BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
As to a door and windows there should be only one window, and that opposite the door, so as to allow a draft to pass directly through, because the building at best becomes very saltry in hot summer weather. An ordinary tight-fitting door should be used, hinged in the usual way. To the outside of the door-frame there should be a wire-cloth screen-door. At the top of the door the wire cloth should extend up as seen in the cut below; that is to say, it should be nailed on the outside, and should extend four or five inches beyond the bottom inside edge of the frame, leaving a bee-space between the frame and cloth. This is to allow the bees that collect in the room during the time of working, as for instance during extracting, to escape in accordance with the natural instinct that prompts then to crawl upward. The window should have wire cloth nailed on the outside in like manner, the same extending above the window-casing as in the figure.
A better method is that shown in the larger cut where the edges of the wire cloth are formed into bee-sees.
A better arrangement still, and the expense is but slight, is ordinary screen windows. At two of the upper corners attach Porter honey-house bee-sescapes as shown in the engraving in the next column. This will be more reliable, as the robbers can not by any possibility return through
objectionable; and those who manage house-apilaries now prefer to use ordinary outdoor hives instead, primarily because the bees can be more easily confined to the hives; and, secondarily, because the indoor and outdoor hives are one and the same, and interchangeable.
The entrances of the hives are so arranged that they communicate with openings through the side of the building; and then ordinary covers should be used to confine the bees strictly within the hives. In lieu of a cover a thin # board, or something of that sort, may unswer just as well; but so far as possible we would so construct the house-apilar so that every thing outdoors may be moved inside, and _ice versa_, whenever requirements make it necessary. The dimensions of the house-apilar inside should be just large enough to take a row of your hives without wasting space.
For entrances to the hives from the outside there should be a two-inch round hole, lined with a tin tube that has first been painted, and then dusted on the inside with some fine sand while the paint is fresh, so as to make it rough enough for the bees to cling to the inside surface. The set in tubes should be inserted at the time of the construction \(c\ell\) the building, and before the packing-material has been poured in, and should be high enough for the bottom of the tube to come flush with the top of the bottom-board. To connect this tin tube to the hive entrance is not difficult.
As the entrance through the house-apinar is a lines in diameter, it will be necessary to have a raised rim about 2 inches deep, the same width and length as the regular hive you are using. The side of the rim next to the building should be cut away for the a-inch entrance, or else the whole side be left off entirely. This rim should be nailed down in position.
This rim will, of course, take the place of the regular bottom-board. It is not absolutely necessary to make it two inches deep; it can be only one inch deep if preferred. The entrance then, instead of being at the ends of the frames, will be at the sides, or make a side entrance.
On account of convenience in handling frames, it is necessary to have the hive's side against the building.
To economize still further the space of the building, there should be another tier of hives about four feet above the floor; and these should be supported by shelving that reaches clear around the room. The same arrangement with regard to entrares may be employed as described for the bottom tier.
Now let me insist again. Do not delude yourself with the idea that you can build hives cheaper, and have them a part of the building. You are making a great mistake if you do. The ordinary outdoor lives are in every way much more handy. And another thing, do not be satislied to put just a mere quilt on top of the frames. It is absolutely necessary that the bees be combined strictly to their own hives, otherwise they will be crawling from one hive to another, killing quens occasionally, getting on the floor, getting mashed, to say nothing of the inconvenience to the aptirust when he desires to do any work inside.
Putting cross colonies in house-apinar.
We have always observed that the crosses bees are latt little inclined to sting _inside_ of a building. When they fly from the combs that you are handling, they and themselves inclosed; and this so this oneerits them that they immediately fly to the screen windows and escape. James Heddon says, "If you have a cross colony, put it in the house-api-ary and see how tame it will become,"
house-aptains for wintering.
As the building is double-walled, and is (or ought to be) packed, colonies will require less protection than outdoors. Indeed, about all that is necessary to put them into winter quarters will be to put on an extra combinoney super, tuck in a chaffeushion, replace the cover, and then the bees are prepared. In very severe cold weather, a small fire, or heat from a large lamp in the room, may, perhaps, be used to advantage; but artificial heat in wintering should be used sparingly and with care, for oftentimes it does more harm than good.
**APIS DORSATA.** See Bees.
**APIAYY, OUT.** See OUT-Apiaries.
**ARTIFICIALIFERTIZATION,** After the reader has read the subjects of Drones, queens, and queen-hearing, he will fully understand that the mating of the drone and queen in a state of nature takes place on the wing in the air, but it never occurs inside the hive. Nature has seemed to design, for the purpose of avoiding in-breeding, that the queen shall find her mate in the open air, where, according to the law of chance, she will in all probability meet some drone not directly related to her. Attempts have been made at various times to bring about fertilization within the hive or within some small tent connected with the hive-entrance. But all such attempts have resulted in failure, because the drones and queens, as soon as they find they are confined in a small inclosture, will bump against the sides of the mosquito-netting or wire cloth, vainly seeking to escape.
