10 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



be cleaned on inside, which is quite an 

 advantage, especially when wanted for 

 exhibiting nice honey. For two-comb 

 boxes I use three narrow slots for en- 

 trances. 



These boxes can be used on most any 

 size of movable-comb hive, by removing 

 honey board and laying strips % inch 

 thick across the frames, for the boxes to 

 rest on, or upon common box hives, by 

 boring a number of holes through the top 

 and laying strips around outside edge of 

 space, for what boxes it will hold — divid- 

 ing at proper distance with a cross strip — 

 put on all the boxes it will hold, covering 

 with a tight outsipe cap, and you can get 

 them just as nicely filled as though they 

 were on hives of more pretentious style. 



A standard Langstroth hive holds, by 

 laying two strips across the frames, 18 of 

 these small boxes, which filled weigh 40 

 gross per story, and you have 30 boxes 

 weighing 80, and so on through the honey 

 season, accommodating the bees with 

 plenty of box-room, no matter how great 

 may be the rush of honey, provided you 

 always have plenty of empty boxes on 

 hand ; this is really one of the secrets in 

 obtaining large yields of box honey. 



Now to make steel for cutting mortices: 

 Have your blacksmith hammer from an 

 old file a piece as near to proper siiape as 

 possible, the chisel part being about an 

 inch long from shank, and full size of 

 mortice; file square and true, and with 

 a three-cornered file cut a notch in bot- 

 tom broadside with steel, which makes 



each narrow edge chisel pointed ; I | 



being careful to have cutting 

 points flush in width and breadth, 

 so as not to split wood when the 

 chisel is pushed through to clean 

 out the mortice. 

 , Have a thin board pattern, witli mor- 

 tices and nail holes in proper place, so 

 fastened as to admit of slipping under it 

 box-wood to be fitted, which rests upon a 

 hard wood bottom, in which are slots to 

 corresi)ond with those in upper piece. 

 By driving your chisel through the wood 

 from slots in pattern, and piercing with a 

 brad-awl holes for nails, you have the 

 wood ready for using. Get your pattern 

 right and all your wood will be prepared 

 alike, and there will not be any dilficulty 

 in putting up boxes provided your glasses 

 are cut to mark, which can be easily done 

 by laying them in a box for that purpose. 



There are some other details which I 

 probably had belter not occupy space 

 in describing here, as it is somewhat 

 diflicult to give a plain description with- 

 out cuts. 



If any of your readers would like to see 

 a box, 1 will forward them by mail a set 

 of woods and tins for amount to cover 

 postage and pay for packing. 



These boxes are covered by letters pa- 

 tent, dated Jan. 30, 1873, but I intend to be 



liberal in disposing of rights and territory, 

 making it more of an inducement for 

 parties wishing to engage in their manu- 

 facture at a small outlay, to secure them- 

 selves from cheap, ruinous competition. 



A sample box and instructions pertain- 

 ing to their manufacture are worth more 

 to any one wishing to make and use them, 

 than the small amount I charge for the 

 privilege of so doing. C. R. Isham. 



Peoria, Wyoming Co., N. Y. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 McFatridge's Apiary. 



While stopping with Mr. P. W. McFat- 

 ridge, near Carthage, Rush co., Ind., I be- 

 came very much interested in his im- 

 proved method of taking care of bees. 

 His care of bees, the construction of hia 

 new bee house, his improved Langstroth 

 hives; and, in fact, everything connected 

 with his apiary is so simple and so con- 

 veniently arranged that I thought a few 

 lines might be written for the improve- 

 ment of others who are less experienced. 

 First, then, preparing his bees for winter, 

 — Five portable platform cars are loaded 

 with bees — 20 hives on each — in the com- 

 mencement of cold nights, and are run 

 into the house or out again in ten min- 

 utes, thus giving the bees the advantage of 

 a few hours of warm sun even in the win- 

 ter season. For description of bee house, 

 cars, &c., see No. 5, Vol. 11. page 111 of 

 this journal. I have examined many 

 hives, but I believe the Langstroth hive, 

 with Mr. McF.'s improvements on it, is 

 far superior to all others in use. In fact 

 everything connected with his manage- 

 ment of bees is reduced to a perfect sys- 

 tem. In Sept., 1873, Mr. McFatridge pur- 

 chased of the Rev. L. L. Langstroth his 

 entire apiary, consisting of 5-4 colonies, 

 all Italian bees. Adding these to his own, 

 consisting of 08 colonies, gave him one of 

 the finest apiaries in the State. Mr. Mc- 

 Fatridge has been more or less engaged 

 in keeping bees for forty years, but not 

 until 1867 did he make it his exclusive 

 business. Like all other apiarists, his 

 success has been varied as the following 

 will show: 



In 1867 he had 22 colonies, 600 fts. 

 honey, av. 27. 



In 1868, 28 colonies, 1,827 lbs., av. 



1869, 30 



1870, 80 

 1871,80 



1872, 14 



1873, 44 



1874, 60 



1875, 80 



65 lbs. 

 70 " 



2,100 

 3,000 

 4,744 

 Failure 

 4,183 

 8,620 

 2,400 

 Average for eight years, 66 1-8 lbs. 

 Total loss of colonies for same time, 310. 

 Purchased in same time 104 colonies at 

 a cost of $584.00. 



Total surplus honey in same time, 

 29,763 lbs., sold at $5,907.00. 



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