The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-09-07

| This bottom-board is made of plank al least
two inches thick, two feet long and at least six
teen or seventeen inches wide, so as TO form a
shoulder for coateras TO rest on outside OF the hive
on W W. whchistands on, level and light at AAAA,
from the inside of the hives-botom the plank
is worked out in quadruple inclined plane down
TO some less than an inch at Y like the hopper to
| mill. In the center at X hole is bored with a
three-inch center Bit and Tin tube made TO fill,
two inches long, which is inserted therein, with
six inch holes equal distances, near its lower
edge. This tube is confined in the bottom
board by nail, and projects an inch or more
below the underside Of the bottom-board,
and is lined on the inside with wire-gsuZe. A
cap is made like the cover 10 box, to fit on the
outside with half-inch holes in its rim correspond.
ing with those in the projecting tube, and put on
so that il is made adjustable, and venta ion most
| easily graduated by turning the cap a little. A
canal or gutter is made in The top Of the bottom
board. six inches wide, one inch deep and cover
ed by fitting in piece of board from B TO b B ST.
as to form a tunnel one fourth inch high, and six
inches wide for the bees 10 enter and egress at
work. This entrance may be contracted by fit
ling in billet of wood so as to leave room for
passing bees in proportion 10 their numbers.
The advantages of this bottom board, with the
principle of ventilation here adopted by the ad-
ustible cap, must be determined principally by
future experiment. | constructed this bottom
board in 1882, but used sheet iron slide at for
a ventator This did not prevent the entrance
of the moth millers, and the board was laid aside,
since which | have used the suspended bottom
boards with very good success. Last spring how
ever, determined and succeeded in Obtaining
patent on this principle of ventilation, and went
into course of experiments with Sc sers of these
bottom-hoards all made IN the same principle,
out varying in the power Of ventilation and width
the canal, some without the adjustable caps and
others with all of which were new hives, new
swarms, new buItom-boards, and all stand in
row together in the AparY. And here it should
he remarked that every hive that is placed on the
canal bottom has shown signs Of being infested
with moths, more or less. except those which are
ventilated by The adjustable caps. These are
not annoyed in the least, aud with my present
views am confident that with scruDulous good
management, no moth will ever enter and depos-
it her eggs in the interior Of the hive where this
botiom-board and adustable cap is used with skill
and the Apiary is not treated with neglect. In
the use of these ventilators, the cfiuva OF the
hive escapes through the wire -gauZe, and attracts
the miller TO those places where she surely cannot
enter Moreover the tunnel tC the canal extends
so far into the hive, that the entrance is kept
warm at that pace, and the bees will keep a
strong guard TO prevent intruders as well the
robbers of bees from other hives, as moths, until
the weather is too cold for the mllers To fy
and furthermore, if in chilly nights the miller does
enter the tunnel, the general atmosphere cannot
disSipate her eilluvia in that place, and the miller
is driven of Lv strong guard.
Fig. 3.