposition than farmers have in purchasing young 

 fruit trees from nurserymen or dealers, unless 

 queen-breeders are more scrupulous, which is a 

 question to be considered. 



0. 0. Wait. 



West Georgia, 17. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Wintering Bees. 



Mr. Editor : — I have kept bees many years, for 

 the purpose, mainly, of studying their habits. I 

 have found it a delightful recreation, with few dis- 

 appointments ; but this last winter is an exception. 

 I have lost a few stocks, and after a close examina- 

 tion of the hives, my experience may be of service 

 to others. My hives were all of the Langstroth 

 pattern, with regular combs well filled, that is, 

 sufficiently supplied with honey, and the queens 

 not over two years old. We have had an intensely 

 cold winter, from November to March, with per- 

 haps four or five days at intervals when the bees 

 could fly. The hives were in the open air, and 

 tilted at an angle of 30 degrees, (about), so that the 

 moisture might run out and the debris roll to the 

 front so as to be easily removed. Upon opening 

 the hives in which the bees died, I found plenty of 

 honey along the upper portion of the frames, and 

 also winter passages, but the bees had. evidently 



