.TVLV. li)-JO 



G I. E A N I N G S 



BEE CULTURE 



OTHEADS OF GRAIN T ^^ FIELDS 



This method is quite common in California, 

 and permits stringing the wires tighter than 

 does the other way. I have tried almost 

 all methods of wiring, including the single- 

 diamond and double-diamond perpendicular 

 wiring and several of the methods you have 

 illustrated, but find the splints are much 

 more satisfactory and permit the use of the 

 electrical imbedder which any method of 

 crossing wires interferes with. 



Eedlands, Calif. E. E. Fairchild. 



Fastening Two- F rank R. Buchanan, 



Story Hives for Glendale, Calif., has 



Moving. developed a very sim- 



ple and unique scheme 

 for fastening hive-bodies together for mov- 

 ing. It consists of a piece of galvanized 

 strap iron of approximately one inch in 

 width. ;> inches long, and 1/16 thick. The 



l•'il^ll•lle^ iii:i;k' of iinlvanizcil sciup iron about 1/lG 

 inch thick. 



corners are rounded, and in one end a hole 

 is bored large enough to admit a round- 

 headed No. 8 114-inch screw. The other end 

 has four holes bored large enough for a 

 stout one-inch wire nail. Two of these 

 pieces are held by the screw about li/> 

 inches from the top of the lower hive on 

 each side at the ends of the hive. When 

 one liive-body is put on top of another the 



Twii fasteners :ire used on puch side as here shown. 

 Easily put on and easily removed. 



piece of strap iron is revolved at an angle 

 and nailed and fastened to the upper hive- 

 body i»y one nail driven clear home. If the 

 roads are not too bad, two such pieces of 



strap iron on the diagonally opposite sides 

 would hold the hive-bodies together. But 

 Mr. Buchanan thinks it safer to have four. 

 When I asked him why he had four holes 

 in one end instead of one he said that some- 

 times the grain of the wood would not per- 

 mit of a nail being driven in at any point. 

 By driving four holes he has a choice of 

 four positions. 



When I first saw this scheme of fastening 

 I did not think very much of it, because I 

 thought the double - pointed crate - staples 

 would be cheaper, as quick to apply, and 

 just as good. In reply to this, Mr. Buchan- 

 an argued that the staples are mean things 

 to pull out when once driven in; and when 

 one is in a hurry he is liable to leave those 



Showing different position.s of the fasteners to indi- 

 cate as many different conditions of the hive. 



hooks sticking out that catch the flesh or 

 clothing, with painful results. When the 

 stajjles are entirely removed they are liable 

 to be dropped on the ground to be stepped 

 on, piercing thru the shoes into the feet. 

 With his fastener the work is done more 

 quickly and surely. Then he showed how 

 much easier it is to loosen the nailed end of 

 the strap iron and draw the nail with a com- 

 mon hammer. 



I found that many beekeepers in the vi- 

 cinity of Los Angeles had adopted the de- 

 vice. When I asked Mr. Buchanan if he 

 was going to patent it he said, "Fudge! no. 

 If it is of any value, let the people use it." 

 These fasteners can be made at a machine 

 shop or a blacksmith shop ('(piijyjied with a 

 small drill press. They will last a lifetime, 

 and are always ready. 



Mr. Buchanan has discovered another use 

 for these fasteners. They can be revolved 

 at various angles, each angle representing 

 some one condition of the hive. By using 

 two of them on each side all sorts of com- 

 binations can be made. With a glance down 



