16 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



to apiculture and that it ranks in 

 value with the honey extractor and 

 comb foundation. It gives the bee- 

 keeper entire control of the drones 

 in his apiar}^ and may be used for 

 a variety of purposes. 



We have just received a Christ- 

 mas present from Mr. G. W. Stan- 

 ley of Wyoming, New York, in 

 shape of liis new ''Dollar Smoker." 

 It is the largest dollar smoker tliat 

 we know of and is made of good 

 material. It could be improved by 

 making the bellows somewhat 

 larger to give a more steady puff 

 of smoke, but it is, all things con- 

 sidered, a first-rate smoker for the 

 money. 



QUESTIONS AND AN8WEBS. 



QUESTIONS BY THE EDITOR. 



1. What is the best size of brood 

 frame for all purposes, all things con- 

 sidered? 



2. Is one and a half inches 

 from centre to centre, of movaljle 

 frames, in the brood cjiamber the best 

 distance. If not what sliould it be? 



3. What is the proper width for 

 section boxes, to allow the bees to 

 build the most desirable thickness of 

 combs ? 



4. Owing to the increased demand 

 of pure beeswax and the consequent 

 high price vvhicli good piire comb I'onn- 

 dation must command, will 3'ou please 

 give your views as to the price one 

 can afford to pay lor it, rather than 

 dispense with it, for use in both brood 

 frames and surplus boxes? 



5. Which of the different races of 

 bees or their crosses do you consider 

 best, all things considered? 



ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMARKE. 



1. After trying all the popular sizes 

 of frames, I lind the standard " L. " 

 best for all purposes in our climate. 



2. I prefer Ig inches from centre to 

 centre wliile the combs are being built, 

 or foundation drawn out. But after 



they are completed I work them about 

 Ih, inclies from centre to centre. 



3. I have never used to any extent but 

 the two widths of sections, viz. 2 inch 

 and 11. I prefer the latter width. 



4. The modern apiarist cannot dis- 

 pense with foundation for "starters " 

 by reason of any price to which the 

 article is ever likely to attain. 



He can afford to pay seventy-five 

 cents per pound for foundation, to be 

 used in the surplus department for 

 combs to be kept for extracting pur- 

 poses, and also for the brood depart- 

 ment so far as to supply the places 

 made vacant by removing brood combs. 

 But to employ full sheets at such prices 

 in the brood departments in which 

 swarms are to be hived is a different 

 matter. 



As a general rule colonies, while 

 moved by the swarming energy, will 

 bnild from mere starters, about seven 

 combs ; while colonies in like condition 

 will draw out and complete a full set 

 of ten combs from full sheets of foun- 

 dation. 



Considering that these seven combs 

 are an "actual production" they are 

 cheaper to the apiarist than if pro- 

 duced from an already produced article 

 at a lower cost than foundation ever 

 sells. 



5. I prefer pure Italians, all things 

 considered. 



Christiansburf/, Ky. 



ANSWERS BY J. E. POND. 



1. I consider the standard L. frame 

 the best size for brood frame, for all 

 purposes, all tilings considered. 



2. li inches from centre to centre of 

 movable frames in the brood chamber 

 is in ray opinion the correct distance; 

 ordinarily, however, comb is so irreg- 

 ular, that frames cannot be exactly 

 spaced, but I should not allow a greater 

 variation than If to ]| inches. 



3. I have mostly used section boxes 

 IJ to 2 inches wide. What littie expe- 

 rience I have had witii narrower sec- 

 tions leads me to conclude that l4 

 inches would give full as good results 

 if separators were not used, and cer- 

 tainly they produce handsomer comb 

 honey. The principal argument in 

 favor of IJ to 2 inch sections is that 

 they will work better ordinarily in a 

 hive than other widths. 



