THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



22B 



frame that could be slid up or down. The 

 windows also slid — not up or down, but to 

 one side. Over the windows, and the open- 

 ings in the doors, wire cloth was tacked. 

 The wire cloth extended several inches above 

 the openings, and was held out bee space 

 from the sides of the building by small strips 

 of wood. When the bees alighted on the 

 wire cloth they would crawl up and " keep 

 crawling " until they emerged at the top of 

 the wire cloth. If at a time of the year when 

 robbers were troublesome, and quite a large 

 number of bees were released inside, those 

 outside would sometimes find their way 

 down under the wire cloth, but not in any 

 very great numbers. The cost of the house 

 was $35. 



The house was located in the center of the 

 apiary, and from it the hives radiated, in 

 double rows, like the spokes from a hub. 

 Between the double rows of hives there was 

 room to run a wheel-barrow,, and, as the 

 entrances faced outward, this pathway was 

 comparatively free from flying bees. 



With the honey house in the center of the 

 apiary, the travelling to and from the hives 

 is reduced to the minimum ; but there is 

 this disadvantage, more looking is necessary 

 to see swarms when they issue. With the 

 honey house at one side of the yard, a single 

 glance will sweep the entire area, while /oi(c 

 glances are necessary from a centrally lo- 

 cated house. The panes of glass were set in 

 the doors that it might be possible to take 

 these "four glances." 



We were not long in discovering that the 

 house we had built was too small. It would 

 have answered for extracting, and for taking 

 off honey, but we fell to using it for a place 

 in which to put together sections, to put in 

 foundation, etc., etc. Then when a lot of 

 cases were filled with sections they were 

 stacked uji inside. Hives in readiness for 

 swarms were stored inside. Honey that had 

 been taken ofif the hives, ditto. Cans of ex- 

 tracted honey found " standing room" along 

 one side. Pretty soon it became necessary 

 to set hives, cases, etc., outside; piling them 

 up and covei'ing them uj), and putting a 

 stone on top that the wind might not tip 

 them over, and then it (//(/ blow them over 

 after all. Last summer when we were u]) to 

 Rogersville we found the honey house pretty 

 nearly surrounded by stacks of empty hives 

 and cases. Had the old dwelling house been 

 located right close to the apiary, at one side, 

 it could have been used as a store-house, and 



the little house simply for extracting and 

 taking off honey. 



It is our opinion, however, that the place 

 for a honey house is at one side of the ai)iary. 

 There should be a cellar under it for the 

 wintering of the bees ; a workshop, a store- 

 room and a honey-room. The honey-room 

 should be warm ; should have walls of some 

 non-conducting material and be furnished 

 with a stove ; then if it should be necessary 

 to keep comb honey into or during the win- 

 ter, it could be done without injury. 



As to size of building, details of construc- 

 tion, etc, we may as well own right up that 

 we can give no suggestions, and must depend 

 upon those of our readers who have had 

 experience in this line. Those of you who 

 have built buildings for the apiary, let's hear 

 from you. If you have made mistakes, and 

 would do differently if you were to build 

 again, tell us about that, too. 



The Production of Wax and Non-Use of 

 Foundation. 



In Mr. Simmins' book, A Modern Bee 

 Farm, there is a chapter with the above 

 heading. It is a short chapter, and we 

 would gladly copy it entire, but are com- 

 pelled, instead, to make the following ex- 

 tracts : — 



" We have been told over and over again 

 that the bees consume 20 lbs. of honey while 

 producing 1 lb. of wax therefrom. Upon 

 the face of it the idea is merely theoretical, 

 as in the first place it is ridiculous to pre- 

 sume that an article costing, if we say only 

 .^s. (20 lbs. honey at 3d. ) could be sold at Is. 

 (id. Supply and demand regulate prices, 

 and, as a matter of fact, wax is compara- 

 tively scarce : therefore it is time the ques- 

 tion of cost is set at rest once and for all. 

 In making a test by experiment, there are 

 several important factors to be considered ; 

 the bees must have access to both water and 

 pollen, but no brood must be at the time 

 produced. The experiment should be car- 

 ried out where the bees need not be con- 

 fined to the hive, and yet they must gather 

 no other food than that supplied to them for 

 the purpose. The test should be carried out 

 under a high temperature, and a fair swarm 

 used for the occasion. 



I have been able to provide all the above 

 conditions, except as to temperature, and 

 the result is that I find about (IK lbs. of 

 honey give a pound of wax. 



In the height of the season with everything 

 favorable it is only reasonable to say that 

 the cost of production is really much less, 

 and probably not more than n lbs. of honey 



