Vol. XIV. 



SEPT. 1, 1 880. 



No. 17. 



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NOTES FROM THE BANNEK APIARY. 



NO. 81. 



DISTANCE APART FOR COMBS. 



EO. A. WRIGHT, in the A. B. J., says: " I no- 

 tice some are having trouble in trying- to get 

 the bees to build worker comb. AVith me 

 this season it has worked like a charm. I 

 hive my swarms on from tlve to seven frames; 

 the frames are spaced 1'4 inches from center to cen- 

 ter. If they are put further apart than this they 

 are sure to build drone-comb." 



Perhaps one reason why I have succeeded so well 

 is because my frames have never been further 

 apart than l-;"!; inches. Putting: them thus close will 

 not alwajjs prevent the building of drone-comb, 

 as I have had one-fifth of the comb built drone comb 

 when tlie nueeri was three or more years old. I do 

 not doubt that putting the frames close together 

 frif/s in securing worker-comb. 



SHAVINGS FOR S.MOKER FUEL. 



You mention, Mr. Editor, trying planer shavings 

 a la Heddon, in the Clark smoker, and that it was not 

 a success. I wish you would give them a trial in 

 the Bingham— the Doctor. I have both the "Con- 

 queror "and the " Doctor " siaes, and the Doctor 

 works the better. This, filled with shavings, pack- 

 ed down, will smoulder away foi' hours when not in 

 use— like fire in a liank of sawdust— while a few 

 puffs will bring forth a perfect deluge of smoke. 

 Mr. Heddon tells us how to light the shavings with 

 rotten wood or punk, /light it as follows: Put a 

 small handful of shavings into tho smoker, not all 

 over the bottom, as then the flro is blown away from 

 the ebavings, and they take Arc very j^^IuwJy ; but put 



them to one side, in such a manner that the bottom 

 is about half covered with shavings. Light a match 

 and carefully set it on end upon the bottom of tha 

 smoker, leaning it against tho shavings. As the 

 shavings take live, work tho bellows wry slowly and 

 steadily. As tho fire increases, slowly incline the 

 smoker in such a manner that the pile of shavings 

 will gradually " fall over upon the fire," so to speak, 

 and cover the bottom of tho smoker. When this 

 handful of shavings is nearly burned into cinders, 

 add another handful of shavings; get these well to 

 burning, then fill up the smoker, and it is ready for 

 business. Tho trouble in lighting is in adding too 

 many shavings at first, thus smothering the Are be- 

 fore there are sufHcient shavings afire to hold the 

 fire. When well started, the fire in the "Doctor" 

 has /icner gone out until it burned out, and brother 

 and I have taken solid comfort this season with 

 our "Doctors," and planer shavings for fuel. 



By the way, I believe I never told of a visit that I 

 once made to Mr. Bingham. It was during the 

 State Fair two years ago, that Mr. B. whisked me 

 home with him to stay over night. After being 

 shown through his smoker-factory, and witnessing 

 the care, thought, and attention bestowed upon 

 valves, springs, bellows, fastenings, and other ap- 

 parcntln trivial matters, and then considering the 

 <jrand " direct-draft " principle, I no longer wonder 

 whjj the Bingham smokers are so far superior to all 

 others. 



QUEEN-EXCIiUDINa HONEY-BOARDS. 



Tell Dr. Tinker that I did see his honey-board at 

 the Michigan State Fair, but did ?iof notice how it 

 was made. The first time I thought of putting 

 strips of 7,inc in grooves cut in the edges of slats 

 was when Mr. He<Jdon wrote roe last wluter, saying 



