118 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



7. I prefer wood separators from 

 the fact that they stay in their proper 

 place best and are more even and 

 smooth. The bees are less liable to 

 build comb fast to them, and my ex- 

 perience is that the honey presents a 

 better appearance than when built with 

 any kind of perforated separators. 

 Besides, wood is cheapest. 



8. The question is of so much im- 

 portance and of such a nature that it 

 would require a long article to an- 

 swer it. The question of properly 

 curing and caring for extracted honey 

 so that it shall retain its flavor and 

 consistency equally as well as. that 

 which is preserved in the combs is to 

 receive much attention iu the near 

 future. 



9. I would prefer having the wires 

 pass through the top-bar, or else be 

 fastened to "the underside with a small 

 blind staple over each wire. I think 

 the machines which are made to fasten 

 the foundations in place by pressure 

 are to prove very desirable. 



Wired foundation could be pressed 

 in place and then a staple driven over 

 each wire, making them doubly se- 

 cure. 



10. I believe that Mr. Hoffman's 

 marked success comes largely from 

 the shape and size of his frame. 



AXSWKKS BY J. E. POND, JR. 



1. I give flour or rye meal candy as 

 early as I dare, for stimulative pur- 

 poses; and, by spreading brood judic- 

 iously, endeavor to keep the queen up 

 to her full laying power. I remove all 

 absorbents from top of frames, and 

 cover the colony in closely, so as to 

 allow no upward ventilation, in order 

 to retain both heat and moisture ; con- 

 tract the entrance to suit the colony 

 and let them work. As soon as natu- 

 ral pollen appears, I stop feeding the 

 pollen substitute and give dilute sugar 

 syrup instead, and continue it till^ruit 

 bloom, and during the interim when 

 no honey is being gathered. To sum 

 up, my method is to force brood-rear- 

 ing, by all the means now known, just 

 as fast as the condition of the colony 

 will admit. 



2. I do not think it will make much 

 difference ; but as I have never used a 

 lO.i X 16 frame, I cannot say posi- 

 tively. 



3. My plan is to force rearing of 

 brood in the extreme tops of frames. 

 When by extracting or reversing 

 frames I have got the brood up close 

 to the top-bar, or as nearly so as pos- 

 sible, I put on sections at the flrst 

 appearance of honey -gathering, and as 

 far as possil;»le prevent swarming by 

 removing a frame of brood occasion- 

 ally. 



4. I have never tested the matter, 

 as I have not yet decided that the 

 queen, as a matter of fact, has 'any- 

 thing to do with the matter of swarm- 

 ing. 



5. I remove chafl'-packing on the 

 approach of settled warm weather as 

 a rule ; but as a matter of fact I have 

 found little, if any, difference between 

 those left packed and those from 

 which the chafi" is removed. 



6. I prefer to have frames run par- 

 allel witk length of the hive, and at 

 rii;ht angles with the fly hole. My 

 reason is that the cluster is better pro- 

 tected in winter by so doing. 



7. Wire netting can be used for sep- 

 arators ; the objection is that it is so 

 flexible that the face of the capped 

 combs will not present that smooth, 

 even and regular appearance, so de- 

 sired and desirable. 



8. The flavor or aroma of honey is 

 retained by sealing it in its natural 

 cells. Unquestionably as aroma is 

 somewliat volatile, exposure to the air 

 will cause its deterioration to a certain 

 extent. 



9. I have never used wire founda- 

 tion. My way of fastening foundation 

 into sections is by using the little ' 

 machine that smashes the edge into 

 the wood. I consider this the best 

 way of fastening it into sections. 



ANSWERS nv p. H. ELWOOD. 



1. See that they are comfortable 

 with enough to eat and let them alone. 



2. Probably in the deeper frame 

 mostly because tliey winter better. 



3. When the hives are full of bees 

 and brood, and honey coming iu fast, 

 then put on your boxes. 



