THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



17 



50 per cent, of its aroma or flavor ? The 

 honey in the barrel was candied, white 

 and liard like lard ; and still when tested 

 with the comb honey (lib. section) 

 showed the above fact. 



QUESTIONS BY J. p. MC ELRATH. 



9. What is the best method for fas- 

 tening wired foundation into the brood 

 frames and thin foundation into the 

 sections? 



10.' "Will Mr. Hoff"man give the size 

 of his frame (outside measure) as he 

 uses it ; also the dimensions of top, bot- 

 tom and end bars? 



ANSWERS BY L. C. ROOT. 



1. Take away all combs that the 

 bees cannot cover; contract space 

 with a close fitting division-board. 

 Leave such combs as contain most 

 pollen, also endeavor to leave the best 

 combs for breeding. Be sure they do 

 not lack a generous supply of honey 

 at all times. Contract the entrance 

 and prevent all upward and lower 

 ventilation possible. A piece of en- 

 amelled cloth of proper size to fit 

 snugly over the frames will be found 

 extremely desirable. Add combs as 

 the bees increase to cover them. Keep 

 each stock supplied with a good queen. 

 As early as it can be done practically, 

 keep a good number of young prolific 

 queens on hand to supply the places 

 of such as fail. 



Use all possible means to prevent 

 bees from flying when too cold, by 

 'shading the front of the hive, leaving 

 them entirely undisturbed, etc., as at 

 such times many bees are wasted. 



Keep ihe rear of the hive slightly 

 elevated, so that it will be lowest at 

 the entrance. Have a good, well-ad- 

 justed alighting-board, reaching from 

 the ground to the entrance. 



Success in beekeeping depends upon 

 close attention to all the minor details. 

 A knowledge of these can only be 

 gained by diligent study and extended 

 practical experience. I give these di- 

 rections for those in the colder lati- 

 tudes like our own, and not as a whole 

 for warm climates. 



2. The deeper and shorter frames 

 are much preferable. I predict that in 

 the future a deeper frame is to take the 

 preference. I believe if such men as 



Julius Hofi'man, C. C. Van Deusen, P. 

 li. El wood, Hetherington Bros., Ira 

 Barber and a host of others were to 

 give us their opinion they would favor 

 a deeper rather than a shallower 

 frame, than the ten inch one you men- 

 tion. The reason for this is that the 

 combs being shorter and deeper, the 

 brood will be kept more compact, and 

 the warmth generated by the bees 

 more completely retained. 



3. In order to judge correctly of 

 the time when bees should be allowed 

 to commence work in boxes, it is nec- 

 essary to study the sources from which 

 we ai'e to expect our surplus in our dif- 

 ferent locations. Some must expect 

 their niaiu yield from clover in May 

 and June, while others must secure it 

 from basswood in July and August, 

 and others in diflerent latitudes may 

 expect it earlier or later from other 

 classes of blossoms. 



The question is not worded in the 

 best way, as it assumes that when 

 the stock is in a proper condition to 

 commence work in sections that they 

 should be allowed to do so. Some 

 stocks would be in proper condition 

 very early, but the yield of honey 

 would be such that they could store 

 but little in sections. Such stocks 

 should be used to help the weaker 

 ones, so that at a later date when the 

 general flow of honey came, all might 

 be ready to commence in the boxes. 



A stock to be boxed should contain 

 a good swarm of bees, and from six 

 to eight combs (according to size of 

 frame) well filled with brood and 

 honey; then, if they are boxed at a 

 time when a good flow of honey is 

 aflbrded, the bees will commence stor- 

 ing it in their absence which is very 

 essential. 



4. Stocks managed in this way often 

 store honey in a most desirable way. 

 Some seasons it will entirely destroy 

 the desire to swarm ; I usually supply 

 the young queen as soon as the old 

 one comes to a condition where she 

 begif s to deposit eggs sparingly. 



5. I have usually removed the pack- 

 ing as soon as the weather is warm. 

 I have never tested hives packed dur- 

 ing the summer, as we have used all 

 space for boxing. It might easily be 

 advantageous. 



6. I prefer the combs to run from 

 front to rear of hive, as the bees can 

 enter more directly to the diff^erent 

 spaces between the combs. 



