THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



17 



For the Ainericaii Bee Journal. 



Honey in Frames. 



I liave been keeping bees for 7 years, and 

 in that time have taken all my surplus in 

 frames, and like it the best. The frames 

 of my hive are 13 inches from front to rear, 

 which I think a very good size. The frames 

 for surplus honey are 12x<% inches outside 

 measure, and contain from 2}4 to 4 lbs., ac- 

 cording to the thickness of the comb. If I 

 want to extract the lioney, which I general- 

 ly do, these small frames are very conveni- 

 ent, and can be removed and returned 

 without disturbing the brood nest. If I 

 wish to sell the honey in the comb, I find 

 the small frames miich more convenient 

 than boxes. The bees are easily shaken 

 and brushed off, while a good deal of skill 

 and patience is required to get them out of 

 boxes. Honey in such frames as I have 

 described is easily handled, and sells very 

 readily at good prices. If to be shipped, 

 cases can be made which will hold the 

 frames in such a position, and with such 

 firmness that with careful handling there is 

 no danger of injury to the combs. 



I use no honey-board between the brood 

 department and the frames for surplus 

 honey. If I desire comb honey exclusively 

 I would use a honey-board, as the queen 

 would be less likely to deposit eggs in the 

 upper story, but as I use the extracter 

 largely, if a comb is blackened by having 

 brood raised in it, no great harm is done. I 

 frequently cut drone comb out of the frame 

 in the brood chamber and put it into the 

 small frames. It is better for the extractor 

 than worker comb, as the honey is more 

 easily thrown out of large cells than small 

 ones. 



When starting bees to work in the frames 

 for surplus, it is important to give them two 

 or more frames filled, or partially filled with 

 comb. They are more likely in that case 

 to build straight combs. While comb build- 

 ing it is necessary that they should be look- 

 ed after occasionally as they will sometimes 

 build from the bottom upward, and do very 

 crooked work. I think Italian bees are 

 more apt to begin at the bottom than black 

 bees are. I do not wish to be understood as 

 disparaging Italian bees. I think them 

 mucii better, in more respects than one, 

 than black bees; and I keep my Italians as 

 pure as possible. M. Mahin. 



Newcastle, Ind., Dec. 14, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Important Points in the Construction 

 of Bee Hives. 



The farming connnunity own most of the 

 honey fields of our country; and the busi- 

 ness of honey gathering and the manage- 

 ment of the gatherers should be as simple 

 and as clearly understood by them as possi- 

 ble. It is also desirable that it should be 

 free from needless manipulation. 



1. The shape of the hive is a question 

 worthy of some consideration. A low, flat 

 hive will not be as safe for wintering as a 

 taller hive with narrower front, back and 

 side boards. There is very little danger in 

 the wintering of bees in hives, thus shaped, 

 on their stands if only covered from wet. 



2. A very important consideration with 

 me is an arrangement of boxes for surplus 



honey, of about 5 Rs. capacitv each; 40 

 boxes in the aggregate, a little inore or less 

 at pleasure, placed in close connection with 

 the body of the hive; each directly acces- 

 sable to the bees. 



o. With these boxes, placed early in the 

 season, before the queen has made any ar- 

 rangement for swarming, by preparing 

 queen cells, they will give almost certain if 

 not perfect security against tlie issuing of a 

 swarm, and will in a good seasoii give the 

 40 .5-ft). surplus boxes full of surplus honey, 

 more or less; depending upon the field and 

 the season. 



4. To be secure against swarming it will 

 be requisite to have the colony of Bees well 

 shaded from the sun. Great heat, or the 

 presence of enemies may drive them out, 

 whatever room they may have for their 

 operations or in whatever shape it may be. 



5. This will not be a very heavy expense. 

 Glass boxes will be paid for in the sale of 

 the honey; 200 tts. of honey would sell for 

 from $iO to «50. If no market, it would be 

 very convenient to have 200 lbs. of first-rate 

 honey for use in the family. 



6. The expense of this annual income 

 would be for one colony of bees say .'$8, and 

 one hive say $o, amounting to .?i3. This 

 whole expense is more than d(nibly paid the 

 first year, and all the after products in com- 

 ing years clear gain. To secure the fullest 

 success let them send for Tiik American 

 Bke Journai, and read it carefully. 



Woodstock, Yt. .Jasi'kr IIazen. 



For the American Bee .Tournal. 



Chips from Sweet Home. 



I lately had the pleasure of visiting the 

 apiaries of Putman, at Galesburg.' and 

 Cramer and Kellogg, of Oneida, Ili. The 

 former apiary consists of 80 or 90 hives, lo- 

 cated in an orchard in the city of Galesburg. 

 1 saw a lot of his honey, which was choice 

 white clover. His hives were verv heavy 

 and too full of honey for their future well- 

 fare. He has no slihger and in this he saw 

 the need of one. He has also a lot of sec- 

 tions partly filled which should be emptied, 

 the comb saved for spring. His hives and 

 yard were neat. I found him a talkative 

 gentleman willing to impart and receive 

 knowledge. He thought "the disease" was 

 caused by a draft of air through the hive in 

 cold weatiier; but this is a mistake, for we 

 had the disease in the cellar as well as out- 

 doors, and hives all grades of ventilations. 

 He winters out-doors, cuts off all upward 

 ventilation, or rather wants to; in taking off 

 his honey boxes, which were set next the 

 frames, and then putting on the honey- 

 board, he must necessarily leave open space 

 around the top. 



Friend Kellogg was not at home, but I 

 found Cramer, found him a full match for 

 me in talk, he is «, live bee-keeper. His 

 apiary, as also Kellogg's, showed care and 

 attention. K's honey slinger is liked very 

 much, but would prefer the Sweet Home; 

 but his is a home-made one, and I thiniv it a 

 better one than any advertised, Kellog and 

 Cramer sling all their honey and find sale at 

 good prices. In company with Ci-amer we 

 visited several small bee-keepers, and next 

 morning before daylight he kindly saw me 

 on the train. 



D. D. Palmer. 



Mercer Co., Ill, Dec. 11, 1876. 



