1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



457 



by means of a wedge-slui|)Pd block, as shown in 

 the cut. To remove this biocl< it is necessary to 

 spread the hive apart a few inches, say a hand- 

 breadth; and after this is done, the two hives 

 can be made into one in a very short space of 

 time. It can in this manner very easily be 

 made a separate colony, or. on the other hand, 

 be united with some neighboring colony. The 

 length of these hives in proportion to their 

 breadth is such that two, side by side, lying at 

 right angles to two other hives lying side by 

 side, and on top of them, will constitute a pair 

 of double hives, or a two-story hive, as it might 

 be called. Thus the bees of such a hive can 

 have entrances at four points of the compass at 



the same time. Dr. Dzierzon is fond of piling 

 up these tiers three and even four high, cover- 

 ing them with a little roof, thus extemporizing 

 a small garden pavilion consisting of eight 

 hives, in pairs, lying crosswise of each other, so 

 that, at eacli side, each two colonies may have 

 an exit. The hives are of wood; the packing of 

 the front walls is of straw. 



Each hive can be opened at either side. They 

 measure, outside, 16 inches high ; and their 

 breadth, as already stated, is such that, when 



placed side by side, they will assume a square 

 form, the upper layer corresponding to the low- 

 er. The height of a four-story hive (and which, 

 consequently, would consist of eight hives) would 

 be, allowing 10 inches to each story, f34 inches; 

 but under all this is a platform about one foot 

 high, to allow of the easier manipulation of the 

 lowest hives. 



Dr. Dzierzon has called this combination a 

 "twin" hive because it is always used in cou- 

 ples, back to back, so that the two colonies may 

 in winter keep each other warm. Whether the 

 hive is made of wood, or wood and straw, it 

 makes no difference as to the Internal arrange- 

 ment. 



The Dzierzon top-bars are used. These rest 

 in a groove, or rabbet (Fig. 4), 13 inches from 

 the bottom; and above that there is an empty 

 space for a cover-board. 



If one wishes to separate the brood-chamber 

 from the honey-apartment, a division-board, as 

 it might be called, is inserted. 



At first Dr. Dzierzon used a simple bar of 

 wood (Fig. 1), one inch wide and }4 inch thick, 

 as a top-bar. These bars were cut as long as 

 the hive was wide. To these were fastened 

 strips of comb, which were then placed in the 

 hive for the bees to draw out. The distance of 

 the frames from each other was determined by 

 the eye. Later these bars were improved by cut- 

 ting in them scores M inch deep, shown at a, b, c, 

 and these indicat<'d the right distance for spac- 

 ing the frames. This purpose was also accom- 

 plished by using wire nails, driven into tlie inch 

 top-bars, one at one end and another at the op- 

 posite end and on the other side, as seen at 3. 

 This was Dathe's invention. 



To give the comb a good firm hold, the bees 

 would always build it fast to the side walls of 

 the hive. To obviate this trouble. Baron 15er- 

 lepsch devised the little frame shown in Fig 6. 

 The upper part of this frame consists of the bar 

 already dt^scrlbed. seen at h. The side pieces 

 and bottom-bar may be dovetailed or nailed. 



The height of this hive may be modified at 

 will; but Dr. Dzierzon recommends 16 inches, of 

 which oneincli is for the upper and lower walls; 

 12 inches are devoted to the brood-chamber, 

 which is filled with frames, and the remaining 

 space of 3 inches serves as room for manipula- 

 tion in taking off the covers. 



Medina, May 1, 1894. 



YELLOW JASMINE. 

 GEI.SEMIUM SKMPEKVIRENS. 



By Dr. J. P. H. Brown. 



The yellow jasmine is a creeping, twining 

 vine that grows in the southern portions of the 

 United States from North Carolina to Mexico. 

 It grows more luxuriantly on light sandy up- 

 lands than in alluvial bottoms. It blooms in 

 February and March, depending upon locality— 



