194 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



March 26. 



Three weeks later, the hives are opened for the first time 

 (unless we have some essential cause for opening them sooner) 

 and the brood-nest reversed by placing the two center combs 

 of brood on the outside and the outside ones in the center. By 

 so doing, a great gain is made, as all of the older brood is in 

 the central combs, which are generally filled nearly to the out- 

 side next the frame, while only small patches of eggs and small 

 larvas are in the outer ones. This reversion causes the now in- 

 side frames to be filled entirely with brood in the shortest space 

 of time, while there is little danger of chilling any brood in 

 this way. 



Remember, it is only the combs that actually have brood 

 in them that are to be reversed, not all the combs in the hive, 

 for, if this latter was to be done at this time, much harm would 

 be the result. At this time we should also know that each col- 

 ony has plenty of stores to last two or more weeks, for at no 

 time should the bees feel that they must economize in honey, 

 if brood-rearing is to go on rapidly, which it now must if we 

 are to get a good harvest of honey. Borodino, N. Y. 



Getting Women to Attend Conventious. 



BV MRS. N. L. STOW. 



At the Chicago meeting of the Illinois State Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, this question was asked by our worthy President: 



" What can we do to interest the women, and get them to 

 attend our conventions '?" 



The question was not fully answered. That all who are 

 interested in bees, will be glad to attend if they have oppor- 

 tunity there is no doubt, as there is so much to be heard there 

 that we do not get in our printed reports, and, as far as I have 

 been able to judge, those who have attended have been most 

 cordially and graciously received, so they can have no cause 

 for complaint on that score. The best solution of the question 

 would be, to let each man begin at home — bring the wife, 

 daughter, or sister, and having his own there, he will be more 

 likely to tolerate his neighbors'. 



If you have any female relative you can inveigle into the 

 business, do so, and make her think, if you can, that she is as 

 much interested as you are, financially, or otherwise, and you 

 will have a most efficient helper, and you won't have to ask 

 her twice to attend the convention with you. While the wife 

 and daughter may be the best help for the apiarist, I object to 

 making them a convenience. It may look sordid, but if there 

 is any money in the business they should share enough in it 

 to feel that they are working for themselves as well. That, 

 of course, is an individual matter, but — " All work and no 

 pay makes Jack a dull boy," applies here as well as anywhere, 

 and they should get as much fun, or profit, out of it as you do 

 yourselves. 



I have never advised a woman to go into bee-keeping in- 

 dependently ; all have not a natural taste for it, and there is 

 so much expense attending it, that a woman should think well 

 before venturing ; but for one with a love for nature studies, 

 and strength for out-door work, it is an ideal occupation, es- 

 pecially as a helper or director of an apiary. There is activity 

 and mental stimulus enough to give it a zest, and lift it out 

 of drudgery. 



Some of our best ladies are interested in bee-culture. One 

 whose name is well known in high social circles in Chicago, 

 has put bees on her summer home in the country, and has 

 made the care of them a study, and took charge of them her- 

 self last summer. 



To my young sisters who may be restive in your country 

 home, and ambitious to try city life, I would say — Don't. Our 

 large towns and cities are full enough of struggling humanity. 

 Make the most of your opportunities where you are. Try bee- 

 keeping, or anything else that will keep your lives pure and 

 sweet. If you are aiming for higher culture, then I bid you 

 God-speed ; but cheap finery is not culture. Hamerton says : 

 " The essence of intellectual living is a constant preference 

 for higher thought, over lower thought, and this preference 

 may become the habit of a mind which has not any consider- 

 able amount of information." Evanston, 111. 



Large vs. Small Hives — The Double 8-Frame. 



BY CHAS. DADANT. 



On page 34, Dr. Miller asks me : " What about a big lot 

 of bees reared too late to work on the harvest ?" 



In a previous article, I have shown that the colonies which 

 are the most likely to rear a big lot of bees too late for the 

 harvest are those that are too weak at the beginning of the 



harvest to gather a big crop of honey. The others being strong 

 at the beginning of the harvest, fill the cells early, and the 

 breeding is more likely to decrease in them early. "Those 

 hives, which breed largely late, we have shown that we use 

 for increase, putting their bees where they will do the most 

 good. 



