228 



i'HE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



REPLIES by Prominent Apiarists. 



Shading for Hives. 



Query, No. 47 — What is the best method 

 of shading hives from the sun ?— N. J. 



JIessrs. Dadant & Son reply : 

 " We shade our hives with roof s made 

 of coarse lumber, one for each hive, 

 projecting about 6 inches in front, and 

 sloped only one way." 



Dr. G. L. Tinker replies thus : 

 " The beat of the sun's rays striking 

 directly on the entrance of the hive 

 at mid-day, gives tlie most trouble 

 The best method of shading is to front 

 the hives toward the east." 



G. M. DoOLiTTLE replies as follows: 

 " With a light shade-board made of 

 lath, or other thin stuff. Where high 

 winds prevail, I prefer painting the 

 hives white, especially the tops, when 

 shading is rarely needed, as white re- 

 pels the heat." 



G. W. Demakeb replies thus : 

 " I prefer an ' over-cover ' of light 

 material— so made as to project about 

 6 inches over the south side of the 

 hive." 



W. Z. Hutchinson answers thus : 

 " With a light board 2x3 feet in size. 

 Such boards can be made very cheaply 

 by nailing the butts of shingles to a 

 strip of board. Have the hive face 

 toward the east; place one of the 

 longer edges of the board even with 

 the north edge of the hive, keeping 

 the board in place with a 1.5-lb. stone." 



Prof. A. J. Cook remarks thus : 

 " Everything considered, I think that 

 Mr. Heddon's plan of an extra board 

 4 inches above the hive is the best. 

 Two pieces nailed crosswise of the 

 board prevents warping, and keeps 

 the board just the proper distance 

 from the hive." 



James Heddon replies as follows : 

 " I much prefer a quick, readily-ad- 

 justable shade. My hives front east, 

 and I use a shade-board 2x.'? feet, its 

 length running lengthwise with the 

 hive. It projects equally beyond each 

 end, and all its extra width is given to 

 the southern side. It is held in place 

 by a stone weighing about 1-5 lbs. I 

 can manipulate this stone and shade 

 in less time than I can handle or get 

 around any other fixture for the pur- 

 pose. I never saw any style of hive 

 which I should not want shaded 

 during a part of the year, and exposed 

 to the sun at other times." 



Frames Crosswise to the Entrance. 



Query, No. 48.— What are the advantages 

 (if any) when the frames run crosswise to the 

 entrance ?— Riverside. 



jAJtES Heddon answers thus : 

 " Practicallv there is none, as regards 

 the bees. Though they instinctively 

 build the other way, praofcically we 

 find no advantage in that." 



Prof. A. J. Cook remarks thus : 

 " I have had frames both ways for 

 years, and I see no difference. Con- 

 venience should guide." 



Dr. G. L. Tinker replies thus : 

 " There are none." 



G. M. DooLiTTLE answers as fol- 

 lows : "I consider it a disadvantage 

 to have them run thus." 



G. W. Demaree answers thus : 

 " I have tried frames both ways, and 

 I prefer to have the ends of the frames 

 pointing towards the entrance." 



W. Z. Hutchinson remarks thus : 

 " When the frames are crosswise to 

 the entrance, only one division-board 

 is needed when contracting the brood- 

 nest. Bees are less likely to swarm 

 when their brood is far removed from 

 the entrance, and if the frames run 

 crosswise to the entrance, it is an easy 

 matter to keep the brood at the back 

 of the hive by occasionally changing 

 the combs about." 



Transferring Bees from Box-Hives. 



Query, No. 49 — What is the best method 

 (briefly stated) of transferring liees from 

 box-hives.— Burlington. 



Dadant & Son remark as follows : 

 "Drive the bees back, then transfer 

 the worker-comb only, by fastening it 

 with wire clamps. These can be re- 

 moved in a few days. Do not allow 

 any leaking of honey, as it may cause 

 the colony to be robbed." 



Prof. A. J. Cook answers as follows: 

 " Mr. Heddon's method of drumming 

 out and hiving upon foundation is 

 good. The combs are melted up when 

 the brood is all out. The old way is 

 more trouble, but in lieu of foundation 

 or very early in the season, it is to be 

 preferred." 



W. Z. Hutchinson remarks thus : 

 " Drive the bees from the box-hive, 

 and put them into a hive furnished 

 with wired frames of foundation. 

