7 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 



door hives would be with a cap perfectly tight. 

 Of course there was uo other way but to cut a 

 liole through the ceiling; and since making 

 one a foot square, we lind quite a diiferent 

 state of things. Now while the room was 

 thus damp and wet, we found the chafl' cush- 

 ions and the bees under them, in as nice trim 

 as you please ; have not chafl* and straw some 

 rare propert.y of absorbing and alleviating the 

 effects of wet and dampness ':* Of course this 

 hole also reduces the temperature of the inside 

 considerably, but if the bees are well packed 

 in chaff, what does it mattery The house is 

 much warmer than out doors, even now, and 

 There can be no great amount of draft through 

 the entrances so long as the chaff covering is 

 close and suug. 



AVe have had weather 10 below zero, but all 

 ihe bees under chaff, passed it as bright as 

 iloUars; one that had a very tighc cap over 

 them, shovt'ed frost and dampness above the 

 cushion. There must be ventilation, for 

 strong colonies. 



SECTION 



sjoxjEs AviTH €b:.osei> to I 



JBARS, ETC, 



'-•'B ivu-f.i iiOt) sectioh boxes iis follows : 5 iii. h!'-'h 

 by Ct in. lo'ng, tfie ends or iipvigMs to be 1 "a in. 

 wide, the top and bottom bars l;i in. wide : to 

 1)0 iTiads of 4 pieces. Don't like your box of (5 pieces they 

 jire too open, can't confine the heat so well. We expect 

 TO work our Iiives with two sets of boxes V. e. two teiis 

 "aigh, and did think of having half the boxes made Avith 

 the top bars Hi in. wide, same as the uprights, and set- 

 ting' them on top of the lower set. Then we would need 

 no quilt to cover openings with, and as the bees always 

 propolis the joints air tight, all we would have to do to 

 i-etain all the heat would be to place a thin board at the 

 sidts of the boxes. As for putting in the fdn. for guides, 

 that don't bother us in boxes of this kind. Think we 

 will try some fdn. cut }i in. wide and full length of box 

 inside ; to fasten in, we v^dll make a suiall shallow pan to 

 iiold melted wax, keep it hot and dip the edge of fdn. in 

 the hot wax ihen stick it to the top bar. We use pieces 

 :'.f comb that w;:y and have no trouble whatever. 



Give us your price for boxes made our way, also what 

 you think of cur idea of using the top set with close fit- 

 ring top bars ; also if there srould be any difference in 

 price bdtweeti them and thosi with open tOp bars, and we 

 may yet conclude to have half of them made with the top 

 bars 1% in. wide. "We used them in that wiVy last Season, 

 (though but one set to each hive) arid I feiust sdy that I 

 tike thein so. ?7o trouble with qniits, bees getting out- 

 side of ciuilt and bo.xes etc. tstc; but when it comes to 

 using boxes two tier's h^j^h, there might be trouV)le ; say 

 in case w-3 Wanted tS) change them from top to bottom, 

 '.vhat then shoula wo do : But I think that is borrowitif; 

 ■iro-.ihfc. 



Oftr 'lives will not admit of our using any other sized 

 Viox. As we use a 12x12 in. .square brood frjimo, 2 'boxes 

 (rr in. long fill the space. We shall want 500 brood frames 

 (metal cornered) and the 1400 suniliis boxes before spring, 

 «s we wish to liave every thing ready for business before 

 the .season coirimences. In time of pc:ice ]jrepa,re for war. 

 J. M. BEooiiS & Bro. 



P. a. Wo have cur i;0 colonies in the cellar, and can 

 iiily hope to have our u.wal success, losing xonb. 



<L 31. E. & B. Columbus, 1n<l. Dec. Gth, 187«. 



TVc too have had a strong "hankering" for 

 Woxcs with ;^ closed top that we might get rid 

 ni tlie quiUh, propoii», etc., and we will make 

 .•,ach at the .same price. Au examinatioa of 



our new box, will wo think show that we 

 pretty nearly agree v.'ith Iriend B. and a mul- 

 titude of others, in regard to the coming wants. 



BOOESTTIjE'S f^TS'fEM OF KAISINC^ 

 COMB HONEY. 



^ EST some of our friends should get an 

 f3J\ idea that Mr. D. does not favor houty ex- 

 tractors, we will remark before commencing 

 that he assumes that only about 3'3 as much 

 honey can be secured in the comb, as with the 

 extractor; aad if we recollect aright, he says 

 if he could be assured of 10c. as promptly as 

 he gets the cash for his honey in the section 

 boxes, he should think seriouslj^ of using the 

 extractor. 



Mr. D. uses a frame— Gallup — ^just ll^^ by 

 113^^ outside dimensions. Top bar is 1 inch 

 by ,^j by Vd }'i ; side bars the same except in 

 length, bottom bar \\}^ by % by %. This 

 frame is all of basswood, and is nailed with 4 

 flnishiug nails only ; these nails are 1^4 inches, 

 and perhaps few besides friend D. could drive 

 them into ^^ ihch lumber their whole lengtli 

 witliout splitting: For a comb guide, a strip 

 of that nice yello\v wax is run exactly in the 

 middle of the underside of the top bar, by 

 means of a straight edge of wood on the plan 

 we have given so many times in Gleanings. 

 The hive that holds these frames, is something 

 like our old standard hive except that it is ex- 

 actly 2 feet long inside, instead of 38)4 inches. 

 This two feet of space would take perhaps li 

 frames if used for the extractor, but friend D. 

 like our neighbor Deau, gives his bees only so 

 many combs as they can cover, and not a 

 square inch more. In the honey season, the 

 queen is expected to have as many combs a? 

 she can All with brood, and this is gauged so 

 exactl.y, that it any honey is gathered., it must 

 be put in the boxes, aud not iu tile brood 

 combs. jFor an ordiuaril.y full colony, 9 

 frames are put in the centre of the hive ; this 

 would leave tli6 space of fdur frames on each 

 side. On each side of thtse brood combs, is 

 placed a K-i inch division boai'd witli -^ inch 

 Blots cut in it to allow the bees to go into the 

 side boxes. These side boxes are of course, 

 just like those on top, and the one we have 

 now in our hands, measures 5}-4 by 6^4 out- 

 side. The top and bottom bars, are exactly 5 

 inches long, by scant ^.^ by V;^. Uprights % 

 scant by 3inches, of course they are (S^i lo^S- 

 These thin uprights are nailed into the ends of 

 the tops and bottoms, with cigar box nails, 

 and as the latter are made of swamp elm, aud 

 tlie former of nice white basswood, we have 

 the strongest section box that perhaps has 

 ever been put in the market, for oue so light. 

 The tough ligitt springy basswood will allow 

 of the box bei)>g thrown on the floor, without 

 even starting the nails. If you have made a 

 box according to these directions, you will see 

 that the thinV.prights project beyond the tops 

 and bottoms, a little more than the thickness 

 of a light of glass. Suppose you cut a light of 

 glass TixO inches so th;vt it will jn.-it press in 

 between tlie uprights, aud vest on the top and 

 bottom {Tieces, lapping ou to them just % 

 their thickness it is evident that two glazier's 

 tins, will hold thi:.-; glas.s perfectly secure. 

 These tins avo triangniur % loug and % broad 



