AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 469 



through only one hole about an inch in diameter. It was soon perceived that there 

 was less honey harvested in this style of box than formerly in the old wooden bucket 

 plan, laid bottom side up on top of the box-hive. 



We used these boxes for a short time, but after the invention of the extractor 

 in 1867, we tried surplus cases of full size with open frames right over the brood- 

 combs, and without any partition or honey-board. These frames were used for ex- 

 tracting. The result was so much in favor of the large frames that we soon dis- 

 carded the glass boxes altogether. 



A little later on, the honey-section, holding about a pound, was invented, and 

 found just the thing for the comb-honey market. We tried these sections, in broad 

 frames to hold them in the supers, and we used them side by side with the long ex- 

 tracting frames. The result was by far in favor of the latter, and were it not that 

 the city trade demands honey in small packages, we dare the assertion that no one 

 would think of using anything else. 



To show how evidently the bees prefer a long, open frame to a small section, we 

 will say that we tried both the long frames and the frames containing four sections 

 each, side by side in hives, placing the small sections in the center over the brood- 

 nest. In every instance, the bees filled the large open frames first, although they 

 were placed in a less favorable place. In some instances they even sealed the honey 

 in the open frames on both sides before filling the center sections. In a compara- 

 tive test between large and small sections, the result was similar, although the 

 difference was not so plainly marked. 



This shows without doubt that it is best to use long open frames, or large sec- 

 tions, in the supers, when the intention of the bee-keeper is to produce honey es- 

 pecially or exclusively for his family's use. But, if honey for market is wanted, one 

 must either use the one-pound sections which are the only comb-honey packaee of 

 marketable value, or he must use the long, open frames with the honey-extractor. — 

 Prairie Farmer. Hamilton, 111. 



VARIOUS NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



BY DR. C. C. MILLER. 



Bee-Field Competition. — I'm quite interested in reading Mrs. Atchley's experi- 

 ence in the matter of correspondence. Incidentally a point comes up upon which 

 she is silent, perhaps from modesty, but it would be greater kindness to all to talk 

 right out. She is asked about matters at Beeville, and it is not hard to read be- 

 tween the lines that Mrs. Atchley has in substance said, "Yes, it might be a good 

 thing for you to settle down at Beeville ; come and look the ground over for your- 

 self, and I'll help you all I can." That idea, " What one woman has done, another 

 can do," is sometimes quite a " booster," and sometimes it's a bare-faced fraud. No 

 other woman in all the world can do what Mrs. Atchley has done, unless Mrs. 

 Atchley gets out of the way. That is, no one can sit down beside her and have as 

 free a field as Mrs. Atchley now has. 



Now if there is twice as much pasturage as Mrs. Atchley's bees can ever be ex- 

 pected to use, then it's all right to encourage others to occupy the ground. But in 

 general it's better to say plainly, " The chance on this field is not as good as it was 

 when I came here, for then it was unoccupied, and now there is no more pasturage 

 than my bees can use, and if more bees are brought, it will not only be just so much 

 taken from my bees, but it will not give your bees so good a chance as if you find an 

 unoccupied field." 



I can hardly think of a greater absurdity in the line of selecting a location than 



