ES Se BR RS EER te ee ee ee ee Sb eet heat eee ee © 
436 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
About this time the question was asked in the question depart- 
ment of “Gleanings” “Which is the best size of hive, eight or ten 
frame?’ The answers were nearly all in favor of eight frame 
hives, also most of the articles written in the journals favored eight 
frame hives. As Iwas about to change the style of hives, I also 
concluded to change the size. I made 150 eight frame hives, and 
put about seventy-five of them in use that season, also using my 
old style of hives. My average crop per colony that season was 
fifty lbs., spring count. I noticed they made less honey in the 
eight frame hive. 
In 1888 I started an out apiary on the Zumbro river about five 
miles from my home apiary. This wasa better location, more low 
lands and timber, while the home apiary was surrounded with grain 
farms. I putin use 100 of the eight frame hives this season and 
fifty of the larger size. The average crop was fifty lbs. per colony, 
the large hives producing about twenty per cent more honey than the 
eight frame, and the sections were filled and finished better. 
In 1889 I used about 125 eight frame hives and seventy-five nine 
and ten frame hives. My average crop being about seventy-five 
lbs. per colony spring count, with thirty per cent in favor of the large 
hives. 
In 1890 I moved to my present location, Weaver, Wabasha Co., 
in the Mississippi valley bottoms, about twenty-five miles south- 
east of my former location. That wasa very poor season. My apiary 
on the Zumbro bottoms had to be fed until the first of July, and in 
the fall were in a starving condition. The home apiary was fed un- 
til the first of June and made twelve lbs. surplus per colony, the 
ten frame making twenty-five per cent the more. 
In 1891 I used ninety of the ten frame and sixty-five of the eight 
frame, all in the home apiary, averaging thirteen pounds surplus 
per colony, with thirty per cent. in favor of the ten frame hives. In 
1892 I had about the same number of hives, the crop averaging 
about thesame. In 1893 I used thirty of the eight frame and thirty- 
five of the ten frame, an average crop of 100 pounds per colony—and 
this is the only season that the eight frame did as well as the ten- 
frame hive forme. The hive that gave me the largest yield this sea- 
son was an eight frame hive, which was run with six supers the 
most of the season and made 200 pounds of comb honey, and no 
Swarms. 
In 1894 I used thirty eight frame and seventy-eight of the nine and 
ten frame, and raised an average crop of 175 pounds surplus per col- 
ony, spring count,the large hives making sixty per cent-smore honey 
than the eight frame, also filling and finishing the sections much 
better. A large number of the ten frame made over 300 pounds sur- 
plus, while the eight frame averaged less than 100 pounds, 
In the above statements, the number of hives in use each season 
was the greatest number in use that season, while the average crop 
of surplus is based on spring count, or the smallest number in use 
that season, 
When first I was about to use the eight frame hive, my theory was 
that of many other writers, that the eight frame was sufficient for 
