18 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



2. It has always been a matter of 

 much surprise to me, that, when bees 

 fill a box hive with combs without 

 guides, they should build the combs so 

 irregularly, and vary the distance from 

 centre to centre so much. In some 

 cases they build as close as less than 

 one inch and widen to over two inches. 



After measuring many times as they 

 are naturally built and considering the 

 matter in all its bearings, I have to 

 decide that li inches is too far apart. I 

 should think that If inches would be 

 better and U inches may not prove too 

 close with accurate management. We 

 will test it in the coming season and 

 report. 



3. I am satisfied that the usual width 

 of 2 inches is too wide. 



If our box honey is to be of very 

 best quality and in the most desirable 

 shape, it must be stored and capped as 

 quickly as possible. A larger number 

 of thinner combs in the same space 

 occupied by the thicker ones, would 

 unquestionably be completed much 

 sooner, as the honey would evaporate 

 more rapidly, spread over the larger 

 surface. When separators are used 1| 

 inches will be sufliciently wide. We 

 shall use some the coming season as 

 narrow as Ih inches to test. 



4. The question of how to secure 

 a real good quality of comb founda- 

 tion every time is one of more import- 

 ance than the price we shall pay for it. 

 We could afford to pay one dollar per 

 pound for it, to use in full-size sheets 

 in section boxes rather than do with- 

 out it, and the heavier grades are worth 

 in proportion for the brood frames. 



5. Our experience gives decided pref- 

 erence to the best strains of American 

 Italians. 



ANSWERS BY GEO. W. HOUSE. 



1. A frame nearly square. I prefer 

 one about the size of the Gallup frame 

 lliX Hi 



2. Yes : one and one-half inches is 

 the proper distance from centre to cen- 

 tre of brood frames. 



3. Two inches. 



4. Comb foundation made of nice 

 pure beeswax, I consider worth at least 

 $1.00 per pound, fot use in section 



boxes and about fiij or 7 feet to the 

 pound ; for brood chamber I do not be- 

 lieve it is profitable to use it at a cost 

 above 50 cents a pound. Young swarms 

 should not be hived on full frames of 

 foundation, especially when honey is 

 coming in freely ; the bees in such cases 

 store too much honey in the brood 

 chamber thus crowding out the queen. 

 For use at such times I find strips 3 

 inches wide preferable. 



5. Of the different races in their pur- 

 ity I prefer the Italians, like a Syrian 

 queen crossed with Italian drone better, 

 and an Italian queen mated with Syrian 

 drone best of all. Have had no expe- 

 rience with Carniolans. Italians 

 crossed Avith hybrid drones are good, 

 but such colonies are not fit to raise 

 queens from; every generation will 

 prove poorer if we breed from such 

 colonies. 



Fayetteville, N. Y. 



ANSWERS BY P. H. ELWOOD. 



1. The south can use a shallower 

 frame than we at the north. Queen 

 breeders need a smaller frame than 

 honey producers. 10^ X 16 in. inside 

 suits us pretty well, but if two inches 

 were taken from the end and put upon 

 the top, many would like it better for 

 this cold climate. 



2. Yes. 



3. Two inches with separators and 

 glass. 



4. Can't think of doing without it 

 and it is made so thin that there is 

 no fishbone. When up to a dollar 

 per pound it might be made a' little 

 thinner for brood frames and cut a lit- 

 tle smaller. 



6. Italian hybrids as far as tried. 

 Slarkville, N. Y. 



ANSWERS BY PROF. HASBROUCK. 



1. In making arrangements to estab- 

 lish a new apiary next summer, I am 

 adopting the Langstroth frame. That 

 shows my preference. 



2. I prefer no guides to space the 

 combs, but aim to get them li in. apart 

 from foundation to foundation, but am 



