576 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



TAKING NOTES OX LAl:GL-bCALL LELKEKl'i^vG 



A group of students from the advanced entomology class, Ohio State Universitj', inspecting the apiary 

 of the A. I. Root Co., under the direction of Professor Hines. Tliey spent a day looking over the equipment 

 for honey-production and queen rearing. The young man at the extreme left i.s from South Africa; the one 

 at the left of Professor Hines is from China. 



large experience with tiered-up hives. One 

 season I took 52,000 lbs. of honey from 

 dovetailed hives, and have had from 10 to 

 75 of that form of hives in use in my api- 

 aries during the past ten years or more. So 

 my opportunities for thoroughly testing 

 both forms of hives have been very full and 

 complete. 



The editor has ably described some of the 

 features of the hive, so I will only amplify 

 some of tlie points he mentioned, and sug- 

 gest some others. 



Of course, the first thing any one notices 

 on iirst seeing the hive is its larger size or 

 seemingly larger size. The difference in 

 size between one of tiiese hives, if it were 

 set up on end, and a three-story dovetailed 

 hive is very small indeed, and nothing less 

 than three stories is suitable for the best 

 .success in getting extracted honey. In fact, 

 the hive is very similar to Avhat a three- 

 story hive would be if laid down on side 

 with frames clianged in position. 



It looks as though such a large hive would 

 be much more dillieult to move around to 

 different locations in the apiary. Of course, 

 compared to a single-story ten-frame hive 

 they would be lieavier; but I can liandle 



them easier, and with less labor, than I can 

 even a two-story hive. I never move any 

 hive, large or small, any distance except on 

 a wheelbarrow or cart. I can pick up one 

 of my large hives and put it on a wheel- 

 barrow much easier than I can a tiered-up 

 one that contains the same amount of honey. 

 This is because the cleats on which the cove*" 

 rests run all around and near the top of the 

 hive instead of handholes in the center of 

 hives; also because there is no top stoi'y to 

 prevent tlie hive being close to one, so it 

 can be lifted straighter up. This will be 

 fully appreciated by any one who compares 

 the ease of lifting anything heavy close lo 

 I lie body, or well awaj' from it. 



Again, a tall hive is much more liable 

 to tip over forward, if tlie wheelbarrow 

 happens' to strike even a small obstruction, 

 damaging the combs, laising the temper of 

 tlie bees, and bringing out more or less tem- 

 per from the owner. The men wlio helped 

 ?ne load on to boats always objected strong- 

 ly to liandling the tiered-up hives because of 

 the extra labor and ri.sk. 



One of the principak advantages of the 

 hive is tlie ease with which it can be exam- 

 ined. Simply jemove the hive cover, move 



