T 



Qe (J)ee- 



\eepeps' Re\^ie 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL 



Devoted to tl^e Interests of Horiey Producers. 



$L00 A YEAR. 



w. z. BDTCHiNSON, Edlior and Proprietor. 



VOL XII, FLINT. 



ICHiGAN, JUNE 10, l?00. 



NO, 6. 



(ff^ PERFECT SYSTEM FOR 



// \ \ MANAGING OUT - APIAR- 



^/[ y\ IKS IN THE PRODUCTION 



OF EXTRACTED HONEY. 



BY N. E. FRANCE. 



Each beekeeper should study the vari- 

 ous ways of others, and then apply such 

 methods as will best suit his location and 

 circ unistan ces. 

 With us, bees 

 wintered in the 

 cellar would often 

 be weake'' in num- 

 bers the last of 

 April and May 

 than when taken 

 out of the cellar, 

 while those win- 

 tered in large chaff 

 hives on the sum- 

 mer stands would be strong and by far 

 the more profitable. So that, for the last 

 twenty years, our bees have been mostly 

 in these chaff hives, which are simply 

 four standard Langstroth hives inside, 

 combined into one hive or house, with a 

 2-inch space on outerside for chafT filling. 

 Each colony is separate from the others, 

 one entrance on a side, but in winter 

 weather the bees cluster near the center 

 of the hive, and thus help to keep each 



other warm. See the picture of an empty 

 hive on next page; showing brood- 

 frames in hive-body; button over upper 

 entrance turned to one side as in sunime-; 

 second story by side of hive; top and 

 side next to stack showing chaff wall 

 with a strip of tin on two upper sides of 

 upper stories of hive to prevent any 

 chance for bees to pass from one colony 

 to another. When two sets of extracting 

 combs are to be used, the cover is raised 

 in place by use of the board band, which 

 is hooked together and set on the hive 

 proper. One-half of this band is laid on 

 the grass with the queen-excluding zinc 

 leaning against the hive by it. The 

 hinged cover is turned back one way 

 while working two colonies, and re- 

 versed when working the others — so 

 there is no need of lifting any covers. A 

 plain band made of common fencing 

 forms the stand for the hive, and is 

 leveled before the hive is put on it. 



If the bees have plenty of good honey 

 and a young fertile queen early in the 

 fall, we seldom have any loss. On an 

 average, not over three to five per cent. 

 I do not recommend this hive, nor advise 

 those having single hives, and who can 

 winter bees successfully in the cellar, to 

 change to our method or kind of hive. 

 The bees consume a little more food in 



