44 
DR. MILLER'S 
top-bars prevents the cell from falling down. Generally, how- 
ever, there is no need of the nail, for the frames come near 
enough together to hold the cell; the wire serving to hold the cell 
in place till the frames are shoved together. 
Cement for Hives. — Q. Do you think it would be all right to 
make supers out of cement? Would it agree with the bees? I 
can make them much cheaper than with lumber. (Arizona.) 
A. My guess would be that cement supers would be quite 
objectionable on account of their weight. It is also possible that 
with 115 degrees in the shade they might be too hot. 
Q. How about concrete for hive-bottoms? I am setting some 
of my bees on blocks I make for them right on the cool ground. 
Can they be used for winter? 
A. They will probably work all right for either summer or 
winter. Of course, it would seem as if concrete would give the 
bees "cold feet” in winter; but then, they don’t need to put their 
feet on the concrete. 
Shaft Hives. — Q. I wish to work up to about 20 or 25 colonies 
of bees and have no bee-cellar to winter them in. I think of using 
nothing but chaff hives. Would you advise me to depend en- 
tirely on such hives? < 
A. I hardly dare advise. Chaff hives will make you less trou- 
ble preparing for winter, but they are cumbersome and unwieldy, 
and if they should perchance at any time pass into the possession 
of someone having a cellar or wanting to take them to an out- 
apiary, they would be objectionable. So it would not be a bad 
plan for you to experiment a little trying both kinds, only be sure 
to have only one size of frames. In northern latitudes the chaff 
hive is counted valuable. 
Chestnut. — Q. How would chestnut lumber do for beehives? 
A. From my recollection of it in boyhood, I should call it bad. 
Chickens Eating Bees. — Q. Is it a common thing for chickens 
to eat bees? We had one that would stand in front of a beehive 
and eat bees until it was full. I thought it would die, but it kept 
it up for two weeks, and was doing well. 
A. Testimony is somewhat mixed on this subject. For the 
most part it is claimed that chickens do not cat bees, or if they 
do, it is only the drones. Some, however, say that chickens eat 
workers, especially some chickens that have learned the trick. 
Chunk Honey (See Bulk-Comb Honey.) 
Cleome. — Q. What about artificial pasturage for bees? Is 
