V8 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



very largely 3'^our success in obtaining 

 results proportionate to the size of the 

 hive. Perhaps the reason that some 

 have condemned the deep frame is be- 

 cause they never had perfect combs in 

 the deep frames; while such combs are 

 more easily secured in the shallow 

 frames, especially would this be the 

 case with the careless operator. 



As your combs, barring foul-brood, 

 are to last a life time, be sure to have 

 them perfect at the start. 



I find that combs built wholly by the 

 bees sag less, as a rule, than the 

 combs built from full sheets of founda- 

 tion. But such combs built from start- 

 ers, if at any time heavy laden, and 

 near a hot, dark colored, or unpainted, 

 single-lid, will often sag all along the 

 top-bars. Paint your lids w/nV^. Some 

 advise having all combs (from full 

 sheets of foundation) built out in the 

 extracting super during a good flow, 

 so they will be built clear to the bot- 

 tom bars. That will do, if you are 

 sure that you will never wish to use 

 any of those combs in the brood-nest, 

 (and " never is a long time")- No mat- 

 ter how well-wired, many of them will 

 sag to such an extent as to be entirely 

 unfit for use as brood-combs. Have 

 your foundation drawn out in the 

 brood-nest, at such a time that every 

 cell, as nearly as possible, may con- 

 tain brood at least once. Then you can 

 fill up your extracting supers with 

 such combs, and no sag; always readj'. 

 anywhere, and how fast you can ex- 

 tract the honey from them ! Many of 

 them will be built down to the bottom 

 bars. 



I know that, with the passing years, 

 I have come to appreciate more and 

 more the value of good combs. When 

 comparing results from different 

 queens, be sure that you consider the 

 comparative condition of the brood- 

 combs in each hive. Poor brood 

 combs may so handicap the best col- 

 ony as to allow some really inferior 

 stock to accomplish greater results. 



SHALLOW COMBS THROW THE POLLEN 

 INTO THE SECTIONS. 



In regard to pollen in the sections, 

 my experience is empliatically the 

 same as Dr. Miller's. When compar- 

 ing hives of the same capacity, or even 

 though the shallow hive be of greater 

 capacity, far more pollen goes into the 

 supers above the shallow hives. 



I have also seen strong proof of this 

 in a large yard near one of my own. 



Suppose that I am a bee-keeper get- 

 ting into the business on a large scale, 

 using a shallow brood-nest and work- 

 ing for comb-honey. Results may be 

 satisfactory, little or no pollen being 

 stored in the sections, and I stock yard 

 after yard with 100 or more colonies in 

 the shallow hives. The keeping of 

 such great numbers of bees favors the 

 perfect pollination of the flowers of 

 certain plants, with the result, as 

 years pass, of a inarked and positive 

 change in the flora, as has actually 

 happened here, and In many places, 

 and I know that my field now furnishes 

 so much pollen that far too much is 

 carried into sections above the shallow 

 frames. 



To adopt a deeper frame and hive to 

 cure this trouble (as it surely would) 

 would be an immense expense, and to 

 endure this trouble, would be at great 

 loss. Especially, it seems to me, 

 should the beginner adopt a hive that 

 will not favor pollen in the sections, as 

 does the shallow hive. And so far as 

 any magical superiority in the shallow 

 hive is concerned, bee-keepers who de- 

 pend on their bees for a living, are 

 fast learning that hives do not gather 

 hone}'. Give me the proper nntnber of 

 Dadant, Gallup, Langstroth, Heddon, 

 Danzenbaker, or American frames, 

 and I will produce honey to compete 

 very nearly In qualitv' (or c[uantlty) 

 per hive, with anyone, barring pollen 

 in the sections. Of course there are 

 some styles of frames that I would not 

 like to handle. 



Meridan, Idaho, Jan. 15. 1906. 



