AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



545 



ments in use. In order that I may make 

 it light and strong, I build it of re-sawed 

 lumber, and secure the corners by lirst 

 nailing the siding to a corner-post and 

 then clamping the corner still more solid 

 by an outer corner-post sawed in an L 

 shape, and nailed on the outside. The 

 bottom is made of a single K-inch board ; 

 the roof is made of re-sawed lumber, and 

 covered with tin. 



This hive has a side opening on the 

 right-hand side, which lifts out half way 

 down, or from the upper story only. In 

 preparing a colony for Winter in this 

 hive, the apiarist has only to see that the 

 colony has plenty of honey, and then 

 place a Hill's device on the brood-frames 

 and a piece of burlap over that, then 

 crowd down a good chaff cushion into 

 the burlap, and the work is done. 



I sometimes make a box, of re-sawed 

 lumber, 43^ inches deep and large enough 

 to cover the brood-chamber, and stretch 

 and tack a piece of burlap over the bot- 

 tom, fill it with chaff and place it on top. 

 This answers very well, but not as well 

 as a cushion. 



Union City, Ind. 



An Idea Wortliy of Consiileration, 



F. H. DEWEY. 



Mr. A. N. Draper said at Keokuk : 

 "People have had a good deal to say 

 about keeping bees away from watering 

 troughs. I will give you a secret that is 

 worth them all : Take a weak solution 

 of carbolic acid, and paint it around the 

 edges. of the trough, and then the bees 

 will not bother your neighbors." This 

 is recommended for experiment by the 

 editor of Gleanings. 



Hereupon the question arises, have 

 we not a means, deducible from this 

 hint, to check, if not prevent, robbing ? 

 When robbers are rampant, why not lay 

 a piece of cloth, saturated with a solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid, -along the alighting- 

 board ? 



Will not inhalqi^ativeness take the in- 

 mates past it, while it offends the senses 

 of the intruders ? The strength of the 

 solution might depend upon the temper 

 of the thieves. 



When the honey-fumes from the hive 

 are overcome, and the victimized colony 

 recovers its equilibrium, this mischief 

 dies. In this connection it might be well 

 to add that the queen of a thievish 

 progeny — bandits, pure and simple — had 

 better be marked for execution, and 

 supersedure before another season. 



If a colony appears only liable to be 

 robbed, an application of carbolic acid, of 

 strength determined by test, might avert 

 a sacking of the treasury. A looting of 

 the hive wonld be more offensive than 

 the fumes, and its use would not inter- 

 fere with the hive work, as robbing is a 

 sign and proof of idleness, as well as 

 viciousness. Furthermore, we might 

 ask, would a careful use of the acid, at 

 the time of removing honey, be a safe- 

 guard against impertinent bees. 



The possible advantages are worth a 

 little experiment. Besides, the acid is a 

 specific for sores and cuts, and for 

 poultry vermin. In addition, it is a 

 reliable disinfectant, but is poisonous if 

 taken internally, like white paint and 

 some other materials in common use. 



Westfield, Mass. 



Traasferriiis from Box to Frame Hives, 



L. HIGHBARGEE. 



I have noticed several inquiries in 

 the Bee Journal of late concerning 

 transferring, and how and when to do 

 it. I have done considerable of it, both 

 on the Langstroth and Heddon plan, but 

 I do not like either of them. 



In the Langstroth, there is always 

 too much brood destroyed in fitting the 

 brood in the frames — that is, cutting the 

 combs out and placing them in the 

 frames — and in the second place, where 

 there is honey, as there should be, it 

 makes a smeary, disagreeable job, and 

 if the greatest care is not exercised, it 

 will induce robbing. 



In the Heddon system I find that the 

 old colony will cast a swarm nine times 

 out of ten, if there was much brood at 

 the time of drumming. 



Mr. Heddon says that in 21 days after 

 first drumming, you can drum again, as 

 the last bee will be hatched. The worst 

 trouble will be with the queens that will 

 be hatched before the last bee is — that will 

 cause a swarm to issue. 



My way of transferring is easier, 

 quicker, prevents swarming, and avoids 

 the smearing of honey. Take a movable- 

 frame hive, with nice, clean combs— if 

 you do not have the combs, take full 

 sheets of foundation to fill out the hive — 

 cut a hole in the bottom of your frame 

 hive the size of the inside of your box- 

 hive, or old gum. You need a hammer, a 

 chisel, and a long, thin-bladed knife. 



Blow some smoke in the entrance of 

 the old hive, take your chisel, gouge the 

 wood from the nail-heads, and with the 



