1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



489 



the top-bars, after being in use a short time, to se- 

 riously impair the convenience of the manipula- 

 tions of the frame, which are the principal 



ADVANTAGES IN USING IT. 



It is not, on first opening, as perfectly movable as 

 your metal-cornered frame; but after you have 

 started the first frame, and drawn it from the hive, 

 you can easily separate the remaining frames in 

 any place (one of your five-cent screwdrivers makes 

 a handy tool for this purpose), and shove any num- 

 ber of frames to the side of the hive without crush- 

 ing a bee, and handle any frame you wish, without 

 disturbing the remaining frames; and when you 

 slide this last frame back to its place in the hive, 

 you push the bees out of the way by sliding it down 

 against its neighbor. It works a little more conven- 

 ient to save, say, h inch space on one side of the 

 frames, which you can close with a small piece of 

 wood at the corners if you wish; but I consider 

 this last of small account, as I use the frame in 

 hives with no space at all beside the frame. 



I first saw this frame extensively used in the api- 

 ary of J. H. Nellis, of Canajoharie, N. Y.; and the 

 writer, accompanied by the proprietor and his as- 

 sistants, Mr. T. O. Peet, inventor of the Peet cage, 

 and Mr. Silas M. Locke, examined a few hives of 

 fine Italian bees containing imported queens. My 

 companions expressed their satisfaction freely re- 

 garding the Peet cage and the Hoffman frame. 

 This was several years before the Peet cage ac- 

 quired a world-wide reputation. I have never for- 

 gotten the pleasure afforded me by this brief visit, 

 and time has not effaced the impressions then re- 

 ceived. I think that some of the above-mentioned 

 gentlemen might, if they chose, furnish us with 

 something worth hearing— perhaps something new 

 on the subject. Adin Stone. 



Vienna, N. Y., June 3, 1890. 



Yes, friend S., we often try to rack our 

 brains to Invent something new, when there 

 is something already in use which accom- 

 plishes the desired end a great deal better. 

 Nowadays it is very difficult to invent some- 

 thing in apiculture which has not previous- 

 ly been thought out, described, and illus- 

 trated by some one years ago. 



THE INVENTOR OF IT A SUCCESSFUL BEE-KEEPER. 



Much has been said lately in reference to frames 

 and brace -combs. I think every practical bee- 

 keeper can tell you that more or less brood-combs 

 will be built, no matter what frame you adopt or 

 how small you contract the space between the top 

 of the frame and the honey-board or surplus boxes. 

 However, we know there is a great difference in 

 this, in the use of different styles of frames. I re- 

 member the old American frame, or King frame, 

 that had almost a closed top-bar, there being only a 

 few openings made, by cutting away a part imme- 

 diately over the brood-nest, to allow the bees to go 

 up into the boxes. There were never any brace- 

 combs built. Mr. Hoffman, the inventor of the 

 Hoffman frame, is one of the most successful bee- 

 keepers in this country, and his practical working 

 led him by necessity (necessity is the mother of in- 

 vention) to construct a frame that was a perfect 

 separator, and one that could be handled rapidly. 

 I was glad to see the illustration of this frame in 

 May Gleanings, and the testimony of friends Bee- 

 bee and Stone in regard to it; and I want to add my 

 testimony to theirs, and I think we could muster a 

 host of bee-keepers in the Mohawk Valley who 



have used this frame, and are now using it, and 

 could not be induced to use any other. There is 

 friend J, H. Nellis, who used to stand at the head 

 of the fraternity as a practical bee-keeper. He has 

 xised the H. frame for years, and says there are 

 none like it. Of course, its cost is against it; but 

 the large bee-keeper will tell you it pays in the end, 

 simply by the economy of labor, and that is a big 

 item in these days of hustling and rapidity of busi- 

 ness. 



Another point we might consider against it: If 

 there is anything in the reversible idea, this frame, 

 as constructed at present, can not be reversed, and 

 this reminds me that I should like to hear the views 

 of a man like Julius Hoffman on this subject of re- 

 versing frames. If there is any thing in it, he has 

 found it out, you may depend; and no doubt his 

 ingenious brain has adjusted his frame to be re- 

 versed. I have an idea myself how it might be 

 done, but I won't give it out till I have demonstrat- 

 ed it successfully. Theo. O. Peet. 



Arlington, N. J., May 31, 1890. 



Yes, friend P., we are very glad that we 

 have the testimony of Julius Hoffman him- 

 self. He writes as follows : 



WHAT THE INVENTOR SAYS OP IT. 



In reading Nos. 9, 10, and 11 of Gleanings I find 

 that, in discussing "spaced frames," the frames I 

 invented and used for about sixteen years have 

 been brought to notice by some of our bee-keeping 

 friends. But as the description and illustrations of 

 the frame as I have them lack some important 

 points I will make a few remarks about them. 



One of the edges of the uprights, or ends of the 

 frame, as far as they are close fitting, should be 

 beveled off to a little less than >8 inch, so as to meet 

 the center of the square edge of the next frame, as 

 in E, of the diagram. This will prevent the gluing 

 and sticking together of the frames, also squeezing 

 of the bees to a large extent, and allow faster work- 

 ing of them. 



■^ 





r 



The corners of the top-bars of the frame at C 

 should not be taken off more than just enough to 

 allow for turning the frames efasily in the rabbets, 

 otherwise the bees will have too much of a chance 

 to fill up the rabbets with propolis. For the same 

 reason, I object to your modifications of the top- 

 bars as the jutting points of them, as called by Er- 

 nest, are very important, in order to fill out the rab- 

 bets to keep them free from bee-glue. To use 

 these frames on tin rabbets, as proposed by Ernest, 

 would, according to my experience, be a very 

 doubtful improvement. The frames would slide 

 too easily on the rabbets; and carrying and moving 

 the hives would soon convince him of it. The way 

 I use them on wooden rabbets, the frames are just 



