778 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1. 



THE GABUS CLOSED-END-FRAME HIVE, 

 AGAIN. 



THE COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES OF CLOSED- 

 END STANDING AND LOOSE HANGING FRAMES. 



By E. H. Oahus. 



In Gleanings for Oct. 1, 1896, p. 709, Dr. C. C. 

 Miller, in answer to H. P. Joslin's queries con- 

 cerning my hive, says, in speaking of the -fg 

 holes in the end-bars, that it would be impossi- 

 ble to insert or withdraw the bolts. When I 

 wrote the article that appeared March 1, 1896, I 

 had been using frames with ^g^ holes; and as the 

 bolts had more room than I thought was neces- 

 sary I was thinking that ^ holes would be big 

 enough. I found, however, that in practice ^ 

 holes are just a trifle small, and that it is better 

 to have the holes a little too large than too 

 small, and have continued to make them 9^. I 

 can assure Dr. Miller that, with % holes, there 

 is no trouble whatever in inserting or with- 

 drawing the rods. 



Now in regard to standing frames not han- 

 dling as well as hanging frames, I wish to say 

 that the trouble does not exist in the frames 

 themselves, but is located in the person's mind. 

 Very often all of us, and on many subjects, 

 make up our minds that a certain thing or a 

 certain way of doing a thing to accomplish a 

 desired result is too much trouble, or that it is 

 no good anyhow. We are really not willing to 

 give it a fair trial; and when that is the case, it 

 is very certain that our report will be unfavora- 

 ble, for the very reason that we were not the 

 proper person to give the thing a fair and im- 

 partial trial. I can handle the standing frame 

 as easily and as quickly as the hanging frame, 

 and I can handle the standing frame with more 

 satisfaction than the hanging frame ; for in 

 handling it I can see just what I am doing, and 

 that is not the case with the hanging frame ; 

 and, furthermore, I do not think it is necessary 

 to handle the frames as much as some do. 



In regard to reversing hives to obtain better 

 results, I want to say that it is advocated by a 

 great many bee-keepers. It is possible that, by 

 reversing, we can have the honey carried from 

 the brood-nest to the super, and have more 

 brood in the brood-nest, which, if it works well 

 in practice, would be an advantage. I can not 

 speak from experience, as I have never prac- 

 ticed such a system. In regard to getting the 

 bolts through, as Dr. Miller says, "It might re- 

 quire more time and care than desirable." Cer- 

 tainly Dr. M. never handled standing frames. 

 The frames are pushed against each other so no 

 bees can boil out, as he says, at the open joints, 

 before the bolts are put through. I send you 

 herewith a case or part of a hive as I now make 

 it. The frames are half depth, and two cases 

 will make a hive for an ordinary swarm or col- 

 ony. The size of the hive can be Increased and 

 diminished at pleasure in either a horizontal or 



a vertical plane. By using a bottom similar to 

 the dovetailed bottom, reversing can be prac- 

 ticed. If the frames are put together and the 

 top-bar left off, they make the section-holders, 

 section-slats being put on the bottom -bars to 

 protect the sections from the bees. In that way 

 I can dispense with any special section-holder. 

 There is a bee-space at the bottom, and they 

 tier up square and true. 

 Brock, Neb. 



[There are some closed-end frames that are 

 handled as easily as any loose frames. The 

 Quinby as used by Elwood and Heiherington 

 works very freely without killing bees or stick- 

 ing from propolis accumulations. I see no rea- 

 son why your frames should not be handled 

 easily, though I somewhat question whether 

 bolts and rods passing through the end-bars is 

 as economical an arrangement as it might be. 

 -Ed.] 



PEDDLING HONEY. 



killing TWO birds with ONE STONE; FOLLT 



OF SELLING POOR GRADES OF HONEY 



AROUND HOME. 



ByF.A. Snell. 



The bee-keeper can, when not busy with 

 other work, take a load of principally extracted 

 honey and sell it, when perhaps he would noS 

 be otherwise employed, and thus earn some- 

 thing more toward the keeping of the family. 

 Any leisure time, be it half a day at a time 

 only, and during autumn, sell quite a nice lot of 

 honey; or if, having business with some one 

 several miles from home, several cans may be 

 thus sold. On such a trip I called at the differ- 

 ent families. To the family first called on, I 

 sold one 10-lb. can; at the second place I took 

 in a can, asked them to give me a sauce-dish 

 so that I might let them sample the honey I 

 had. The honey was tried, and seemed to 

 please. The lady remarked that she had in- 

 tended to get some at the store, but forgot it 

 when in town, so they had been going without. 

 They bought a 10-lb. can, and, after a few 

 minutes' chat, I took my leave. At the next 

 place the family were from home. I called at 

 the next house, and, after sampling the honey, 

 the people bought two cans, or 20 pounds. I 

 was informed that they were short of change, 

 but would leave the pay for the honey with our 

 postmaster in a short time, which was satisfac- 

 tory to me, as I well knew these people to be 

 reliable. I next called at the place of my des- 

 tination, and, before leaving, sold a 10-lb. can 

 and received my pay. 



Thus five cans, or fifty pounds, were sold, 

 bringing me five dollars. The cans were re- 

 turned, as I arranged to have them back when 

 the sales are made near home. If the buyers 

 neglect to return the cans I call for them when 

 passing that way. So it will be seen that the 

 net price of the honey is 10 cents per lb. when 

 thus sold, the buyer retaining the cans until 



