THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



67 



In connection with the foregoing, 

 with light, shallow, fixed frame hives, 

 the bees may be shaken out of the 

 hives in front of the entrance, when 

 the queen may be easily found. 



Another good way is to set the hive 

 on a queen-excluding honey board, 

 having several inches of clear space 

 under it, and then drive the bees 

 down with smoke until the queen is 

 found trying to get through the honey 

 board; or the queen-excluder may be 

 placed on top of the hive and the bees 

 driven upward until the queen is 

 found trying to get through the zinc. 



I use all these methods upon oc- 

 casions, especially of late those for 

 finding the queen without handling 

 the frames. 



Dayton, III. 



— ^^^^ » o • m ff ^ 



Frame Hives. 



BY J. E. POND. 



Much to my surprise, I learn that 

 an attempt, (slight it may be, but 

 still an attempt), is being made in 

 some localities to belittle the use of 

 frames in practical bee-keeping and 

 to assert that as great benefits can be 

 attained without as with their use. 

 This attempt, if fully carried out, 

 would result of course in relegating 

 us to the old "bee-gum" and box 

 hive. Will it succeed ? 1 say no, 

 and so will every practical bee-keeper 

 in the world. This I know is only 

 assertion, but the improvements made 

 and the result's that have followed 

 them during the last fifty years are 

 conclusive to my own mind that such 

 an assertion is not only correct, but 

 that events prove its correctness. 



What was it that created a new era 

 in bee-keeping but the introduction 

 of the frame hive? What means 



prior to its introduction had the stu- 

 dent in the apiary to test his work, 

 prove his theories, or make a public 

 showing of his experiments and their 

 results ? 



It is very true that the late Mr. 

 Quinby once said that " He could 

 make a success of bee-keeping with 

 the old box hive," but had he meant 

 by so saying that he could produce 

 better results than with frames would 

 he not have continued to work with 

 them, and would he have continually 

 recommended the use of frames? 



It seems to me that no argument is 

 needed to support the frame question; 

 that the great results gained by their 

 use prove their great superiority over 

 the box hive system of management, 

 and the fact that they are used by in- 

 telligent bee-keepers the world over 

 proves their merit and superiority. 

 Why is this? I have partially 

 answered the question, but will further 

 say in detail that by the use of frames 

 full and complete control is given over 

 every portion of the hive. Inter- 

 changes can be made that are not 

 practicably possible with the old box 

 or " gum." Manipulations that are 

 utterly impossible in them are per- 

 formed with ease, speed and facility. 

 Is any proof of the above assertions 

 needed? If so, they can be had in 

 any apiary in the country. In fact 

 proofs can be so easily obtained, if 

 desired, that it is not worth while to 

 add them here. They are so plenty, 

 in fact, that the burden rests wholly 

 on those who attempt the assertion 

 that they possess no superiority. 

 Until such proofs are offered by the 

 box-hive advocates, the practical, in- 

 telligent bee-keepers of to-day will 

 continue the use of frames and stand 

 firm in the belief that their introduc- 

 tion was the greatest boon the bee- 

 keeping world has ever received. 



South Attleboro, Mass. 



