318 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Ai'K. 15. 



In cool weather it saves heat, also annoyance 

 from robbers; and when looking for queens the 

 bees do nut bunch up when the combs are the 

 proper distance apart. Also when we have all 

 the combs looked over, they are ready to have 

 the cord and quilt put on them after a shove 

 (with both hands as per Fig. 1) slides them all 

 to the center of the bottom -board, ready for the 

 hive. P. H. Elwood. 



Starkville, N. Y., Mar. 15. 



Continued next issue. 



[In the next issue Mr. Elwood will explain 

 why the closed-end frame as Mr. Quinby rec- 

 ommended it does not kill bees. This will also 

 be illustrated with suitable engravings. Mr. 

 Elwood has given very truthfully the two re- 

 quirements of a bee-hive — one suited to the 

 bees, and the other to the bee-keeper. We all 

 agree on the first requirement, but we do not all 

 agree as to what constitutes the second one. I 

 will say that the engraving. Fig. 1, was taken 

 from a photograph, and is very nearly accurate. 

 The manner in which the frame is hooked to 

 the strap iron is not entirely correct; but this 

 will be illustrated in the next issue, and shown 

 right.] E. R. R. 



CLOSED-END FRAMES. 



Mils. AXTELI. DISCrSSES SOME OF THEIR DIS- 

 ADVANTAGES. 



Mr. Axtell has given you his views about the 

 standing closed-end Quinby frames and hive, 

 which features of the hive I like too; but there 

 are some things about it that even I do not like. 

 In the first place, one must be very careful to 

 push the frames up tight each time; and even 

 if they are pushed up tight, the bees will stick 

 on a little bee - glue along the crack that 

 was made when i)ried apart. Then next 

 time a little more will be put on. and the next 

 time a little more, so that they will unavoidably 

 get further and further apart — that is, spaced 

 further apart unless the apiarist will at least 

 once a year scrape between those combs. 



My plan has been to get around once in two 

 years myself, at least, and take down the front 

 of the hive, and, with an old butcher-knife, I 

 pry each comb apart and scrape between the 

 two, then scrape oiT the front board of the hive, 

 with a scraper and the front end of the brood- 

 frames (I scrape the front end before being 

 pried apart). Then I go to the back end of the 

 hive and take down the board and scrape off 

 the back end of the fi-ames before prying them 

 apart; then I pry them apart and scrape be- 

 tween the combs; then scrape off the board be- 

 fore putting it up. 



I have always made it a point, about once in 

 two years, to have the edges between the combs 

 where they come together scraped, and the front 

 board once in one year; and the back board, 

 which is often taken down, scraped oftener. 

 Now, if that scraping is neglected, in a few 

 years an immense amount of wax and propolis 

 would be put in. so that the combs would be 

 spaced much too far apart; and the frames, by 

 the addition of the propolis, would become so 

 long we could not shut up the hive. For that 

 reason, year before last I strained my arms 

 drawing the corners close together so they 

 could be clamped. We are about to fix all our 

 hives S or ^g of an inch longer than they wei'e 

 needed when new. 



Always, in the fall, we have a large number 

 of brood -frames not needed in the hives, and 

 sometimes they are filled with honey, and often 

 not filled; but I generally take pains to have 

 them all cleaned of propolis between the edges 

 where they come togetlier, as it is very much 



easier cleaned out of the hive than in the hive, 

 where the bees are constantly poking their 

 heads out in my way. and I have to use the 

 smoker to keep them back. 



Now, anotht'r serious objection to the stand- 

 ing closed-end frames is especially serious in 

 the hands of our helpers or beginners. At the 

 front ends, if the bees run, they will generally 

 run down at the front end, and get just where 

 we want to set the frame. I can scarcely ever 

 sit and look at one of my helpers replace the 

 combs in the hive, because they will kill so 

 many bees at that front end on the bottom, so 

 there is danger of killing the queen also. Mr. 

 Axtell does not, nor do I. kill many bees in that 

 way; but we are careful not to get them to 

 running, and I know better how to i)revent get- 

 ting them down there; bur if tiiey do get down 

 too bad, then we loosen the front board a little 

 until the combs are returned; but in that case 

 the fiame must be caught by the hoop-iron 

 catch at the bottom, or they will have to be 

 watched pretty carefully, or they will tumble 

 over. 



I have thought, if we were making all new 

 frames why not have the lower end of the front 

 bar a mere point? but then the bees would, a 

 few of them, get between the end of the frame 

 and the front board unless there was a bee- 

 space between the frame and front board. 



I think we like the hive and frame we have 

 always used better than any other, because we 

 better know how to handle it. But there are 

 advantages in this style of hive. I am quite 

 certain, which we can not get in the hive with 

 a hanging frame not having closed ends. 



Roseville, 111. Mrs. L. C. Axtell. 



[I do not know that I clearly understand just 

 what kind of a closed-end arrangement you 

 use. If I mistake not it is the original Quinby 

 without the iron hooks. You know that Capt. 

 Hetherington and P. H. Elwood use the Quin- 

 by system, slightly modified. As they use it. I 

 do not think they are troubled much with the 

 killing of bees in the way you speak of. 



I know that propolis will build up between 

 the uprights or closed ends; but, if I am cor- 

 rect, this can be largely obviated by compres- 

 sion. This is so with the Heddon shallow 

 closed-end frames. Although we have used 

 one of his hives some three or four years, there 

 is scarcely more propolis between the uprights 

 than there was the first three months it was 

 used. The compression keeps it out. I shall 

 be glad to have this subject discussed, particu- 

 larly by Mr. Elwood and Mr. Hoffman, and by 

 others who have had experience '• along this 

 line " as Doolittle says.] E. R. R. 



WAX SECRETION. 



PROF. COOK STILL THINKS WAX IS SECRETED 

 ONLY WHEN NEEDED. 



Frii'ud Root, it is pleasant to read the I'eplies 

 in tlu; last number of the Amcriaot Bcc Jour- 

 nal, to the query regarding wax secretion. 

 Nearly all think bees do not secrete except 

 when it is necessary in the economy of the hive. 



In the March 15th number of Gi-kanings you 

 rememb(>i' 1 went a little further. I urged that 

 bees secnte only whi'u the wax is needed, as a 

 I'ule. and gave, as th(> best hypothesis explain- 

 ing this that quiet was the probabi(> explana- 

 tion. I should add. quiet under full nutrition. 

 That is, the bee is functionally active, eats 

 much, but exercises very little. 



In your foot-note you remai'k that you for- 

 merly thought as I do; but you add. that abun- 

 dant wax scales, produced while feeding sugar 



