388 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



and what led me to the invention and construction 

 of a hive with which I could accomplish all that the 

 practical, successful honey-producer needed, and 

 that, too, almost instantly, with scarcely ever need- 

 ing- to remove a single frame. That accomplish- 

 ment meant closed-end frames; and when Dr. Mil- 

 ler and George Grimm mention the advantages of 

 "hauling" hives of bees, and the "constant an- 

 noyance" of haviag frames rattling round, they 

 have no idea what a comfort it is to use a hive with 

 shallow, straight combs, with which the usual ad- 

 vantage of lateral movement plays no part. The 

 hives can be carried in and out of winter reposito- 

 ries, as well as being handled every way with that 

 security, safety, and convenience with which only 

 fixed frames can be handled, and at the same time, 

 when desired, each frame can be handled quicker 

 than the suspended frames can be operated. 



I am this day in receipt of a letter from M. M. 

 Baldridge, which is only a sample of many others 

 received, telling how much better his bees winter- 

 ed in extremely shallow frames than in those of 

 the Langstroth depth, or deeper. That is just my 

 experience. The very shallow frames are the best 

 for wintering, likewise for early spring breeding. 

 The reasons for these facts are obvious; but this 

 article is getting too long, so I will close by saying 

 that, since the invention of comb foundation, and 

 the arrangement and adjustment of frames as de- 

 scribed above, the suspended frame has had its 

 day, and will soon oecome obsolete with the practi- 

 cal honey-producer who feels himself compelled to 

 produce his crop with the least possible outlay of 

 labor, which is the main factor connected with the 

 cost of honey production. Jambs Heddon. 



Dowagiac, Mich., Apr. 9, 1889. 



CLOSED-END FRAMES. 



SOME GOOD ARGUMENTS IN THEIR FAVOR. 



fRIEND KOOT:— I am glad to see you admit, 

 in your comments on Questions 116 and 117, 

 that there are good reasons why a honey- 

 producer should prefer closed-end frames. 

 No doubt it seems a wide departure from the 

 metal-cornered frame hanging on metal rabbets, 

 and it probably is difficult for one who has used 

 only such frames to believe that an all-wood frame, 

 with the ends jammed up close together, to be 

 propolized by the bees, can be as readily handled. 

 I remember when we were at the Chicago conven- 

 tion, in 1887, you asked me what kind of hive I pre- 

 ferred; and when I answered that I did not exactly 

 know, only that 1 was sure of two things— that I 

 wanted a shallow hive and one with the frames at 

 fixed distances, a curious, half-doubting smile 

 spread over your face as if you would say that you 

 were afraid I was making a mistake. Well, I am 

 very much of the same opinion yet. While I am 

 sure that 1 want shallow, closed-end frames, I am 

 not yet quite certain as to the best kind of a hive to 

 make them into. I have experimented, and am 

 still experimenting largely. As a result I am now 

 using several different kinds of hives and frames, 

 which is not so inconvenient as you may suppose, 

 as the hives are all interchangeable in their parts; 

 and when I decide which kind I like best, the oth- 

 ers can all be changed to that with but very little 

 trouble. 

 One advantage the closed-end frame has over the 



hanging frame, as regards the time required to 

 handle them is, that you waste no time or labor in 

 spacing them; and another is, that fewer brace- 

 combs are built between them, as the distance be- 

 tween comb surfaces is seldom varied. 



I have known, ever since I have kept bees in 

 these shallow fixed-frame hives, that my bees win- 

 tered better in them than in the deeper hanging 

 frame; but I had always laid it to other reasons, 

 for the most part. Since reading the answer of 

 L. C. Root to Question 116 I am convinced that 

 the closed-end frame deserves more credit for this 

 than I had supposed. 



You know 1 have always argued against upward 

 ventilation in the winter and spring. This morn- 

 ing 1 was examining some of my colonies, just 

 brought from the cellar, aud it gave me great satis- 

 faction to be able to stand the hives on end, or 

 turn them upside down, thus learning all I wanted 

 to know of their condition, without removing the 

 cover or making any crevices around the top of 

 the hive. I believe that, in the spring, when the 

 weather is cold and propolis scarce, the less plaster- 

 ing we make the bees do, the better. 



Of 116 colonies put into winter quarters, 31 of 

 them in a cellar, the rest outside, all are at present 

 in good condition but two, one queenless and one 

 so weak it was united. J.A.Green. 



Dayton, 111., Apr. 10, 1889. 



FRANCIS HUBER. 



HIS LIFE AND SERVICES TO THE BEE-KEEPING 

 WORLD. 



E take the following very interesting 

 sketch from Gravenhorst's Illustrated 

 Bee Journal. It was written by Mr. 

 T. Kellen, of Luxemburg. The trans- 

 lation is furnished by W. P. Root. 



Francis Hube ', by his investigations and research- 

 es in apiculture, did more to promote this science 

 than all his predecessors who had employed them- 

 selves in the study of this interesting insect. It is 

 his discoveries alone that marked that golden age 

 in the history of apiculture which is destined to re- 

 main for all ages. Huber's observations are not 

 only of the greatest importance of themselves, but 

 wonderful for the manner in which they were 

 made; for Huber was blind. 



This distinguished man was born in Geneva, July 

 2, 1750. He was the son of a prosperous and respect- 

 able family, which as early as the 17th century were 

 celebrated for their knowledge of the arts and sci- 

 ences. His father, John Huber (born in 1722, died 

 1790), was well known on account of his attachment 

 to the celebrated French philosopher Voltaire. 



From his earliest youth Huber showed a passion- 

 ate predilection for natural history, and he applied 

 himself to study with such zeal as to endanger his 

 health, so that at the age of fifteen the reflection of 

 blinding snow destroyed his sight. If ever a man 

 bitterly deplored the loss of eyesight, that man was 

 Huber. But his misfortune did not hinder him 

 from applying himself to the study of those insects 

 for which he had an especial liking; namely, the 

 bees. It was this little insect that turned the dark- 

 ness of the investigator into day; for Huber was 

 the first to see clearly into that domain which to 

 the best eyes had previously remained in darkness. 



Huber did not lose his vigor of mind, for he went 



