^m 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



MayI. 



than a larger one, and it doesn't go at all well 

 with a ten-frame frame hivo, but It goes per- 

 fectly with an eight-frame hive. 



If I had been smart enonsrh to keep part of 

 my ten-frame hives going, so as to compare the 

 two kinds, I might have some practical certain- 

 ty about the matter; but, as usual, I went 

 headlong, and now I'm trying to get some one 

 else to tell me what I don't know. 



Marengo, 111. C.C.Miller. 



[Here is something. Doctor, that is short and 

 pithy, and perhaps is what you are looking 

 after.— Ed] 



HAS TRTKI) THE EIGHT-FRAME HIVE, BUT 

 FOUND THEM WANTING, AND WHY. 

 By C. A. Hatch. 

 Friend JRoot;— Although you do not invite a 

 general " pitch in " on the discussion of eight 

 vs. ten frame hives, I feel just like having a 

 hand in the tight any way, for I can not agree 

 with the statement that it is settled that the 

 eight -frame hive is best for comb honey. 

 When the general stampede for eight-frame 

 hives was, I concluded with the rest that I 

 wanted only that kind; so I commenced to 

 change over all my ten-frame hives as fast as 

 was convenient; but when I had some 30 or 40 

 changed I began to grow suspicious, and gave 

 closer attention to results; and I became so 

 thoroughly convinced that I had made a mis- 

 take that I sold all my eight-frame hives, and 

 now no man could sell me an eight-frame hive 

 except at about two-thirds the price of a ten- 

 frame. After using eight frame by the side of 

 ten for some three or four years I found that, 

 as nearly as I could estimate without carefully 

 weighing. I got at least 2.5 per cent more honey 

 from the large than the small hive, no matter 

 whether the colony was worked for comb or 

 extracted. And by the way, Bro. Root, has it 

 ever been proven that we need a ditTerent num- 

 ber of frames for one kind of honey from what 

 we do for the other? If so, for what reason? 

 and who proved it? I had supposed that it 

 was an axiom in bee-keeping, that, the more 

 brood surface to a hive, the greater chance for 

 getting sections just over the brood, where they 

 are so sure to be filled; and Taylor admits the 

 ten-frame hive will have the most brood; then 

 why not the most honey? 



We all know how loath bees are to put 'brood 

 into the two outsidi; frames, instinct seeming 

 to tell them that these two should be filled with 

 stores; and it is this very instinct which spoils 

 theory about eight frames being best; for the 

 queen, unless compelled to do so, will not fill six 

 frames only; and it is a poor argument to say 

 that six frames full of brood are as good as 

 eight filled in the same way. True, you can 

 compel the queen to occupy the ontside frames 

 by shifting them to the center of the hive; but 

 you have run against nature by destroying 

 these reserve stores. Is it not a fact, that, to 

 get a queen to do her best, there must be at 



least 10 days' food-supply in the hive? Nature 

 tells the mother-bee better than to rear a fam- 

 ily of children to prospective starvation. Most 

 of our bees for bnsiness mnst be raised before 

 any honey is found in the field, and hence must 

 depend on that in the hive, or you must feed; 

 and if you must feed, how much nicer to just 

 hang a frame of honey at the side of the brood- 

 nest than to fuss with feeders, as one must 

 where he has compelled the queen to fill all the 

 frames. 



Bro. Taylor's assertion, that, other things 

 being equal, more bees will be raised in an 

 eight-frame hive early in the season, would be 

 conclusive if it were proven; but the reverse 

 has been my experience. I think, for the rea- 

 sons heretofore stated, viz., aversion of the 

 queen to occupying the outside frames, and the 

 requirement of these two reserve frames for 

 stores to get bees to do their best. 



Bro. Taylor's assertion, that there will be 

 more bees in the eight-frame because there is 

 less space to warm, is nice in theory; but com- 

 paring the one story of a Ileddon sectional hive 

 in practice, side by side with ten-frame Lang- 

 stroth hives, I ound the latter built up farther, 

 notwithstanding the space to warm was over 

 twice as large. I ivanted the bees to prove the 

 smaller hive the better, but they would not. 



In regard to experiments, I think that it is 

 very important, as Dr. Miller suggests, that 

 bees to be used for the experiment should be 

 wintered in the same hive, or, rather, on the 

 same number of frames. Also let a half of 

 each lot be worked for comb honey, and the 

 other half for extracted, and I am thinking 

 there will be a reversal of some of our opinions, 

 and some of the things which are now thought 

 to be settled will be unsettled. You know the 

 statement that it takes 20 lbs. of honey to pro- 

 duce 1 lb. of wax went unchallenged for years, 

 but was finally proven to be almost if not twice 

 too much. 



The eight-frame hive has many things to 

 recommend it in a mechanical way. It is 

 cheaper, easier made, for it requires narrower 

 lumber for tops and bottoms; is lighter, and 

 easier handled; but as loath as I was to give it 

 up, the "dollars" argument was too much, and 

 I had to yield. Yes, Dr. M., we are too much 

 like sheep. When some bell-wether jumps the 

 fence, and cries "Good!" over we go, right or 

 wrong. 



Ithaca. Wis. 



TEN-FRAME HIVE PREFERRED. 

 By H. M. Scclcy. 

 I see there is a discussion started in Glean- 

 ings as to which is better for comb honey — 

 eight or ten frames. I have been using both, 

 side by side, for the last four years, and prefer 

 the ten-frame hive every time, as I can get 

 just as much comb honey, the bees winter bet- 



