THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



251 



Size of Entrance Holes to Hives. 



The bouey-bce has, ou each hind log, a 

 ■spoon-sliapecl cavity, stiuldcd arouud liy 

 slitl' liairs, in which it packs the pollen 

 juid propolis — the hairs holding the pel- 

 lets in place when clasped down on them. 

 The leaf-cutter bee gathers and carries 

 pollen also, but has no such baskets on 

 its legs. It has a mass of stitThairs on tiie 

 under side of its tail, among which it fas- 

 tens the load. Here we see the same end 

 accomplished by diti'erent means, and it 

 requires but little observation to see why. 

 The leaf-cutter bee has to pass through a 

 round tunnel or gallery but little larger 

 than its body. If it should attempt to do 

 so with the pollen mass on its thighs, as 

 the honey-bee carries it, it could not do it 

 without pulling oil" its load. Consequent- 

 ly it does not impede the passage. 



The honey-bee ordinarily in its wild 

 state inhabits hollow trees, the entrances 

 to which are either through long slits or 

 large holes, through which it has ample 

 room to pass, without brushing ofl' the 

 pellets that stick out from its sides. A 

 worker-bee can pass through a hole three- 

 sixteenths of an inch high, but in passing 

 through a round hole of that diameter the 

 pollen would be dislodged. A drone re- 

 quires a hole nearly one-quarter of an inch 

 in diameter to pass through, so that in 

 making entrance holes to hives it is evi- 

 dent they should be at least one-quarter of 

 an inch high to allow drones, as well 

 as queens and workers, to pass; but they 

 should not be any higher, if we expect 

 to exclude mice, humble bees, hornets 

 and others enemies of the bee larger than 

 they are. 



Now, if the bee carry its load behind 

 it as the leaf-cuttei' does, a round hole one- 

 fourth of an inch in diameter would be 

 large enough, but the load on each side 

 sticks out from its sides, so that more room 

 must be given laterally, even for the pas- 

 sage of a single bee at a time — hut, as 

 diu'ing active working, there is a constant 

 flow of passing bees, it must be much 

 wider. I find the width should be at least 

 three inches. 



But a single hole is not sufHcient, even 

 of that width, on account of their pecu- 

 liar manner of ventilation, by which they 

 are enabled to keep up a constant circu- 

 lation of fresh air tlirough the hive and 

 i-egulate the temperature. There should 

 be two such holes at least 4 or 5 inches 

 apart, but on the same side of the hive. 

 All other openings should be closed tight. 

 If thus arranged, the left hand hole will 

 be used for ventilation, and the other for 

 the passage of most of the bees. 



Query : Why do bees always use the 

 left hand hole for ventilation V L. F. 



F()r the American Bee Journal. 



A New Idea Hive. 



In the way of a novelty, we have a 

 swarm of bees in the top of the First 

 Presbyterian Church. Those familiar with 

 Cincinnati will remember it as being sur- 

 mounted Avilli a liand, the index linger of 

 pointing above, and in this metal hand is 

 the hive, 2^5 feet high, being one of the 

 highest steeples in the country. They 

 were discovered by accident a few weeks 

 ago. No one knows how long they have 

 been there. They may be new comers; it 

 may have been their liome for years. It 

 is so high that we have to use a glass in 

 order to see them. We shall watch for 

 them next spring with a good deal of curi- 

 osity. If bees can winter up there, and 

 in a metal hive, too, it will be a wonder. 

 I am giving my bees their fall examina- 

 tion now, preparatory to going into win- 

 ter cpiarters. I have no doubt a good 

 many bee-keepers throughout the country 

 tried the mats last winter. It would l)e 

 interesting to hear the experience of some 

 of them; it is a grand success with us. 

 R. L. CUIIEY. 



Cost of Fencing in the United States. 

 —Economy in Nebraska. 



The heaviest item of expense in farm- 

 ing — the heaviest, considering the profit 

 accruing, is probably that of fencing. In 

 many cases fences cost more than the 

 lands. The fences of the country are 

 valued $1,800,000,000 ; and year by year, 

 nearly $100,000,000 are expended to keep 

 the fencing efficient. In Illinois not less 

 than .$3,000,000 have been invested in 

 fencing ; and not less than $175,000 are 

 annually expended to keep these "metes 

 and bounds " in repair. If stringent fenc- 

 ing laws had not been adopted in the 

 State of Nebraska, the settlement of the 

 country would have been much retarded. 

 But a law adapted to the needs of the 

 country has been wisely adopted. This 

 law relieves the settler, at the time when 

 he needs all his money for other improve- 

 ments, for the necessity of investing a 

 large sum in the construction of lumber 

 fences. The law throws upon every 

 owner of live-stock, the onus of keeping 

 his stock from straying on the cultivated 

 lands of his neighbors. The farmer need 

 not build fences around his cultivated 

 fields, for horses, cattle and sheep are 

 "fenced out" by law. The stock when 

 pastured have to be herded ; but the cost 

 of herding is not a tithe of what fencing 

 would be. Fencing goes on, of course, in 

 Nebraska ; but it is live and not dead 

 fences which are constructed. All through 



