1878 



GLEAXINGS IX BEE CULTURE. 



193 



A and B are the wedges. When they are 

 withdrawn, you can pry over and lift out the 

 frame, ahiiost as easily as any brood frame, 

 and the operation of taking out tlie honey is 

 a very easy, and a very simple one indeed. 

 At first thought, it seems a little singular, 

 that the sections are much easier to take 

 out when filled than when empty ; but such 

 is, nevertheless, the cas3 ; for they are then 

 rigid, solid blocks, instead of the frail 

 structures which were put in. 



PAINTING THE HIVES. 



After the hive is nailed, the nail lieads 

 should all be set in slightly with a suitable 

 nail set, and then I would advise going over 

 tlie corners and all rough places, with a 

 keen and sharp smooth plane, set so as to 

 cut a very light shaving. After this, rub off 

 all rough places with some sand paper and a 

 block, and you are ready to give it a priming. 

 This priming may be simply boiled linseed 

 oil, or boiled oil and ochre, or something of 

 that sort. Clieap red paint is said to hold 

 better than any other color, but, for the 

 sake of avoiding the consequences of exces- 

 sive heat, I would avoid all dark colors, 

 even for a priming ; for somebody might be 

 careless, and let the paint wear off until the 

 priming showed thrt^jigh, and then, if the 

 heat of the sun should strike right on the 

 hive, the little fellows might be made very 

 uncomfortable, to say the least. I once had 

 a brown hive which got so hot that it melted 

 the combs, and let the honey run out in 

 front. I painted it over white, and had no 

 farther trouble, although I allowed it to re- 

 main in the sun as before. I once was quite 

 a friend to a kind of chemical paint, but, 

 since having a larger experience, and test- 

 ing pure white lead by the side of other 

 kinds of paint, I have come to the conclu- 

 sion that the pure lead and linseed oil is much 

 the nicest and most durable, besides being, 

 probably, as cheap, in the long run, as any- 

 thing else. Instead of putting on a great 

 many coats of paint to commence with. I 

 would paint lightly at first, and then give 

 them another coat, as often as it will im- 

 prove their looks or durability. Do not go 

 by fits and starts, in fixing up your apiary, 

 but keep fixing all the time, and keep it nice 

 all the time. Perhaps the better way to 

 paint and fix up is to lift the combs out, and 

 set them into a hive all rigged and painted, 

 nnd then, after that one is fixed, carry it to 

 the next, and so on. This plan is very 

 convenient where the hives need a nail or 

 two, which could not well be put in while it 

 contained bees. I do not think fresh paint 

 is especially offensive to bees, nor do I think 

 new swarms are often driven off by the 

 smell of paint, but I should i)refer to have 

 the hives dry, before the bees are put in. I 

 have often painted hives containing bees, 

 without perceiving any bad results, except 

 that the bees sometimes stick fast to the 

 newly painted surface, which is certainly 

 annoying to the poor little fellows, if noth- 

 ing more. 



CONCLUDING REMARKS ABOUT HIVES. 



Work carefully, and avoid mistakes and 

 blunders by carefully measuring, trying, 

 and testing every thing, as you go along. 

 Do not get a lot of hives nailed up, and 

 then discover that the frames will not go in 

 them properly, but have a frame riglit at 

 hand, and, before you drive a nail, put the 

 frame in place and see if it is right. More 

 than this, be sure that your frame is just 

 right. Many bad blunders have resulted 

 from picking up a frame supposed to be 

 right, but which was found to be a little too 

 large, or too small, in some of its dimen- 

 sions, after a lot of hives were- made to 

 match it. Have a good steel square, and 

 keep it carefully, that it may not get out of 

 true, or get rusty or injured in any way. 

 To test its exactness, lay it on a broad 

 straight edged board, and draw a fine line 

 along the blade of the square, with a keen 

 pointed knife; then reverse it, and see if the 

 knife point runs in the same track. The 

 drawing below will show you how. 



HOW TO TEST A SQUARE. 



Let A A represent the board with the 

 straight edge. Do not say, "This edge is 

 straight enough," until you have made it as 

 exact iis you can. Lay the square on as at 

 B, and draw the line D E, with your knife 

 point ; now turn it over as at C, and draw a 

 line in the same place, or so near it, that von 

 can readily see if the two are exactly paral- 

 lel. You can take your board to the hard- 

 ware store, and pick out a square that is 

 right, or you can get tlie one that is nearest 

 right, and then make it right by filing. 

 When you get a square that you know you 

 can ])ut "your trust in", go ahead, but work 

 carefully. Say over and over to yourself, 

 when starting out, "suppose I should find 

 after I get these done, tiiat they are all 

 wrong"; and so measure and try your work, 

 at every step. It is just as easy to cut 

 boards in the right i)lace, as it is to cut them 

 in the wrong one ; and it is just as easy to 

 have all the different parts of your work 

 nice and accurate, as it is to w'aste your 

 time by careless bungling, and tlien trying 

 to patch up the consequences of your own 

 awkwardness. I know, for I have made a 

 great many awkward mistakes in my life, 

 and I also know, by exi)erience, that one so 

 awkward and careless that he, at times, 

 almost feels as if there was no use of trying 

 to be a mechanic, or hardly anything else, 

 for that matter, can learn to be careful, and 

 to do nice work. I also know the thrill of 

 pleasure that rewards one, after he has suc- 

 cessfully fought these besetting sins, and 

 come out triumphant. Once more, be care- 

 ful ; work slowly, until you know your work 

 is all right; have your tools air nice and 

 sharp ; keep everytliing piled up in neat 

 order ; l«ok pleasant, he pleasant, and thank 

 God every day for being a great deal kinder 

 to you than you deserve. 



