THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



February, 



ingly dry climates the other extreme 

 occurs, and the bee-space is too small. 

 So much for boxes with frames in 

 them. 



Mr. Quinby devised a standing- 

 frame hive, a modification of the Huber 

 "leaf hive," putting hooks on the cor- 

 ners of the frames so that when proper- 

 ly placed on the bottom-board hey 

 would remain erect. This hive had sev- 

 eral vital defects. The bottom-board 

 was complicated, the hook arrangement 

 awkard, the hive could not be readily 

 storified and the block of frames com- 

 prising a "hive" could not be readily 

 or safely handled without the bottom. 

 Mr. Bingham devised a shallow stand- 

 ing-frame hive, the "frames'" having no 

 bottom bar. Being pretty securely 

 clamped together a set of frames can be 

 handled without the bottom-board, and 

 they can be storified. But the lack of 

 a bottom bar is a serious fault in the 

 eyes of many. Also in order to get a 

 simple bottom-board Mr. B. places his 

 frames side to the entrance instead of 

 end to it, a practice pretty universally 

 objected to by bee-keepers. It certain- 

 ly has some disadvantages, but is not 

 vital. The hive is a long step forward, 

 its shallowness and storifying giving it 

 many of the virtues of the Heddon, 

 while avoiding the evils of that hive, 

 but it must be handled more carefully. 

 It would never do to try to "jounce" it 

 a la Rambler. The "panels" used to 

 close the sides of such hives are trou- 

 blesome. When properly constructed 

 they are more expensive than is desira- 

 ble. One other, and a great trouble 

 with such hives, is the liability of the 

 frames tumbling over onto the ground 

 like a row of bricks, when the com- 

 pression is released, and manipulation is 

 in progress. A few such experiences is 

 generally enough to convince the ex- 

 perimenter that he does not want them. 

 But they have come to stay. 



So much for the broad chamber. 

 Supers and covers are next considera- 

 tion. Bottoms are about as simple as 

 they can be, and either of several now 

 on the market embody excellent fea- 

 tures. Possibly they might advantage- 

 ously be made of more durable wood 

 even if at slightly increased cost, and 

 certainly thicker and stronger bottoms 

 than some now sold would be better. 



Of covers there are none yet on the 



market that come anywhere near per- 

 fection. They twist, ^ they crack, they 

 shrink, they swell, they are clumsy or 

 complicated to make, and a dozen other 

 evils, and ofttimes one almost believes 

 each style is worse than the other. 

 There is a large field here for some 

 budding genius. 



In the construction of supers, the 

 great desideratum is keeping the sec- 

 tion clean. It is also essential that 

 they be kept square, may be readily in- 

 serted and as readily removed. With 

 the majority of cases on the market, 

 the sections separators, wedges, &c., 

 swell so that it is often impossible to 

 remove the sections at all unless the 

 side of the super is first pried partly 

 off. Frames and section holders only 

 aggravate the trouble. 



Some bee-keepers want to move out- 

 er rows of sections to the centre, and 

 vice versa; some want everything firm 

 and rigid; some want separators, others 

 do not. On scarcely any part of bee- 

 keeping do we dififer more than in our 

 likes and dislikes in "supers." After 

 trying all or nearly all styles and ob- 

 serving the tendency of the "craft," I 

 am inclined to believe that the "section 

 holder" without top-bar, and either 

 with loose or fastened separators will 

 be the leading and most satisfactory 

 all-around super. Also I believe that 

 they will be used clamped together 

 somewhat after the manner of Mr. 

 Bingham's frames, and will be used in- 

 dependently of an outer case, though 

 perhaps protected by one. I think 

 some arangement similar to Mr. Bing- 

 ham's cover with canvas drop — "petti- 

 coats." Rambler called them — will be 

 found most satisfactory for protection 

 of supers. 



Providence, R. I., Dec. i6, 1902. 



^'■Sttcc-fss to The American Bee-Keeper. It is im- 

 proving fast.'"— L. F. Hnncgan. 



The Canadian bee-keepers have fallen 

 into line, in the mater of honey ex- 

 changes; having organized and pro- 

 ceeded to execute plans for future op- 

 erations. 



Of the 91 apiaries visited in Ontario, 

 by Inspector McEvoy, during the past 

 year, foul brood was found to exist in 

 30 of them. 



