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51 



^-'"^'-mkh^A^m^A^ 



EDITOR. 



Vol. mi, Jan, 2U890. E4. 



still Sick. 



The editor is still coniined to the house, 

 and most of the time to his bed. The 

 "grippe" has disappeared, but as is 

 usual in the majority ot the cases with 

 this malady, it has left him a legacy — in the 

 present instance it is a congested liver and 

 stomach. At the present writing, he is 

 gaining steadily, and if no further compli- 

 cations arise, he will be at his post of duty 

 before another number of the Bee Journai, 

 goes to press, and his handiwork will be 

 seen, as of old, upon this page. 



The Business Department has received no 

 interruption during the prevalence of this 

 Russian epidemic, as the Business Manager 

 lost the combination, and failed to receive 

 his share. All matters of business have 

 received, and Avill continue to receive, the 

 same prompt attention that has character- 

 ized its affairs in the past. 



Alfred H. Newman, 



Businees Manager. 



The Best l.iiterary Journal. 



This is what Mr. Geo. E. Hilton says of 

 our Illustrated Home Jourxal, when 

 sending his subscription for another year : 



You are publishing the best literary jour- 

 nal that comes to my desk, and I am just 

 deluged with reading-matter; but if it all 

 had to stop but one, the Home Journal 

 would be the one that would be continued. 

 Would to God that we had more of such 

 healthful reading-matter, and less of the 

 " dime novel " sort. If you get what you 

 deserve, it wiU be "success." 



Geo. E. Hilton. 



Thanks, Friend Hilton. That is a pretty 

 strong endorsement, but we mean to merit 

 just such commendations, by supplying 

 reading-matter that is pure and inviting- 

 such as may be safely put into the hands 

 of every member of the family. The Illus- 

 trated Home Journal is clubbed with the 

 American Bee Journal for only $1.50. 



Spreading^ tiic Framc§ in Win. 

 tering Bees. 



Written for the AmeT^can Bee Journal 



Query 681. — 1. In wintering bees out-cioors, 

 would it be any advantage to the bees, to re- 

 move oue frame, and spread tlie remaining 

 nine further apart, to allow more bees be- 

 tween each two combs ? 2.1 have several col- 

 onies of bees in 10-frame Langstroth hives, 

 with only nine combs in each Theninecombs 

 so widened out tluit there is not room for the 

 tenth frame. Wili it make any dilference with 

 the bees, or the honey crop ? If so, what V— Mo. 



Where combs are spread 1^^ inches from 

 center to center, I believe that spreading 

 the comb is worse than useless. ^-J. M. Ham- 

 baugh. 



I have tried j'our plan, but I can see no 

 difference, and now I leave all the frames 

 in the hive. — H. D, Cutting. 



They will certainly winter better with 

 only 9 frames. All our colonies are in 

 hives with frames 1)4 inches apart. — Da- 

 DANT & Son. 



1. No. It would be a disadvantage. 2. 

 There is less room for brood, and in the 

 brood-nest combs are liable to be built be- 

 tween the frames. — M. Mahin. 



If the frames are well filled with honey, 

 it might be an advantage to slightly spread 

 them. No spreading should be done during 

 the working season. — J. P. H. Brown. 



While it is not necessary to spread the 

 combs as you suggest, it does no harm, and 

 may be a slight advantage. I usually 

 spread the frames a little. — A. J. Cook. 



1, Some think so; I do not practice it. 3. 

 There will be no difference with the bees, 

 but 8 frames will give you better results in 

 honey, if the hive is contracted to a suitable 

 width for them. — G. M. Doolittle. 



1. Yes. 3. Yes. It will not be as good 

 in summer as a 9-frame hive. When the 

 frames are so far apart, the bees frequently 

 build pieces of comb between them, and 

 there is not so much breeding-room, and 

 room for the bees to loaf and go into the 

 super. — A. B. Mason. 



1. I think not. Nature indicates that the 

 combs should be from 1?^ to IJo inches 

 apart from center to center ; and to spread 

 them to an unnatural distance apart, must 

 necessarily be an experiment. 2. I know 

 by experience that bees will winter all 

 right on 9 frames, divided in a 10-frame 

 hive. But this is a rather light " spread." 

 — G. W. Demaree. 



