378 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Heddon Method of Transferring. 



A method essentially the same as the above, but adapted to those of 

 limited time and experience, and to those who are somewhat timid, is 

 the Heddon Method. 1 It consists in forcing or driving into the box, 

 as above, about the time of swarming, nearly all the bees of the box 

 hive colony, together with their queen. Into a frame hive on the old 

 stand and with full sheets of foundation, run the bees, as described 

 above. The old box hive should then be placed a few feet back of the 

 new. If the weather be cool, sufficient bees should remain with the 

 brood of the old hive to care for and keep it warm. 



Twenty-one days after this transfer is made, all the brood will have 

 hatched, leaving nothing in the combs but honey. The rest of the 

 bees are now driven out as above, and united with those of the first 

 drive. The old hive may be disposed of when and as you will, but 

 should not be left around for robbers. 



If for no other reason than to promote the bee keeping industry, put 

 your bees, if now in box hives, on to frames. See to it also that your 

 neighbors do likewise; you will be repaid many fold. 



If we can but rid the State of this one hindrance to progress, the 

 worth of the industry will advance many per cent. 



In order to demonstrate how much behindhand you may be, we would 

 remind you that it was in 1851, more than fifty years since, that Rev. 

 L. L. Langstroth devised the movable "frame" hive. Of it, in his 

 journal, Oct. 30, 1851, he says: "The use of these frames will, I am 

 persuaded, give a new impetus to the easy and profitable management 

 of bees." Large bodies move slowly, despite such unquestionable 

 impetus. 



Importance of the Type of Hive. 



Closely associated with the problem of transferring is the selection 

 of the style of hive to use, and its influence upon the success with bees. 



If you would get all you can out of your bees, the type of hive which 

 you use will greatly hinder or increase your results. For instance, as 

 we attempt to show, the box hive is worth almost nothing to the owner; 

 he cannot take surplus in marketable form from the frame. Again, 

 many of the frame hives in use are too small. They cramp the queen, 

 do not allow her to lay to her full capacity, and consequently damper 

 the crop. 



Of course to prescribe for everybody's needs is difficult; but for those 

 who use the Langstroth size frame we would advise by all means a 

 ten-frame hive. If possible, use two bodies at that. Your queen, if 

 she is young and prolific, will take care of that number of combs; you 

 will get the returns. Moreover, we believe personally in a free-hanging, 

 so-called "unspaced" frame; it allows more freedom in handling than 



1 Gleanings in Bee Culture, A. I. Root Company, p. 562, 1885. 



