1895 



GLEANiNCJwS IN BEE CULTURE. 



487 



of hanging frames which ordinary closed end 

 frames do not — no bees can be crushed under or 

 back of the frame-ends, and the hxteral play is 

 considerable, amounting to about Ifg inches. 



Every one has noticed, in brood-chambers 

 which are not extracted from, that a hillock of 

 honey on one comb sometimes collides with 



another on the next one, if the frame is drawn 

 directly out or replaced without stopping to 

 move the other frames aside. A closed -end 

 frame is replaced by sliding its edges down past 

 the edges of the next one, so as to avoid catch- 

 ing bees between. The figure shows how this 

 is done in the Aspinwall hive, without any 

 collision. The ofifsels on the sides of the h've, 

 against which the last frames impinge, slant a 

 little from the perpendicular, so that, when 

 the hive is leveled and the frames screwed up. 

 each frame slants; consequently the septum of 

 the comb is a little nearer one side at the 

 top, and a little nearer the other side at 

 the bottom (the top and bottom bars being 

 placed to correspond). Hence when one 

 frame commences to slide past another, 

 the parts of the combs which are then 

 opposite are farther apart than when 

 down, and the normal distance between 

 them is attained only when the frame is 

 completely down. 



In manipulating the frames of an Aspin- 

 wall hive last summer I was always able to 

 hold each frame close up against the next 

 one when sliding it down, though occupied 

 by a strong swarm, which put plenty of honey 

 in the tops. 



For wintering and spring protection I have 

 had experience with but one of their devices. 

 I believe there are several. In this, external 

 attachments on the front and rear, internal 

 ones on the sides, a tray above projecting be- 



fore and behind, and the hive-stand below, 

 made provision for a nearly continuous en- 

 velope of packing on all six sides, between two 

 and three inches in thickness. The results 

 were satisfactory. In the spring, frames were 

 as easily got at for inspection as in summer, 

 without disturbing the packing. 



I did not have an Aspinwall supt^r last 

 summer, but have just filled one with sec- 

 tions to see how it works. 1 find it can be 

 filled as fast as or faster than a T super. 

 The cut shows the principle. Two sides, 

 the rods connecting them, and the separa- 

 tors, are all there is of the super. The 

 separators are turned to a right angle at 

 the bottom, and have insets corresponding 

 to those in the sections. The distinctive 

 feature, which makes possible this sim- 

 plicity, is the four round slicks which are 

 used when the super is being filled, and 

 afterward withdrawn. These pass through 

 holes in the ends of the side-boards, and 

 keep the sections to their proper place 

 lengthwise until screwed up by the thumb- 

 screws on the rods, while giving ample 

 play for inserting the fourth section In 

 each row. When the sections are all in, 

 they can be temporarily wedged at the 

 ends with a strip of the proper thickness, 

 to keep them square until fastened. A 

 flat board is then laid on top, to which a 

 little pressure is applied, and the thumbscrews 

 are tightened. On removing the board, sticks, 

 and wedge, the result is a homogeneous and 

 smooth block of sections, which i-; conducive to 

 cleanliness, as I can testify from having used 

 another super in which the same result is 

 achieved in aidifferent manner. The sections 

 can be scraped in a body, before being removed 

 from the super. This super admits of contrac- 

 tion or expansion just as much as the hive. 



The flat or the Higginsville cover may be 

 used on this hive as on any other, and it will 



take any style of super. But if the Aspinwall 

 super is used, a deep cover is necessary; and, 

 after all is said and done, nothing is more thor- 

 oughly satisfactory than the old reliable cap, 

 covered with tin. Rain and snow can never 

 beat under it; and when, as in this case. It is 

 deep enough to accommodate two section- 



