168 



(} LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mak. L 



of a wrong kind, or of not enougli contraction, which is a very good f(^ature foi- rapid manipu- 



Keep tho queen upon four frames bv zinc divi- lation. The little frames, instead of hanging 



sion-boards, then Iveep a brood-comb to catch in the iitth' hive, rest upon proper supports m 



pollen on each outside of the zinc division- the bottom. Perforated metal is used over 



boards, then put in wide frames of sections, and every entrance, thus ensuiing certainty of fer- 



then frames of brood, and you will find the pol- tilization. 

 len near to the queen and the young bi-ood. 

 Clinton, Wis., Feb. 4. C. W. Dayton. 



[As you put it, and in your case, I do not know 

 but I should have to make an exci iJtion: but 

 for the average bee-keeper, I "think that my 

 remarks still hold true— that a big rousing col- 

 ony on eight frames is far better than a medium 

 one on from four to six frames: and after all. 

 friend Dayton, it is considerable of an art to 

 manage so as to make contraction a real benefit. 

 If the season turns out just as we think it will, 

 and if we have the requisite skill, all well and 

 good: but too often contraction cncouiages 

 swarming. Reducing the capacity of cgsi-lay- 

 ing, as a genei'al thing, makes the bees tiissatis- 

 lied. An unlimited cai)acity is quite apt to 

 discourage, if not to prevent entirely, all swarm- 

 ing. Neither the Dadants nor Mr. E. France, 

 who work on this latter principle, have swarm- 

 ing to any extent, and they do get the honey. 

 yo\i know. Now. it seems to me there is a hap- 

 py medium between the two extremes— between 

 the ten or twelve frame colony and the four or 

 six frame colony; namely, the eight-frame 

 hive. But you mention one advantage, and it 

 is an important one too: namely, that by judi- 

 cious contraction at the I'iglit time, and tlu- use 

 of perforated zinc, we may be able to get a 

 large force of bees for the honev-tlow, and yet 

 very materially cut down unnecessary brood- 

 rearing following the honey-f1ow. Your quecMi- 

 restrictoi' will woi'k nicely, no doubt: but is it 

 not a great deal of work'.' Why wouldn't it be 

 easier and less work to use shallow Heddon 

 hives; and when you restrict egg-laying, do so 

 by means of horizontal divisions rather than by 

 perpendicular and horizontal divisions as you 

 do? You ai-e obliged to have zinc in between 

 the end-bars of the wii-e fi'ames and the top and 

 bottom bar. as well as the two sides. You can 

 'contract by the Heddon plan by simply putting 

 the pei'foi'ated zinc lioui'd above and below one 

 section, and the whole thing is done.] E. R. 



I'UATT's QUEEN-KEAHIN(i IIIVK. 



At the close of the queen-rearing season, the 

 little combs can be put into a large frame, and 

 several be given to a full colony, with no detri- 

 ment to thi^ colony, but a icindness to the little 

 pets that have lieen ai)roHtto us during the 

 beautiful summer days. Mr. Pratt has issued 

 a neat little pamphlet describing his methods, 

 which we judge he would be willing to send to 

 those who wish to give his system a furthei- 

 study. 



But ti'ain time drew near. Bro. Alley, Pratt, 

 and the Rambler, arose from their very pleas- 

 ant triangular talk, and Bro. A.'s horse hustled 

 us over that half-mile at a lively gait. Our 

 farewells were spoken, and with a final wave of 

 the hand we were soon out of the pleasant vil- 

 lage of Wenham, pei'haps forever; but we shall 

 ever remember the pleasant houi'S we enjoyed 

 in the famous Bay State Apiary. 



EAMBLE NO. 38. 



K. I-. riJATT s SY.-'TK.M OF i,trKKX -in: A UIX(;. 



Within a few years several young bee-keeijcrs 

 have come lo the front, and. by their activity, 

 are making quite a stir in the apicultural 

 world; and although it has a shade of uni)Ieas- 

 antness to us old dulifei's. we shall have, sooner 

 or later, to take a back seat. Among this class 

 of progressive young men is Mr. E. L. Pratt, 

 recently of Marlboro, but who has now located 

 at Beverly, Mass.. less than two miles frotn Hro. 

 Alley. M"i'. Pratt is well known to the frater- 

 nity as the vCnXoy of l\u' Qiiccw-Brccdcrs' Jiiiiv- 

 i}(iL which had a short but brilliant career. 

 But Mr. Pratt's pen is not idle, as we often see 

 his marks in the various journals. lie has an 

 apiary of 9() colonies, and will run them largely 

 tlui'ing tjlie coming season in rearing yellow 

 Cai'niolans. His system is much like Bi'o. .M- 

 l(!y's. but his nucleus lij\'(^ is conslructed upon a 

 different plan. The photo shows the hive ami 

 frame very plainly. The small frames are 

 madi' liy slilting in two a two-inch 414x4^ sec- 

 tion, and filled with comb cut from ordinary 

 frames. The little hi\-i' contains four of these 

 conilis. Eight, as seen in the photo, will lit into 

 an ordinai'y L. fram(\ thus enaltling the combs 

 to be changed from a nucleus lo a, full colony. 



THE WAY ALLEY (iETS rilEIiE. 



As stated in our last ramble, our thouglits 

 kept dwelling upon the subject of egg oi' larval 

 (lueen-rearing. and our cogitations led us into 

 the following leview of the question. My first 

 effort to get facts was to write to a large num- 

 ber of not<'(l quecn-brcMHlers. from Maire to 

 Texas, irrespective of race. sex. or previous con- 

 dition. Answers were very courteously return- 

 ed, and there was an almost unanimous answer 

 for the reai'ing of queens from the egg. or. what 

 is i)ractically the sanu\ just hatched larvio. 

 Only oiu> I'aised a voice of disagr<'<'ment. and 

 claimed the ;tfj-hour limit. 



