5 
1874. GLEANINGS IN 
(ion, they have raised a Queen this spring. My frames 
are 11V x 10 inches, this will be my Standard size 
hereafter as it gives me power over 'my bees that a 
longer cannot give, it also gives me tnc New Idea 
principle, which is old to me, let Adair say what he 
pleases. 1 will use it with the entrance at the side of 
the hive the whole length; which, with what we give 
above, makes the best ventilator iu the world. Bees 
live longer iu mv hive than in any I ever used before. 
Delhi, Mich. April 10, 1874. J. L. Davis. 
OUR STANDARD HIVE, 
we make as follows: 
E B 
The diagram above, is drawn on a scale of 
y, inch to the foot, and the lines are supposed 
to represent a section of the ^dressed, Ijoards. 
A, is the cover 10^x80; B, bottom-board 
]5%x28| a . The one inch less in width, is to 
allow the side boards to lap over and cover 
tlie joint iu the same manner as does the back 
end board as seen at D, for the lower edges of 
both back ends and sides, are rabbeted out 
%x%. Before nailing in the bottom-board the 
front end is to be ireveled as seen in diagram, 
and tlieu it is to be nailed very securely to 
door-step E, which is 16%xf>, aud beveled on 
its front edge, also. The front board C, is like 
I), except that it lacks the rabbeted edge, be- 
ing therefore less in width, that is, 15%x- 
14 ' 8 ' in width; this allows the triangular 
blocks, when placed on the door-step, to be 
pushed back under the edge of C, until they 
strike back against the sharp edge of bottom- 
board B. E, is to stand directly on the ground, 
or at least on a thickness of saw-dust sufficient 
to keep down iveeds, and to keep the rest of 
tlie hive up to the same level, we nail strips 
lx%, clear around under the bottom-board, 
and just flush with its edges. We hardly need 
repeat what we have said, about rabbeting 
clear around the under side of the cover, and 
nailing in the square frame, made of the strips 
tf, G, and similar ones sawed oil' the sides of 
the hive; as this has been given in previous 
number. The manner iu which the cover shuts 
on a bevel to exclude rain, is seen between 
G, C, and G, D. We prefer the entrance below 
the top surface of the bottom-board, because it 
thus excludes driving storms and wind. When 
the blocks are iu place, ’tis true some rubbish 
such as dead bees etc., may accumulate behind 
them ; but if they are occasionally removed as 
they should be, this will do no harm. Several 
inquiries have been received like the following : 
. tu nmklng I.ong Hives to hold 20 or more frames, li- 
the bottoms are nailed fast will they not need an 
yenm la tlie bottom covered with wire cloth for 
ventilation ? or rather how much ventilation will 
such hives need in hot weather, whether nailed fast 
to bottom or not, and standing In the sun ? 
Mannlapan, X. Y. Mar. 30, 1874. Ckas. H. Rue. 
It the combs are kept under careful super- 
vision as we have advised, we think no more 
ventilation will be needed than is given at the 
capacious entrance, when tlie blocks arc taken 
•iway entirely. We should never think of al- 
lowing a strong stock to remain entirely un- 
shaded We think examination will show 
that the ventilating holes covered with wire 
BEE CULTURE. 
cloth are invariably waxed up by the bees 
very soon, and are therefore useless. 
Any opening not covered with wire cloth is 
used as an entrance, and when closed, makes 
them trouble and confusion. It is our opinion, 
that too much ventilation, has produced more 
mischief on the average, than too little. We 
would advise those who are in doubt, to try 
both extremes aud see what the effect is on 
b rood-rearing. Keep the hives shaded in the 
hottest wcuther, by all means, but until about 
the time your grape vines leave out, we think 
it almost impossible to give them too much of 
the sun's heat; and also almost impossible to 
give them too little ventilation. 
i**,* JS jfi 
bees are all right so far, I have not lost a sin- 
jltfdL colon y fr° m 80 which I am wintering, all 
==== on Buck- wheat honey. I sold 1100 lbs. of hon- 
ey last year at an average of about 20 cts. i/cr pound, 
and increased from 49 swarms in box hives to 80 in 
“Simplicity/’ Castalia. O. April 1st. N. E. Prentice. 
My bees are wintered all in good condition, except 
the one which had dyeentery, it being 'Queenlcss, and 
another that is a drone layer. They have all wintered 
on sugar-syrup not sealed, and fed all through the 
winter; perhaps no man has ever disturbed his bees 
so much ; they cleansed, the 15 of March, I shall feed 
on sugar forever. Wequiock, Wis. J. Duffelkr. 
Our 40 stocks are now reduced to 34. Fortunately 
we have lost but one choice Italian as yet, and even 
then (April 9,) we found the Queen alive on one of the 
combs, and surrounded by a handful of her bees. We 
removed the comb, bees, and Queen, and carefully 
inserted the same in the center of a stock of blacK 
bees that had been Queenless two or three days. Per- 
haps tills was an act of audacity, but to-day her new 
subiects resumed work on middlings, and an exami- 
nation inside the hive revealed Her Royal Majesty at 
her legitimate business— O. K. 
Koshkonong, Wis. April 14, 1874. D. P. Lane. 
DEAR NOVICE Can report the successful win- 
tering of 197 colonies bees. I removed the caps on 
upper story leaving top of hive open; with L. hive 
set aside caps, ana left open two or three holes in 
honey-board, closing all downward ventilation. Win- 
tered in cave and cellar, and found nil in good condition 
upon setting them ont quite recently. A neighbor put 
away 66 swarms within few roils of me in same way, 
only leaving doxvnrvard ventilation, also, all wiutcred 
well and seem to be in good condition now. 
Onawa, Iowa. April 8, 1874. Aug. Christie. 
All of my 90 colonies of Bees earner through the win- 
ter safe, and some of them stronger than common at 
at this season. I had drones fly-in*' 1 on the 19th of this 
month, three weeks earlier than I ever saw them 
before. Comersvllle, Tenn. March, 1874. Eli Coble. 
Bees have wintered finely on natural stores, lost 
none— no dysentery— winter very mild. They gath- 
ered pollen in Feb*, from alder. 
Mitchclsvllle, Tenn. H. Peden. . 
Bees in the beet condition. Allalive— no dysentery, 
and working on the fruit trees as only tke industrious 
bee can work. * Dk. W. P. Moore, 
Richland Station, Tenn. April 6, 1874, 
Took out my bees Tuesday. Lost two ; the balance, 
46, consumed five and one-tnird lbs. honey on the av- 
erage, per colony, for four months. J. Crall. 
I did not get my bees out of the cellar until the 10th. 
My 34 stands and 5 of my neighbor’s (put Into my cel- 
lar) came out all right. .Six of my four frame Nuclei 
were all right— two had run out of honey and starved. 
Grandvlow, Iowa. Apr. 16, 1874. W. J. Ronald. 
Editor Gleanings : We have taken away the ma- 
nure, so that the sun may shine directly on the hives, 
(as you have so often recommended) and our twenty 
two colonies have noariy all been bringing iu pollen 
for the past two davs. Some of the strongest, (!) have 
actually got brood In three combs. April 21st. JVovice. 
