THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



and top. We prefer boxes with a nar- 

 row end so thai the entrance to them 

 is abundant. Our effort is to induce 

 the bees to commence worlv in as hvrge 

 a number of boxes at once as we expect 

 them to fill. Tlie first boxes supplied 

 are placed upon the top of the hive and 

 after the comb is partly worked down 

 they will be nearly completed at the 

 top; they are then removed from the 

 top and placed at the sides. It will be 

 seen that the unfinished parts will come 

 toward the brood and will be more 

 quickly completed than they would at 

 the outside; after which a fresh lot 

 of boxes is placed at the top. We pre- 

 fer the 5;^ by 5| box. 



Mu. IsHAM.— I agree with Mr. Root 

 but object that there must be a larger 

 entrance; we find no difficulty in using 

 this entrance \ inch and we practise 

 the same method. I would like to ask 

 Mr. Root liow he uses the sections in 

 tlie body of the hive without using 

 wide frames. Is it just as well to use 

 the wide frames? 



Mr. Root. —We prefer to use those 

 that I have described. 



Mk. Aspixwaix. — The question of 

 wide frames is worthy of our careful 

 attention and as each person chooses 

 a kind of his own it may be well to let 

 each choose for himself. I prefer the 

 one from which we can obtain the 

 largest yield of honey in the best mar- 

 ketable shape. 



Mr. Benedict. — There is one point 

 which we should freely consider and 

 any one disposed to use section racks 

 without separators would take exam- 

 ple from it. I think we should get the 

 opinion of the association on this mat- 

 ter. Our efforts should be to manipu- 

 late all sections to the best advantage 

 to get the largest amount of honey in 

 the most marketable condition. I claim 

 that any person cannot successfully use 

 the section racks without separators. 



Considerable time was spent in list- 

 ening to Mr. Benedict's explanation of 

 tlie honey racks as used with sepa- 

 rators. 



Mr. Bosworth.— Dr. Tinker has a 

 hive in which he uses no separators 

 having passage ways between the sec- 

 tions similar to those described by Mr. 

 Benedict with an air space also be- 

 tween the brood chamber and the sec- 

 tions. 



Mr. Benedict. — Dr. Tinker's hive 

 is simple and square, that is, using tlie 

 hive without the separators he sets the 



sections down upon the frames leaving 

 a continuous passage way between the 

 sections to the top without having any 

 separators in tlie way. 



Mr. Bktsixger. — I have had some 

 experience with securing comb honej 

 without separators and have had all 

 that I want. I attempted it but it came 

 to nothing. The fact is, we must use 

 separators as a necessity as well as a 

 convenience : we are obliged to use 

 them. 



Mr. Root. — All of our experience 

 tends to prove the absolute necessity 

 for using sepai'ators for producing 

 comb honey in section boxes, if all of 

 the requirements of our best markets 

 are to be complied with. 



The next topic for discussion was. 

 Which is the best food and how shall 

 it be fed? 



Mr. Dickinsox.— Pure nectar from 

 the flowers, or honey. 



Mr. Aspixwall. — I think it is almost 

 impossible to feed to the bees honey 

 or sugar syrup containing honey as 

 robber bees are attracted by it, causing 

 trouble. 



The convention then adjourned to 

 meet at 7 o'clock, p. m. 



EVEXING session. 



The convention was called to order 

 at 7 o'clock p. M., President Clark in 

 the chair. 



The following paper was then read. 



Comb Fouxdation: the best for 



USE IX Brood Chamber axd 



Surplus Boxes. 



By C. p. Dadant. 



The movable frame hive can only be 

 a success when the combs are all built 

 perfectlj^ straight in the frames. All 

 practical beekeepers have seen in- 

 stances, where a man would become 

 an enthusiastic beekeeper, buy a large 

 quantity of high priced movable frame 

 hives, and, in a short time, throw the 

 business up in disgust, because he had 

 allowed his swarms to build combs as 

 they saw fit, and all or nearly all, of 

 the combs of wliicii so-called movable 

 frame hives have become worse than 

 box hives by the irregularity of the 

 combs. 



