228 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15 



comb under them when using deep entrances. 

 The end -bars are of the same width as the top- 

 bars. Of course, the width of both depends 

 upon the spacing of the frames. Mine are 

 1^ in. from center to center. About 25 years 

 ago I made measurements in all the old hives 

 I could find in my neighborhood, and I found 

 that that spacing was chosen and adopted by 

 the bees when nature was working according 

 to her own sweet will, and I believe they made 

 no mistake in that. 



Aylmer West, Ont., Can., Jan. 5. 



[While, perhaps, I started the ball a rolling 

 for wide and deep top-bars in this country, 

 yet we of the Root Co. do not claim any thing 

 of originality for them. When I attended one 

 of the conventions in Canada, some ten or 

 twelve years ago, I had quite a little talk with 

 Mr. J. B. Hall, who incidentally happened to 

 mention that, with wide and deep top-bars, 

 he had no trouble from burr-combs. Dr. Mil- 

 ler was greatly struck with the idea ; and 

 after some extended correspondence with the 

 doctor we decided that we would launch 

 forth for the ensuing season the new top bars. 



While width is. certainly essential, and it is 

 also necessary to have a spacing about ^4' 

 inch between the top-bars, thickness does of 

 itself play a somewhat important part — at 

 least according to my experience and observa- 

 tion. I not only judge by what I have seen 

 in our own apiaries here at the Home of the 

 Honey-bees, but from what I have seen at 

 other yards in several different States. We 

 first tried top-bars that were wide, and only 

 ^ inch thick. We had trouble from such 

 bars sagging, and the building of burr and 

 brace combs. We next tried the wide bars, Js 

 inch thick and 1^ wide. Burr-combs disap- 

 peared almost entirely ; and even when these 

 frames might be called old they were still 

 practically free from the nuisance. As a few 

 of our customers objected to " sawlogs " for 

 top-bars, we, a year or so afterward, reduced 

 the thickness of the bars to 5^, keeping the 

 width the same. We soon di^covered that 

 brace-combs were more plentiful by the use 

 of such bars than when they were full "s 

 deep. Then there came the objection to hav- 

 ing a bar so shallow. We finally went back 

 to the full "s-inch deep and Ij^g wide top-bar, 

 with wedge for securing the foundation ; and 

 this has given the best satisfaction of any 

 thing we ever tried. 



When we first launched these on the mar- 

 ket, we were met by the statement that the 

 bees would not fill the supers so well over 

 them. But here, again, careful observation 

 convinced us that they did not offer any real 

 hindrance to the bees. It was Doolittle who, 

 when these new bars were put forth, con- 

 demned them, saying that the bees needed 

 the burr and brace combs as " ladders " to 

 get up into the supers ; that thick top-bars 

 would be the means of cutting down the sur- 

 plus. But in later years I see he advocates 

 thick and wide top-bars as the thing. As it 

 is no disgrace for one to change his opinion 

 on evidence, Mr. Doolittle, when he saw his 

 error, was frank enough to admit it. 



I think you are exactly correct in what you 

 say about the width of the top-bar. If it is 

 too narrow, the bees will build the combs 

 past the bar ; and if too wide they will build 

 the comb within % inch of it, and leave a 

 nice hiding-place for queens, besides render- 

 ing the comb less stable because of there be- 

 ing no bottom attachments. Three-fourths of 

 an inch is a very nice golden mean, and ac- 

 complishes the results most perfectly. The 

 last few years we have been using them that 

 width, and feel that we have no reason to 

 change. — Ed.] 



GLIMPSES OF CUBA AND CUBAN BEE-KEEPING. 



BY A. Z,. BOYDEN. 



When I wrote my previous article, which 

 appeared in the Feb. 15th Gleanings, I in- 

 tended to follow it with this article March 1st, 

 but was too bus}' to get my copy ready in 

 time. 



After visiting Matanzas I next crossed by 

 rail to Cardenas. This was my first experience 

 with Cuban railways. Here I found three 

 classes of tickets are sold — first, second, and 

 third ; and, instead of a car devoted entirely 

 to the mails, as we find in the United Stales, 

 the mails were carried in a small compart- 

 ment in the second-class cars. As I went into 

 the depot at Matanzas I noticed a great many 

 people were carrying chickens, having them 

 tied by the legs, and a great many boarded 

 the train with these. 1 bought a railroad 

 guide at the window, and in this I found a 

 paragraph in the rules to the effect that no 

 first-class passenger should carry more than 

 one rooster. This was quite amusing to me. 



INDEPENDENCIA ST., CARDENAS, CUBA. 



I reached Cardenas after little delay, and 

 the only Americans I found on my trip were 

 some showmen who were going to exhibit in 

 Cardenas the following day. On my arrival I 

 was met at the depot by Mr. Hamel and Mr. 

 Iv- S. Houston, and was soon shown to the ho- 

 tel La Isla de Cuba. I found very good accom- 

 modations there, but unlike any thing I had 

 ever seen before. On my arrival at this place 

 at one o'clock I was asked if I had had break- 



