114 



THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST. 



"THE AMKRICAN AriCULTUllIST." 



And last, but by no means least, 

 there is this valuable publication 

 to speak of. To say that it not 

 only stands in the first rank, but 

 is equal to any of the most promi- 

 nent l)ec periodicals, is but a sim- 

 ple statement of truth. The first 

 number sent me gratuitously gave 

 the impression that it was to be a 

 thing of sterling worth, and I am 

 glad to see that the paper keeps 

 up the high-class style it started 

 with. I am more than pleased 

 with the two volumes bound in 

 one book, sent me, according to 

 order, a few months since. 



Jiottingdean, Brighton^ England. 



For the American AplcMlturist. 



THE COMING SEASON, 

 BEE-HIVES, ETC. 



E. W. Alexander. 



As we are now on the eve of an- 

 other season of hard toil with our 

 bees, let us see if we cannot shun 

 some of the ruts of ignorance we 

 have as beekeepers so often dropped 

 into. First, which will it be this 

 season, extracted hone}^ at five 

 cents or comb hone}^ at about nine 

 cents per pound? I don't think 

 the large producers who have to 

 send their honey to commission 

 men will realize much better prices 

 than the above. Now, in order to 

 pay expenses at such prices, we 

 must look close to our business. 

 As the day is now past when 

 slack, shiftless management will 

 pa}' expenses, it becomes necessary 

 for us to bring more practical 

 knowledge to bear on our business, 

 and the present prices make it a 

 sharp race for success, which must 

 decide who the producers will be 

 in the future. As in my experience 

 in the business for the last twenty- 



five 3'ears I have quite often en- 

 countered heavy losses, I feel it 

 my duty to warn some of the inex- 

 perienced to go slowly and care- 

 fully, and here let me say there is 

 some of the best advice given to 

 beekeepers in the Am. Apicui/ru- 

 RisT that I have ever seen in print. 

 It seems to have an unlimited num- 

 ber of practical apiarists as its 

 contril)utors, who have placed it 

 in the front ranks of American l)ee 

 literature, and as they help their 

 brother man to shun some of the 

 ruts of ignorance, that so many of 

 us have lost our hard-earned dol- 

 lars in, they cannot help but feel- 

 ing rich in doing good, if not in 

 dollars made from the sale of their 

 honey . 



As the most practical form of a 

 hive, all things considered, is still 

 a question which a large number 

 of beginners are anxious to see • 

 discussed, I will give my prefer- 

 ence in as few words as possible ; 

 and here I will say I have no inter- 

 est whatever, in an}' patent con- 

 nected with beekeeping, and that 

 I have tried almost all kinds of 

 hives imaginable, in handling an 

 average of 200 stocks a year for the 

 past fifteen or twenty years, dur- 

 ing which time I think I have mh,de 

 some mistakes as great as most 

 any beekeeper. In regard to the 

 best size and shape of hive, I pre- 

 fer one like the following : made of 

 good pine lumber planed to I in. 

 thick, 10 in. deep, adapted to the 

 hanging frame ; 9 in. deep in the 

 clear, and long enough to take 

 frames about 13 in. inside measure, 

 and wide enough to hold nine of 

 these frames, a little scant 1^ in. 

 from centre to ce;itre, with one or 

 more clamps the same size as the 

 hive, except the depth, to set on 

 top for sections, and a close-litting 

 division-board to be used when 

 rearing (|ueens. Now give this 

 hive a fiat, water-tight cover that 

 can b(! made fast or loose in ;i nio- 