But what if we rear a big lot of bees in every one of our 

 hives before, during and after the harvest? You will, or 

 course, grant that the number of idle bees will only be propor- 

 tionately larger in our hives than in the small hives. I would 

 rather have a large lot of bees during the whole year, in my 

 hives, than to have as small a lot as can be reared in an 8- 

 frame hive. A big lot of bees — after the spring harvest — will 

 make the hive ready for a big fall harvest ; for I take it for 

 granted that you have two distinct crops, as we have. A big 

 lot of bees, in the fall, will give the colony a chance to winter' 

 better, rear young bees earlier, and — since they have a larger 

 proportion of honey — with no more proportionate expense than 

 a small colony. I think we all agree that a large number of 

 bees in the hive, in spring, insures a better chance for a spring 

 harvest; and nothing entices a queen to breed as a large lot of 

 bees in a well supplied hive. 



Dr. Miller continues : "Even if it is admitted that the 8- 

 frame hive is too small, why, Mr. Dadant, can we not use two 

 of them for each colony ?" 



Of course, this can be done, and in fact, is done, often, but 

 we have tried it and do not like it at all, especially when we 

 try it side by side with the large hives. The 8-frame hive 

 doubled, increases the space too much — it gives 16 frames in- 

 stead of 8, furnishing about 4 frames more than is needed for 

 the most prolific queens. 



Now let us compare the two hives, the one with the large 

 Quinby frames and the double 8-frame hive, beginning with 

 October. 



The colony in the 16-frame hive, if strong, inhabits the 

 entire two stories. The honey may be scattered through the 

 two stories, or it may bo only in the upper tier. If it is scat- 

 tered in both, there is a chance that the upper story will not 

 have enough to winter all the bees. If it is only in the upper 

 story, it is quite likely that the colony will be crowded, in that 

 one story. There may also be some brood in the upper, and in 

 the lower story. Then you cannot remove one and leave the 

 other, unless you wait longer than is advisable. You have to 

 examine both these stories. Thus, not only your visit is long, 

 and excites robbing, but you must either leave both stories 

 with too much room, or give yourself a great deal of trouble in 

 removing the superfluous combs. With the large hive, after 

 the supers are removed, we can, at a glance, tell whether the 

 bees have enough to winter. If they cannot cover all the 

 combs the removal of one frame, and moving up of the dum- 

 my, reduces the space quickly. If they cover all the combs, 

 and you see honey iu every frame, it is evident that they have 

 enough, and they are ready for winter. The work is done fas- 

 ter than with the two stories, and the colony is in more com- 

 pact shape, if very strong, than in two stories, and in better 

 condition for winter. There is no need of disturbing the brood- 

 nest and exposing the combs. 



Let me say here, that we have never adopted, at home, the 

 cheaper way of making the hive-cap of the same size as the 

 body, for economy's sake. Our caps are all made larger than 

 the bodies, and telescope on them in the old way, being sup- 

 ported as with the good, old Langstroth hive, with cleats all 

 around. The hive is a little more expensive, but we have a 

 better fit, and a much better protection against robbers, moths, 

 cold, etc. An open joint will do in the summer, but in other 

 seasons, especially in spring, we want a well closed cover. 

 Then we have more room to put on an oilcloth or a straw-mat. 

 We even broaden the top edge of our hives, by nailing a slat 

 all around, on the outside, over which the cap fits. Supers, 

 honey-boards, etc., are much more readily adjusted, in this 

 way. 



In the spring,tbes6 large hives have more of a supply than 

 your 8-frarae hive, if the latter has been reduced to a single 

 story, for winter, as we suppose you expect to do. We can, at 

 a glance, tell whether our bees have sealed honey left, which 

 is usually our test for knowing whether they can go through 

 the rough weather of March and April without feed. With 

 your double S-frame hive, reduced, you will probably have to 

 feed the strongest colonies — the very ones which are the best 

 off with us, uuless, as I said before, you have left the double 

 story on. When the crop comes, all we have to do is to put on 

 the surplus boxes ; while you have to wait for the opportunity 

 of doubling your hive again. If this is done too soon, you 

 make your bees cold by giving them so large an empty space. 

 If too late, they may have prepared to swarm already. With 

 us, the hives which have been narrowed up by removing one 

 or two combs, can be re-supplied, oue comb at a time, if advis- 



