November G, 1391. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
413 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
Although October was somewhat frosty, and the temperature 
was down to 20° on the 28th, the bees have carried more pollen 
and on more days than I ever experienced during the same month. 
Previous to the rain on the 27th, and as is usually the case, the birds 
have made havoc with the Currant and Gooseberry buds, being 
about ten days earlier with the devastation than the average of 
years. 
Prepared for Winter. 
Owing to the protracted season I was a little later in getting my 
hives prepared for the winter’s campaign. But they are now com 
pleted, and stand either in outside cases with dry hay between and 
over the hive, or with several folds of sacking on the sides and hay 
on the top, with an oilcloth projecting well down the sides, and 
covering part of the stand. The semi-circular roof of galvanised 
iron throws the drip well olf the sides, and protects both front and 
back from rain. This porch gives most freedom and protection, 
with least obstruction to the bees. If I had a new term of a bee¬ 
keeping life to begin, this would be the only form I would adopt. 
It is not only the handiest but is the cheapest to begin with, and 
costs less at first than any other system ever devised, and the hive 
proper will last far longer than double cased ones, or outside cases. 
Dysentery. 
As dysentery is brought on by damp hives, and the honey 
absorbing an undue quantity, owing to the form of hive and mode 
of management, our bees have an entire immunity from that disease. 
Costiveness is a common occurrence amongst bees that have 
nothing but Heather honey and abundance of pollen. This costive- 
nesss has been termed dysentery by some writers, whereas it is 
simply the opposite, and occurs amongst the most healthy bees. To 
prevent it I allow a few pounds of beet sugar dissolved in its own 
weight of water. That has now been supplied to nearly all of 
them, and I have no dread of an Arctic winter injuring the bees in 
the slightest. 
Dead bees on the floor are a frequent annoyance to some ; that, 
as well as detachments of bees dying, are unknown in my apiary. 
Mice in Hives. 
The present month is the one when mice are seeking for winter 
shelter and take readily to hives. They kill the bees by eating their 
heads and thorax, and their offensive odour is abominable and 
injurious to bees ; they ought to be well guarded against. With 
very narrow entrances they are kept outside, but sometimes they 
nestle in the wrappings and eat into the hives. To prevent this traps 
or poison should be used, as hives seldom rally from the injury of 
mice. The slide of perforated zinc, as used by Win. Hogg, Castle 
Douglas, is an effectual plan of keeping them from entering the hive 
by the doorway, but it has the same evil effect as it has in the other 
ways it is applied in bee management, by hindering the bee’s exit 
and return at a time when it is most desirable they should have 
free egress and ingress to and from their hives. 
Ekes During Winter. 
These ekes, or “raises” as they were termed, belong to the 
Stewarton method, but they have the fault of drawing damp, which 
cools the bees before leaving the hive, and being so much below the 
comb many bees get chilled on their return before they reach it. 
The ventilating floor fully obviates these inconveniences, and pre¬ 
serves the bees, as the moment they leave the non-conducting 
comb they are outside, and having little or no toilet to perform 
evacuate while on the wing, and return in a vigorous state to the 
hive without any delay or much loss of heat. In cases where 
(from want of better resources) it is necessary to use ekes, always 
place a bit of fresh comb a little beyond the entrance, so that the 
bees can avoid the damp and conducting sides of the eke, and reach 
the combs and cluster in safety when the sun is low and the air 
chilly. 
Preparing for Summer. 
Bees should now require no more attention, that is, provided 
they are wind and water tight with sufficient stores, till the months 
of April or May, beyond an occasional look to see all remains as 
they were prepared. Everything required for next summer should 
be overhauled and put in readiness when required. As our swarms 
were not numerous this year, the frames we deprived the bees of 
filled with Heather honey, will be the only ones requiring founda.- 
tion, thcss prepared last year being still in readiness and in order. 
I will not touch nor overhaul them until May, but will then go 
over every one, and remove all traces of the spiders’ webs ; between 
them and the earwigs they keep the moths down, so I rather 
encourage the former, and have no trouble with moths in my 
hives. 
I have disposed of all my prize hives, and may, if the year be 
good, require a few of the cheap sort to take their place, being in 
reality the best hive for all purposes, although it has not been the 
greatest prizewinner. As these additions will be for swarms, only 
two divisions and stand, if supers are excepted, will complete the 
hive ; no outlay whatever will be made but what is necessary. 
The floors being for summer work only will be made on the cheap, 
and without feet. When so made they do not oscillate so much 
when in transit on a vehicle as with feet, however short they may 
be, and can, if required, be piled two tier, thereby getting more 
hives to their site at the Heather in a shorter time and at a cheaper 
rate than when fewer have to be taken. The stand will, with the 
exception of one of the sides being in two pieces, which I will here¬ 
after explain, and minus the feet, be the same or similar to the 
complete floor and stand. 
It consists of a rim of five-eighths wood from 4J to 6 inches- 
broad, having a sheet of perforated zinc the full size of the stand 
upon the top edge. One of the sides will be in t wo pieces, which com¬ 
bined, will measure about an inch less than the full breadth, leaving 
an opening nearer the bottom than the top of about an inch wide~ 
The under rail being a little narrower than the upper a fillet of 
wood will be required all round on the inner side of the stand, so 
that the shutter or false floor comes flush with the under edge of 
the upper rail, when another fillet at each side of the shutter is 
nailed to the stand at an angle, so that when the shutter is down it 
admits air, and can be caught hold of to raise it to its place when 
to be shut or when to be drawn out. It will be observed the two 
under fillets keep the false floor at its place at the back, and a- 
button keeps it up when closed. This arrangement of the floor 
makes it handy for those who keep their bees in houses, and is 
much easier kept free from debris than when feet are added, as 
there is no obstruction to prevent its easy removal or replacing., 
while its cheapness and the simplicity of its make recommend it.. 
American Ideas. 
Ever since a correspondent advised me to read the American: 
journals I have endeavoured to do so, and get any benefit likely to 
be derived from those go-ahead people. Owing to my absence so 
long at the Heather, I am still a long way behind with correspon 
dence and reading, and have only received the August number of 
“ Gleanings,” which contains the only bit of information worth 
knowing. A considerable time was spent and paper wasted both 
in this country and America discussing the theory that compression 
was necessary to produce workers from the egg that is naturally a 
drone egg, or rather what would without fertilisation produce a 
drone. Then others maintained that it was the bees that had the 
power of changing the sex. The Editor of “ Gleanings” appears to 
have the weakness of leaning to that side, but let his own word's 
speak for him. He says, “ For instance, if you take a frame of 
worker comb containing eggs in worker-cells and nothing else, and 
put it in a queenless hive, more or less drones will be found 