 Twenty-one days later, again drive 

 the bees from the box-hive— destroy 

 the queen accompanying this second 

 ' driven colony,' and unite the bees 

 with the bees first driven out. Ex- 

 tract the honey from the box-hive, 

 and melt the combs into wax for 

 making more foundation." 



H. R. BoARDMAN replies thus : 

 " Drum out the bees at the com- 

 mencement of the honey-season, and 

 hive them upon foundation the same 

 as a new swarm upon the old stand ; 

 be sure and get the queen. Remove 

 the old colony to a new stand, and 

 drum out the balance of the bees when 

 hatched from the brood, and unite 

 them with the new colony ; use the 

 honey to feed up the new colony, and 

 melt up the combs into wax." 



G. W. Dbmaree answers : " If the 

 combs in the box-hives are good ones, 

 then, decidedly, the method given in 

 the standard works on bee-culture, is 

 the best ; but if the combs are verj 

 old and crooked, it will pay best to di- 

 vide the bees into hives with full 

 sheets of foundation, as described by 

 Mr. Heddon heretofore." 



Metal Rabbets and Corners. 



Query, No. 50 — What are the ad vantages 

 of metal rabbets on hives, and metal corners 

 on frames?— J. H. 



Prof. A. J. Cook remarks thus : 

 " Metal rabbets prevent annoyance 

 from too firm gluing. To the unbi- 

 ased mind, I think that metal cor- 

 ners would be pronounced a nuis- 

 ance." 



G. M. Doolittlb replies thus : 

 " I use neither, as I consider their 

 disadvantage greater than their ad- 

 vantage." 



\y. Z. Hutchinson says : " They 

 prevent the bees from fastening the 

 projecting ends of the top- bars to the 

 rabbets of the hive with propolis. I 

 would never use metal corners, but 

 I would use metal bearings (not ' rab- 

 bets '—'call things by their right 

 names ') only in supers. The reasons 

 why — would occupy too much space 

 for this department." 



G. W. Demaree replies as follows : 

 "Metal rabbets are unnecessary, ex- 

 cept in the upper stories used for 

 extracting ; and metal corners are a 

 nuisance anywhere ; they are good for 

 nothing but to cut the operator's 

 hands when handling combs loaded 

 with honey, and to jump out of place 

 just when one wants them to stay in 

 place. Hike a good 'movable frame,' 

 but I do not want a ' suple jack ' 

 frame.'' 



James Heddon replies as follows : 

 " The advantages are that the bees 

 cannot glue the frames as solidly, and 

 that there is less liability of pinching 

 a bee when the frame is replaced. 

 The latter is more than offset by the 

 miserable hand - hold afforded by 

 metal corners ; the former, by the fact 

 of the frames sliding about when the 

 hives are moved from place to place. 

 With tenement hives, they do better, 

 but these are rapidly moving out 

 among the ' has-beens.' I rejectboth, 

 except the metal rabbet in the ex- 

 tracting supers. I have tested metal 

 rabbets thoroughly since 1871." 



Dr. G. L. Tinker remarks thus : 

 " I prefer metal rabbets, as they 

 greatly facilitate the handling of the 

 frames. As to metal corners, they are 

 detrimental in many ways." 



1^~ The sfcond annual meeting of the Des 

 Moines (^oimtv (Iowa) Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion, will be' held at the Court House in 

 Burlington. Iowa, on April '^8, 1885, at 10 

 a. m. All interested are cordially invited to 

 attend and make tlie meeting as profitable as 

 possible. All implements of the apiary sent 

 to the Secretary will be exhibited at the 

 meeting, and will be disposed of or returned, 

 as the owner directs. John Nah, Sec. 



1^" The Willamette Valley Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will hold its second meeting at 

 La Favette, Oregon, on the third Tuesday in 

 June. 188.1. All who are interested are in- 

 vited to attend. E. J. Hadlev, Sec. 



J^~ The Central Illinois Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation will meet at Jacksonville, III., at 10 

 a. m., on Saturday, May 2, 1885. 



Wm. Camm, Sec. 



I^" The spring meeting of the Cortland 

 Union Bee-Keepers' Association will be held 

 in Cortland, N. Y., on May 12, 188.=;. 



W. H. Beach, Sec. 



