612 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1. 



where the difference of a part of }i inch 

 might make endless trouble to the apiarist. 

 It is now absolutely necessary that the lumber 

 intended for hives be dressed very accurately. 

 We who have been getting out our own hives, 

 and are depending on the general run of the 

 planing-mills for dressing our lumber, hardly 

 know now what to do. We shall have to halve 

 the corners of our hives in order to insure ex- 

 actness of the inside dimensions, or perhaps 

 give up making our hives altogether. The 

 endwise-staple-spaced frame does not work 

 well unless all hives in use are just right. Es- 

 pecially from end to end there must not be 

 the slightest variation . And then in the brood- 

 frames we shall have to have all infallible uni- 

 formity. In fact, there is scarcely any thing 

 about the hive of to-day where carelessne.'^s in 

 the making of it may be tolerated. 



In getting out frame stuff year after year 

 I find it is not an easy matter to have it just 

 tight every time ( I speak here of the thick- 

 ness only). However, if the frames are made 

 up over a properly constructed form they will 

 be all right. How to make and use such is 

 the object of this article. My illustration be- 

 low shows the form which I use for nailing 

 my half-depth end-staple-spaced frames with 

 ^-inch top-bars. 



The end bars E E are already placed in po- 

 sition, the eccentric tighteners T T pressing 

 them against the blocks B B, which are screw- 

 ed and glued to the board or back A. This 

 board or plank is gotten out as true as possi- 

 ble, all ihe wind taken out, and of proper 

 width, which is equal to the length of the end- 

 bar plus the thickness of the projecting part 

 of the top-bar. 



We are now ready to bring the top-bar to its 

 place, the little blocks S vS insuring the proper 

 projections beyond the end-bars. On account 

 of cheapness and effectiveness I prefer an all- 

 nailed frame to one tenoned ; and nailing 

 through a }i top-bar into a ^ end-bar a 1^ 

 wire nail (17 wire), particularly if cement- 

 coated, answers the purpose perfectly. Four 

 such nails .secure the top-bar to the end -bars. 

 We now turn the machine over so the top-bar 

 is down ; lay on the bottom-bar, and nail this 

 with four one-inch nails. The frame may now 

 be removed from the form after the tension of 

 the tighteners is released by moving handles 

 up or down as their position may require. 



The machine need not be brought back to 

 its original position to be ready for the next 

 frame, but it works either side up, as is evi- 

 dent from its construction. All the difference 

 is, in one case the handles of the tighteners 

 have to be moved up to hold the end bars se- 

 curely ; in the other case they have to be mov- 

 ed down. 



Without going to the trouble of looking 

 over old volumes of Gi,Eanings I will say 

 that, some IG or 18 years ago, I gave a de- 

 scription and illustration of a similar form for 

 nailing wide frames, a machine I still have in 

 use. It differs from this one in so far as it 

 has the tighteners outside of the frame instead 

 of inside. In other words, one solid block, 

 corresponding with the inside dimensions of 

 the wide frame, is securely fastened to the 

 back-board A, and the tighteners placed in 

 such a manner as to enable one to hold the 

 end-bars tight against this block while nailing 

 on top and bottom bars. A machine construct- 

 ed on this plan insures exact inside dimensions, 

 which is the essential part in the construction 

 of the wide frame and section holder. With 

 the endwise-staple-spaced frame the outside 

 dimension is the most essential part. 



I hope the above may be of some use to the 

 bee-keeping fraternity. 



Naples, N. Y. 



THE HANDLING OF BEES. 

 Plain'and Simple Directions for Beginners. 



BY R. F. HOr.TERMANN. 

 Formerly Editor of the Canadian Bee Journal. 



In passing through the country, and coming 

 in contact with bee-keepers, it will be found 

 that very many are lamentably ignorant of the 

 first operation of the bee-keeper. I refer to 

 the proper way of handling bees. Many bee- 

 keepers have their bees in a constant state of 

 irritation, and, be it man or beast that comes 

 in their vicinity, those bees are ready to attack. 

 I know bee-keepers who, in handling bees, 

 crush and injure them at every operation, and 

 the bees are constantly on the defensive. Then 

 the methods adopted are contrary to what they 

 should be. A lady not long ago said to me, 

 " What do you put on your hands when han- 

 dling bees? " 



" I put on wool mits, and the bees sting 

 them verv much." The same lady said, " I 

 don't believe in brushing bees, as it kills them 

 so much, and then they are all over the ground 

 in every direction." 



HOW TO PREVENT BEING STUNG. 



The first step in the direction of preventing 

 stinging is to get properly constructed hives. 

 Bee-spaces in the hive should be properly con- 

 structed. Too little will result in crushing 

 bees, as the parts of supers, frames, or sections 

 are put in place. Take, for instance, a case 

 where there is not sufficient room for a bee be- 

 tween the bottom-bar of the frame and the 

 bottom-board. When the frame is put in place 

 bees are crushed ; or if there is not sufficient 

 room between the super fixtures and the top- 

 bar of the lower story, or in any other part of 

 the hive. The foundation, then, of success is 

 a well-constructed hive. 



THE SMOKER. 



Next comes a good smoker. I like a smok- 

 er large enough and with force enough to carry 

 me through an emergency. Should the bees 

 be quiet, very little smoke will answer ; but 



