246 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



May 



the glass circle that closed the hive like the 

 one we saw clown by the fence, and oh I but 

 the bees were working on the apple-bloom, 

 and carrying in loads of honey and pollen. 



MB. 3IERK\BANK!s TAIL-IIIVi. APIARY. 



"Why, Mr. M,," said John's mother,"there 

 are more bees going out and in from these 

 pail hives than from your large chaff hives ; 

 why is this? Can it be they are stronger in 

 this small compassV" 



" They are not as strong, ma'am, but you 

 see their hive is in a circu^lar form, and fewer 

 bees are needed to keep up the required tem- 

 perature to keep the brood from chilling, 

 and the hives are really tighter, so far as 

 cracks and crevices are concerned, this time 

 of the year, than even the chaff hives." 



Just here John's father roused up a little 

 and interposed, " Why, neighbor j\I., if the 

 bees should all die, as mine have done, the 

 pails would be just as good as ever, with 

 this kind," pointing to the one where the 

 bees came out of the mouth of the pail; 

 " and if combs were melted up, one would 

 have nothing left on his hands but those 

 hoops with the rings on them, and the pail 

 covers, which certainly can not cost very 

 much." 



"The hoops to hold the combs can be 

 made for about 3 cents eacli ; and as only 

 five are needed for a hive, the whole cost, 

 including the cloth-lined glass, will not ex- 

 ceed 25 cents, and such a hive is all we shall 

 ever need to raise queens and bees for the 

 market." 



" Mr. M., Mr. M.," said John, as he shook 

 him by the arm," just show them how easy it 

 is to open the hives." 



" All right," said our friend, and he sat 

 doAvn in front of one of the hives, on a low 

 seat made on jiurpose, and after blowing a 

 very small puff of smoke into the entrance, 

 he drew out the cover, then twisted or rolled 

 the glass a little, to sever all wax fastenings, 

 and then gently drew it out and laid it down. 

 You will observe, that the minute this door 

 was drawn back tJie least bit it was perfectly 

 loose, because of the flare of the pail. The 

 first comb presented a view of many cells 

 filled with various colored pollens, and new 

 honey. I'ou will observe, from the cut, 

 that friend M. has dispensed with the 

 arms to the frames, and nses, in their stead, 

 three wire rings, soldered to the metal hoops 

 which hold the combs. 



THE PAIL BEE -HIVE, WITH THE COMBS 

 REMOVED. 



These rings are placed at such distances 

 on the hoops that the two lower ones sup- 

 port the weight of the honey, while the up- 

 per one guards the top of the comb from 

 striking the pail and mashing bees, and the 

 three rings at the same time prevent any 

 comb from being pressed so elose to the one 

 back of it, as to injure the bees. Eriend M. 

 took hold of these rings, turned the combs 

 slightly, and it lifted out without even the 

 slightest jar. The comb was hung by one of 

 tlie rings on a bent nail placed in the stake, 

 and the whole five were quickly taken out in 

 the same manner. After they had been ex- 

 amined, and the queen duly admired, as she 

 kept on with her work of swinging around 

 in circles, the whole were quickly replaced, 

 and the door was gently pushed into its 

 place so as to push any bees clustered on the 

 inside of the pail, before it. 



" You see," said Mr. M., " I have no mat, 

 enameled sheet, burlap, or any thing of the 

 kind to fuss with, before putting the cover 

 of the hive on, and yet not a bee is killed, 

 for I can see plainly through the glass what 

 it is doing, as I crowd it back into place." 



"But," said John's mother, "will not the 

 rain beat in around the edges of the cover? 

 or, in other words, will this pail hive do to 

 stand outdoors like this, even in the summer 

 time?" 



" Why, madam," said friend M., " if the 

 rain should beat in, do you not see it would 

 run right out againV fSee! the bottom of the 

 hive slants outward, and, so far as I have 

 noticed, no rain has ever gone beyond the 

 outer tin cover." 



Here John's father knocked the ashes out 

 of his pipe and listlessly picked up the cover, 

 exclaiming, — 



" Why, this is nothing but a common tin 

 pot-cover, painted green. Why do you use 

 tin in place of woodV" 



"Because it will neither warp, twist, nor 

 shrink ; and, on account of its perfectly 

 round shape, will always close the mouth of 

 the pail against the weather and inquisitive 

 robber bees, who might be prying around 

 the cloth-lined edges of the glass circle." 



" Mother! mother!" and John shook his 

 mother's arm to attract her attention, "don't 

 you believe Mr. M. has promised to make me 

 one to put right through my window upstairs, 

 where that glass is broketi out, so I can look 

 at the bees all the time while they are at 

 work. Jt is to be just like the one lie made 

 for Mr. Boot, that he has got in his green- 

 house. But won't it be fun?" 



Well, I declare, my friends, I shall not be 

 able to get to the point in the story where 

 friend M. gave us his ideas about feeding; 

 and next month I hope to be able to tell you 

 how God answered John's mother's prayers. 