1. Some say so. 2. Yes. Within proper 

 limits, the closer the combs are together, 

 the more brood the cluster will cover in the 

 spring, and consequently the more bees in 

 June ; and also the less room there will be 

 for bees to lounge in the brood-chamber, 

 and the more will be crowded into the sec- 

 tions, and consequently the more surplus 

 there will be.— R. L. Taylor. 



1. Mr. Langstroth thinks that it is. I 

 have never thought the advantage enough 

 to pay for the trouble of changing twice a 

 year. 2. If combs are spread too much in 

 the spring, bees cannot cover so much 

 brood. I think that combs can be kept a 

 little straighter if tolerably well crowded. 

 — C. C. Miller. 



1. I think that it would, but it is a good 

 deal of work, it oue has many hives. 3. I 

 have used 10-frame Langstroth hives for 

 many years, with only 9 frames, and I 

 never could see any difference in the yield 

 of honey, between them and the 10-frame 

 hives. — C. H. Dibbern. 



1. 1 hardly think that it will pay in Mis- 

 souri. In colder climates it might be an 

 advantage. 3. i-will make no difference 

 with the bees, but I think that it will with 

 the honey crojt. There is tof) much room 

 in the brood-chamber for storing honey 

 that ought to go above. In the spring, 

 shave off the comb until the other frame 

 will go in. Crowd them so closely together 

 that the frames will not be more than lji( 

 inches from center to center. — Eugene 

 Secor. 



1. More space between frames in winter 

 than in summer, is desirable ; but if 50 col- 

 onies or more are to be opened, and the 

 combs spread, it will not pay to do it. 

 Narrow spaces, say 1% inches, in summer, 

 tend to straight, even brood-combs, lessen 

 the storage room in the brood-chamber,and 

 put more honey in the supers. — J.M. Shuck. 



To take the frame from the center of the 

 hive, and leave the space all in one place, 

 not disturbing the other frames, would, I 

 think, be good practice; but, better still, to 

 place a "Hill's device " above the frames. 

 In working for comb honey, I have always 

 considered 8 frames in the brood-chamber 

 a plenty — sometimes, too many. — Mrs. L. 

 Harrison. 



1. I use the 10-frame Langstroth hive for 

 wintering, and remove one frame and 

 spread the others. I deem this to be about 

 right. 2. I prefer a Langstroth hive H}4 

 inches wide, carrying 10 frames. In sum- 

 mer, I use a J.^-inch dummy also, spacing 

 close. In winter I remove one frame and 

 the dummy, spacing 9 frames evenly. This 

 works better with me than any other plan 

 that I have tried. Space will not allow 

 theoretical reasons, so I state the facts only. 

 -^. E. Pond. 



1. Some have so claimed, but it is my 

 humble opinion that there is no foundation 

 for the claim. 3. It will make a difference 

 with the honey crop, as it is impossible to 

 rear as many workers where the combs are 

 placed too far apart, as where they are 

 spaced the proper distance apart, or about 

 1% inches from center to center of the 

 combs. — G. L. Tinker. 



1. Perhaps it might,butl do not do it.and 

 very few bee-keepers do do it, and yet the 

 theory is 15 years old, and has been tried 

 many, many times. Space between the 

 combs does not cause or prevent bee-diar- 

 rhea. 3. Your bees are in just as good 

 condition to winter, as if they had 10 

 frames ; but the combs are too far apart for 

 the best results in summer. Next spring, 

 shave off the projecting cells (which would 

 be honey-cells) . shove up the frames and put 

 in another frame, if you want the very best 

 results. — James Heddon. 



The sreading of the brood-frames for win- 

 ter is an old theory, but one that wiU 

 hardly pay for the trouble. The advantage 

 (if there is any) is vei-y slight, while the 

 disadvantages are many. — The Editor. 



How to JBIeach Common Yeilotv 

 Beeswax, 



Written tor the Amerifyi.n Bee Journal 



Query 682.— What is the best and quickest 

 way to bleach common yellow beeswax ?— Tex. 



I do not know. — M. Mahin. 



I do not kiiow. — J. E. Pond. 



I do not know. — J. M. Hambaugh. 



Ask the wax-bleachers. — R. L. Taylor. 



I respectfully submit this to Messrs. Da- 

 dant & Son.— Eugene Secor. 



What do you want to bleach it for; If 

 you want only a little, melt up some white 

 comb. — C. C. Miller. 



