1877, 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



185 



the saw. Now to produce the bevel, one 

 "f'orner of our square board, say A, is to be 

 raised about two inches, while the opposite 

 •corner U, lies on the saw table ; this is eas- 

 ily done by a strip under A, that slides 

 5iffainst the gauge while the saw cuts through 

 <)n the dotted line. 



This alighting board guides the bees into 

 the entrance, there are no loose blocks to be 

 scattered about in the summer and get lost, 

 it can be put on or taken off from any bot- 

 tom board by turning two screws, and it 

 Avill not permit storms to beat in at the en- 

 trance, even if no portico be used, for the 

 top of the entrance blocks, is on a level 

 with the bottom of the hives. We would 

 bank up with sawdust that the bees might 

 get in easily, even if they fell a foot or two 

 short of the hive when coming in. 



These alighting boards can be furnished 

 well made and neatly painted, for about ten 

 iL-ents each. 



PORTICO FOR HIVES. 



Although no one has ever given a satis- 

 factory reason for encumbering a hive with 

 u portico, that we know of, still there are 

 many who can not be satisfied without them. 

 One of our neighbors says they make a com- 

 fortable shade for the bees wlien hanging on 

 the outside of the hive ; very likely he is 

 right, and we do not know that we care to 

 -argue the ni'.tter with him, but we should 

 prefer making the bees comfortable on the 

 inside of their hive where they might be en- 

 rgaged in some such pastime as building 

 «'(^mb, &c. If the portico is to be added for 

 ornament, we Avoixld make one that was or- 

 namental, and woidd only put it on the 

 hives in the front yard, or those in a centi'al 

 or conspicuous part of the api;)ry, but would 

 ?)y no means think of encuml)ering the whole 

 of them, upper stories and all. with such an 

 ?mwieldy appendage. The Simplicity hive 

 is for real work, and occupies just the small- 

 ■est amount of space possible, consistent with 

 this end in view ; and if we are going to 

 make it ornamental, it should be by adding 

 .something that can be taken off whenever 

 occasion demands. To this end I have de- 

 vised the portico shown below. 



The top and sides, are made of a strip of | 

 pine sawed nearly through and bent where 

 the angles come, thus giving us neat joints 

 at a small expense. The scroll work under- 

 neath, to which the above is nailed, can be 

 sawed from a i board by almost any of the 

 scroll sawing machines that are now in such 

 connuon use. The whole is attached to the 

 front of the hive by a couple of screws. 

 AVIien it is kept free from spider's webs and 

 nicely painted, I confess that the bees walk- 

 ing about their doorway underneath, present 

 a very pretty appearance. When dust or 

 webs accumulate, the screws may be tinned 

 partly to allow of its being taken off, and 

 tJioroughly brushed, or even washed if need 

 be. Nothing can be considered ornamental 

 about an apiary, that is not neat and tidy. 

 These porticos can be Avell mttde and neatly 

 painted, for about 25 cents. 



POETILO. I>ETA( IIAIU.E. 



Li order to stem, if ijossihje, the current of in- 

 quiries in regard to queen rearing etc., zee have 

 taken the liberti/ of juynping ahead n little, ttrti- 

 ixrrarih/. 



QU13ESr ri^EAHirr^. it Ims been 

 said that wax and honey are the merchant- 

 able products of the apiary, but ever since 

 the advent of the Italians there has been a 

 constant call for queens, far ahead of the 

 supply; and if we were asked what product 

 of the apiary would l)ring cash quickest and 

 surest, we would unhesitatingly say '' dol- 

 lar queens." It nuiy be well to explain here 

 that a dollar queen is one that has been 

 reared from a pure mother, and has just com- 

 menced to lay. She may prove to be pui;ely 

 fertilized, and slie may not, but the apiarist 

 for this low price, guarantees nothing, more 

 than that she has been raised from a pure 

 mother. Neitiier does he guarantee safe de- 

 livery as a general thing ; the transaction is 

 supposed to be something as if you were 

 standing by his side, and he should open a 

 hive and say : 



'• There is a queen that was reared from 

 brood from a pure motlier; she has com- 

 menced laying as you see, but I know noth- 

 ing of the kind of bees she may produce. 

 You can take her just as she is for Sl.CO. but 

 at the price I can be in no way responsible 

 farther." 



As the demand is usually far. in advance 

 of the sui)ply, the conscientious apiarist can 

 only fill orders in their turn, and this lias 

 been another cause for dissatisfaction, on 

 account of the delays that seem unavoidable, 

 especially in the spring when everybody is 

 wanting them right away. I do not mean to 

 blame tho.se wlio want them at once, for it is 



