Mysteries of Bee-keeping ExplainedQuinby, M. (Moses)
Science
Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained
Quinby, M. (Moses)
Bees
Having told how I make a hive, I will now give some reasons for
preferring a particular kind of boxes. I have taken great quantities of
honey to market, put up in every style, such as tumblers, glass jars,
glass boxes, wooden boxes with glass ends, and boxes all wood. I have
found the square glass boxes the most profitable; the honey in such
appears to the best possible advantage, so much so, that the majority
of purchasers prefer paying for the box at the same rate as the honey,
than the wood box, and have the tare allowed. This rate of selling
boxes always pays the cost, while we get nothing for the wood. Another
advantage in this kind of boxes is, while being filled, the progress
can be watched, and the time they are finished known precisely, when
they should be taken off, as every day they remain after that, soils
the purity of the combs.
GLASS BOXES--HOW TO MAKE.
_Directions for making._--Select half-inch boards of pine or other soft
light wood, cut the length twelve and three-quarters inches, width six
and three-eighths inches, dress down the thickness to three-eighths or
less, two pieces for a box, top and bottom, in the bottom bore five
holes throughout the centre to match with those in the top of the hive,
(the pattern used in marking the top of hives is just the one to mark
these). Next, get out the corner posts, five-eighths of an inch square,
and five inches in length; with a saw, thick enough to fit the glass,
cut a channel length-wise on two sides, one-fourth of an inch deep,
one-eighth from the corner, for the glass. A small lath nail through
each corner of the bottom into the posts will hold them; it is now
ready for the glass--10×12 is the right size to get--have them cut
through the centre the longest way for the sides, and they are right,
and again the other way, five and five-eighths long for the ends. These
can now be slipped into the channels of the posts, and the top nailed
on like the bottom, and the box is ready.
GUIDE-COMBS NECESSARY.
It will be found a great advantage, previous to nailing on the top, to
stick fast to it some pieces of guide-combs in the direction you wish
the bees to work. They are also an inducement for them to commence
several days sooner, than if they had to start combs for themselves;[5]
a piece an inch square will do; it is well to start every comb you want
in the box; two inches apart is about the right distance to look well.
To make these pieces hold fast, melt one edge by the fire, or candle,
or melt some bees-wax, and dip one edge in that, and apply it before
cooling; with a little practice you can make them stick without
difficulty. For a supply of such combs, save all empty, clean, white
pieces you can, when removing combs from a hive.
[5] A line of bees-wax made with a guide-plate, or other means,
is found to be of but little use.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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