1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1359 



sheets of a size s\itfif"ieXit to cover the vesti- 

 bule-bl<K-k. These f Susses go flat upon the 

 wood, and are secured by wires bent at an 

 angle and put in close to the edge of the 

 glass so as to l:)e readily turned on or off. 



No shutters are needed. The act of re- 

 moving them, and especially the sudden ad- 

 mission of light, excites the bees. They will 

 soon become quiet, and perhaps continue 

 their occupations fi'om where they were in- 

 terrupted. But father Langstroth discovered 

 that they will work on continuously, although 

 exposed' to the full light of day. Why, then, 

 should he or any one put on those vexatious 

 shutters'.' Of course, the glass hives, stand- 

 ing out of doors, will require them: but sure- 

 ly not those inside at a window. I have 

 sometimes used a cloth, common sheeting, to 

 throw over the hive at night, not to keep the 

 light out, but to keep the heat in. It hangs 

 down in contact with the glass, and thus 

 prevents too much radiation. 



From the bottom or from the center of the 

 comb a bee-line leads to all outdoors (lower 

 entrance not shown in the illustration ). Any 

 or all of the passageways can be promptly 

 closed or opened by small tins, or strips cut 

 from a postal card, that go in -between the 

 edges of front and bottom glass. There are 

 numerous other advantages, surprising in an 

 apparatus consisting of so few separate parts. 



The manipulation is easy. I take the ap- 

 paratus to the yard, set it on a level place. 



remove top and bottom glass from one side. 

 select a suitable comb, shake off most of the 

 bees, or all of them if any cutting or grafting 

 or other considerable preparation is needed. 

 Then, taking the frame by top and bottom 

 bars near the corners, I place one end- 

 bar up on the two screw-heads below 

 and push the other end-bar, which now 

 becomes the top, into place. I have 

 hanging on my fourth linger a little 

 implement of wire which goes over the 

 end-l)ar, and carries the comb just far 

 enough. When the projecting end touch- 

 es the glass the left hand goes up to the 

 rear screw-hook and turns it in so as- 

 to enter the wood of the top- bar of the 

 frame, and press the projections above 

 ^ooKand lielow tirmly against the shoulders; 

 then the front screw hook is turned in. 

 When the comb is adjusted centrally the 

 top glass is put on; then if more bees 

 are wanted they are shaken down by 

 the side. Young bees will run up 

 promptly: old tees are apt to take wing 

 and fly away home. Then the bottom 

 glass is put on, and the transaction is 

 complete: and usually only two or three 

 minutes of time are required, and no- 

 body is hurt or greatly disturbed. The 

 window being properly pi'epared, the 

 end of the hive is passed through the 

 aperture, fitting smoothly but not tight- 

 ly; the cord is looped to the rear screw- 

 hook, and the bees have begun to or- 

 ganize and take account of stock, and 

 are ready for business. Ifthei-eare any 

 (lueen-cells which the bees have built 

 downward, they now have a horizontal 

 position: but you know very well that 

 the queens will come out all right. If 

 it were necessary to give the comb ex- 

 actly the same position that it had orig- 

 inally (but it is not necessary) then 

 we could easily make our apparatus accoixl- 

 ingly. But I prefer the upright position of 

 the L. frame for several reasons. I do not 

 expect to secure a surplus of sections. For 

 show purposes I find that a hole cut out from 

 the comb will be more promptly relniilt, and 

 will show the process better. 

 Hopkinsville. Ky. 



AX OLD BEE-BOOK. 



BY EUGENE SECOR. 



Concluded from last issue. 



Mr. Evans wove into his poem the names 

 of nearly every tree, shrub, and plant growing 

 in the British Isles that yielded either honey 

 or pollen. He quotes freely from the Eng- 

 lish botanies of the time and from other 

 sources, besides seeming to exercise a wide 

 observation himself. 



Here are two lines which, with the foot- 

 note, may lie of interest to present-day bee- 

 keepers: 



What tho" erewhile yon Elm's emergent luirt 

 Pourd in the lap of Spring a poison'd flootl'r 



