December, 1916. 



417 



American Hee Journal 



side and the exchange made in less 

 time than it takes to tell it. This, by 

 the way, tallies one for loose-hanging 

 frames. With the Hoffman or any 

 self-spacing frame it would not work 

 so well, but it could be done. 



While the subject of exchanging 

 combs is under discussion, I wish to 

 give my younger beekeeping brothers, 

 who have not yet stocked up with bee- 

 supplies to any great extent, a few 

 hints from long years of experience. 

 When an apiary is once started, when 

 we are once stocked up with an outfit 

 running into the hundreds of hives and 

 appliances, it is an expensive and trou- 

 blesome affair to make a change in 

 one form or another. In planning our 

 future work our main object should be 

 to adopt ways and means which are 

 likely to give permanent satisfaction 

 according to our best judgment, tak- 

 ing all points into consideration. 



A short time ago a young beekeeper, 

 or, if I am justified by the run of his 

 conversation to consider him a " con- 

 templating" beekeeper, called on me 

 for a few pointers on various subjects. 

 He intends to compromise between 

 the low .5-inch and the full sized 9 or 10 

 inch extracting super by constructing 

 one about 7K inches deep, because he 

 considers the former too low and the 

 latter too deep. This is very well in 

 some respects ; he may gain some an- 

 ticipated advantages by doing so. But 

 after long years of experience I would 

 under no consideration deviate from 

 my fixed rule of uniformity, both in 

 frames and outsides. The advantages 

 gained by varying in form or size 

 would in no way compensate for those 

 lost by irregular construction. The 

 above described easy manner of feed- 

 ing for winter stores would not be 

 possible without this uniformity. Then, 

 again, it is many times desirable to 

 move, for certain purposes, combs of 

 brood from the brood-chamber to the 

 super above the excluder, which is fre- 

 quently done to cure slight attacks of 

 foulbrood. Another advantage in uni- 

 formity of outsides is the case of 

 changing from one to the other. It 



sometimes happens that we have more 

 of one kind than we have of the other. 

 By simply detaching the bottom-board 

 from the hive we have a super and z'lce 

 versa, the same bottom hooked to the 

 super completes thehive. Thesechanges 

 may not be every day occurrences, but 

 they are a great convenience when we 

 do have occasion for their application. 

 Another plan, which our friend in- 



on account of their great weight. I 

 he intends to keep them permanently 

 housed, he would obviate this trouble, 

 but for the production of extracted 

 honey it is more convenient to have 

 them placed on separate stands spaced 

 at reasonable distances, which also 

 facilitates all spring and summer ma- 

 nipulations. 

 My first attempt in making sheds for 



FIG. 3.-COMB HONEY DESIGN OF EDW. WILLBRIGHT. 

 Which took first prize in its class at the Minnesota State Fair in ipi; 



tends to adopt with his future bee-man- 

 agement is the construction of bee- 

 sheds holding 14 colonies. Taking 

 my own experience as a guide, I am 

 inclined to think he will see the time 

 that he considers this a mistake. Where 

 will he get his 14 colonies to fill those 

 sheds ? To move them back and forth 

 from winter to summer and from sum- 

 mer to winter position requires too 

 much shifting, to say nothing of the 

 inconvenience in handling those sheds 



FIG 4. -TOURING CAR OR TRUCK, THE BEEKEEPER SUITS HIS MACHINE 

 TO HIS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS 



winter protection did not prove a suc- 

 cess as I had expected. I made them 

 to hold 9 colonies, which I found too 

 large for convenience, and consequently 

 used them only one season. When cut 

 in two, making one to hold 5 and a 

 smaller one to hold 3, they served the 

 purpose much better, and if I should 

 have to build new ones, I am inclined 

 to think I would give the smaller one 

 the preference. 



I wish to say a few more words in 

 regard to the use of full sheets and 

 especially bottom-starters in sections. 

 I know that a few of our most experi- 

 enced beekeepers consider bottom- 

 starters of little value for any purpose. 

 Until a few years ago I was a victim of 

 the same error. I considered full 

 sheets of foundation in sections a nui- 

 sance (I am not quite over it yet) and 

 bottom-starters a greater nuisance. But 

 since I have made heavy yields my 

 main object, and from all appearances 

 have succeeded, I find that every little 

 help and assistance we can render our 

 bees increases our yield, and bottom- 

 starters are not of the least importance 

 along that line. Next to the increase 

 of yield the great benefit derived from 

 their use is securely attaching combs to 

 the bottom of the section, which pre- 

 vents breaking loose of combs when 

 shipped or roughly handled, more than 

 being attached to the sides. 



The claim that in a good honey sea- 

 son bees make honey and attach combs 

 to the bottom under any management, 

 with or without bottom-starters, can- 

 not be disputed. Seemingly, these lit- 

 tle helps do more good in a poor or 

 moderate honey season than in a good 

 one, but a rushing honey flow is just 



