THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



83 



believe increasing the size will increase 

 the speed. Now I don't see that you 

 say anything on ])age 66 to bear upon 

 the point except this, '"'I'he fact that the 

 present Italian bee travels farther and 

 faster -AwA gathers more honey than the 

 common small l)lack bee, and that their 

 size is what enables them to do so, dem- 

 onstrates that this is the road to follow." 



Bearing in mind that the point in dis- 

 pute is "double size and you double dis- 

 tance," it will be seen that the part of 

 your statement that bears on the case is 

 that ItaHans fly farther than blacks be- 

 cause of greater size. Now is your "fact" 

 a fact? 1 don't know, but I do not now 

 remember any proof that Italians fly 

 farther or that they are larger. Until 

 you furnish such proof, I don't see that 

 I have an)thing to combat. 



Allow me to s ly before I close that I 

 have entire respect for your earnest de- 

 sire to improve the bee, and am not en- 

 tirely without hoj^e that some good will 

 come of it. My only desire was to 

 try to point out wherein 1 thought you 

 were steeruig needlessly astray. 1 have 

 sent to Bro. Alley a reply to his remarks 

 on page 6o, w^hich bears on the case, 

 so 1 will not repeat what I have there 

 said, hoping you will do me the favor to 

 read it. Your point that increase of 

 size, especially of tongue, leads towards 

 getting red clover, is a good one. To 

 accom])hsh a strain of red-clover storers 

 is worth a great deal of effort. 



In reply to your question, I can only 

 guess that Mr. Heddon may want to 

 sell old combs because he does not want 

 frames of that particular size. But that's 

 only a guess. For anything I know, Mr. 

 Heddon may prefer new combs, but I 

 doubt it. I can reply to your question 

 about myself, that I have never s )ld an 

 old comb, and if you were to offer to 

 trade brand-new combs for any or all of 

 my old ones, I wouldn't trade. I may 

 be wnmg, but I am giving you my hon- 

 est opinion. 



Selection may accomplish much, but 

 I cannot see how the size of worker cells 

 can have any effect on the queen progeny, 

 nor do I believe increase of size will 



bring increase of speed, till I see the 

 heaviest horses used for racers. 



C. C. Miller. 

 Marengo, III. 



You dodge the tarjrct so that a fellow 

 can't liit you. No, the heaviest hoi'ses are 

 not used for racers, iior are Llie smallest 

 lioises used to do farui work, or to haul 

 large loads. — Eo.] 



A PASSAGK WAY FOK BEES OVER 

 THE C0MI5S. 



What shall we use for the above dur- 

 ing winter? I think it is very necessary 

 to have a cliance for the bees to cluster 

 and pass over the combs while in win- 

 ter quarters. I have used Hill's device 

 and tried very many other ways, and 

 will tell what has been the most satis- 

 factory of them all to me. Perhaps 

 others might try it and if they have got 

 anything that will give better satisfaction, 

 I should like to hear from them. I use 

 two frames of combs, what I call honey 

 or extracting frames, such as I use in 

 my style of hive. First I will explain 

 these frames of combs as ma:;y may want 

 to know the size, etc. These frames 

 are i2f inches long, i\\ inches deep, 

 by t| inches thick which gives combs 

 I J- inches thick, the thickness of box- 

 honey. I take two of the above frames 

 of comb (no honey in them) and lay 

 crosswise on top of the brood frames, 

 lay them down flatwise, parallel to 

 each other, about two inches apart, then 

 cover all with cloth, and packing or 

 whatever is used. On examining a col- 

 ony fixed in this way, after they have 

 gone into winter quarters, you will find 

 them clustered underneath these combs, 

 also packed full in this space between 

 the combs. They appear to be very 

 comfortable and quiet. I think one 

 good feature of this way is that the 

 combs lying flatwise retain the heat, 

 does not let it all pass off, keepjing the 

 bees more comfortable and allowing 

 them better circulation. 



Wm. Norton, Skow/iegan, Maine. 



We are inclined to the opinion that tlie 

 above is original wilh friend Norton, and 

 it seenrs to us is a grand good idea. — Ei>.] 



