82 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



Another reason for not painting hives is that I am 

 afraid bees do not do quite so well in painted as in im- 

 painted hives, especially in winter. 



Except the full-sized cleat already mentioned on each 

 end, my hives are the regular dovetailed. But the frames 

 are Miller frames. 



LOOSE-HANGING FRAMES. 



For a good many years handling frames was much 

 slower work than it is today, because for a good many 

 years I had loose-hanging frames. In moving the frames 

 from one side of the hive toward the other, each frame 

 had to be moved separately. It would not do to shove 

 two or more at a time, because in so doing bees would be 

 mashed between the frames. Then when the frames were 

 returned to place each one had to be carefully adjusted, 

 judging by the eye when it was at the right distance from 

 its neighbor. This was slow work, and when done with 

 the utmost care it was only approximately exact. There 

 was no dummy to lift out to make extra room ; and the 

 frames had to be crowded together so as to make room to 

 get a first frame out. That disarranged the spacing of 

 several of the frames, even if there were no other occasion 

 for disarranging them. 



SELF-SPACING FRAMES. 



Then there came a time of struggling for some self- 

 spacing arrangement, closed-end, partly-closed-end, and 

 what not. I tried a good many different kinds. Closed- 

 ends were probablv warmer for wintering, and were cer- 

 tainly self-spacing, but it took time to avoid killing bees, 

 and the trouble with propolis was no small matter. Half 

 closed-ends were the san:e in kind, only different in de- 

 gree. 



Of these last the Hoffman is probably the most popu- 

 lar, and I put in use enough to fill a few hives, and some 

 of them are still in use. When new they work very 



