GUIDE-COMBS AND CROSS-STICKS. 61 



ture, with a hole in the centre for feeding purposes-; two 

 or three thicknesses of felt, flannel, or other porous mate- 

 rials, each with a hole in its centre of similar size as that 

 in the carpet ; a piece of perforated zinc or vulcanite as a 

 feeding-stage ; a pad like a kettle-holder to lay upon the 

 vulcanite ; a folded sack, blanket, or rug laid upon the 

 whole, — after which the roof may be put on, and should 

 be fastened to prevent blowing off. If closely covered, the 

 whole arrangement will become sopping wet, simply be- 

 cause the vapours cannot escape.'' 



I think no intelligent bee-keeper, after reading this de- 

 scription, will covet or ever purchase such lids ; and it 

 grieves one to know that, after discovering the unsuita- 

 bihty of wood as material for hives, the inventor has 

 not hit upon something better and more sightly than a 

 quilt made of carpet, felt, vulcanite, a pad, a folded sack 

 or blanket, and a roof. 



This quilt wiU soon be cast aside for something very 

 much better. What will it be 1 "We cannot tell the reader 

 what will come next, but we agree with Mr Quinby that 

 there is " nothing equal to straw for straining moisture 

 out of hives.'' If wood is unsuitable for the crowns or 

 tops of hives, it is equally unsuitable for their sides. 



Ghiide-Gomhs and Cross-Sticks. 



Guide-combs are simply little bits of clean old comb 

 (the older the better) about two inches wide and one or 

 two inches deep, fastened to labels, such as are used for 

 naming plants. "Well, the label and bit of comb are laid 

 together, and cemented by dropping between them a little 

 melted wax. This is best done by holding a warm poker 

 over the two, and touching it with a bit of wax. The 

 poker should be just warm enough to melt the wax : if 

 too hot, the wax will boil and melt the guide-comb as it 



