118 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
scarcely boxes. Two strips were nailed about 
1 an inch down from the top on the two 131 
sides, there formed a resting place for 9 strips of 
lath, from half inch to J wide, cut the right 
length to go inside the box and rest on the 
strips. To one side of each lath I fixed a strip 
of foundation a quarter inch wide by means of 
melted wax, and then with small brads lightly 
fastened each lath in position on the strips so 
that the laths were parallel with the sides of 
the box, and spaced so as to be 1 1 inches from 
centre to centre. The laths were a little over 
a quarter of an inch thick, so that when they 
were nailed down they were about vt below 
top edge of hive. To form an entrance to the j 
box cut out from bottom of front (or side as 
preferred) a notch (» inches long and J inch 
wide. Any piece of flat board will do for 
bottom board, and same for cover. I placed a 
swarm in one of these boxes in November, the 
bees soon filled up with fine, straight, parallel 
combs, guided by the laths and narrow strips 
of wax, and, as there was just iy- of an inch 
between the tops of the laths and the cover, 
it gives the bees just room to move about, and 
not room for comb building. I could take off 
the cover and see down between the combs 
which were all solidly fixed to the sides of the 
box. With a little smoke and a good shake 
I tumbled most of the bees out on a sheet and 
sighted the queen. As soon as they all re- 
turned 1 put on a similar box with 21 1-lb. 
sections with starters of foundation which are 
filling up. There is room for 42 section-boxes 
in two tiers. 1 propose to try another for bell 
glass honey, by removing the cover, putting 
on a second box, and place a bell glass on the 
frames for comb honey : or we may have the 
second box with laths like the first, and allow 
the bees to fill up ; at the end of the season the 
top box which will generally contain honey only 
and can be removed and the robbing performed 
without disturbing the brood chamber beneath. 
The cost of these boxes without laths or wax 
would be about Is. Od. each ; the wax for nine 
frames costs about 4d., the labor, laths and 
nails need scarcely be counted, while the bot- 
tom boards and covers can be made out of any 
old boxes or cases if the cost of purchasing 
them, say about Is., is prohibitive. 
If box-liive beekeepers were to adopt a 
similar plan I am sure it would bo found to 
pay, inasmuch as better produce and better 
prices would result. Too close robbing with 
starving and diseased bees would be prevented, 
and the operation of “driving” easily and 
safely performed, while the beekeeper would 
have the option of obtaining his surplus in the 
shape of comb honey in the most saleable 
form, and the cost of the boxes would 
scarcely, if at all, exceed the amount paid for 
all kinds of odds and ends of dirty, thin and 
leaky packing cases. 
The boxes could be got in the flat from the 
timber yard ready to nail up, and in that shape 
are very convenient for carriage indeed. I 
believe if there ever was a demand for such bee 
boxes they could be made up — laths, wax 
strips, and all for less than the amount I have 
quoted. 
(To be continued). 
THE AUSTRALASIAN BEE JOURNAL. 
We have just received the January number of 
this periodical, and we are glad to learn from 
its pages that the New Zealand Beekeepers’ 
Association is likely to be resuscitated, for 
there can be no doubt that more good is done, 
and more progress in the art of Apiculture 
accomplished by association, than in any other 
way, the publication of a Bee Journal not 
excepted. It is true that a great many 
country members cannot avail themselves of 
town meetings, but, then they should form 
small district or local branches, as advised at 
a late meeting of the Victorian Beekeepers’ 
Association, when more good still would 
accrue. If, further, the publication of the 
local Journal could be under the auspices of 
the Association, and members be given cer- 
tain privileges, such as a lower subscription, 
much would be done towards binding together 
beekeepers throughout New Zealand. 
The pages of the present number are full of 
interest and useful information, and we are 
pleased to find its Editor on our side as 
regards “ Foul Brood,” and the inodes of 
dealing with it. 
We observe a correspondent refers to a pro- 
position made at the Victorian Beekeepers’ 
Association that an endeavor should be made 
to get up an Apicultural Court at the coming 
Melbourne Exhibition (as was done at the 
Indian and Colonial last year in London), in 
which all the Australian exhibits of honey, bees, 
and appliances should be gathered together for 
comparison, and he objects to the suggestion 
because, he says, “it will do away with com- 
petion.” He fails, we think, to see that by 
bringing tbe exhibits side by 3ide, com- 
parisons can be more easily and_ critically 
made than if there was a small exhibit in the 
New Zealand Court, and otlieis in each of the 
different colonies. This spreading out of what 
at most will not be a very extensive class will 
kill real competition, while a collective exhibit 
would attract an immensely greater attention, 
as it did in London, and put a keenness on the 
competitive character which could not other- 
wise be obtained. We sincerely wish our 
New Zealand contemporary a prosperous 
year, and an increasing subscription list. 
, • pll 
“ How do You pronounce s-t-i-n-g-y- 
asked Prof. Comstock. The smart bad boy 
nearest the foot of the class stood up and said, 
“ It depends a great deal whether the word is 
applied to a man or a bee ; one is sting-y, and 
the other is stin-gy. “ Go to the head, young 
fellow. ” 
