54 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



exactly one inch high. To make sure of getting the 

 height correct, place a block the proper thickness 

 under the front board. If construction has been 

 carefully done the cleats on the front board will rest 

 snugly on the runner cleats on the side boards. Fast- 

 en with finishing nails. "When the back is slipped 

 into place it will be found that the projecting ends 

 of the foundation frame will prevent its going home, 

 so pieces to correspond with these ends must be cut 

 out of the back board. These will be about 1% x 

 1%. 



The lower end of the back board is held in place 

 by iron dowels that project from the surface of the 

 bottom-board and about 4 inches from each end. Drill 

 fastening-block. The dowels are easily made by cut- 

 ting off from a couple of four-inch wire nails pieces 

 IV2. inches long, measui-ing from the point. The 

 position of each is 1/2 inch from the edge of the 

 bottom-board and about 4 inches from each end. Drill 

 holes for them, then insert the blunt end and drive 

 home, leaving % inch projecting. Replace the back 

 board and force it down upon the points of the nails 

 so as to mark the position of the holes. Drill these. 



The cover may now be made. The telescope sides, 

 if the cover is a tight fit, will draw all parts of the 

 bureau tightly together ; hence it is better to make 

 the roof first, the exact size being the outside dimen- 

 sions of the bureau — that is, 17%x23% inches. 

 The side pieces of the cover are made of % x 2^/2- 

 inch wood, and are best made with a miter joint. 

 To insure easy fitting it is advisable to chamfer the 

 inside lower edge. 



To make the roof perfectly water-tight it should 

 be covered with a zinc or galvanized iron roof, or 

 with canvas to which are applied three coats of paint. 



The entrance block is % x 3 x 17. On one side 

 is a cut-out % X 5 ; on the other, % x 8. We thus 

 have a choice of three different sizes of entrances. 

 In addition, by the use of blocks of wood we can 

 contract as much as we please. 



To hold the blocks in position, put lugs on the 

 sides of the hive, the size being % x 2 x 6. Cut out 

 a space % x 3 to permit the entrance block to fit in. 



By slipping the hive bodies into place, one can 

 test the accuracy of the construction. There ought 

 to be a %-inch space between each hive-body. The 

 front and back cleats should be flush with the top 

 of the hive opposite. The lower hive should be even 

 with the lower edge of the front board. 



When fitting is perfect, remove all pieces and fast- 

 en all cleats and runners in place with 1 %-inch 

 screws, not forgetting the projecting screws on the 

 front board cleats. 



The permanent fastening of the sides and front 

 board is best done with brass screws, as they are not 

 liable to rust. 



The above design is suitable for extract- 

 ed ; but by changing the position of the 

 upper runners and cleats it can be made 

 available for section honey. 



The quilt should be I5V2 s 1934. Plenty 

 of room is given above the uppermost hive 

 for piling on lots of old sacking to retain 

 the warmth. On very hot days upward ven- 

 tilation is secured by turning back the rear 

 end of the quilt and prying up the cover a 

 little. 



To presei've the woodwork of the founda- 

 tion frame it is advisable to set the bureau 

 on cross-pieces of lumber. 



The three hives T had made early in June 

 are now in the care of three beekeepers in 

 my territory. British Columbia readers may 

 be interested to know where they ai'e locat- 



ed. One is at the experiment farm at Agas- 

 siz ; one is under the care of Wilfred Smith, 

 of Dewdney ; the tliird is in the apiary of 

 John Reagh, Ladner. The latter is a bee- 

 keeper of twenty years' experience who 

 successfully manages a back-yard apiary of 

 about 40 colonies in a very tricky locality. 

 Wilfred Smith is a young man of twenty- 

 one who last year took over the home apiary 

 of thirty colonies that had been moderately 

 neglected, and beat his dad out of his boots, 

 much to dad's delight. The superintendent 

 of the experiment farm is keenly interested 

 in bees, but, unfortunately, is overwhelmed 

 with the care of many things, and so has too 

 often to attend to the bees at odd moments. 

 But somehow I feel that the very variety in 

 the conditions will be all the better for the 

 test. All have one condition in common — 

 cool nights and plenty of rainfall. 



On July 28 Wilfred Smith reported, "For 

 the coast district it looks as if the hive is 

 perfection itself. It does not seem to be 

 affected by rapid changes of temperature 

 such as cold nights after a warm day. The 

 bees never hang out in front, no matter how 

 hot the weather. (This, by the way, is my 

 own experience, so far as I have had oppor- 

 tunity to notice.) Brood-rearing never 

 ceases, and is reared right up to the outside 

 walls of the hive body. In a single-walled 

 ten-frame hive, you know, the two outside 

 frames generally contain no brood. In an 

 eight the inner surface of the second frame 

 is used for brood." 



The real test will be the wintering and 

 springing. The results I should be able to 

 report bv July. 



Victoria, B.' C. 



REPORT OF THE MICHIGAN BEE-KEEPERS' 



CONVENTION HELD AT DETROIT, DEC. 



10, 11, 1913 



BY G. A. OFFINEER 



The convention was opened by a very 

 ]:)leasing address by President Jenner E. 

 Morse, of Saginaw, in which he welcomed 

 the beekeepers at the convention, and 

 brought forward in a very prominent way 

 the advantages of the friendly spirit which 

 should exist between beekeepers. 



He was followed by an address, " The 

 Production and Sale of Comb Honey," by 

 Mr. Leonard Griggs, of Flint, Mich., who 

 spoke at length on the production of honey, 

 both comb and extracted. He advocated the 

 use of the double-Avalled hive for the winter- 

 ing of bees, and also for the pi'oduction of 

 honey, both comb and extracted. He ships 

 all of his honey by freight, packing the 

 comb honey in the regular way and the 



