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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1." 



As far back as 18(i4 used frame-tops, which, 

 in their earlier form, were touching each other 

 nearly the entire length: later, only at their 

 ends: but 1 have entirely discarded that form 

 for frame-tops of equal width throughout their 

 entire length. Frame-tops, wide at the ends, 

 are objectionable because they are more secure- 

 ly propolized at the ends to the back wall of the 

 rabbet which supports them. With the narrow 

 top, even after being in use for several years, 

 and cold weather renders propolis a little hard- 

 er to break, we can readily loosen a narrow-top 

 frame by placing our screwdriver, or sim r 

 tool used in opening hives, on the rabbet, and 

 quickly pry them loose. 



The correct spacing is certainly most effectu- 

 ally done by having the upper end of the frame- 

 ends widened to the proper width, while >« or % 

 of the lower portion of said frame- end hould 

 not be more than 7<s inch wide. Now, some ob- 

 jections that have been made to this widened 

 part of the frame-end are, that the shoulder 

 thus formed catches on the next frame already 

 in the hive; but a correspondence on that sub- 

 ject usually led to the fact that said offset or 

 shoulder was almost square, whereas it should 

 be with a beveled slope, which actually assists 

 in guiding the frame into proper position. As 

 to whether one edge should be beveled or both 

 square, my correspondents differ; but the great- 

 er number seem to favor the beveled or V'd 

 edge. 



Years ago we made " all- wood " brood-frames, 

 as a matter of simplicity in their manufacture, 

 with bottom-bars Sjs inch square; and of these 

 we used several hundreds for years; and while 

 the bees would build their comb a little nearer 

 to the bottom, they sometimes would build past 

 the bar, especially after being in use five or 

 more years, and when one side of the comb be- 

 came more distended than the other side, or 

 when, from some cause, a hive should be tipped 

 a little to one side; but when such frames were 

 used in an upper story for extracted honey they 

 will ruinously build past the bottom-bar and 

 down unto the brood-frame tops; and, even 

 when using them over Hoffman frames, with 

 proper spacing, the combs would be built past. 

 But now we have entirely discarded that width, 

 preferring a frame-bottom not less than ;'.( inch 

 wide, and not more than J4 inch thick. Before 

 making the change, and before we decided 

 whatsizeof bottom-bar would behest, I counsel- 

 ed with numerous extensive bee-keepers, atcon- 

 ventions and by correspondence, and their pref- 

 erence seemed to be for a bottom-bar of the 

 above-named size and shape. E. Kkktciimku. 



Red Oak, Iowa, Dec. 23. 



[Mr. Kretchmer's article, together with the 

 others that have been received, argue strongly 

 for a wider bottom-bar. A few more such let- 

 ters will lead us to believe that the change 

 would be desirable. — Ed.] 



CKANE SMOKEK. 



After testing the Crane smoker for some 

 months, we found it would be improved by put- 

 ting in a little spring to assist the special 

 check-valve. We found the spring was neces- 



1 



sary to make it respond more quickly. Creo- 

 sote would sometimes make the hinge work a 

 little hard. 



SCRAPING KNIVES FOR SCRAPING SECTIONS. 



The engraving below represents a little too 

 that was handed us at the Big Convention ir 

 Chicago, by a bee-keeper whose name we seen 

 to have mislaid. At all events, the engraving 

 will explain the idea. When we saw the im 

 plement we were at once convinced it was i 

 good thing; but it seems, from one of Dr. Mil 

 ler's Stray Straws, that he has tried a simila 

 tool, and has not found it to be as good as ai 

 ordinary case-knife because the latter wil 

 scrape clear across the surface of the section 

 But, doctor, why couldn't your long case-kuif 

 be notched on the end as shown in the engrav 

 ing, so that you could, when desired, scrap 

 around in the corners? You know the squar 

 corners or shoulders are supposed to prevcii 

 the point of the knife from gashing up into tli 

 comb. They are designed, also, to scrape l\v 

 surfaces at once — the perpendicular edge, am 

 the inside edge of the section at right angles i 

 it, both at one sweep of the knife. We hav 

 not tried this implement, but saw it used i 



scraping a couple of sections. Any case-knif 

 can be ground or filed off so as to make thes 

 notches; and. even if the notches prove to b 

 of no particular value, as Dr. Miller and Mi^^ 

 Wilson seem to think, there is very little ex 

 pense incurred in notching out the knife; ano 

 even if you don't want it. put it on the grind 

 stone and restore the end of its blade "to it 

 former condition."' 



