“Novice’s” cleanings in bee culture 
3 
rels of honey on, bring in hives, 
barrels, etc,, and every facility af- 
forded for keeping the whole place 
neat and tidy at all seasons. 
Our friend Mr. E. B. Blakeslee, of 
this place, uses the following modi- 
fication of this plan. The bee house 
is placed at the lowest side of the 
Apiary and a track or tracks with 
proper switches made to run be- 
tween each two rows of hives. A bar- 
rel is fixed low down in tho car, and 
Extractor and implements placed 
over it. The whole is covered with 
a light, square tent, made of canvass 
and wire cloth for an assistant to 
work secure from robbers. Roll 
your car to the top of the slope, 
hand the full frames from the hive 
through a slit in the canvass to your 
assistant until the hive is finished, 
then roll your car to the next two 
hives, and so on until you get to the 
house, when your barrel should be 
full and ready to roll off for another. 
This plan really works well and ain't 
patented. If it suits you, thank Mr. 
Blakeslco. Next number we will 
give our plan more fully, and sug- 
gestions for the construction of a 
Bee House. 
PROBLEMS 
I'OIl THE GENIUS OF OUR YANKEE BEE 
KEEPERS. 
1 ST. Some plan by which coffee su- 
_i gar can bo made into solid candy, 
as cheaply as wo can make it into 
syrup ; so that we can have it in 
cakes or bars to be laid on top of the 
frames under tho quilt. The most 
careless bee keeper could then sup- 
ply destitute colonies with a more 
wholesome food than honey, and see 
when they were out by simply rais- 
ing the quilt. Perhaps our South- 
ern friends could mako us some such 
sugar. If dampened up with water 
and dried, the “little chaps lug it off” 
out of the hive when it crumbles 
down, one grain at a time. 
2nd. Is brown sugar any cheaper 
Jthan No. 1. A. coffee sugar, i. e. in 
a dollar’s worth of each, could a 
chemist find more pure sugar in the 
cheaper article V If so, about how 
uuch ? Can our Southern friends 
mlp us? 
2d. By dispensing with the shaft 
in tho extractor and making the 
frame larger, we can reverse combs 
inside of frame. Can they not be 
reversed without malting frame larger ? 
If we use folded tin strips instead 
of wire cloth, they need not come 
nearer tho edge of comb than with- 
in one inch of each of its sides. 
Think of it. 
4th. In tall hivesin springthc brood 
cluster has generally to be enlarged 
downward ; in long hives with 
small frames they are obliged to go 
over to other combs ; while in long 
hives with long shallow frames they 
are only obliged to move along 
horizontally on the same comb, and 
the latter has uniformly been most 
successful with us. We should like 
the opinion of all bee keepers who 
have no “ rights for sale," on the 
above points. We shall publish the 
result in a table. 
No form of hive which does not 
provide for, or admit of the ready 
use of the honey-emptying machine, 
can ever again find favor with pro- 
gressive bee keepers. — Wagner. 
STRAWS. 
[For Novice’s Gleanings in Bee Culture.] 
Nowhere, Dec. 3, 1872. 
M AY I bring a straw for your bundle of 
gleanings, Mr. Novice? Throw itinto 
your paper basket if you choose. I am 
among those who do not like to risk having 
my upper lip made into a miniature portico, 
or my ability to “observe the beauties of 
nature” suspended. 
W. P. Clark says in “Annals,” “Happy 
is the bee keeper, who can get possession 
of an old fashioned, black lace veil.” I 
think I understand him. With a veil made 
as follows, no gloves, and a pair of line 
tweezers to draw out the little beard that 
sometimes breaks off in the flesh, as you 
take away the sting, you may work with 
very little fear. Three-fourths of a yard 
of crown lining, black or white as you pre- 
fer, three-eighths of a yard of black bobinet 
lace, (will make the face for two) ; or tulle 
is nice, only not as durable, and one-half 
yard rubber cord. Cut off one width of 
crown lining I!) inches for length of veil, 
cut lace lengthwise in two pieces, sew a 
piece of crown lining at both top and 
bottom, hem and run rubber cord in top, slip 
cord over crown of the hat, and tuck the 
veil tinder the clothing at. the neck, or wear 
loose. Materials can be found at most 
milliner’s shops or dry goods stores, at a 
cost of 40c. 
N. B. — If you have any very prominent 
features, don’t draw the veil too closely. 0. 
