THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



297 



together so that every part will fit accu- 

 rately with no loose joints or leaky roofs. 

 Let the frames be made square, not even 

 a little diamond shape, or the bees may 

 stick one end to the end of the hive with 

 propolis, and at the other end build a 

 "bit" of comb between. See that the 

 space between the top of the frames and 

 the honey board is just right, and will 

 stay so. If the top bars are too light 

 they may sag, and thus while the space 

 is one fourth inch at the ends, it may be 

 one-half inch in the middle when the 

 frames are filled with honey. See that 

 just the right space is given at the ends 

 of frames; for, if too much is given, 

 combs may be built between the ends of 

 the frames and the hive; and, if too little, 

 the bees will fill up that little with pro- 

 polis. The same rule applies to the space 

 under the frames. I had one lot of hives 

 made where the brood chamber shrank 

 so as to let the frames to many of them 

 rest on the bottom board. Not only 

 must the frames be of the right size, but 

 so arranged as to space at exactly the 

 right di.stance apart. I have sometimes 

 looked over bees for others and found the 

 frames anywhere from one and one-fourth 

 to two inches apart. The nearer the 

 brood combs can come together and 

 leave sufficient "bee-space" between 

 them, the better can the bees economise 

 their heat in spring time, and advance 

 tlieir brood. 



When all is completed the foundation 

 must be put inltj the center of the frames 

 and the foundation drawn out so as to 

 remain inside the frames. When the 

 hives are placed upon the stand where 

 they are to remain, see that they are lev- 

 eled up accurately, and not leave them 

 looking too much like the head stones in 

 some cemeteries; pointing to every star 

 in the heavens. The bees, with only 

 their antenme for compass and square will 

 build their cells with the greatest accu- 

 racy, and without plumb line or level will 

 build their combs exactly downward. 

 Shall we by a little carelessness allow the 

 hives to stand tilted a little this way or 



that so the combs will sag or be built 

 partly in the frame and partly outside, 

 and thus be unfitted to exchange with 

 some other comb that is perhaps out of 

 the frame in the other side ? 



If we turn to the surplus department 

 we shall find that even greater accuracy 

 is demanded than in the brood chamber 

 of the hive. If our clamp or section 

 holder is 17 inches inside and we order 

 our sections cut \'% exactly and we find 

 when put together they are a 1-32 of an 

 inch over we shall be in trouble. Or if 

 they are cut exactly right and then set 

 up the least bit diamond shape, the same 

 trouble comes in when we place four of 

 them end to end — they will not go into 

 our clamp. Again, if not quite large 

 enough, or 1-32 of an inch too small, 

 when four are put together there may be 

 left a space of one-eighth of an inch to 

 filled by propolis; very much to our dis- 

 comfort, and the appearance of the sec- 

 tions when ready for market. 



The sections should also be of exactly 

 the right width and quite smooth. I have 

 found them to vary so much as to make 

 it very difficult to get in the full number; 

 or, again, so they would not fill the space 

 in the clamp. Where honey is sent to 

 market in paper boxes, or cartons as they 

 are called, it is very desirable that they, 

 too, should fit accurately. One year a 

 new firm begged my trade in paper boxes, 

 offering to make them much cheaper 

 than I hatl been paying. I gave them 

 two or three orders of several thousand, 

 and when received, notwithstanding they 

 had the exact size of the section, not one 

 lot was of the right size. One lot was so 

 small as to make it quite impossible to 

 get lu}^ sections into a large share of 

 of them ; while another lot was so large 

 as to make it almost impossible to get 

 them into my packing cases. 



Thus it will be readily seen that where 

 we purchase our sections of one firm, our 

 paper boxes of another, and our packing 

 cases of a third, accuracy is a prime fac- 

 tor in our success, in getting our honey 

 to market in good shape. 



