74 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Oct., 



containing but one frame, and that frame was 

 only 2}^ by 3 inches in dimensions ; notwith- 

 standing they had a queen and gathered pollen 

 with as much bustle and importance as some 

 greater colonies. As these queens would fill 

 their hives with eggs in 15 or 20 (or more) 

 minutes, they proposed watching them closely 

 when they become fertile. Such a hive, bees 

 and all might be carried comfortably, one in 

 each pocket, and one would expect that they 

 were the work of a boy. but on the contrary 

 our bee-keeping friend told us they were some 

 of his father^ s exiieriments If these " wee " 

 hives could only be so managed that the bees 

 would not swarm out, what a fine thing they 

 would be to rear dollar queens in. Cannot 

 some of our friends tell us how? Brood, won't 

 for we tried hives with frames 3 by 4 until we 

 were tired of them some years ago. 



Closed top frames are bad because so much 

 time is occupied in closing them without kill- 

 ing bees, and because all comlis cannot be se- 

 cured near enough of a thickness to permit any 

 comb to go any where, closed end frames are 

 still worse because one cannot keep his eye 

 (and smoke) on both ends at once. 



A brother novice remarked but yesterday 

 that he had purchased one of Quinby's hives, 

 and had had four more made like it, that al- 

 though the last four had cost him only about 

 one half the first one, he after one season's trial 

 of it, much regretted that he ever purchased 

 one. 



Notwithstanding a stock of Italian bees were 

 purchased of Mr. Quinby, in the hive prepared 

 with all worker combs (except a few inches of 

 drone comb,)and the boxes were also provided 

 with guide comb, the colony like our own, had 

 not given him a pound of honey. Now our 

 friend certainly possesses some skill as an apiar- 

 ist, for he had securtd over 100 lbs. comb honey 

 this season, built in frames in the upper story 

 of a Langstroth hive, and this right beside the 

 Quinby hive. 



Again he finds the manner of supporting the 

 combs with the pieces of hoop iron a most un- 

 fortunate arrangement for rapid work, but 

 when this is got over, and the frames are all 

 closed up at both ends it seems almost impos- 

 sil)le to get the bees out from between the ends 

 of the frames and the ends of the hive, smoking 

 and brushing it is true get them some where, 

 but we finally heartily joined with him in wish- 

 ing that we could see the autlior of said hive, 

 open and close it when filled with a rousing 

 colony of hybrids. Lumber cannot be closed to- 

 gether, until the bees are out of the way, where- 

 as the cloth quilts can be closed down over 

 cross hybrids no matter how thick they cover 

 the top of the frames and not a bee is injured, 

 and when a hive is closed, we have closed top 

 frames too. 



On page 254 of May number we read " time is 

 money " and our amazement is increased by the 



remark in another place that smoke must be 

 used with suspended frames, or where the sides 

 are not movable but that it can be dispensed 

 with in working the Quinby hive. As a Quinby 

 hive costs considerable money, it is well to 

 know all its peculiarities before hand, and if 

 there are those who have had a more favorable 

 experience with it we will listen to them with, 

 great pleasure. Adair section hives with the 

 top, bottom, and sides closed it seems might be 

 put together before bees are put into it, and 

 then could be pried open, but when it comes to 

 closing them, we should think about four 

 "Philadelphia Lawyers" would be required 

 and each one would need a smoking pan of 

 rotten wood, and a sprig of asparagus. By the 

 way Mr. Editor we are hugely pleased with a 

 very light enameled sauce pan (cost 40c, we 

 havu't got any ./or sale yet) that we burn short 

 pieces of dry rotten wood in, hard wood is best. 

 The handle never gets hot and it don't allow 

 fire to drop on our quilts, and when we wish a 

 big smudge in a jiffy "we sprinkle on a little 

 saw dust. 



We keep it in a tin box to have it safe and 

 out of the rain, this box is large enough to 

 allow us to remove our fuel from the pan and 

 spread it sufficiently to have it go out. When 

 these charred pieces are gathered up and put 

 into the pan again with a live coal we are ready 

 for w^ork. 



With our full blood Italians we seldom need 

 smoke even when they are building queen cells, 

 but we have some hybrids that are such excel- 

 lent honey gatherers that we can't bear to dis- 

 miss them from this pleasant world, but we are 

 trying hard not to raise any more so near black. 

 Mr. Kellogg speaks of the expense of stoves 

 and so we might as well confess that the one 

 we mentioned was purchased out of a pile of 

 old iron for $2.50 to be used in an experimental 

 " Chickenary." After the poultry fever abated, 

 Mrs. N. remarked that if she had it up in her 

 room she could clean it up so that 'twould do 

 very well to soften the intense cold of last 

 winter, for fear the blue eyed baby might 

 judge this world of ours a colder one than it 

 really is ; but when the bees began to die " blue 

 eyes" had to take their chances. 



After all friend Kellogg, the bees we fussed 

 with nearly all died eventually, and our advice 

 would be now to have your colonies all so 

 strong they wont need warming; take away 

 their stores and fill them up well with sugar 

 syrup as soon as you receive this, if you haven't 

 done it before, for it should be sealed up well 

 in the combs, and we think you will find them 

 to winter safely almost anywhere, only they will 

 consume much less in a good cellar or bee- 

 house. 



By the way Mr. Editor the (bee-keeping) 

 world is getting converted to our " sugar creed" 

 finely. Mr. King says now that stores entirely 

 of sugar are not unsafe. Mrs. Tupper says 