There have been some few reports of where success has been accomplished; but they seem to come from obscure persons who were probably not familiar with the fact that queens will often take several digits in the air before they meet a drone. One might therefore, put a wire-cloth eage over a hive, and then remove it ; the queens and the drones return to the hive; but as both again seek the air on some future occasion, and meet, our friend the experimenter concludes that the act of copulation took place in hts-cage, when in fact it did not occur until at a subsequent time in the air.
So far it has not been feasible to control more than one parentage in the rearing of queens, and that the mother. No matter how choice the queen may be, nor how excellent her stock, yet she may mate in the
## Artificial fertilization
open air with a drone from very inferior stock. In the breeding of domestic animals it is possible to mate together a choice male and a choice female. Much could be accomplished in the way of improved stock if we could also control the male parentage of bees: and we do not know but that in-breeding, according to modern methods now known in stock-raising, might secure for us a race of bees greatly superior to any thing we now know.
Just at present it seems very desirable that bees with longer tongues be bred, so that the nectar in the deep corolla-tubes of red clover. in the horsemint of Texas. and the mountain sages of California, as well as of hundreds of other flowers, could be reach-ed. Tons and tons of honey might thus be secured that otherwise goes to waste. See Toxoue of WorkerBee.
## Artificial heat
As strong colonies early in the season are the ones that get the honey and furnish the early swarms as well, and are in fact the real source of profit to the bee-keeper, it is not to be wondered at that much time and money have been spent in devising ways and means whereby all might be brought up to the desired strength in time for the first yield of clover honey. As market-gardeners and others hasten early vegetables by artificial heat, or by taking advantage of the sun's rays by means of greenhouses, etc., it would seem that something of the kind might be done with bees ; in fact, we have, by the aid of glass and the heat of a stovee, succeeded in rearing young bees every month in the year, even while the weather was at zero, or lower, outside; but so far as we can learn, all artificial work of this kind has resulted in failure, so far as profit is concerned. The bees, it is true, learned to fly under the glass and come back to their hives ; but for every bee that was raised in confinement, two or three were sure to die, from one cause or another, and we at length decided it was best to wait for summer weather, and then take full advantage of it.
Later, we made experiments with artificial heat while the bees were allowed to fly out at pleasure ; and although it seemed at first to have just the desired effect, so far as hastening brood-rearing was concerned, the result was, in the end, just about as before: more bees were hatched, but the unseasonable activity, or something else, killed off twice as many as were reared, and the stocks that were let alone in the good old way came out ahead. Since then we have rather encouraged to check very early brood-rearing, and with better results.
A few experiments with artificial heat have apparently succeeded, and it may be that it will eventually be made a success ; but my impression is, that we had much better turn our energies to something else, until we have warm settled weather. Packing the hives with chaff, sawdust, or any other warm, dry, perons material, so as to economize the natural heat of the cluster, seems to answer the purpose much better, and such treatment seems to have none of the objectionable features of working with artificial heat. The chaff needs to be as close to the bees as possible ; and to this end we would have all the combs removed except such as are needed to hold their stores. Bees thus prepared seem to escape the ill effects of frosty nights in the early part of the season, and we accomplish for brood-rearing exactly what was hoped for by the use of artificial heat.
For the benefit of those who may be inclined to experiment, we would state that we covered almost our entire apjary with manure, on the plan of a hot-bed, one spring, and had the mortification of seeing almost all die of spring dwindling. Another time we kept the house-apjary warmed up to a summer temperature with a large oil-lamp, for several weeks, just to have them beat those out of doors. The investment resulted in losing nearly all in the house-apjary with spring dwindling, while those outside stayed in their hives as honest bees should, until settled warm weather, and then did finely, just because we were "too busy to take care of them" [5], as we used to express it. After you have had experience enough to count your profitable colonies by the hundred, and your crops of honey by the ton. it will do very well to experiment with greenhouses and cold-frames ; but beginners had better let such appliances alone unless they have plenty of money to spare for more bees.
## Artificial Pasturage
Although there used to be quite a trade in seeds and plants to be cultivated for their honey alone, we can give little encouragement to those who expect to realize money by such investments. There is certainly a much greater need of taking care of the honey that is almost constantly wasting just for black of bees to gather it. A field of buck-wheat will perhaps occasionally yield enough honey to pay the expense of saving, as it comes in at a time when the bees in many places would get little else ; and if it doesnot pay in honey, it certainly will in grain. If one has the money, and can afford to run the risk of a failure, it is a fine thing to make some accurate experiments, and it may be that a farm of one or two hundred acres, judiciously stocked with honey-bearing plants, trees, and grgins,would be a success financially. It has been much talked about, but none, so far as we know, have ever put the idea in practice. To beginners we would say : Plant and sow all you can that will be sure to pay aside from the honey crop, and then, if the latter is a success, you will be so much ahead ; but beware of investing much in seeds that are for plants producing nothing of value except honey. Alsike and white Dutch clover, buckwheat, rape, alfulfa, and the like, it will do to invest in ; but cathip, nignonnette, Rocky-Mountain bee-plant, etc., etc., we would at present handle rather sparingly.
