1846. THE CULTIVATOR. 377 
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COLTON’S BEE-HIVE.—Fig. 108. y 
The above cut gives a view of Colton’s bee-hive 
which received the first premium of the N. Y. State 
Agricultural Society, at the Auburn meeting. In rela¬ 
tion to the hive, the committee under whose examina¬ 
tion it came, remark that they think it combines more 
advantages than any other with which they are ac- a 
quainted; and they add—“the simplicity of its construc¬ 
tion, the pyramidal form of the main chamber for the 
bees, and the side application of the drawers for the 
purpose of obtaining honey, warrant us in fully recom¬ 
mending it to the public.” 
The principal advantages of this hive, as set forth by 
the patentee, are as folio ws: 
That from its superior convenience and adaptation to 
the habits of bees, they will accumulate honey more 
rapidly in it than on any other plan: that from the 
drawers being arranged on each side of the centre of 
the hive, (as shown in the cut,) the bees will fill from 
four to six of these drawers in the same time that they 
will fill two placed in the ordinary way, over the top: 
that the bees more readily enter the drawers on the 
sides without disturbing others, than when they are 
placed over the top: that the horizontal entrances to 
the drawers, (two in each, 4 inches long and 1^ inch 
wide,) are much better than auger holes on the top: 
that the bees will attach their comb, which is usually 
1-t inch thick, to the shoulder, (which including the 
opening into the drawer, is If inch wide,) and con¬ 
sequently run one-half the comb up through the draw¬ 
er, still leaving a quarter of an inch for ingress and 
egress: that the double covering, which by this hive, 
the bees are allowed, is warmer in winter and cooler 
in summer: that to remove the brood comb of an old 
hive, by breaking out one half in one year and the 
other half the next year, is better than any dividing of 
the hive, or driving-out process. 
Our cut represents the front of the hive with the 
doors or shutters opened, showing the arrangement of 
the drawers, each having a piece of glass in the end, 
through which it may be seen when they are filled. 
We have never had an opportunity to examine this 
hive, but from the representations of experienced bee¬ 
keepers, and the plan of its construction, we have 
formed a favorable opinion of it. The name of the pa¬ 
tentee is Aaron Colton, and his residence is Pitts¬ 
field, Vermont. 
Swarming of Bef.s. —When bees swarm, they gene¬ 
rally settle at first on some object near the hive, and if 
care is not taken to hive them while in this situation, 
they are likely to go off to the woods—sometimes to a 
great distance. Their flight is always direct, and some¬ 
times astonishingly rapid, and when once they are fair¬ 
ly started,it is almost impossible to stop them. Various 
expedients have been tried for this purpose, and gene¬ 
rally with but little effect; such as making- great noi¬ 
ses with old pans, bells, firing guns, &c. But we late¬ 
ly received from Mr. Sleight, of Geneseo, Ill., an ac¬ 
count of a very simple means of arresting their flight, 
which he assures us he has proved to be perfectly ef¬ 
fectual. It is to reflect the sun’s rays directly upon 
them from a looking-glass. He relates several instan¬ 
ces where swarms which were on the wing, endeavor¬ 
ing to make their escape, were suddenly stopped and 
made to alight in situations from which they were 
hived, by sending a few quick and vivid flashes of light 
from the glass directly into their centre. They appear 
to be greatly frightened or annoyed by this lightning- 
like appearance, and however rapid may be their flight, 
they will, it is said, at once come to a halt. 
BENSON'S HYDRAULIC RAM. 
Mr. Tucker —We have lately been invited by Mr. 
Luther Griffin to witness the operation of one of these 
machines for raising water, set up by Mr. G. in this 
town for public inspection. The location of the ma¬ 
chine w r as near a spring issuing from the base of a high 
bank, extending for considerable distance parallel with 
the stream produced by the spring, and near the sum¬ 
mit of which wras situated the farm-buildings of the 
occupant. Some six or seven rods below the fountain 
head, a small dam was built in order to give the fall 
necessary for the action of the machine, and some three 
or four rods lower down wras the machine itself, so that 
the distance from the apparatus to the top of the bank 
was considerably greater than it was from the fountain. 
From this location we saw the water running up this 
steep bank, a distance of perhaps fifteen rods, in quanti¬ 
ty sufficient to answer all the purposes of a large farm¬ 
yard and the house. But the water did not stop long in 
its aspiring course to subserve these purposes, for, by a 
continuous pipe, it passed, first, through the top of a high 
apple tree, (then bountifully laden with noble fruit,) from 
which, with the sprightliness of a squirrel for aught we 
know-, (it “ kept dark ” in the pipe so that we could not 
see its motions,) it passed to the roof of a cow-hoUse, 
which it traversed for 30 or 40 feet, w-hen it became more 
aspiring and sought the roof of the barn, and after having 
reached the ridge of this, perhaps for the want of some¬ 
thing higher to climb after, it passed itself down on the 
other side, at a height of seventy feet or more above 
its fountain; while the little toy pond that fed the saucy 
fellow that sent it up so hig-h, exhibited a surface as se¬ 
rene and beautiful as thoug'h no dream of aiding or 
abetting in such roguish mischief had ever entered its 
bosom. 
This illustration of the power so small in its compass, 
and so simple in its fixtures and operation, as you may 
w-ell suppose, altogether exceeded our expectations, and 
were it not an age when the most wonderful things 
very often become the most probable, we should have 
doubted much whether such a performance could have 
been exhibited. But we saw the feat, and so did many 
others, so that if our own senses are to be credited, we 
must believe. 
The construction of the power is very simple, and in 
our view not likely to become deranged or get out of 
repair in any of its parts, or more frequently than would 
be the case with any ordinary aqueduct. If in process 
of years the valve and the spring that regulates it should 
become “ worse for wear,” as they necessarily must, 
any common mechanic can replace them with the great¬ 
est ease. 
The advantages of this machinery will doubtless be 
realized for many practical purposes. In places where 
buildings are situated on elevations, they will be found 
convenient for raising water from lower lands where 
the benefits of ordinary aqueducts cannot be realized. 
At large manufacturing establishments they may be em¬ 
ployed to elevate and carry water from the main stream 
to reservoirs in any part of the premises, to provide 
against damage in case of fire. They may also be made 
