1894. 



THE .1 UK1UCAN BEE-KEEPER. 



173 



section, we will say that we tried both 

 the long frames and the frames con- 

 taining four sections each, side by- 

 side in hives, placing the small sec- 

 tions in the center over the broodnest. 

 In every instance, the bees filled the 

 large open frame first, although they 

 were placed in a less favorable place. 

 In some instances they even sealed 

 the honey in the open frames on both 

 sides before filling the center sec- 

 tions, in a comparative test between 

 large and small sections, the result 

 was similar, although the difference 

 was not so plainly marked. 



This shows without doubt that it is 

 best to use long open frames, or large 

 sections, in the supers, when the in- 

 tention of the bee-keeper is to pro- 

 duce honey especially or exclusively 

 for his family's use. But, if honey 

 for market is wanted, one must either 

 use the one-pound sections which are 

 the only comb-honey package of 

 marketable value, or he must use the 

 long, open frames with the honey- 

 extractor. — Chas. Dadant in Prairie 

 Fanner. 



PRACTICAL NOTES. 



Be prompt in anything requiring 

 to be done in the apiary, whether it 

 be feeding, or cleaning hives, or unit- 

 ing preparatory to packing for winter. 

 Roofs, if leaky, should be seen to at 

 once. 



Now that we have got through the 

 season we can take a retrospect, and 

 deal with the many items of interest 

 our practical work in the apiary has 

 taught us. One of the first that comes 

 to mind is the difference there is 

 between colonies standing side by 

 side in the apiary — one, perhaps, has 



gathered fully as much again as the 

 other, yet both apparently were 

 equally strong in the spring. Both 

 hives were equal, and supered on the 

 same day, queens the same age, and 

 of the same strain. Especially is this 

 the case this season with swarms. 

 Swarms that came off in May have 

 not given such good results as swarms 

 that came off in June. This we can 

 account for by the break in the 

 weather, which retarded work for a 

 few days, and the " go " of the new 

 swarm was gone before they could 

 begin work. But who can account 

 for the difference between established 

 stocks ? 



To those who are new in our ranks 

 I would say, if you have to feed your 

 bees use the best crystallised cane- 

 sugar, " pure Dem." the grocers call 

 it. It is rather dearer than some 

 kinds, but contains more bee food per 

 pound than the cheaper beet sugars, 

 therefore is as cheap. 



Packing for winter is more simple 

 than it was a few years back, practice 

 having proved that bees if kept dry 

 will winter all right in this country 

 in any kind of hive, provided they 

 have a good supply of suitable food, 

 and also in single-walled hives as in 

 those with double walls several inch- 

 es thick. I remember how impera- 

 tive we considered it was to cut holes 

 in each comb for winter passages. 

 Now two or three little strips of wood 

 § or \ in. thick laid across the middle 

 part of the frames answers every 

 purpose, gives bees access to the 

 food, and allows a circulation over 

 the frames not only of the life-giving 

 pure air from the outside, but also of 

 the natural warmth of the bees in 

 cluster. 



