104 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



experience in bee keeping, and that what 

 I have stated in regard to last year holds 

 good for the former four. 



As people here prefer liquid honey to 

 granulated, I had to melt all my honey of 

 the last extracting. 



On page 28, February number, you 

 say: "There is an increasing demand 

 there for honey." Please inform us, who 

 will buy and at what price and in what 

 size and kind of packages. We have al- 

 ways had trouble with our honej^ candy- 

 ing after it was shipped, and have had 

 to take a considerably lower price on that 

 account. Should be glad to find a market 

 for the candied honey, which, as you say 

 must be the pure article, although our 

 liquid honey also is pure, even if remain- 

 ing liquid for years. 



AVm. Muth-Rasmussex. 



LosAngelos,.Cal., Feb. 22, '75. 



For tlie American Bee Journal, 



To Double the Capacity of Hives. 



As the matter published in the 

 January No. v\ras designed simply as an 

 ^explanation of a method, which I acci- 

 dentally hit upon several years ago, of 

 getting bees to build straight combs ; I 

 try to say, in addition, that the method 

 consists in crowding the hive with bees, 

 to double its capacity, (according to ordi- 

 nary ideas), by means of a division board 

 or, what is better, whenever possible, 

 uniting swarms. 



I fill the hive so full that in hot weath- 

 er some bees will hang out the first night. 

 I prefer the latter way of doing this, for 

 several reasons : I secure not only straight, 

 but mainly worker combs ; avoid large 

 increase of stocks ; am apt to get a big 

 lot of box honey ; and avoid the great 

 amount of labor and fussing, (mentioned 

 in explanation published), which may be 

 properly characterized as an aiDplication 

 of the old laborious method to the new, 

 necessitated by waat of bees enough to 

 properly apply the latter. I had observed 

 that when I filled a hive by doubling, 

 there was little trouble from drone comb 

 in comparison with what there was, 

 when I had to put in empty frames be- 

 tween others as guides, also I thought an 

 increased tendency to build worker comb 

 in boxes, and also a liability of the queen 

 to lay drone comb in the boxes, both of 

 which I attributed to the treatment men- 

 tioned, considering them as objections ; 

 tlie former, to be remedied by using only 

 store or drone comb for guides in boxes, 

 the latter, as the result of a want of drone 

 comb below. ]>ut on refiection, I am in- 

 clined to think it may impart at least, be 



owing to my exceedingly shallow frames, 

 they being but little over 5i inches deep. 



I had observed thus far, but had not 

 thought, of this crowding, to get them to 

 build worker combs exclusively, until I 

 saw friend Dean's method of securing all 

 worker combs, published in August No. 

 of Gleaninr/s, when it immediately oc- 

 curred to me that his and my measures 

 each , corrol)orated the other. Novice 

 saw the point, for in publishing, "How 

 to secure straight combs everytime," he 

 comments : "The pricipal is essentially 

 the one friend Dean works on." Glean- 

 ings, Vol. 2, page 160. So it seems "the 

 same stone kills both birds." 



Douglass, Mich. H. Hudson. 



Size of Hives. 



As to the size and shape of hives, I 

 think we should be governed by the cli- 

 mate we live in. All must use their 

 judgment in the matter. As for me, I 

 like deep frames. 



My 16 stands of bees are all right, on 

 their summer stands, though one only had 

 three cards last fall, and was very weak. 

 Now it is as lively as any of them, having 

 bees enough to cover one comb 12x13. 



I can open any of my hives, without 

 fear of stings without the aid of smoke or 

 anything else. As no stranger could do 

 this, I argue that my bees know me. Re- 

 cently I gave my bees some flour, and 

 stood in their course, about 10 rods off, 

 they lit on me, and then went to the flour. 

 I tried the same with a neighbor's bees, 

 but they took no notice of me. If bees 

 do not know their master, why this dif- 

 ference '? 



Wooster, Ohio. D. H. Ogden. 



For the American Bee Jounial. 



The Hive I Use. 



Having experimented with boxes for 

 comb honej- for many years, I conclude 

 the one I now use is the best that has 

 come under my observation. 



And if you think it of any value to the 

 bee fraternity, you may give it an inser- 

 tion in the Jouunal. 



I take thin lumber i or | inch thick, cut 

 out two pieces four inches wide, 12J long, 

 than cut ont nine slats loi long, and | 

 wide, then nail the slats on one edge of 

 each of the two sides, leaving a space be- 

 tween the slats of i inch. Then draw 

 lines with a square from each slat across 

 the two sides, and then nail on nine 

 other slats opposite to the first. In put- 

 ting on the last nine slats use ai\ awl and 



