THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



105 



side lenf4th of the brood-chamber, just 

 so that the bees will stick it to to the 

 tin or wood just below its supports. 

 On eii-ch side of this bar is nailed a 

 strip of tin, the lower edjres of which 

 are bent at right ang-les, just under 

 the bar, and toward each other about 

 's inch. A frame is made one inch 

 shallower than the others in the same 

 hive (for other styles of bottom boards 

 it must be 1>^ inch shallower) with a 

 top bar y% or Yz inch deep. Along on 

 the top of this is nailed a strip of heavy 

 tin. The two upper corners of this bar 

 are slight!}' cut awajs rabbet-like, or 

 may be beveled, which leaves a little 

 groove under each edge of the heavy 

 strip of. tin; or, if the bar is made of 

 hardwood, a saw-kerf along each side 

 near the upper side of the bar will an- 

 s .ver, if the tin rests are set a little 

 lower, snd the strip of heavy tin mav' 

 be dispensed with. The top-bar of 

 this frame slides close under the first 

 named bar, the edges of the tin resting 

 on the little incurved edg^es of the strips 

 of tin which are nailed to and project 

 1-16 of an inch below the first or upper 

 bar. This forms a sliding joint which 

 allows the frame to be drawn out and 

 returned through the opening in the 

 end of the hive as shown. 



The next step, whe.-e swarming is 

 allowed, but where one wishes to 

 know just when the bees are preparing 

 to do so, is to graft some old queen cell 

 cups into the comb in this frame. 

 They should be put where the queen 

 will be most likely to use them first. 

 By simply drawing this frame out, one 

 has the whole situation under his 

 thumb, or, rather, his e3'es. One can 

 learn from this one frame all that one 

 usually cares to know about the con- 

 dition inside of the hive. One can use 

 more than one frame, but, if properly 

 managed, the number of failures with 

 one is not w.)rth considering; besides, 

 if one uses a little smoke, where the 

 frame is taken out, a fair view of two 

 more combs can be had; and one may 



have places in tiiem that would fiivor 

 queen cells, and they could be easily 

 seen. 



PREVKNTING SWARMING BY REARING A 



YOUNG OUEEN WHILE THIC OLD ONE 



IS STILL LAYING IN THE HIVE. 



An upright bar, }( x Ya, is fastened 

 between the top and bottom bar, so as 

 to leave a space of about 4 or 5 inches 

 between it and the end bar of the 

 frame. Into this space is fitted a light 

 frame tha.t may be taken ont aud re- 

 turned, much as sections are held in 

 brood frames. In this little frame is a 

 sheet of heavy brood foundation which 

 must be fastened all around with 

 melted wax. It should be somewhat 

 to one side, and there must be no hairs 

 through which a bee or queen could 

 pass; or else a wire screen must be put 

 on the side opposite to the zinc. When 

 a queen is to be reared, this little 

 frame is crowded over to the left a 

 little, to allow the little ^-inch, zinc- 

 covered rim of the same size to be put 

 in with it, forming a thin cage, as 

 shown in the cut. A passage is made 

 from this cage to connect with the 

 round hole shown in the little door, 

 and this allows the young queen to 

 take her flight. A tin furrule set in 

 the back of the hole in the door, and 

 projecting '4 -inch, bridges the space to 

 the end-bar. 



If one wants to rear queens to sell, 

 have three frames made like the large 

 one first described and supported by 

 the sliding joint. First slide in a zinc- 

 protected comb, then a larger unpro- 

 tected one, and follow with another 

 protected one. In this way one can 

 have two queens mated as often as one; 

 and sell queens all summer, with no 

 loss to colonies. 



This arrangement does not of itself 

 prevent swarming but it provides the 

 means by which the apiarist may do it; 

 not merely part of the time but practi- 

 cally all the time. 



