1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



845 



time ran out of slat honey-boards during a 

 honey-ttow; but nevertheless he put on the 

 supers and let the bees build their burr-combs. 

 As between those colonies with honey-boards 

 and no burr-combs against the sections, and 

 those without the boards and the burr-combs, 

 he says he could see no difference in the amount 

 of honey produced; but a big difference in the 

 trouble in getting off the supers from the last 

 named. He concludes that burr-combs can not 

 be tolerated. When the thick top-bars were 

 being gradually introduced into many apiaries 

 several years ago, there was a splendid oppor- 

 tunity for comparison on this burr-comb ques- 

 tion right in the same apiary. Reports were 

 not wanting at the time, that, while there were 

 practically no burr-combs built over the thick 

 bars, their presence did not interfere with the 

 amount of honey produced. Well, now let 

 these same persons, or others who have had op- 

 portunity for comparison, report. 



tional run of honey will cause no trouble; 

 therefore for the year 189.') our thick top-bars 

 will be % instead of %, with the same guide- 

 edge as we liad on our frames of last season, 

 herewith shown. The frames will be idenlical- 



THIS NUMBER GOTTEX OUT UNDEIt DIFFICUL- 

 TIES. 



La grippe has been holding me down for a 

 few days, and it " gripped " a hold of me in a 

 way that it never did before; but between the 

 doctor, good wife, and me, we have made it re- 

 lease its hold, and now I am rapidly building 

 up again, and I hope I shall be none the worse 

 for the " fun." Our little four-year-old boy 

 had, almost simultaneously, an attack of con- 

 gestion of the lungs; but, by the general noise 

 and clatter and scattered playthings in an 

 adjoining room, it is evident that he now is 

 quite himself again. What would we do with- 

 out these wives and mothers sometimes? 

 Well, much of the matter for this number has 

 been prepared while on my back, or half re- 

 clining in an easy-chair, "over home." lam 

 still making my headquarters at the aforesaid 

 place, with Gleanings copy and general cor- 

 respondence scattered around that easy-chair. 

 By the aid of a telephone to the office, the oc- 

 casional visit of one of the stenographers, and 

 of some of our helpers, I get along very nicely. 

 At the present rate I shall be in the office in a 

 few days. 



improvements in bee-hive constructton 

 FOR 189.5. 

 On another page, in the department of Trade 

 Notes, will be found a valuable criticism from 

 A. B. Anthony, on the subject of thick top- 

 bars. Since writing the footnote, which was 

 some time ago, as you will see by the date of 

 the article, we (John and I) have concluded, 

 from letters received from other sources, and 

 careful inquiries that I have made at various 

 apiaries I have visited, that % inch is thick 

 enough for all practical purposes, and that top- 

 bars of that thickness, l^^g or \% inches wide, 

 come so near barring out burr and brace combs 

 that the occasional spurs built during an e.xcep- 



5 '^"iminiu 



iiii^^ 



ly the same, with the exception that the ends 

 of the top-bars will be notched, to afford more 

 tinger room, as on the X-deep top-bars of this 

 season. 



the flat cover, and its warping tenden- 

 cies. 



When Mr. Calvert visited the l^eahy Manu- 

 facturing Co., at Higginsvile, Mo., he was so 

 favorably impressed with what is called the 

 Higginsville hive- cover, that, on his arrival 

 home, he proposed that we adopt it in prefer- 

 ence to the flat. After he had explained its 

 construction — that is. its latest form — I felt 

 pleased with it, as I know every one else will 

 be. It is too late to get out illustrations for 

 this number ; but it is made like the one illus- 

 trated and described on page 406 of last year's 

 volume, with this difference, that the ends of 

 the gable-boards are rabbeted to % inch and let 

 into a corresponding groove of the cover-cleat. 

 We have quite fully decided to make it the 

 leader for another year ; and I understand that 

 the W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co. have decided upon 

 the same course. So far as we and the latter 

 company are concerned, it will be made under 

 royalty. There is no patent on it; but the 

 Leahy Mfg. Co. really deserve to be remunerat- 

 ed for bringing out something that is even bet- 

 ter than the flat cover, and that is saying a 

 great deal. In most northern localities, certain- 

 ly in our own. there is but little trouble from 

 this (the flat cover) warping and winding ; but 

 in hot climates, and in all of the South, it has 

 been found that it will wind a little, and. in 

 some cases, check. The Higginsville is made 

 of two pieces of wood; and being a gable cover, 

 flat on the under side, it will be far better; and, 

 if I am correct, where it has been tested in the 

 most severe climates it has stood the test well. 



Of course, there are those who will prefer the 

 flat cover; but I do not know of a single advan- 

 tage it has over the Higginsville model. But 

 all of our customers can have the option of the 

 flat cover if they desire. 



