1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



589 



with wires, especially the upper end where 

 two Jx4x4-inch blocks are so nailed as to 

 leave an opening between to insert tin 

 snips or shears to cut all the wires at once. 

 Ir a recent number of the American Bee 

 Journal Mr. Getaz objected to winding the 

 wire from a spool on to such a board because 

 of the subsequent trouble from kinking when 

 using the short wires so prepared. But by 

 standing off about fifty feet from the spool 

 when winding the wire on the board, and 

 with tension on the spool, the wire is stretch- 

 ed slightly, taking out the tendency to kink 

 and curl. We have never been able to do 

 any thing with the 5- lb. coils of wire. They 

 will curl and tangle when unwinding in spite 

 of every precaution, and in spite of various 

 reels, etc. , on which we have mounted them. 

 1 have had my temper tried more '^y the 5- 

 Ib. coil of wire than by almost any thing 

 else; so I am sure that the 5 lb. coil of wire 

 is an invention of the evil one. Don't use 



E. F. ATWATER. 



them. Use 1-lb. spools. "When we have 

 about ^ lb. of wire on our board we tie a 

 stout cord around each end, and one in the 

 middle, then cut all the wires at the place 

 provided, when we can draw one at a time, 

 limp and straight, just enough to wire a 

 frame. We mount the spool of wire in a lit- 

 tle reel and produce any desired tension by 

 a flat super- spring pressing against the spool 

 on the flange at one end. 



We consider the old rocker Easterday wire- 

 imbedder to be "1000 miles" ahead of the 

 spur, as the spur nearly cuts the wire in two, 

 and dues not then do a good job of imbed- 

 ding. When one hauls wagonloads of ex- 

 tracting-supers and hives full of wired frames 

 and full sheets of foundation over all kinds 

 of roads to outyards he soon learns the reli- 

 able methods. When we are not pressed for 

 time we find it much more satisfactory, with 



either Easterday or spur imbedder, to run 

 over the wire, after imbedding, with a small 

 brush dipped in hot wax, or with an Onder- 

 donk spoon with a small notch in the end to 

 follow the wire. This effectually waxes the 

 wires in place, and makes the foundation 

 strongest where the wires run. If this lat- 

 ter method is used the spur is quite satis- 

 factory. 



In the photo the wiring-gauge is resting 

 on the revolving table, on which we paint 

 our lids and floors, as illustrated by Rambler 

 several years ago. This revolving table is a 

 great convenience in painting lids and floors; 

 but for supers and bodies we prefer to pile 

 them on a ladder resting on the ground its 

 whole length, in piles about five feet high, 

 and paint each pile instead of handling each 

 super or body separately. 



Leaning against the revolving stand is one 

 of our " Acme " lids, covered with tin paint- 

 ed white. This lid has a rim 21 inches deep 

 to telescope the hive or super, and rests on 

 two cleats iXlXl4, nailed across the ends 

 inside, and next to the top. It is equally 

 good, either to use with an inner cover or 

 with a quilt. This lid is somewhat similar 

 to your shallow metal-covered telescope li<i. 

 but much more substantial. It is also simi- 

 lar to the Alexander telescope cap. We 

 made 200 of these lids last year to use on 

 our comb-honey hives, and we are beginning 

 to think that a telescope lid is the only lid fit 

 to put on a hive. They shed all water away 

 from the hive, obviate need of shade, are 

 best when a new swarm is hived, and if any 

 colony is a little short of stores there is 

 plenty of room, by raising the quilt, for a 

 full comb of honey lying flat on top-bars, or 

 for a large cake of candy. 



Meridian, Idaho. 



DO BEES STORE WATER? 



A Report of an Interesting Experiment. 



BY DR. PHIL. MAX BOELTE. 



There is in Gleaninhs for April 15, 1905, 

 a short article by Prof. A. J. Cook on this 

 question, with reference to a suggestion by 

 the editor. When I first read Prof Cook's 

 remark I was much surprised to see that a 

 man of such unquestionable learning could 

 make such an assertion. I wish to state only 

 what I have seen. We all know that bees 

 need water, and at some seasons of the 

 year they need it in great quantities. Now. 

 in order to arrive at a conclusion for my own 

 satisfaction, as well as to see if Prof Cook 

 was correct or not in his assertions, I de- 

 cided to make a few observations. My api- 

 ary is about 120 yards from house and well. 

 There is generally water running in a gulch 

 up to about the middle of May. In order 

 not to be bothered by the bees around the 

 house and well I have trained them to two 

 watering-places. It was then an easy mat- 

 ter to make my observations, which have 

 been conducted, off and on, for the past 



