1B78. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



B 



In the engraving above, we have shown a 

 case to hold three boxes side by side. This 

 case is made of the same material, and in 

 the same way, as the sections themselves. 

 As it is tliree'times as l-ong, and jUvSt high 

 enough for the sections to slip inside, the 

 expense will not exceed 2 cents each for the 

 <jases in the flat. A sheet of tin, 14x20, worth 

 He. makes exactly 6 separators, and allow- 

 ing 1 cent for ciiitting up the sheet and ben- 

 <ling the -ends over, we have separators at a 

 cost of H cents each. This will bring the 

 entire cost of the cases, separator and all. put 

 lip ready to use, at about 4c, each. Now it 

 is sometimes very convenient to be able to 

 take the separators off the cases, to clean 

 them from wax and propolis tor instance, 

 (boiling them in weak lye will remove every 

 trace of it) and we cannot well do this, if 

 they are nailed on. Therefore we bend the 

 ends at right angles as shown in the cut, and 

 then slip them into the sliallow cut made in 

 the side of each end piece of the case, as 

 shown in tigm-e 3. This cut is made at a 

 ^•ery ti-ifling exi)ense through a whole bun- 

 dle of the pieces, while they are screwed in 

 tlie cltunp to do the grooving, as we have 

 before explained. Tig. 1 shows the case of 

 8 sections, with one of them removed, to 

 -give a'better view of the tin separator. 



These cases of three sections, can be used, 

 not only on box hives, but on many of the 

 tall patent hives; and if any one wishes, they 

 can be used even on the L.'hive, by turning 

 them cross- wise of the frames. Whatever 

 hive you use, pry off the top, or remove 

 whatever obstruction there may be that will 

 prevent them from coming close doAra to 

 the brood combs. The purpose of the cases, 

 besides holding the sections and separators, 

 is to keep the wood of the sections clean, 

 that it mi'.y be v.hite and spotkss when the 

 honey is taken off the hive. Put as many 

 on tlie hive as you can, side by side, and then 

 draw them close together ; this may be done 

 by a wke or cord put round them, or a stick 

 notched at each end will do. If you like, 

 you can close the outside sections with a 

 •strip of glass, that you may see liow the bees 

 are progressing. The tin separators should 

 come within aboiit i of an inch of the top 

 •and bottom, or the bees may bulge the honey 

 out, so it will get injured. After you have 

 got the sections all fixed, you will need to 

 make a good close cap to ht over your hive. 

 The expense of these sections, is not as 

 much as for rmsightly boxes, and the honey 

 will sell for almost twice as much. If any- 

 body is going to make box hives, I would 

 most earaestly urge that tliey be made about 

 the dimensions of our best frame hives ; say 

 16x20 on top, and about 10 inches deep, out- 

 side ineasm-e. 



* ■>■ ^ 



FRAMES MADE ENTIKE1.Y OF li'OOD. 



■^EOF. COOK, of the :Michigaii Agricul- 

 J^ tural College, has just paid us a visit, 

 — ' and if he always carries as much sun- 

 shine. pCcice and goodwill, wherever he goes. 

 I earnestly hope he may keep on Aisiting. I 

 ■do not mean that he ap]»roved of all he saw. 

 nor that he told me I had done right in ev- 

 ery particular, for he gave me a somid talk- 

 ing to in regard to conventions, and althongh 



I can not feel just as he does in regard to 

 them, I have promised to aid in tlie matter 

 so far as I can consistently, 

 u The chaff hive, he ijrc nounced a ''hum- 

 bug ;'*but I believe it was before he had seen 

 one. I ventured, 



"In what respect, friend C. V' 



"•On the ground of expense." 



"IIow do you prepare bees for out-door 

 wintering at the college V" 



"We drive down four stakes, board them 

 up, take off the covers to the hives, pack in 

 the chaff, and then put on a cheap roof of 

 boards.-' 



I said nothing more at the time, bnt when 

 in the apiary, I pointed out a chaff hive. 

 He pronounced them handsome, jvs every- 

 body does, and when I lilted the light cover 

 with one iiand, and the chaff ciielncn with 

 the other and exposed the bets, in a little 

 more than a second, then shi t them all up 

 in nice wmtcring trim almost as cjuickly, he 

 — well I can not remember just what he did 

 say, but he pretty soon asked. 



"How miicli more does tl:e Chaff hive 

 cost, than the Simplicity ?"' 



"Just on<' dollar more than a two story 

 Simplicity, and the upper story has a, capac- 

 ity for four more frames." 



~"Is that all; why I supposed they were a 

 great deal more exi)ensive." 



"The secret of it is, they are made of \evy 

 cheap lumber; the greatest part of the ex- 

 pense is the work, and that should be done 

 by the bee-keeper himself, during the win- 

 ter season." 



He also pronounced the Bingham smoker 

 a better one than ours, because it was larger, 

 and had a more pointed tube, the very reas- 

 ons why I should not prefer it. He had 

 never tried one of oiu- lirger sized ones. 

 Now you must not suppose we looked cross 

 because we did not agree ; on the contrary, 

 we had seme of the most hearty laughs, as 

 we went over our different experiences. 

 Friend Betsinger, of ^Marcellus, was with us, 

 and it was funny, to see how differently we 

 had each of us honestly decided, on many 

 points. We passed a lot of metal cornered 

 frames, and fi-iend Cook remarked, 



"There is another 'hrunbug'." 



"In what respect ?" 



"They slide about in the hive too easily. 

 We can not carry a hive from one part of 

 the apiary to another, without having the 

 frames slide all over to one side. The metal 

 rabbets are a splendid invention, but they 

 are enough. Our boys at the College like the 

 wood frames just about as well." 



"You object to the frames then, because 

 they are too 'movable';" 



"Ye^, and because they are expensive; 

 besides, they cut one's fingers in handling 

 them.'" 



•'Now I like a frame so movable that we 

 can at any time pick it up with one hand ; 

 to have it thus, we must have it rest on 

 knife edges, or we shall have it fastened 

 with propolis. With new colonies, the 

 frames do slide about, unless fastened, but 

 combs 3 or 4 years old, will always have at- 

 tachments that will hold strong enough, un- 

 less the hives are to be shipped. I much 

 prefer to have my frames loose ; it is so sel- 