The question, "How many acres of a good honey-bearing plant would be needed to keep 100 colonies busy?" has often been asked. If ten acres of buckwheat would answer while in full bloom, we should need perhaps ten other similar fields sown with rape, mustard, cathip, etc., blossoming at as many different periods, to keep them going the entire warm season. It would seem 500 acres should do nicely, even if nothing were obtained from other sources, but at present we can only conjecture. A colony of bees will frequently pay for themselves in ten days during a good yield from natural pasture ; and if we could keep up this state of affairs during the whole of the summer months, it would be quite an item indeed, Alfafla, sainfoin, sweet clover, buckwheat, rape, alsike clover, crimson and red clover, cow peas of the south, and some others, are the only cultivated plants that have given paying crops of honey, without question, so far as we have been informed. See Honeyplants in Index.
## 7 Artificial Swarming
See Swaching, Artificial, and Nucleus.
## 8 Asteris
Under this head we have a large class of autumn flowers, very often called daises in some localities, most of which are honey-bearing ; they may be distinguished from the heliumths, or urtichoke and sunflower family, by the color of the raylewers. The ray-flowers are the outer colored leaves of the lower, which stand out like rays ; in fact, the word aster means star, because these ray-flowers stand out like the rays of a star. Many of the yellow autumn flowers are called asters, but this is an error ; for the asters are never yellow, except in the center. The outside rays are blue, purple, or white. You may frequently find half a dozen different varieties growing almost side by side. Where there are many acres of them, they sometimes yield considerable
not be filled quite full. Just before shipping put in a little more and then slip. We have received several consignments of honey that had candidied, in kurrels. The barrels had been filled full, the honey had candidied, and burst the barrel.
How to test barrels for leaks.
Barrels that are intended for the storage of honey should not be kept in a cellar but in a _dry place_. Before filling, the hoops should be driven down tight all around. To test for leakage, Mr. N. E. France, Platteville, Wis., a bee deeper of large experience, recommends the following plan :
Drive one of the bungs in, and then with the mouth placed tightly over the other bunghole blow in until there is quite a pressure in the barrel. To do this, place the mouth over the hole, exhaust the lungs, draw in a fresh supply through the nose, exhaust the lungs again, and so on uutil you have forced in all the air possible. Place the side of the palm next to the mouth, then with a quick sliding motion move the mouth simultaneously with the palm, and close the opening. Now listen for air-leaks. If there are any, there will be a hissing in one or more places. Dip the free hand into some water, and push it along to where the air seems to be hissing out. This will prove beyond a doubt whether there is a leak at that point. If there is one, there will be a sputtering or bubbling. Note the place, and then hunt for other leaks. But all this time, of course, the palm of one hand should be held over the bung through which the air was forced. Wherever the air is found leaking through, drive the hoops down still further until the openings are closed. Then, again, force air into the barrel and try for leaks as before.
Do not, under any circumstances, test a barrel for leakage with water, as it soaks up the wood, and the latter would swell up and close the leak. After the honey is put into the barrel it would absorb the water, and the barrel would leak just at the time it could be least afforded--when it would be half way on its journey.
The need of paraffining or waxing barrels.
We are well aware that some of our best honey-producers say it is not necessary to wax or paraffine barrels inside ; but our experience shows that it is very important, not so much so for the purpose of closing up any possible leaks as to prevent the honey from soaking into the wood of the barrel, and the wood itself from giving a taint to the honey. The average person has little idea of the amount of honey that can be soaked up inside of an unwaxed barrel, and be charged up to the shipper. After having tested the barrel for leaks by the air-pressure plan recommended, and made it tight, wax or paraffine the inside of the barrel ; but don't depend on the waxing to close up the leaks--the barrel should be tight before.
Paraffine, being a good deal cheaper than beeswax, and melting at a lower temperature, is, therefore, to be recommended. Melt up about 10 or 12 lbs.: and when quite hot pour it through a large funnel into one bunghole of the barrel. Quickly drive in the bung, roll it around, twirl it on each head ; then give it another spin so as to cover perfectly all around the chime. This operation will warn the air inside to such an extent that the liquid will be forced into every cre crevice. As soon as the inside is covered, loosen the bung with a hammer ; and if the work is well done the bung will be thrown into the air with a loud report. Pour out the remaining liquid, warm ; it up again, and treat the other barrels in a like manner.
