The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1865]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarianNeighbor, Alfred
Science
The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1865]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarian
D D are ventilators. In the centre of each of the end boxes is a
double zinc tube reaching down a little below the middle, the outer
tube is a casing of plain zinc, with holes about a quarter of an inch
wide dispersed over it; the inside one is of perforated zinc, with
openings so small as to prevent the escape of the bees, a flange or
rim keeps the tubes suspended through a hole made to receive it. The
object in having double tubing, is to allow the inner one to be drawn
up and the perforations to be opened by pricking out the wax, or rather
the propolis, with which bees close all openings in their hives. These
tubes admit a thermometer enclosed in a cylindrical glass, to be
occasionally inserted during the gathering season; it requires to be
left in the tube for about a quarter of an hour; and on its withdrawal,
if found indicating 90 degrees or more, ventilation must be adopted to
lower the temperature--the ornamental zinc top D must be left raised,
and is easily kept in that position by putting the perforated part a
little on one side.
The boxes before described are placed on a raised double floor-board,
extending the whole length, viz., about 36 inches. The floor-board
projects a few inches in front. In the centre is the entrance;--as our
engraving only shows the back of the hive, we must imagine it on the
other side,--it is made by cutting a sunken way of about half-an-inch
deep and 3 inches wide, in the floor-board communicating only with
the middle box; it is through this entrance alone that the bees find
their way into the hive,--access to the end boxes and the super
being obtained from the inside. An alighting board is fitted close
under the entrance for the bees to settle upon when returning laden
with honey; this alighting board is removable for the convenience of
packing. The centre, or stock-box, A, called by Mr. Nutt the Pavilion
of Nature, is the receptacle for the swarm; for stocking this, it will
be necessary to tack the side tins so as to close the side openings
in the partition, and to tack some perforated zinc over the holes at
top; the swarm may then be hived into it just the same as with a common
hive. A temporary bottom-board may be used if the box has to be sent
any distance; or a cloth may be tied round to close the bottom (the
latter plan is best, because allowing plenty of air), and when brought
home at night, the bees being clustered at the top, the cloth or
temporary bottom must be removed, and the box gently placed on its own
floor-board, and the hive set in the place it is permanently to occupy.
E E are two block fronts which open with a hinge, a semicircular hole
3 inches long, 2 wide in the middle, is cut in the upper bottom-board
immediately under the window of each box; these apertures are closed by
separate perforated zinc slides; these blocks, when opened, afford a
ready means of reducing the temperature of the side boxes, a current of
air being quickly obtained, and are also useful for allowing the bees
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account