THE AMERICAN APICUTURIST. 



289 



found occasionally that does not join 

 tightly, a nail or two will make it a 

 nailed section, to all intents and pur- 

 poses. 



2. In my experience (and in an- 

 swering any questions that may be 

 propounded, I intend simply to give 

 my own views, and not to say that I 

 ni'n right and all who differ, wrong) it 

 will depend on circumstances. If the 

 sections are all placed upon the hives 

 at once, early in the season, the 2-lb. 

 sections -will be filled first; but if they 

 are put .on as they should be, viz., a 

 few at a time, till the strength of the 

 colony is ready to work in them, it will 

 make little, if any, diflerence. So, if 

 all are put on the hives at height of 

 season, little difference, if any, will be 

 found. 



3. Until they are most of them partly 

 sealed over, unless it appears that more 

 room is needed to prevent swarming 

 or to keep loafers at work. In this lat- 

 ter case I should give all the sections 

 they would occupy, no matter how high 

 they were tiered up. 



4. Yes ; quite often and with good 

 results. 



5. I have set sections directly on the 

 frames and allowed a space of about 

 three-eighths of an inch. The results 

 in both cases were about the same. 



6. I have used top bars from I inch 

 to \\ inches in width. The sections 

 should correspond in width to width of 

 top bars. The spaces required for the 

 bees to travel up into sections being 

 scant h inch they should have tops and 

 bottoms made same width of the frames 

 used, while the sides should be enough 

 wider to allow of this space between, 

 Avhenthe sections are crowded together 

 on top of frames. A | inch top bar 

 Avould require sides of sections to be 

 about J%f' in. wide. A 1^ inch would 

 require the sides to be correspondingly 

 larger. 



7. Not to do any harm. Of course 

 some brace combs will be built, but as 

 a rule, not enough to be of any great 

 disadvantage or to cause much extra 

 trouble or labor. 



8. I do not use cushions at all, for 

 the reason that tlie material used for 

 filling them must necessarily be crowd- 

 ed more compactly than is advisable. 

 I prefer forest leaves pressed lightly 

 on top of frames. I think coarse chaff' 

 would 1)6 preferable for cushions; the 

 principle of the preference is stated 

 above. 



9. No, I can't see how it can cause 

 any injury. All that is required being 

 to "bring the colonies up to full strength 



before the time comes for packing for 

 winter. I have built up many small 

 three-frame nuclei to the strength nec- 

 essary for safe wintering after Sept. 1. 

 A hive thus treated will winter just as 

 well as though not so used, if built up 

 strong afterwards, and no trouble will 

 be found in so building up. 



ANSWKRS BY D. D. MARSH. 



1. A dovetailed, because it looks 

 more attractive, and can be made of 

 thinner stock. 



2. I should think the bees would fa- 

 vor the two pound sections, but the 

 market prefers the one pound. 



3. Till the comb begins tocroiod the 

 bees in the sections. 



4. I have. 



5. Three-eighths of an inch. 



6. One inch and an eighth, and the 

 same apart. 



7. Never have been to any great 

 extent, so I could not get the sections 

 ofl' readily. 



ANSWERS BY L. C. ROOT. 



1. All things considered I prefer them 

 nailed. The' average person will make 

 a better box and one that will keep its 

 shape best in this way. 



2. As I figure they must store nearly 

 the same but not as quickly. 



3. If the honey fiow has just com- 

 menced and is abundant I would add a 

 second tier of boxes as soon as they 

 have started to work in all of the first 

 tier. 



Some seasons it will work better, 

 and some colonies will seem to work 

 best, if the additional tiers are added 

 at the top instead of placing them un- 

 der. 



4. I have used them more this way 

 than any other. 



5. Three-eighths of an inch scant. 



6. Seven-eighths of an inch, with 

 five-eighths of an inch between frames. 



7. No, not if sufticient surplus room 

 was provided. 



8. Chaff. I use cotton. 



9. If they have an abundance of 

 brood and suflicieut honey they should 

 not be harmed for successful wintering. 



ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE. 



1. If the section is to be in four 

 pieces, I prefer the nailed section. Rea- 

 son : because the dovetailed sections 

 are too cranky for my use and patience. 



2. Yes, if the apiarist knows just 

 how, and when to do the "tiering up" 

 necessary to the best results. • 



3. I can get the best results by lift- 



