172 



THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST. 



ing, when the ten combs were divided 

 into ten nuclei, giving each comb of 

 brood, with queen cell and adhering 

 bees, a comb containing honey and 

 pollen. In this way I controlled 

 most of the field workers and got 

 the best of nursing nuclei. 



As the science of modern bee- 

 culture progresses, a desire to super- 

 sede tolerated defects in the system 

 of manipulation is the more keenly 

 felt. The proneness of bees to build 

 "brace-combs" between the brood 

 and surplus departments has led 

 many apiarists to the conclusion 

 that the present system of adjust- 

 ing the surplus department of the 

 modern frame hive is, in a great 

 measure, defective. For this reason 

 some have gone back to the old 

 honey board system, claiming "im- 

 provement" of course, and with 

 some show for their claims. 



If I had the time and space I 

 could point out the many devices 

 that have been employed, or resorted 

 to, to prevent the bees from fiUing 

 up every available space with "bits 

 of comb," and thus hindering the 

 ready removal of the surplus depart- 

 ment in a nice clean condition. But 

 I will only mention the "slat honey 

 rack" for holding sections, which is 

 only another form of the honey board. 

 Then we have the "slat honey board" 

 finely slitted so as to act as a "queen 

 excluder," and last of this kind we 

 have the slat recess or "sink" honey 

 board. 



All these devices are subject to 

 the same objections that may be 

 urged against the "close top bar" 

 frame. They in the same way con- 

 ceal the tops of the brood frames 



from the eyes of the apiarist, and de- 

 prive him of the welcome sight of 

 the whitened combs at the tops of 

 the brood frames which he gladly 

 receives as the best evidence that 

 his bees are ready for the surplus 

 department. 



If we must tolerate the "bits of 

 combs" or be deprived of a ready 

 glance at the tops of the combs 

 without first prying off a rickety 

 honey board, I prefer a "close top 

 frame," for it can be made in such 

 a way that the bees can pass readily 

 and promptly into the surplus de- 

 partment and not a .bit of comb will 

 be wedged in between the top and 

 the surplus combs. 



I have made, and am using, a few 

 of these frames. They are the per- 

 fection of mechanism, and bring less 

 labor to the apiarist than does the 

 honey board system. 



Christia7isburg, Ky. 



THE BIG DRUM. 



By T. O. Peet. 



Not long since I chanced upon 

 the following article with the above 

 heading. As when a boy it was the 

 chief attraction in the band, so I 

 was naturally drawn to it, read it, 

 and was struck with its aptness of 

 comparison to some of our bee con- 

 ventions. 



"When a band of music passes 

 along the street, be it the band of a 

 regiment, or a village band, or the 

 band of a charity school, it may be 

 noted that the chief centre of popu- 



