Vol. XT. 



APRIL 1, 1887. 



No. 7 



TERMS : Jl.OO Pkr AKNTTM, DT Advanck ; 

 2 Copies foi«1.90; 3for«2.75, 5 for$4.00; 

 10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single num- 

 ber. 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be 

 made at club rates. Above are all to 

 be sent to one postofficb. 



Established in 1873. 



PUBLISHED SF.MI-MONT1ILT BY 



f Clubs to different postoffioes, not lbss 

 I than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the 

 I U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun- 

 I tiies of the Universal Postal Union. 18 



A. I. ROOT, MEDINA. OHIO. V^^iSild''^!v':&ol':^y^^r.^Z 



THE OBIGIN OF THE T TINS. 



.A. FEW MORE SUGGESTIONS FROM DR. MlI-iLER. 



BN pag-e31t). Gleanings, Mr. Heddon presumes 

 I can tell where removable T tlus were for- 

 merly mentioned in one of our journals. The 

 first mention of them that T remember in 

 print is that of which I speak on page 39, " A 

 Year Among the Bees," and is in the A. B.J. for 

 1884, page 133. Mr. C. H. Dibbern there gives a de- 

 scription, I think his own invention. They were 

 undoubtedly invented before this, although Mr. 

 Dibbern probably knew nothing of it. T think Mr. 

 D.A.Jones mentioned them at Cincinnati in 1883, 

 but 1 may be mistaken. In 1883, at Toronto, Mr. 

 Jones showed me a T super, from which I got the 

 idea. This super had the bee-space at the bottom, 

 and the T tins were supported by square strips of 

 wood, perhaps about %t(\, running around the en- 

 tire inside edge of the super. This allowed T tins 

 to be placed at any point, and also allowed T tins of 

 different lengths to run the long way of the super. 

 To Mr. Heddon I give the credit of the slat honey- 

 board, and T think I would almost go back to wide 

 frames if I had to give up the slat honey-board. 



I want to heartily thank Mr. Wm. Drew for call- 

 ing attention, on page 317, to an inexcusable blun- 

 der of mine. T had mentioned that T tins could be 

 used over as well as under the sections; and my 

 idea was, that the same size of tins would do. But 

 a little figuring will show, as Mr. Drew has done, 

 that to use T tins at top and bottom, with 3'2-inch 

 separators, they must not be more than f inch deep. 

 I think he may be right, that ^n inch is sufficiently 

 strong; and if so, I see no good reason for making 

 them larger. They can then he used over as well 

 as under the sections. Until the matter is put to 



actual test I think we had better not be in great 

 haste to decide that we want any T tins on top. 

 There is no very serious difficulty without them. 

 The sides of a few of the sections are badl.v daubed 

 with propolis, l)ut most of them are rjuite free, and 

 the tops are very clean. The bottoms of the sec- 

 tions have a line of glue along the edge of the tin: 

 and if T tins are used over the sections I presume 

 the tops of the sections would be marked the same 

 way. As 1 have used them (without T tins on top), 

 the tops of the sections look much nicer than the 

 bottoms; and as the top of a section is the part that 

 shows most, I think I would rather have the glue 

 on the sides than to have the top like the bottom. 

 So, although 1 show my fickleness in so doing, I 

 must advise against T tins on top. Possibly we can 

 gain all the advantages we want in an easier way. 

 If T tins are put on above, I see no use for the side 

 wings, for the.y support nothing. So take merel.v a 

 straight piece of sheet iron or heavy tin of proper 

 length, and '4 or '^s inch wide, as the case may re- 

 quii-e, and we have all the advantage of the T tins 

 without the glue-line. The objection that friend 

 Drew makes, that the last T tin (or straight tin) is 

 difficult to insert, does not hold good with mj' su- 

 pers, Vi\ inside length. I have just tried it, and 

 they go in quite easily. With only I714 inside length 

 there may be more trouble, as also in putting in the 

 sections. 



Your plan, friend Root, of nailing on the six little 

 pieces of iron at the factory is undoubtedly good- 

 better, perhaps, than you think; for when you 

 have ever.y thing ready you can nail on a great 

 many pieces while the purchaser would be getting 

 ready to nail on the first piece. 



I don't suppose I shall ever use an outside shell 

 over my supers (yet I've changed so many times it 



