AMERICAN BKE JOURNAL. 



785 



tion which controls population, the op- 

 posite course has been opposed from 

 theoretical rather than empirical rea- 

 sons. Would it not be well to go a little 

 slow in unconditionally recommending 

 small hives and contraction, until the 

 alleged inferiority of other methods has 

 been proved by actual results, in the 

 same way in which the excellence of the 

 small-hive system, with its appropriate 

 manipulation, has been proved ? 



Here is an instance of what would be 

 an unfair test : I transferred a colony 

 to a large hive (capacity 12 Lang- 

 stroth frames) one spring. They built 

 up well, but did not succeed in filling the 

 numerous empty combs with brood. 

 When the honey-flow began I put on an 

 empty super with sections. They let 

 that super severely alone. After the 

 main honey-flow was all over, I gave 

 them two empty frames below. They 

 filled them with comb and honey in no 

 time. What might they not have done 

 if properly managed ! There was plenty 

 of energy, but misdirected. With wide 

 frames below I might have captured a 

 big surplus ; or if those superfluous 

 combs had been solidly filled with last 

 year's honey close up to the normal 

 breeding space, as would usually be the 

 case, I believe they would have exerted 

 moral suasion in causing the bees to 

 build up still better, and would have 

 compelled them to put the " first pound 

 of new honey" upstairs — for there would 

 have been no other place to put it. If 

 the outside combs had not been so filled, 

 bait sections, or temjoorary contraction, 

 might have accomplished the same ob- 

 ject. 



Of course that's all theory with me. 

 (Since then I have had only 8-frame 

 hives.) But it's practice with a few, 

 and I would be greatly comforted —and 

 so no doubt would many readers of the 

 Bee Journal — to know if large hives 

 and intelligent letting alone won't work, 

 just why they won't work ; and if they 

 won't work just because the bees say 

 they shall not, let's know that — but do 

 let's hear from somebody who has given 

 both ways a fair test. 



And, by the way, let no one object 

 that large hives are unwieldy. The 

 sectional hive is the hive of the future ; 

 it is not unwieldy, and may be made of 

 any capacity. 



Here are my theoretical claims, based 

 on the teachings of some of the 8- 

 framers, and an inconsiderable amount 

 of personal experience : 



1. If all empty cells below are crowd- 

 ed with one queen's capacity for brood- 

 supply just before the flow begins, it 



does not matter, for results in comb 

 honey, whether the remaining space is 

 occupied by dummies or a small or large 

 quantity of old sealed honey-comb. 



2. Wc have had no decisive reason yet 

 given us in theory, and no proofs at all 

 in fact, to lead us to suppose that the 

 surplus product will not be proportioned 

 to the number of bees and combs, with- 

 in a reasonable limit, which limit is not 

 confined to a brood-chamber having a 

 capacity of 8 frames, but usually wavers 

 between 10 and 12. 



3. Since the manipulation necessary 

 for large hives is much less than that 

 for small hives, being confined to tem- 

 Tporarily contracting exceptional cases in 

 which all empty spaces will not be 

 crowded with brood just before the flow, 

 the large hives, with our present light, 

 are to be awarded the preference. 



4. The preference of small to large 

 hives for comb honey has grown up 

 merely because of the carelessness of 

 bee-keepers in leaving empty spaces 

 below for the bees to store the first new 

 honey in ; and instead of saying "There 

 is a limit to the size of the brood-chamber 

 beyond which one cannot safely go," it 

 would have been more scientific to have 

 said, "There is a limit to room for the 

 brood-?ies£ on the first of June (or when- 

 ever it is) beyond which one cannot 

 safely go." 



Now, if that is all bosh, please don't 

 " jump on me " too hard. Remember, I 

 am the representative of a class who are 

 honestly trying to understand what you 

 8-framers are telling us ; and if you are 

 right, you may be still a little bit to 

 blame for not having presented your 

 theories in the right shape. 



"Class Representative." 



Bee-Yells— How lo fear Tlem. 



Written for " Olemdngs in £ee-CuUure" 

 BY MISS EMMA WILSON. 



I have been quite interested in read- 

 ing about the different devices used for 

 fastening the bee-veil, but so far I don't 

 think I like any of them as well as my 

 own — probably because it is my own, 

 and is old and well tried, as I have fast- 

 ened my veil so for years. Dr. Miller 

 has also used it for some time, and pro- 

 nounces it a success. He has been want- 

 ing me to write about it ever since Mr. 

 Hutchinson gave his device, but I have 

 kept putting it off. Finally, some re- 

 marks of Mr. Hasty, in the Review, have 

 stirred me up to write. What he says. 



