MODERN BEE-CULTURE. No. 9.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XIII, Issue 3634, 23 June 1880, Page 3

MODERN BEE-CULTURE. No. 9.

REQUISITES OF THE APIaHY. "Not all you marshalled orbs, that roll so high, Proclaim more loud a present Deity,. . Thau the nice symmetry of these small cells, Where on eaoh angle genuine science dwells." Thbbe are few appliances beyond those already enumerated in former papers that it is neoessary to have in the apiary, for the successful management of the honey-bee. In this paper I will mention; only those that I consider the apiarist cannot dispone with. In addition to.. those already referred to-hives, comb foundation, extractor—the following: are the only applianses I use myself: smoker, mats for covering _ frames, board for fixing comb foundation in frames, seotion boxes : for oomb honey, feeder, and bee-veil (this ■ I uso < but rarely), These, with the < exception of hives, foundation, and ex- ' tractor, would not cost more than ten '.'■ shillings, and when once procured, would, ''■ with care, last for years. •• .' Smokeb.—Nothing has yet been dis- < covered equal to smoke for quieting bees i during manipulation. By this I do not I mean that it ia necessary to stupefy them. J before they can be handled; they have ' only to be slightly alarmed, and nothing ' does this so readily as a, few puffs of i pungent smoke. During the season when honey is coming in very fast, hive after - hive may be opened, and combs taken out < with little risk of being stung. At such i times the smoker oonld be dispensed with, < except that ii useful for driving the bees < out of the way, to prevent any being « killed while putting in the fra-nea. There 3 is nothing will vex a careful apiarist more « than clumsily killing a bee. After the t honey season is over, or when there is * very little being gathered, there is more t need of a little smoke, as the. bees, like 1 ourselvos, are more easily provoked when i there is nothing coming in than Wn f ( they are thriving. The best pokera are I those that emit a ourrens of gold air and < smoke mixed; %]? m "termed cold blast ! smokers. The advantage of this kind < ove?. oihers, is, that the smoke is cold, j instead of hot, when blown upon the hees. '< The one I have in use is about 6in. t square, with the fuel oag& atfcaohed to the t bellows, and cau he used with one hand t while tho other is left free for manipula- f twg. It was one of the same make that t took the first prize at the great bee and c honey show at Kilburn in June, 1879. v ■Hans, or dry, rotten wood make excellent j material for fuel, a

Mats-These are for covering the frames, to prevent bees goltiiijr, up under the cover of the hives. This is a very important matter, and should bo attended to, or they will daub - all the joints and crevices with propolis, and make it almost impossible to remove tko cover without jarring and enraging the bees. And when replacing the cover .the beos would bo about the joints and get crushed, which would at once show that there was something wrong somewhere. The mats also allow of ventilation without a direct draft. After a time tho bees gnaw holes in them, when they must be renewed, f . t Boabd for fastening comb foundation m frames.—This is a very useful applianoe where comb foundation is Used. It is made from a piece of .board three-eighths of an inch thiok, cut slightly smaller than the maido dimensions of tho frames, and two small battens are nailed across tho back, projecting beyond the ends of the board. To fasten a sheet of fonndation, hold tho board in-the' left hand, place a frame inverted agairisUhe battens; the board will then be within; the frame, and just reaching the'groovo in the top bar:'lay the sheet on' the board and press the edge into-the groove. Elevate one end of the board and frame slightly, and with a spoon pour a little.melted wax into the groove at the upper end; it will then run down and fasten the sheet securely. Both sides of sheets should be treated in the same manner, but care must be taken to allow the wax to set, and to support the sheot while turning the frame, and also when inverting it to its proper position. It should then be hung up in an empty hive for safety. In cold weather the sheets should be slightly warmed before handling.

Section BoxESi-These ate for securing comb-honey, and may bo of any size; but those generally used, and found to bo the most convenient, are made to contain lib and 2lbs of honey. It will not be necessary for me to say more about them now, as I shall refer' to them at length in a future paper. • FEEDEB.-This also is a very useful article in the apiary, as : at times it may be necessary to feed a light colony, or to induce brood rearing in early spring, There are many different kinds in use, but the cheapest and handiest for feeding syrup are those mado from a solid piece. of wood; a piece of 3in, x 2in. one foot long, with three deep grooves in it, with a circular saw set wobbling, Ifa.litllo very.hot wax be put into these feeders' and poured out again immediately it will coat them, sufficiently to prevent the wood absorbing any of the syrup, These feeders oan be used either inside or out. side the hive with perfect safety to the bees, While on the subject of feeders I may as well answer a question that has been put to me as to why I recommended candy last month for feeding instead of syrup. If feeding is necessary in cold • weather, next to. sealed honey candy is ' best, as syrup contains such a large pro. portion of water it would not ripen after being stored in the cells," in other words ' i water would not evaporate; and unripe food is liable to, give bees dysentery. While there ia so little water in candy that it may be given to bees in cold weather with safety. Division Boabps. — These" are thin, boards made to fit insideithe hive;'from front to back, and are for contracting the dimensions of the hive to accommodate a small colony.and can be enlarged as the requirements of the colony demand, Bee.Veil,—This may be made of tarlatine or grenadine to fit over a wide brimmed hat and tucked in tho collar of the coat.,' It gives a timid person, or 'beginner, of security 5 but after a ; :while generally gets laid on one. side.; It is handy to have by you incases of need. \ ny L ln future papers I shall haVe'bccasion to refer to all the above appliances, when the method of using them willbe gone into at greater length. • ' ■'•"' ,y . _

•.• Ji Hopkins. The Apiary, Parawai, Thames,