1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



891 



for the last eoiiib. and iiotliiiij? to do, but rc- 

 spaee again: and w lirii done — oh I too niucli 

 room, and the work lias to be done the tliird 

 tim(>. Have not all who use narrow frames 

 had a similar experience many tiuK^s? 



THE ADVAXTAOE OK HEVEKSING. 



Another I'eal advantage of tln^ closed-end 

 frame as I use it, is. that when the combs are 

 out if any are not bniltdown to the bottom-bar 

 they are'just as easily placed in the hive with 

 the" bottom-bar up; and if left so a few days, 

 when honev is coming in freely they will be 

 built solid to the bottom-bar. I'eatiy to be turned 

 back with tlu^ top-bai' up when the hive is 

 opened again. 



HOW TO PKEPAIJE HIVES WITH CEOSEDEXI) 



fkamp:s Foil MoviN<;. 

 When hives are to be mov(>d, put a rope 

 around the hive, tighten it with a short stick, 

 tack the entrance - blocks. Now all is solid, 

 and ready to be placed on the cars, or carried 

 on a wagon, if the weather is cool. If the 

 weather is hot, of course there should be wire 

 screen instead of roof on the hive. 



OBJECTIONS TO THE QUINBY HOOP-IHOX HOOKS. 



The hoop-iron catches at bottom of the end- 

 bar are on nearly all our frames: but in prac- 

 tice we hardly ever use them, as they get tilled 

 with propolis and wax. They work so easily 

 without, simply shove them close together, 

 then put the quilt or section-case on, and they 

 will stay in position all right. 



Were I now to begin keeping bees, with just 

 the knowledge I now have, the full closed-end 

 frame would be my choice. I am not sure but 

 those using the hanging frame will find it to 

 their advantage to make all th(Mr new frames 

 with the upper half of the end-bars 1% inches, 

 and thus in a measure seciu'e the benefit of 

 closed-end frames. L. C. Axteix. 



Roseville. 111.. Dec. 2. 



At the outset I will say that, when we speak 

 of hanging frames we mean those not fixed. 

 There, now, didn't I tell you so? and I am very 

 glad that I have so good authority as Mr. Ax- 

 tell in the West, and Mr. Elwood and Mr. Hoff- 

 man of the East, to bear me out in the fact that 

 fixed frames can be handled just as rapidly 

 (and I think a little more so) as the hanging 

 frames. Mr. Axtel! speaks from extended ex- 

 perience, in the production of many tons of 

 honey, and every word he says in reference to 

 the manipulation of closed-ends I saw verified 

 in the apiaries of the East. It takes a good 

 deal of hammering to make folks see the point: 

 but at the risk of harping on one thing a good 

 deal, I am going to say again, that, where the 

 tixed-frame people gaiu time over those having 

 frames not fixed, is in the fact that the latter 

 can handle /o)fr or five at (t time. They do not 

 bother with handling a single frame if they 

 want to get at the center of the brood-nest. 

 They simply take out all the frames en imtsse 

 up to the point of comb smface they wish to 

 examine. In this way tliey can almost handle 

 hivefi instead of frames. Read over again 

 what Mr. A. says on this point. 



Our friend speaks of the hooks on the bottoms 

 of the old (^uinby frame as being sonunvhat ob- 

 jectionable. Very likely they may be dispens- 

 ed with. Htit in Mr. Elwood's apiaries these 



hooks had neither pi-opolis nor wax on them. 

 In fact, the bees could not get access to them if 

 they desired, without going clear to the out- 

 side of the hive to chink in the wax and propo- 

 li.s— a thing they would not be likely to do. 

 But it is no more than fair to state tiiat Mr. 

 Elwood uses a modified Quinby system. As he 

 is soon to present to our readers a series of ar- 

 ticles. I will not speak further on this point. 



^Ir. Axtell alludes to the nuisance in remov- 

 ing supers to get at the lower frames in the U. 

 hive. Why. on our regular hives, the Dove- 

 tailed for instance, we have no trouble, because 

 we lift a whole ujjper story off at once. Then 

 we have perfect access to the brood-frames be- 

 low. If the same were fixed, as, for instance, 

 the Hoffman, we have all the advantages that 

 our friend sijeaks of. 



Friend A. mentions the advantages of an end- 

 bar, widened at the top 1% inches, for ordinai'y 

 hanging frames. This would make virtually 

 the Hoffman. I think this one handles fully as 

 easily as the closed-end, and for ordinary hang- 

 ing-frame hives it is perhaps the best of the 

 fixed frames. 



Now, dear readers, if good and i-eliable wit- 

 nesses say a thing is true, that either the Hoff- 

 man or closed-end frame is not an awkward 

 implement to handle, but, on the contrary, pos- 

 sesses many decided advantages over the old 

 hanging frame, let us not be so conservative as 

 to block the wheels of progress. It may not be 

 feasible or advisable for old bee-keepers of the 

 hanging-frame school to change; but it may 

 be an advantage for the new crop of bee-keep- 

 ers coming on, to get started along the right 

 track. Still further, as old combs are to be 

 continually replaced in large yards more or less, 

 it may be desirable for old bee-keepers to work 

 in, for instance, the Hoffman, by degrees. Ex- 

 perimenting along in this way is quite safe, and 

 is not likely to lead to any serious results, 

 should this fixed-distance craze prove to be a 

 mistake. 



I hope som(> of our closed-end. or partially 

 closed-frame friends, will not be so modest as to 

 keep quiet much longei'. There is friend E. T. 

 Flanagan, wiio has used the Hoffman. I be- 

 lieve we have not heard from him very late- 

 ly. Then there are several others. Let ns 

 have truth, wherever it may fall. We are glad 

 to hear from Mr. L. C. Axtell. It is a good 

 thing to get a glimpse of both sides of the 

 liouse— husband and wif(> side. I mean. Botli 

 are capable bee-keepers. E. R. 



THE HIVE FOR THE HONEY-PRODUCER 

 SINGLE OR DOUBLE WALL 1 



A UKVIEW OK the HlVE-yUESTIO.N. 



As a great many bee-keepers will soon be 

 thinking about the hive they will use next sea- 

 son, a few words on this sul)ject may not be out 

 of place now. i'erhaps no one will dispute the 



