MAY 1. 1015 



F;g. 2. — Slatted partition used in s(ofk-olinni1ipr nnd niiclons hive, sliowina; inside. 



cuiiiniereial queen-raisers who use the 

 ■' baby " nuclei have more or less trouble 

 uitii t belli. 



P)aby nuclei properly formed are a real 

 economy so far as bees are concerned, for 

 line good colony will make twenty-five to 

 fifty, wliereas it would make but about five 

 if on standard frames. Besides cost of bees 

 there is the difference in cost of eciuipment 

 — an item of no small consequence. As an 

 offset against saving in bees and ecjuipment 

 in using- baby nuclei is the matter of labor 

 in watciiing over and caring for them. 

 Which is the cheaper? 



! puzzled over that question for a long 

 time. I wanted to use the little hives be- 

 <•au.se of the economies, but 1 must be able 

 to leave the little colonies to their own 

 devices for days or a week, or even more 

 at a time, and that seemed to be impossible. 

 I.^iltle by little, however, I found out the 

 laws underlying their behavior; and when 

 1 finally found that the " moist " sugars 

 sulliced as food for them, as well as for fidl 

 colonies, I had onh- to devise a suitable 

 "stock" hive (o have a complete system 

 economical in every detail. For some years 

 I have had such a slock hive and .system, 

 and I believe that 1 am warranted in con- 

 sidering it as low in first cost, and as eco- 

 luiinical in labor and attention, as anything 

 yet described. I am not a commercial queen- 

 laisei'; and while the system is perfectlj- 

 adapted to their use. I worked it out from 

 the standjioint of the commercial honey- 

 producer. 



Tlie basis was Alley's nucleus, wliicli was 

 slightly changed in dimensions to enable me 

 to use the frames in standard fittings. The 

 nucleus hive used by Alley was heavier than 

 I tliought necessary. The syrup-feeder ar- 

 rangement 1 did not use, and the flat cover 

 would not stay put without a weight or 

 fastening. Also, in my location the cold 

 nights and fogs called for a warmer hive, 

 one better jorotected from external changes, 

 ilnd one in whicli a small lot of bees could 

 keep things as they desired, as well as a 

 large lot in a big hive. To accomplish this, 

 and at the same time have it light and 

 convenient, as well as inexpensive, was not 

 at first easy; but the goal was finally reach- 

 ed, and the complete outfit and system is 

 liere described. 



THE EQUIPMENT. 



First, the "stock" hive. The floor is 

 standard. The " bodies " are standard deep 

 supers with rabbets along the long sides in- 

 stead of along tile ends (/. e., supers for 

 crossway frames). The covers are a stan- 

 dard super cover and a telescope cover. One 

 to five " bodies " are used for each " stock '' 

 hive. 



These " bodies " are arranged inside in 

 the following manner: The rabbets are cut 

 deep enough for metal rabbets to be used. 

 Longitudinally through the center is hung a 

 slat-filled frame having metal rabbets along 

 each top edge. This frame is as long as a 

 standard brood or super frame, and the tin 

 rabbets are as long as the inside of the 

 " body," Into the inside of the ends of the 



