1887 



GLEA^IJSGS IN BEE UULTUKE. 



49 



over, which I think oug-ht to be mentioned. ' You 

 have all heard of its advantag-ee, so I will not dwell 

 on them, but only refer to what 1 consider Its weak 

 points, and its failures to do what has been claimed 

 tor it. 



The tlrst shock that was given to my good opinion 

 of the hive was when a too ambitious queen found 

 her waj' upstairs and filled nearly every section in 

 one case witli hrood. This, of course, can easily be 

 prevento<i by u (|ueen-excluding honey-board. 



A more serio\is trouble came when dry weather 

 caused the end-bars to shrink so that the sot-screws 

 no longer held theiu tightly enough; and in hives 

 that had been inverted, the frames slipped down 

 until thej rested on the bottom-board, almost clos- 

 ing the entrance. Then rains came, and the sides 

 of the hive and the wooden screws swelled so much 

 that I could not turn said screws; and colonies 

 that I particularly wanted to examine might al- 

 most as well have been in box hixes for all T could 

 do with them. The hives, I may say, were well 

 painted, and the screws had been soaked in linseed 

 oil. 



The frames are not nearly so movable as ordina- 

 ry frames, even when they are new; and T am 

 afraid that, with time and use, propolis will find its 

 way between the frames and the ends of the hive. 

 The heat of summer will melt this propolis, and 

 stick hive and frame so tightly together that, in 

 time, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to re- 

 move frames from the hives. This is a very serious 

 objection to the hive. I do not think we can afford 

 to abandon movable-frame hives. 



"Why do you want to handle the frames V" I 

 think I heai' someone say. Because foul brood is 

 abroad in the land, and an experience with it that 

 has cost me se\eral hundred dollars has taught me 

 that it i.s next to useless to attempt to get rid of 

 the disease unless it can be detected in its early 

 stages, and that this can not be done except by 

 fre<iuent and thorough examinations of the brood- 

 combs. 



1 would most willingly adopt the principle of 

 handling hives instead of frames if it were not for 

 foul brood; but with this dread disease threatening 

 me I am afraid to adopt a hive and frame that will 

 make it any more difficult to detect and subdue it. 



My next count against the hive is, that it has 

 utterly failed, with me, in one of the strongest 

 points claimed in its favor. We have been told 

 that, by its use, we could secure all the honey in 

 sections, leaving the brood-chamber empty. I 

 found, though, that, as the end of the fall yield 

 approached, the brood-chamber was steadily filled 

 with honey until, at its close, the combs were 

 hea\-y with honey, to the almost entire exclusion of 

 brood. This was the case with all colonies, blacks 

 as well as Italians, in which the brood-chamber had 

 been closely contracted, although no hives or 

 frames had l)een reversed during the fall yield. 1 

 J have about .35 colonies, which were in Heddon 

 hives, or contracted to five Simplicity frames, 

 which I am afraid will not winter well. They are 

 in excellent wintering condition otherwise, but the 

 colonies are much smaller than 1 should like. 



Oayton. 111., Dec. ->:!, 1886. J. A. Green. 



Friend G., I think yon have hit it exactly 

 in what you liave to say about "popular 

 crazes." Just now. sliding down hill on a 

 toboggan seems to he the craze in many of 

 our cities : and riding liehind a fast voling 



horse in the daintiest-got-up cutter is not 

 to be compared to sliding down hill and go- 

 ing ])ack on foot, pulling your toboggan aft- 

 er you. As the latter course gives outdoor 

 exercise to some who might not get it oth- 

 erwise, I guess we had better say amen to 

 it, and not grumble. I have been greatly 

 rejoiced to see Caddie and Connie and 

 cousin Mabel — yes, and Huber too, when 

 the weather is not too cold, exercise their 

 hmgs and muscles in sliding down hill, al- 

 most from morning till night, in a M'ay 

 they never did before. Dress the children 

 up warmly, and encourage them in rough 

 and tumbles out in the snowdrifts. When 

 our whole nation shall get a craze in that 

 direction, we can thank God for it.— I have 

 felt a good deal as you do, all along, and I 

 am inclined to think Heddon agrees w ith 

 you, from the fact that he has turned about 

 and adopted wide frames and separators. 

 I think all the difficulties, or nearly all, can 

 be readily remedied. Have the set-screws 

 made of galvanized iron, which may be 

 turned out and dipped in oil occasionally, 

 and I think you can turn them with your 

 fingers. I was surprised when I saw old- 

 fashioned screws on one of friend Heddon's 

 sample hives. The very minute I saw that 

 Heddon recommended a frame almost tight 

 fitting in the body of the hive, I decided at 

 once they would not be very long movable 

 in our locality, on account of t)ropolis. The 

 same arrangement was exhibited at the 

 Northern Ohio State Fair, in Cleveland, 

 years ago, and I afterward saw some hives 

 wherp the frames had been pushed in when 

 the propolis was soft from the heat of the 

 summer sun. They were about as securely 

 cemented in as you could do it with melted 

 rosin.— In regard to the foul-brood part, 

 friend G., I should say that a bee-keeper 

 has no business having foul brood in liis 

 apiarv, and therefore need not calculate on 

 it. If the above does hit us, no matter. 

 —Perhaps Heddon, bv a different arrange- 

 ment, will be able to "keep the honey out of 

 his brood-chambers.— 1 think the progeny 

 of certain queens are more disposed to till 

 up solid all around the brood-nest, than 

 others are. 



PRODUCING BEESA^AX FOR THE MAR 

 KET, INSTEAD OF HONEY. 



Can We Not do it Now, Since Honey ii« 

 so Low P 



SOME THOUGHTS .\ND 6UQ0KST10NS GKOWINO 



OUT OF AND PERTAININO TO THE ABOVE 



.MATTER. 



fRJEND ROOT:— This question of wax secretion 

 is really one of the apicultural problems of 

 the day. I have been reading all that I can 

 find upon the subject; I have also been cor- 

 responding with some bee-keepers who have 

 been experimenting in something the same line 

 as I have. I have thought about it in the day time, 

 and lain awake nights, and pondered; and it is my 

 ^mi conviction that we have been losing a big 

 thing in not utilizing the natural wax secretion 

 that is going on more or less all through the work- 

 ing season. I am aware, that when wax is needed 

 for eomb-bullding, the wax sacretlon is tfieatly in- 



