372 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



combs and bits of wax have been turned into very fine light wax by its use. The 

 observatory hive you see is what I shall have as one of ray exhibits at the Tacoma 

 Exposition, and have in it one Hoffman frame with 5-banded bees, and a very fine 

 yellow 5-banded queen. 



Also you will notice two sticks just in front of the Otis hive, with queen-cells 

 on. I have been rearing queens this summer on the Doolittle plan, with partial 

 success, and got some very fine, large queens out of 50 cells, also some small ones, 

 which I destroyed. I only succeeded in getting 15 queens, as the weather was too 

 cool for rearing good queens until the latter part of July and August, and now the 

 bees are not getting any honey, so I may have to wait until next season, or feed. 



You will see I am using the closed-end frame hive, or Heddon hive. I saw so 

 much in the Bee Journal and Oleanings in reference to the section9,l hive, that I 

 thought to experiment with it this season, and see which I should adopt, as I had no 

 authority to refer to for assistance in this most important implement in bee-culture. 

 Hence my article in the Ameeican Bee Journal, of June 7th. I believe the editor 

 asked for information on that from Mr. R. L. Taylor, but as yet I have seen no reply 

 that would assist a beginner. Now my experience is this, that the sectional (or 

 Heddon) hive is very handy. I rub tallow on the edges of the frames before putting 

 them in the hive, and I can take out any frame just as easily as the Hoffman frame, 

 that is, when I wish to do so, which has not been often, as I simply reverse the case, 

 turn the screws, and let down the frames 3< inch, and turn the screws tight, and 

 that is all for the season. For my use I like them better than the regular 8-frame 

 hives, but this is only my first season with them, and next winter will tell on them, 

 how they are for a winter hive. 



Last winter, in the dovetail hive, I lost 10 colonies out of 55, and they had 

 plenty of stores left, so I could not account for the loss. The stands under the hives 

 are 8 inches high, which makes the hives about 9 inches above the ground. I think 

 for this climate it is best to have the hives high enough up so as to keep them as dry 

 as possible in winter. I aim to keep all weeds and grass away from the front of the 

 hives. 



We are busy making a hot-house where a hot-bed formerly stood, and now have 

 it full of cucumbers, which you can tell by their leaves. 



You see me in the picture as I work most of the time with the bees, except I 

 pull down the veil and either tuck it under my vest collar, or let it hang down loosely. 

 I also use the Bingham smoker, which is very handy when needed. Often smoker 

 nor veil is used by me; but when blacks or hybrids are worked with, smoke and veil 

 are needed. 



My brother stands back of me with a "Globe" veil in his hand, and also 

 another younger brother sits on a hive, so now you have three of us this time — I 

 may send you more some other time. Tacoma, Wash., Aug. 26. 



BEE-PARALYSIS-AIVOXHER IVEW DISEASE. 

 Supposed Causes and Cures. 



BY C. W. DAYTON. 



I notice your mention of sulphur for " bee-paralysis." Sulphur was no cure in 

 my hands, and I tried it in ev(!ry conceivable way and extent ; also salt. A change 

 of the queen has cured in every instance of some 30 colonies — last season and this. 

 Some diseased colonies which went through the winter showed it again last spring. 

 It appears to be caused by imperfect queens, which become imperfect through ex- 

 tensive egg-laying. 



