APICULTURE. 435 
fed in this way in less than an hour by one man. The hive is sev- 
enteen and one-half by thirteen and one-fourth inches, and eleven 
inches deep; the frames rest on rabbits, and are fifteen and three- 
fourths by nine and three-fourth inches, inside measure. The upper, 
or top, bar is eighteen inches long, one-half inch thick and seven- 
eighths of an inch wide, with a tongue in the lower side to fasten 
foundation to it. The lower bar is seventeen and one-eighth inches 
long, stands edgewise in the sidebars, and projects a bee space out- 
side of the sidebars. This projection is a most excellent contrivance 
in handling frames quickly; it prevents the crushing of bees in 
taking frames out and putting them back; neither can the bees 
stick the frames fast to the walls of the hive with propolis. There 
is a bee space all around the hive, also over the frame. I used nine 
frames the first season and eight frames after that. The capacity 
of the brood chamber is about the same as a Langstroth ten-frame 
hive. 
My section case holds twenty-eight seven to the foot sections, has 
three partitions, and two-inch wide strips of glass in the sides, with 
wooden slides over the glass to see the advancement of sections 
without disturbing the bees. I have no use for separators; they are 
a hindrance to the bees. 
I get straight combs by nearly full sheets of foundation ae by 
setting my hives level from side to side, and keeping full of bees. 
I do not paint my hives, on account that paint will hold the vapor 
of the bees in the hive, which nearly all,if not all of it, will escape 
through the pores of the wood if not painted. This is a great 
consideration, for the health and welfare of the bees, especially in 
winter. The lumber of my hives is planed on one side only, the 
inside; the outside is left rough, which prevents the reflection of 
the hot sun in summer months; it also prevents cracking and warp- 
ing of the wood and, besides,is more durable. A more shallow hive 
may give more surplus honey, just for a season, but, for a long run 
of successful beekeeping, my hive has stood the test over all others 
in Minnesota when properly handled. 
WHICH HIVE; EIGHT OR TEN FRAME? 
W. I. STAHMANN, WEAVER. 
This is a subject of much importance, and one that has been dis- 
cussed a good deal, especially the past season. As I have used 
both sizes extensively for the past seven years, I will give my ex- 
perience and let the beekeepers of this convention ses for them- 
’ selves. 
In the winter of 1886-87, I had sixty hives of bees in good condi- 
tion. About twenty of them were in Langstroth hives, the dimen- 
sions of which are 111g in. deep, 17% in. long and 1314 in. wide, using 
nine frames 1034 in. deep and 16% long. Forty colonies were in 
Simplicity hives;inside dimensions, 914in. deep, 18% in. long and 
144 in. wide, using 10 frames 91g in. x 175gin. I did not like either 
of these styles of hives, and as I was in need of more hives, I con- 
cluded to make a change. 
