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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1, 



I admit there is a little more energy in propor- 

 tion to numbers when the energy is necessary 

 to get the broodnest into shape; but this does 

 not apply to the colony already in prime 

 strength. I can always get more and better 

 work in the sections when I have colonies so 

 strong that they must occupy the super. If the 

 flow comes very freely while it does last, we do 

 not notice it so much; but when the gain is one 

 to two, and even three pounds a part of the 

 time, per day, it is almost impossible to get 

 even reasonahlc worl< in sections with a colony 

 that has not swarmed; while the one that 

 swarms will do almost nothing n sections; but 

 two colonies put together in one hi'- the bees 

 and enough brood to fill the hive; will do fair 

 to good work. This year our flow began June 

 20. My scale-hive colony was stronger than 

 the average, and was not allowed to swarm. 

 It is a ten-frame hive. The gain from June 30 

 to July 15 (the extent of the flow) was an aver- 

 age of 2I3' lbs. per day. The best day's work 

 was 6 lbs. This colony gave about 2,5 sections. 

 Many other average colonies in nine-frame 

 hives, and a few in eight-frame, gav-e from 

 nothing to about one super, the majority not 

 giving ten good sections. In one case I put the 

 force of two colonies in one nine- frame hive, 

 and got two 28-section supers. Another colony 

 on nine frames had the forces from two other 

 colonies added, and gave three 28-section supers. 

 All the evidence goes to show that, if I had 

 doubled the forces of all, preserving the old 

 stock in the original hives, I should have had 

 as many colonies in the end, and about doubled 

 my surplus. 



I could also have doubled the surplus by con- 

 traction, but at the expense of stores which I 

 must have. In. twenty years of practice, in 

 which I have always kept at least a part of my 

 colonies from swarming, that I might have 

 the advantage of the strength, I am as firm as 

 ever in the belief that we can not got our col- 

 onies too strong. A very strong colony may do 

 as well, and sometimes a little better, when in 

 two average hives, if the flow be very good, 

 coming in very rapidly; but in a slow and 

 moderate flow, the stronger the colony the bet- 

 ter the results. 



The apiarist who has intelligence enough 

 knowledge of the business) to know how much 

 brood he can get by the opening of the harvest 

 with plenty of feed within and without, will 

 know the size of hive he needs. The small 

 hive will the more often fail because of short- 

 7iess of stores than will the large one because of 

 too much room for storage in the brood -comb*. 



Loveland, Col., Nov. II. 



If you would like to have any of your friends 

 see a specimen copy of Gleanings, make known 

 the request on a postal, with the address or ad- 

 dresses, and we ivill. with pleasure, send them. 



EIGHT-FRAME HIVE FOR WISCONSIN. 



WHY IT IS LARGE ENOUGH, AND AVHY BETTER 

 THAN THE TEN- FRAME SIZE. 



By F. L. Murray. 



Mr. Editor:— I see you ask in your Nov. 1st 

 issue for bee-keepers to give you the size of 

 hive they are using in their locality, in order to 

 make a map showing where different-sized 

 hivis are used. I have been keeping track of 

 the hive discussion with great interest, and I 

 think the map scheme would be a good thing, 

 as it would give a better idea than any thing 

 else yet spoken of in regard to large or small 

 hives, as I believe the location has more to do 

 with the hive question than any thing else. 



In my location I do not want any other hive 

 than the eight-frame Dovetailed. I have been 

 using them for a number of years, and, until I 

 see something more definite than has yet been 

 published in favor of the ten frame for larger) 

 hive, I will continue to use the eight frame. By 

 preferring the smaller hive I do not claim that 

 eight frames give sufficient room for all queens, 

 for I have had queens that would keep twelve 

 and fourteen frames full of brood, so you see a 

 ten-frame was not large enough. 



Now, in working for comb honey (and I work 

 almost exclusively for thai), 1 put a second 

 hive-body, full of drawn combs, about May 1st, 

 on all strong colonies. That makes a sixleen- 

 frame hive, and (I have had no trouble about 

 queens refusing to go up into the upper story 

 when crowded for room below) that gives all 

 colonies a chance to build up strong for the 

 honey-harvest which begins here about June 10, 

 from white clover. At the beginning of the 

 honey-harvest I take off all those second sto- 

 ries. I fill up the under story, or hive proper, 

 with brood, of course being sure the queen is 

 below; and if there is any more brood than 

 will fill up the hive I strengthen up weak colo- 

 nies with it, or make increase. In this way I 

 confine my working force on eight frames; and 

 by putting on the surplus-arrangements as soon 

 as the second story is taken off I always get my 

 share of the honey if there is any to get. I do 

 not want any larger hive than the eight-frame, 

 for comb honey, for eight frames give all the 

 brood room I want after putting on the surplus- 

 arrangement ; and if 1 used a larger hive I 

 should liave to use dummies; and I do not like 

 to use them, for various reasons. I also find, 

 when wintered in the cellar, the above hive 

 gives all the room necessary for winter stores; 

 and an <'ight frame hive full of bees makes a 

 pretty strong colony, and the eight-frame hive 

 is much handier to lift in and out of a cellar. 

 When bees are kept where the person keeping 

 them has too much other work to do to attend 

 to them properly. I think a large hive would be 

 preferable; but for a practical bee-keeper who 



