THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



may have, those 'Svho are lauding 

 beekeeping to the skies as an easy 

 road to wealth, adapted to anybody 

 and urging everybody to keep bees. 

 These gentry try to crowd bees upon 

 every one, and then howl about over- 

 production, low prices and no sale. 

 If they would keep more quiet and 

 let legitimate beekeepers alone in 

 their business, we should have no 

 trouble in selling our honey at pay- 

 ing prices. For myself, I can sell 

 every pound of honey I can raise, 

 be it one hundred pounds or a car 

 load. In our own small circle here, 

 our beekeepers keep quiet ; no one 

 knows how much honey we produce. 

 The fever has died out, scarcely a 

 small beekeeper is left to annoy with 

 his cut on prices, and we have a 

 steady sale at uniform prices. 



Will. M. Kellogg. 

 Oneida, III. 



DESIRABLE POINTS WHICH 



SHOULD BE COMBINED 



IN THE 



MODERN BEE-HIVE. 



Hexrt Alley. 



1 . The broqd-nest should contain, 

 according to the best authority and 

 results of actual test, about 1,500 

 cubic inches. 



2. The frames should be so con- 

 structed that the combs can be easily 

 and quickly removed without killing 

 or crushing any bees. 



3. The brood-nest as well as 

 the frames should be invertible, and 

 the latter so constructed that they 

 may be reversed singly or in a body. 

 It often happens that, in handling, 

 a comb will crack off, at or near the 

 top-bar. If the frame can be invert- 

 ed the bees wilb soon repair the 

 damage. 



4. The hive should be supplied 

 with one or more division boards, or 



dummies, so that in case it is desira- 

 ble to shut off the queen from any 

 number of combs, or to close the 

 colony down to a one frame, it may 

 be done without much trouble. It is 

 important to have the parts so ar- 

 ranged that all manipulation may be 

 easily executed. A hive full of open 

 joints or those that are too close, or 

 one that requires much prying to 

 open and pounding to put it together 

 is a nuisance in any apiary. 



5. A hive should be so con- 

 structed that it will winter a colony 

 of bees safely on the summer stand, 

 and be so light that it will not require 

 the aid of several persons to carry 

 into the bee-house or cellar. A hive 

 that is three or four feet square, and 

 is so large that it cannot be lifted by 

 one person, does not come up to 

 the requirements of modern bee-cul- 

 ture. 



In case it is desirable to winter out 

 of doors, the hive should be made 

 so that it may be readily packed, and 

 the packing as readily removed when 

 necessary. 



6. A hive should be so made 

 that the surplus storage will admit of 

 from one case of section to an un- 

 limited number. The experience of 

 the past season has demonstrated 

 one fact to us, namely : that four 

 racks of 24 one-pound sections each 

 may be used on a hive at one time, 

 and to the best advantage. 



7. A hive should have not over 

 eight brood-frames about the same 

 size as are used in the Standard Lang- 

 stroth. In this opinion we are backed 

 by a large number of the experienced 

 and practical apiarists in the country ; 

 in fact, no one claims that a large 

 brood-nest is necessary in any case. 



8. A hive should l3e convenient 

 and practical and well adapted for 

 either extracted or comb honey. 



9. The most desirable hive is the 

 one that requires the least amount 

 of labor and lumber in its construc- 

 tion. Every part and piece should 

 be gotten out with a circular saw, 



