THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
17:? 
I despise a beehive that is large enough, or 
has lumber enough in it to construct a tene- 
ment house. We have two hives in our apiary- 
sent us for trial, very good hives, but they are 
large enough for a hen-coop. Why make a 
hive that has space enough between the outer 
case and brood-chamber for ten bushels of 
shavings to pack it for winter. Such large 
hives are a nuisance in the apiary. 
FEEDING ARTIFICIAL POLLEN. 
For thirty years we have made it a practice 
to feed wheat flour to bees for early pollen. I 
know that nearly all who speak of this 
matter will say “ feed rye meal.” We know 
from long experience that wheat-flour is the 
proper material to give the bees. We take 
the cap of an L. hive, invert it, place the flour 
in it and then set it under the south side of a 
building, or in any sheltered place, and very 
near the apiary, too. The bees are easily 
started to work in the flour by placing a small 
piece of comb containing honey in the flour. 
We also place a piece of dry comb in the box 
for the bees to light upon and work the flous 
into little pellets upon their legs. If beer 
need pollen before it can be obtained from 
early flowers, why not give them such material 
that they can quickly take into the hive ? 
They can do it with flour. 
SOCIALITY AMONG BEEKEEPERS. 
Beekeepers as a class are not apt to “ hide 
their light under a bushel.” As a rule, they 
often meet and talk about bees and bee 
matters, and talk over the little experiments 
they have been working upon. In this way 
much valuable information has been gained 
to all concerned. 
When there were beekeepers in this vicinity 
with whom I could meet and talk bees for a 
while I could enjoy myself. Now the nearest 
beekeeper is four miles away and then we do 
not have the time to spend in such a way. 
Our advice is to meet and converse upon bees 
as often as possible, talk over the best method 
for wintering bees, best way to market honey, 
best hives, etc. — ( Venham, Mass. 
THE ENTRANCES TO HIVES, AND 
VENTILATION. 
WViHen/or the American Bee Journal. 
Query 603. — 1. What kind of hive entrance do 
you prefer the dimensions, how contracted, 
etc.? 2. Does this entrance furnish all the 
ventilation necessary ? — Goshen, N.Y. 
1. 1 use an entrance i x 14 inches, contracted 
by entrance blocks. 2. Yes. — G. M. Doolittle. 
1. The full width of the hive and i of an 
inch deep. 2. Yes. — C. H. Diubekn. 
1. The one usually made in the Langstroth 
hive — J-inch deep and the whole width of the 
hive, contracted by two three-cornered 
entrance blocks. 2. Yes, Usually.— Eugene 
Secor. 
1. Eight iuches long, and J-inch high. 
Contract by use of the blocks similar to the 
entrance-blocks of the Langstroth hive. Con- 
tracting the entrance is seldom necessary. I 
leave them wide open in winter. 2. Yes. — 
M. Mahin. 
1 . The full width of the front end of the 
hive, and § of an inch high ; contract it with 
entrance-blocks. 2. Usually it does, but not 
always.— A. B. Mason. 
1. On thew'hole I prefer it J-inch by 8 or 10 
inches, and contract the size by the Langstroth 
triangular blocks. — A. J. Cook. 
1. One J-inch high, and the full width of 
the hive, to be contracted as needed by a 
block or stick. 2. Yes. — C. C. Miller. 
The full width of the hive, and 2 of an inch 
wide. Contract it with right-angled blocks in 
the early spring. In the summer and winter 
have the full entrance open, and furnish 
necessary ventilation. — Mrs. L. Harrison. 
One J-inch wide, and the whole width of the 
front of the hive ; contractions to be made 
wi'h the Langstroth entrance-blocks. Such 
an entrance furnishes as much ventilation as is 
needed, so far as I know. — W. Z. Hutchinson. 
Ten inches wide and 5-16 of an inch deep. 
Besides in the summer we raise the hive 
from the bottom, and give as much as two 
inches room in depth in front. We leave the 
back closed. — Dadant & Son. 
1. I prefer the entrance 10 or 12 inches 
long, J-incli wide, which I contract as occasion 
requires, either by slides or by triangular 
blocks. 2. It will, if the hive be properly 
shaded. — J. P. H. Brown. 
1. I prefer an entrance J-inch by 11 inches, 
and to have it come beneath rather than at 
the ends of the brood-frames, as usually pro- 
vided. This kind of an entrance is quite 
effectual against robber bees, and with full 
colonies it needs no contraction at any time of 
the year. 2. On very hot days I give further 
ventilation at the top of the hive. — G. L. 
Tinker. 
1. I use the Langstroth hive 14j inches 
wide, and give ail entrance the whole width of 
same. 2. Yes, ordinarily, if shade of some 
kind is used to guard against the sun. — 
J.E. Pond. 
The whole width of the hive and 2 of an 
ineli deep, contracted by the entrance blocks. 
2. It will until it gets very warm, then I 
raise the hive up on little blocks j-inch by one 
inch, placed under each corner. That will 
raise the hive J-inch from the bottom-board 
all round, except iu front, which will be j of 
an inch. — H. D. Cutting. 
1 . I use and prefer the entrance to the hive 
to be i >n a level with the bottom-board of the 
hive. I prefer this style of entrance for too 
many reasons to be mentioned here. A 
j slight pitch to the front will drain the bottom- 
board of all moisture. I make the entrance 
| 3 of an inch high, and full width of the hive. 
I contract it by mends of two blocks that can 
be moved at will. I have had no trouble w ith 
this arrangement iu any way. 2. The ven- 