The operation as a whole takes but very little time ; and if one has taken pains to make the barrel tight by the air-pressure plan, the coating of paraffine on the inside will make it doubly secure. Second-hand barrels especially should be paraflined ; and even new barrels should be so treated to prevent a great loss of honey that would necessarily soak into the wood. Steel barrels are not recommended.
## 6. Barrels of square cans.
In California, Colorado, and other hot dry States, barrels and keys should never be used. The ordinary co-pound tin cans, described under Extracted Honey, are the only suitable shipping-packages. Indeed, they are the only package that nine-tenths of the bee-keepers of this land can use safely. While they cost considerably more per bound, yet the honey is nearly always reported as going through in good order. Even if one has a hole punched in it, only 60 pounds of honey is lost ; while in the case of a leak or break in a barrel, anywhere from five to eight times that amount is wasted. Through the entire West--and that is where the great bulk of the extracted honey in the United States is produced--the square tin can, two in a case, is used exclusively ; and we would strongly urge the average be keeper to use them in preference to barrels. While the tin package costs a little more per bound, it also brings a little more on the market ; for the buyer can take as large or small a quantity as he needs. Where the purchaser hesitates to buy a whole barrel of honey for his own local trade, he will readily take one or more cans of 60 lbs, each.
removing candied honey from barrels.
Good thick honey will usually become solid at the approach of frosty weather, and perhaps the readiest means of getting it out of the barrel in such cases is to remove one of the heads, and take it out with a scoop. When it is quite hard, you may at first think it difficult to force a scoop down into it; but if you press steadily, and keep moving the scoop slightly, you will soon get down its whole depth. If the barrel is kept for some time near the stove, or in a very warm room, the honey will become liquid enough to be drawn out through a large-sized honey-gate.
A more wholesale way of removing candied honey is to set the burrel or leg in a tub or wooden tank of water, the latter being kept hot by a small steam-pipe. In 24 or 36 hours the honey in the barrel will be melted, and can then be drawn out in the usual way.
**BASSWOOD** (or Linden) (_Tilia American, Tilia heterophyll, argenter_, and other _Tilie_). Excepting, perhaps, alfalfa, sage, and white clover, basswood (often known as "linden") furnishes more honey than any other one plant or tree known in this country. It is true that it does not yield honey every season; but what plant or tree does? It occasionally gives us such an immense flood of honey that we can afford to wait a season or two, if need be, rather than depend on sources that yield more regularly, yet in much smaller amounts. If a bekeeper is content to wait, say ten or fifteen years, for the realization of his hopes, or if he has an interest in providing for the beekeepers of a future generation, it will pay him to plant basswoods. A tree that was set out about ten years ago in one of our streets now furnishes a profusion of blossoms, almost every year; and from the way the bees work on them we should judge it furnishes considerable honey. A hundred such trees in the vicinity of an apjary would be, without doubt, of great value. See Artificial l'astuage. Our 4000 trees were planted in the spring of 1872, and in 1877 many of them were bearing fair loads of blossoms. We made some experiments with basswood seeds, but they proved mostly failures, as have nearly all similar ones we have heard from. By far the better and cheaper way is to get small trees from the forest; They can be bought for about one cent each. These can be obtained in almost any quantity, from any piece of woodland from which stock has been excluded. Cattle feed upon the young basswoods with great avidity, and pasturing our woodlands is eventually going to cut short the young growth of these trees from our forests, as well as of many others that are valuable. We planted trees all the way from one to ten feet in height. The larger ones have, as a general rule, done best.
The cut will enable any one to distinguish at once the basswood when seen. Clusters of little balls with their peculiar leaf attached to the "seed stems" are to be seen hanging from the branches the greater part of the summer; and the appearance, both before and after blossoming, is pretty much the same. The blossoms are small, of a light-yellow color, and rather pretty; the nectar is deposited on the inner side of the thick desly petals. When profuse it will sparkle the dextrops if a cluster of blossoms is held up to the sunlight.
Climatic influences have their effect upon basswood. Among the hills of York State the leaves assume mammoth proportions. We measured one that was 14 inches long. While this leaf was among the largest, yet the leaves were, on the average, about twice the size of those in our own locality. In Illinois we noticed that the basswoods seemed to be less thirrty than in Ohio. The leaves seemed to be smaller, and the bark of the trees of a little different appearance. The next engraving represents quite accurately the typical forms, however.
The European basswood, or linden (fully as good a honey-producer as the American species) is famous as an avenue tree, as it furnishes a fine shade and is unaffected by the prime and dirt of the cities. The famous street of Berlin, Unter-den-Linden, is shed by this species. It is known in England as the "'line" tree, and is there a great favorite for street planting. The famous "'line-tree walk" of Cambridge University is well known. This tree takes precedence over all others for street planting in the northern United States. It blooms earlier than its American sister.