THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



125 



Hives and Their Relation to Non-Swarming 

 and Out Door Wintering. 



L. A. ASPINWALL. * 



JN the develop- 

 ment of human 

 affairs, existing 

 methods are con- 

 stantly subjected 

 to upheaval so long 

 as they are inade- 

 (]uate to the re- 

 quirements under 

 existing circu m- 

 stances. As illus- 

 trations : — "The 

 irrepressible con - 

 flict" between slavery and freedom, precip- 

 itated a civil war, resulting in the emanci- 



* L. A. Aspinwall was born Oct. 14, 1842, at 

 Hastings on the Hudson, New York State. With 

 his parents he removed to Albany County when 

 about six or seven yearsof age. His father was 

 a specialist 'raising fruit and vegetables on his 

 small farm of thirty acres. An occasional visit 

 to a neighbor who kept a few colonies of bees 

 aroused a fascination for them when he was 

 about ton or eleven years old. In 1854, when 

 twelve years of age, he, with his savings, pur- 

 chased his first colony of bees. This, however, 

 was lost in a month or two, being infested with 

 moth worms. The following spring another was 

 purchased, and when sixteen years old, he was 

 in possession of 25 or 30 colonies of bees, all 

 managed by the methods set forth in " Quinby's 

 Mysteries of BeeKeeping Explained," first edi- 

 tion, 1852. In J858 foul brood began to make 

 havoc in his apiary ; but with Quinbv's book he 

 soon learned to combat it successfully. In It'SO 

 he purchased the right to use the Langstroth 

 hive, also purchased his (Laiigstroth's) work on 

 the " Honey Bee." In 1860 lio made the acquain- 

 tance of Mr. Quinby and constructed a winter 

 repository to accommodate KX) colonies of bees. 

 In the same year superseded the box liives. His 

 movable comb hives were constru'-ted from the 

 first with eight frames, and wide top bars with 

 one-quarter inch bee spaces — was not troubled 

 with burr combs. He also made ^« bottom bars 

 from which he never changed. In 18(51 pur- 

 chased an ItaUan queen from Mr. Quinby who 

 then lived ar St. .Johiisville, tU miles from Alba- 

 ny. In 1862 had Italianized his entire apiary 

 which numbered over 40 colonies. In 1.S63 his 

 apiary numbered 65 colonies. The same year he 

 discovered a rapid method of introducing 

 queens, adopted by Mr. (Quinby (see Revised 

 Edition of Quinby, istir), p.ige ;«0.) In 1861, 

 when 19 years of age, lie began inventing the 

 potato planter which occupied a period of 20 

 years of outlay, study and labor and was the 

 foundation of the present business. Owing to 

 the pressure of mechanical work he gave up the 

 bee business at the age of 25. When 27 years old 

 he had completed the first successful corn busk- 

 er in the world, to be opi-ratcid by horse power. 

 He has since invented the i)otato cutter, potato 

 sorter, corn and fertilizer attaciimonts for the 

 potato planter. Has otiicr inventions still in 

 progress. Wlien 31 years of age he went abroad, 

 spending six years, ninstly in England. Nine 

 years ago lieagain took up bee culture. Has ex- 

 perimented upon the previ'iition of swarming, 

 improved method of wintering, and many otlier 

 important requirements. 



pation of the slaves. Religious toleration is 

 the result of terrible upheavals. The un- 

 balanced condition between labor and capi- 

 tal will continue to engender strife until 

 equal advantages accrue to both. Also in 

 the mechanical world, struggle precedes the 

 complete invention. There are no excep- 

 tions ; methods and requirements must be 

 commensurate before perfection is attained. 



The subject under consideration recalls 

 the constant agitation (discussion) relative 

 to hives. The question as to the number of 

 frames, deep or shallow, thick or thin walls, 

 packed or air spaces ; all demonstrate the 

 absence of an all-purpose hive. 



In the progress of invention, we generally 

 find imperfect contrivances being worked 

 through excessive labor and skill in order to 

 obtain the desired results. The lack of per- 

 fection also calls for different systems of 

 management to meet the requirements under 

 different circumstances ; hence, complica- 

 tion and a lack of uniformity, both of which 

 foster a condition of unrest. In the mean- 

 time men are constantly gleaning from the 

 field of opportunity until the desired end is 

 obtained ; overcoming the necessity for ex- 

 cessive labor and technical work ; producing 

 results which astonish the world. 



We have been stuffed with theories rela- 

 tive to the shape and number of frames for 

 outdoor wintering, when, really, among 

 other requisites, a condition of warmth (if 

 it can be maintained), would settle the 

 question. I do not wish to be understood as 

 saying that all frames possess equal advan- 

 tages in wintering ; but with a condition of 

 warmth, success will attend the use of either 

 deep, shallow or square frames provided the 

 area is sufficient for ample stores. The in- 

 ability to maintain sufficient warmth for out- 

 door wintering has necessitated the use of 

 cellars and special repositories. However, 

 there are inherent objections to indoor win- 

 tering which cannot be overcome ; such as 

 long confinement, attention necessary in 

 the matter of ventilation, and governing the 

 temperature ; also handling the colonies 

 twice a year. 



The number of frames for successful win- 

 tering, even with the strongest colonies, 

 never should exceed eight. We seldom fitid 

 a colony occupying more than five comb 

 spaces during winter weather. It being im- 

 possible for bees to change ranges of comb 

 during the continuance of extremely cold 

 weather, like the past winter, demands not 



