The American Apiculturist 



% lourital htMtii to ^cuntrfic ^nb Ipractical geckecphtg. 



ENTERED AT THE FOST-OFFICE, SALEM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER. 



Published Monthly. S. M. Locke, Publisher & Prop'r. 



VOL. II. 



SALEM, MASS., AUGUST i, 1884. 



No. 



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A QUESTION. 



By .J. E. PoNu, JR. 



I OFTEN read in the bee journals, 

 and in articles in regard to bee- 

 keeping in agricultural papers, 

 a statement soinetiiing like this, 

 viz. : " The Langstroth hive is one 

 of the best possible with which to 

 obtain surplus honey , but for winter- 

 ing it is too shallow," etc., etc. 

 Now what 1 wish to ask is, why is 

 a frame 9^ inches deep too shallow 

 to winter a colony of bees safely ? 

 I ask the question in all fairness, 

 and for the purpose of calling out a 

 scientific i-eason on the subject. 

 It- is not a fanciful theory that will 

 satisfy me, but a plain, simple an- 

 swer, based on scientific principles. 

 If it is too shallow for wintering 

 purposes, a scientific reason can 

 be given, and when given will, in all 

 probability, satisfy the larger pro- 

 portion of those who now use it. If 

 a scientific reason cannot be given, 

 19 



we must conclude that the idea held 

 out as to the wintering qualities of 

 a 9^ inch frame is based on preju- 

 dice, and consequently of no possi- 

 ble value. In my tests in regard 

 to the wintering qualities of various 

 frames, I have had occasion to 

 measure the diameters of many col- 

 onies, and I have found that the 

 largest I have ever seen will con- 

 tract to less than 8 inches, both in 

 depth and width, and this, too, un- 

 der the most favorable conditions 

 in which they could be placed. My 

 tests have been made for the pur- 

 pose of determining for myself, 

 just what size of frame, all things 

 taken into consideration, would 

 prove the best. The result of my 

 test convinces me tliat so far as 

 wintering alone is taken into ac- 

 count, a hive about 10 inches long, 

 wide and deep, properly protected 

 so as to keep an equable tempera- 

 ture, would be the best form and 

 size, that could be devised ; but of 

 course a hive of these dimensions 

 could not contain a sufficient 

 amount of stores for the colony to 

 subsist upon, and we must com- 

 promise the matter. My idea of a 

 peri'ect hive for general purposes 

 is, that it must be a compromise 

 between several points, and the 

 real question at issue among apia- 

 rists is, What are the form and size 

 (IG9) 



