110 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Feb. 



I have lately come to the conclusion, that, if I 

 were sure 1 would not change any hives before 

 they were worn out, it would be economy to paint 

 them. Brown mineral paint has lasted well. 



C. C. Miller. 



Yes, it is much more economical. If the lumber 

 of an unpainted hive doesn't rot in two or three 

 years, it will draw open at the corners, and will be 

 pretty weather-checked, and the shrinkage is very 

 often a drawback. Pure white lead and raw linseed 

 oil for first coat, and a very little turpentine added 

 for the second coat. P. L. Viallon. 



1. Yes; 1.5 cts. every five years will keep my hives 

 (two stories) well jiainted, and I think they will last 

 nearly twice as long-, to say nothing of looks; and a 

 pure white is cooler for bees in extremely hot 

 weather. 3. There may be something better than 

 lead and oil, but 1 have not experimented with oth- 

 er paints. K.Wilkin. 



I believe it is much more economical to keep 

 hives well painted, but I am not sure, for I have 

 had no experience with unpainted ones. I have 

 hives that are now almost as good as new, that have 

 been in use thirteen years, having been painted 

 twice, with one coat of paint each time. I have 

 found white lead the most durable. 



Dr. a. B. Mason. 



The hives I prefer are made wholly of unplaned 

 lath, which can not readily be painted. I cover 

 them with a binding of cheap muslin, which lasts 

 about as long as a coat of paint, and costs less. For 

 planed hives I know of nothing better than good 

 white le.id and oil. I suspect, however, that ten 

 dollars a year will maintain more hives if spent for 

 lumber alone than if spent for paint and lumber. 



E. E. Hasty. 



Unless you are in a locality where pine lumber is 

 plentiful and exceedingly cheap, or you are con- 

 tinually changing the pattern of your hives, 1 am 

 (juite sure it pays to paint, as a matter of economy 

 in preserving the hives. Another point: That of 

 drawing the sun's rays and thus overheating the 

 hives in summer. I would paint any light color if I 

 expected to keep the hive long enough to turn dark 

 by exposure. The cheap mineral paints are most 

 duralile, but darker than I like to have my hives. 



James Hkddon. 



Isn't it wonderful, to see how tlie ideas of 

 great men rnn in parallel cliaunelsy Almost 

 every one agrees that it is probably better 

 economy to paint hives than to let them go 

 unpainted, all things considered. At the 

 same time, our good friend Hasty lets out 

 the fact that he is still using hives made of 

 unplaned lath. I noticed carefully to see if 

 there "was not somebody who would tell us 

 that bees would lointer better in hives made 

 of unplaned or unpainted lumber ; and when 

 I read about friend Hasty 's unpainted lath 

 hive 1 expected to hear him say, in closing, 

 that bees wintered all right every time in 

 these hives, when they suffered badly in 

 hives planed and painted, and made with 

 tight joints. Isn't there just one left among 

 us to defend the old straw hive on this 

 scoreV or has the straw hive been laid away, 

 safely and securely, for all time to comeV 

 Most of us have had experience in regard to 

 the advantage of hives painted white, rather 

 than other colors, especially where they are 

 to stand out all summer in the open sun. 



Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let- 

 ter for this department, containikq some valuable fact, not 



GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OK OTHER MATTERS, will receive 

 one of David Cook's excellent flve-cent Sunday-school books. 

 Many of these boots contain the same matter that you find in 

 Sunday-school hooks costing from 81.00 to SI. 50. If you have 

 had one or more hooks, give us the names that we may not 

 send the same twice. We have now in stock six different 

 books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off, Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill- 

 er; or. The Roby Familj;, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's 

 Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Rooni. We have also Our 

 Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above 

 books, you may have a photograjjh of our old house apiary, 

 and a photograph of oui' own apiary, both taken a great raanj' 

 years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes, 

 and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret- 

 ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable 

 for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the 

 above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some 

 valuable piece of information. 



CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT. 



THE BOYS' BEE-HIVE FACTORY. 



SAM GETS IHTO TROUBLE AVITH BAD BOYS. 



fHE next day, as the two boys were 

 coming home from school they were 

 talking of the mischief done to their 

 work-shop, as recorded a month ago. 

 ''Let's commence to slick up and 

 put things to rights right now," said Sam. 



"I can't," replied Jimmie; "three loads 

 of wood came to our house to-day, and ma 

 says I've got to carry it into the wood-shed 

 and pile it up." 



" Well," said the other, " I suppose I shall 

 have to straighten things up alone. I don't 

 care; it was awful mean, after we had 

 things in such nice shape, for some mean 

 scamp to come and undo it all.'' 



" We'll pay him back, anyhow," said Jim- 

 mie, with a knowing look. 



" I hope so,'' replied his companion. Sam 

 knew that his mother would not sanction 

 this intention, but he did not propose to tell 

 her what they two had agreed to do. 



When he reached home he proceeded to 

 the barn-loft. To clean up and arrange 

 things in their proper order alter his ene- 

 mies was not a pleasant task. Sam contin- 

 ued to toil on, but not with any very great 

 degree of patience. The moi'e his mind 

 dw^elt on it. the more disturbed he became. 



" Yes," thought he. " 1 will get even with 

 them yet." 



While he was thus engaged he thought he 

 heard laughing. He listened, but heard 

 nothing unusual. Again he thought he 

 heard laughing, followed by a thud and a 

 splash, as if mud were being again thrown 

 against the side of the barn. He kept si- 

 lence for a few minutes, to reassure himself. 

 There could be no mistake. The ones who 

 had caused him this trouble were at their 

 old trick again. Cautiously he tiptoed to a 

 crack in the side of the bam. He had been 

 working for a matter of an hour or so, and it 

 was now somewhat dark. 



