NOVEMBER 1, 1914 



857 



oratorios in (lio city with the apiary eig:lit 

 miles away. Then the wintering work was 

 carried on at the University of Pennsyl- 

 vania, Philadelphia, because of a lack of 

 facilities in Washington. Furthermore, the 

 laboratories in Washington were not all in 

 tlie same building, but were separated about 

 a mile. All of tliis caused a considerable 

 loss of time and useless expenditure of 

 money; and the placing of all of this work 

 in one place has increased the efficiency of 

 the work incalculably. The wintering work 

 will be carried on in the basement, and also 

 on colonies out of doors. The insti-uments 



adapted to and devised for this work have 

 been removed from Philadelphia, and are 

 now in place in the new laboratory. 



Having at last obtained creditable quar- 

 ters suited to our needs it will be an ex- 

 ceptional pleasure to have our beekeeping 

 friends come to see us. I have made the 

 directions sufficiently explicit so that we 

 can be reached. We can also be reached by 

 telephone on the Washington exchange 

 (Cleveland 998). 



[A front view of the laboratory will ap- 

 pear on our cover for Nov. 15. — Ed.] 



BAMK SHADE = BO AMDS TME BEST IN THE 



BY JIAJOR SIIALLARD 



I am sending two photos — one of oui- 

 Australian stringy-bark shade-board on the 

 hive, and the other of " yours truly " just 

 lifting one otf a hive. You will note that 

 I still use quilts. I think Dr. C. C. Miller 

 does also, so I feel that I am in good com- 

 pany. It is not wise to i^rophesy before the 

 event; but I think the bee world will go 

 back to quilts. 



With regard to this stringy bark, it is 

 strijDped off the tree, the sheet Avorked about 

 over a fire, sap side down, and then put 

 flat on the ground, with weights on until it 

 dries as flat as a board. It makes splendid 

 dAvellings of a rough sort for the bush; but 

 ils i^rincipal merit is that it is a non-con- 

 ductor of heat ; and on the hottest day a 

 bark " humpy," if it has a dirt or concrete 

 floor, is as cool as the proverbial cucumber. 

 For this reason it is invaluable for shade- 

 boards for hives. 



Australian stringy-Lark shade-board; cheap, 

 and almost perfect non-conductor of heat. 



Major .Sluillard lilting one of the bark sliade-boards. 



I am enclosing a third photo showing the 

 tree growing. The two stumps in the fore- 

 ground are stringy bark, and the tree in 

 the center is of the same variety. 



South Woodburn, N. S. W., Australia. 



