22 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.. 



promise of wisdom as a patron of his 

 latter years, and who, when he arrives 

 at old age, finds that his years have far 

 outstripped his wisdom, and that he has 

 now neither the opportunity nor the 

 capability for the wisdom that might 

 have been his portion had proper pru- 

 dence been exercised in his earlier years. 

 In studying the habits and work of the 

 bee, we cannot help referring the instinct 

 shown in their work to a higher power, 

 which makes the instinct subserve the 

 highest ends for which it was created, 

 and we must conclude also, that the 

 Creator, in showing his perfect work in 

 the bee, has also shown his perfect love 

 to man. May we have in a measure the 

 true philosophy displayed by that wise 

 insect. 



" Wiser far than human seer, 

 Yellow breeched philosopher: 

 Seeing only what is fair, 

 Sipping only what is sweet, 

 Thou dost mock at fate and care. 

 Leave the chaff and take the wheat. 

 When the fierce north western blast 

 Cools sea and land scf far and fast, 

 Thou already slumberest deep: 

 Woe and want thou cans't outsleep: 

 Want and woe which tortures us. 

 Thy sleep makes ridiculous." 



— Attwood Bee. 



Hiyes and Otlier Fixtures, 



C. A. BUNCH. 



I am decidedly in favor of loose bot- 

 tom-boards for hives, or, in other words, 

 those not nailed to the brood-chamber. 

 My reason for such, is that the brood- 

 chamber is drier, for the moisture has a 

 better chance to escape. 



To make a hive-stand that has no 

 superior for out-door wintering, I think 

 the following a very good way : Make a 

 box, the end pieces of 2x4, and the side 

 pieces of 1x4 inch boards ; the outside 

 dimensions of this stand must be the 

 same as the outside of the bottom-board, 

 which is to be nailed on the underside of 

 the bottom-board, and must be from 4 

 to 6 inches longer than the hive, for the 

 bees to alight on, and one inch wider 

 than the inside of the hive. 



The lower inside and back end of the 

 brood-chamber is rabbeted together, so 

 that the sides and back end will project 

 over the bottom-board, which is a great 

 benefit to the lower edge of the brood- 

 chamber, also the bottom-board. 



Now, what I like about this hive-stand 

 is that it leaves no place for toads to get 

 under, neither can cold winds nor frosts 



penetrate it ; and as the stand and bot- 

 tom-board are the first of a hive, to give 

 away, we can get a new one occasionally, 

 if needed. 



Good substantial hives, or cheap ones, 

 made of %-inch lumber, are in great 

 demand, particularly now that honey is 

 so very cheap. 



But, as for myself, I do not want any 

 more of them. Why ? Because they do 

 not protect the bees from the hot sun as 

 they should in Summer, nor are they 

 what they should be for out-door winter- 

 ing, unless you use an outside wintering 

 case ; and I, for one, have no use for 

 such traps, although as far as my ex- 

 perience goes in wintering bees, I would 

 say they are good for that purpose, but 

 the outside cases are sure to cost consid- 

 erable. I think there is as much pros- 

 pect of their coming into general use as 

 some of the swarm-hivers, and other bee- 

 fixtures. 



A hive that gives the best of satisfac- 

 tion to me, for a Summer and Winter 

 hive, is made as follows : Make the 

 brood-chamber, sides and ends, of 1%- 

 incli pine plank, and the supers of %- 

 inch lumber. I use chaff packing above 

 for wintering. 



These hives are intended for wintering 

 bees at the North while still on the Sum- 

 mer stands. I have never wintered bees 

 in the cellar. 



Do bees get drunk ? Last Summer, 

 when mowing weeds, I struck a stalk of 

 globe thistles, or Chapman honey-plant, 

 as it is called, whose flowers were cov- 

 ered with bees. These fell upon the 

 ground, and sat or laid as if they were 

 intoxicated. I have heard of similar 

 cases before. Is this plant good for 

 honey ? 



Nye, Ind. 



Brant Bee-Keeners' Conyention. 



D. ANGUISH, SEC. 



The fifth annual meeting of the Brant 

 Bee-Keepers' Association was held at 

 Brantford, on Saturday, Nov. 22, 1890. 

 Present — D. Anguish, J. R. Howell and 

 wife, Thomas Burket and wife, Cyrus 

 Kitchen and wife. Miss Bowers, Miss 

 Ash, George Barber, C. Edmonson, G. 

 Springsted, C. Flanders, A. McMeans, 

 A. Malcolm, C. Ramey, S. Dickey, F. Pipe, 

 C. Johnson, R. Tailor, T. Ivoy, Miss E. 

 Ramey, Miss Harley, W. Phillips, L. 

 Petery, Mr. Steadman, R. Sheilington, 

 and Mr. Horseman. 



The report of the Secretary was read 

 and adopted, and the following officers 



