THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



149 



the same results if they are prop- 

 erly nijinaged. I have used frames 

 from four and seven-eighth inches 

 in depth, to ten in depth. I have 

 used the former size frame for tak- 

 ing liquid hone}' for eight or nine 

 years, adjusting them in cases ar- 

 ranged to duplicate each other on 

 the tiering-up plan, and I have 

 used them from the bottom-board 

 up. A deeper frame is not suita- 

 ble to the tiering plan. But, when 

 it comes to the deep brood-nest 

 and the shallow tiering brood- 

 chambers, the choice is not made 

 from the results obtained, because 

 there is but little dilference in this 

 respect. Cost and labor must set- 

 tle the matter. 



We want a brood-chamber that 

 can be enlarged and contracted 

 Avilhin certain limits. This may 

 be accomplished bj' tiering up and 

 down, using the shallow frames, or 

 it may be done b}' contracting at 

 the sides of the deep frames. I 

 luive found from careful trial that 

 the results as pertain to the honey 

 crop is much the same, but the 

 latter is cheaper and requires less 

 fuss and real labor. 



In the one item of tiering the 

 sur[)lus cases on the brood-cham- 

 ber and on each other, and the 

 removing of the finished honey, 

 shows a marked difference in favor 

 of the vertical or deeper contracted 

 brood-nest. When tiering up, or 

 removing full cases of honey I 

 wish to make the bulk of the bees 

 retreat below so as to be out of the 

 way. This is done by means of 

 the smoker. It is a fact that with 

 a brood-nest below the cases of 

 some depth the bees handle much 

 better than they do where a very 

 shallow brood-chamber is under the 

 surplus cases. For in the one case 

 the bees may I'etreat downward, 

 di'iven by the smoke, while in the 

 other case they can only spread out 

 to be in the way of the operator 

 or run out at the entrance. 



Bees are very annoying when 

 they spread out over the edges of 

 the hive when tiering the cases or 

 performing any needed work with 

 them. Hence I prefer side con- 

 traction and enlargement. An 

 important point in comb honey 

 producing is contraction of the 

 brood- chamber. The brood-cham- 

 ber must be contracted at the be- 

 ginning of the honey season or in 

 an early stage of it, if the best re- 

 sults are to be hoped for. But 

 what is the best way, is the impor- 

 tant question. I claim, and I have 

 tried it side by side, that a brood- 

 chamber "contracted" with combs 

 of sealed honey is as etfective as if 

 contracted with division-boards or 

 dummies. The aggregate results 

 are much the same. In the one 

 case you have more honey in the 

 honey store-room, but a poverty- 

 stricken apiary. In the other case 

 you have less surplus honey, but 

 you have the entire crop, and your 

 apiary provided for, without the 

 wear and tear of feeding back 

 your supposed gain. I want my 

 apiary self-sustaining. 



The rest of what I have to say 

 in this article is plain sailing. I 

 want my section cases made just 

 one tier deep and so made that 

 they will duplicate each other. I 

 use full sheets of foundation in the 

 sections or on!}' starters, owing to 

 the fitfulness or steadiness of the 

 honey flow. If the honey flow is 

 rather slow, but steady and contin- 

 uous, bees will build their store 

 combs as fast as needed and at a 

 profit over foundation. But if the 

 honey comes in a fitfid rush, full 

 sheets in the section pay well. When 

 my colonies become strong and the 

 brood-chambers are ''contracted," 

 that is, have no storing room in 

 them, one case of sections goes on 

 immediately, and wiien the case is 

 about half full, if the bees show 

 signs of being crowded for room 

 the case is raised and an empty 



