AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



735 



shoulders by means of two wide pieces 

 of webbing, making a very easy support. 



The clamp attachment to the hive is 

 of my own construction. I have loose 

 bottom-boards, simihir to the dovetailed 

 hive, and this clamp springs on to the 

 bottom-board at the front and rear ends 

 of the hive. It is very quickly put in 

 place and taken off. 



I have "used this yoke and clamp for 

 some time past, and find it the most con- 

 venient contrivance for moving hives I 

 have ever seen. By its use one man can 

 do the work of two ; do it easier, and with 

 much less jar to the bees. — Oleanings. 



Perforated Zinc Just RisM in Size, 



DE. G. L. TINKER. 



I enclose herewith three samples of 

 zinc, two of mine, and one that was 

 taken from a swarm -hi ver that was sent 

 to me. I send the samples because 

 there are three sizes of the perforations, 

 though you will see little difference by 

 the unaided eye. 



The two-rowed piece with the corner 

 clipped off, has the smallest perforation 

 that can be used without the bees get- 

 ting their heads fast in it. This is as I 

 make the strips when the dies get a little 

 dull. After sharpening, it makes per- 

 forations like the other sample, that is 

 as large as it is safe to use as a queen- 

 excluder. 



The piece of square-end perforated 

 zinc I put on trial before one of my 

 hives, and in less than one-half a minute 

 three bees were fast in it by the tops of 

 their heads and tips of mandibles. I 

 had tested it by my gauge, and knew 

 they would be caught before I tried it. 



I desire to call your attention to this 

 matter, because I know that a reliable 

 perforated zinc cannot be made for bee- 

 keepers' use on a machine that makes 

 many holes or perforations at one time. 



I am sure that the accuracy required 

 is so great that no one wijl be able to do 

 it, so that a very cheap, reliable grade 

 of perforated zinc cannot be made, and 

 particularly for swarm-hivers and in 

 queen-rearing, etc., where no queens 

 must get through. 



I regret that^a grade of zinc is on the 

 market with perforations too small, as 

 many bee-keepers may be turned against 

 the use of perforated zinc altogether. 



I also enclose a sample of work on the 

 new machine. It makes beautiful work 

 in a whole sheet 24x42, all as perfect 

 as can be. 

 New Philadelphia, O. 



Texas Anicnitnral Notes, 



A. C. ATEN. 



We have had plenty of rain since my 

 last, but most of the time the weather 

 has been rather cool, especially at night. 



On last Sunday.there was a hail storm, 

 with wind, and a deluge of water, over 

 an area of country in this county 

 (Travis), at least six miles long and 

 three wide, which did a great deal of 

 damage, destroying the cotton crop, and 

 injuring all other crops. 



One of ray apiaries was near the cen- 

 ter of the storm. I visited it to-day and 

 found it all- right, and the bees gathering 

 honey. I presume the little fellows 

 were frightened almost to death, for 

 there must have been a fearful pattering 

 on the hives. 



Bees are doing pretty well here, and I 

 think this is the beginning of as good a 

 honey-flow as we have had for many 

 years. They are gathering honey at 

 present principally from horehound, 

 wild marigold, and horsemint. 



This is a great country for horehound, 

 which is a splendid honey-plant, and 

 appears to be on the increase ; it has 

 been in bloom over three weeks, and, 

 owing to the seasonable weather, is still 

 blooming. It does not produce bitter 

 honey, but even if it did it is nearly all 

 used up in brood-rearing. 



The wild marigold, so-called, is really 

 no marigold at all. It has corymbose 

 heads, something like a sunflower ; the 

 rays are reddish-brown, tipped with yel- 

 low. The honey is amber colored, and 

 most people like it very well. 



Texas horsemint is very different from 

 any horsemint 1 have ever noticed in the 

 North, and is very plentiful some years, 

 especially this year. It produces its 

 flowers in auxiliary whorls, from 3 to 5, 

 and sometimes more, on each branch, 

 very much like horehound — at least the 

 kind we have here. Horsemint honey is 

 light and clear, with a little of the mint 

 taste, and most people like it very 

 much. 



I had to feed my bees over 200 pounds 

 of honey, but lost very few from starva- 

 tion. I would have lost 20 or 30 colo- 

 nies if I had not fed them. These colo- 

 nies will probably gather over 2,000 

 pounds of honey, which will well repay 

 the trouble and expense of feeding, as I 

 always store the unsalable honey for 

 that purpose. 



A ^ew words now in regard to foul- 

 brood. While I have never seen any, 

 and wish I never may, I most firmly be- 



