1891 



C! LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



ais it was. we kept up with lluMii very nieely. 

 We could hardly tliiiiK of de|)eiidiiig on a two- 

 frame extractor to throw our lioiiey out: and 

 for a nuui to thlnl< of earryina: tlie honey in a 

 hand comb-basket would be as discoui-aging as 

 the other. 



THE FUTlliE OF CCBAX IIOXEY. 



Friend Root, as we go on from one year to an- 

 other in anv business. w(,' arrive at conclusions 

 as to whether the enterprise is paying or not. 

 and the probable outlook for success in the fu- 

 ture. I started with this business liere when it 

 was indeed an experiment — when the movable 

 frame was a wonder in the eyes of the Cubans: 

 when all you could get for a gallon of honey 

 was .3.5 cents: but now it brings TiO cents net (for 

 we get pay for all the packages): and if the du- 

 tv is ever removed, so tiiat when yon fellows get 

 short we can send you a little to help you out, 

 why, then we shall' get more. So after the ex- 

 perience of the years I have been here. I can not 

 but feel the greatest contidence in tlie future of 

 Cuba's honey crop. It will goon and ultimately 

 reach that grand climax that is enjoyed by him 

 or that country that stands upon the top round 

 of the ladder. " The business is passing into the 

 hands of the actual pi'oducers — men of more or 

 less experience in honey-raising, and as such is 

 always a step in the right direction, and it can 

 not but result in a permanent good to the busi- 

 ness and all concerned. A. \V. Osburx. 



Puiita Brava deGuatao, Cuba. April 8. 



[You ought not to complain very much about 

 your past season as a poor honey year. It may 

 not have been up to the previous year, but 70- 

 000 lbs. of honey — my I you ought to be satisfied. 

 Honey seasons in most localities are a variable 

 quantity, you know. 



I am glad of your testimony in regard to Hoff- 

 man frames for Cuba: but. say, don't your tin 

 rabbets get filled with propolis if you have so 

 much of if? Our hybrids hav(^ done it for us 

 more than once, and we can get along with 

 Hoffman frames. Don't get the idea into you'- 

 head that Hoffman frames are used hy shuill 

 bee-keepers. Hoffman himself has some five or 

 six hundred colonies on them, and there are 

 other bee-keepers who have two or three hun- 

 dred colonies on them. In regard to propolis, I 

 saw as much in the region where nearly 10,000 

 colonies are used successfully on closed and 

 partly closed end frames, with success, as I have 

 seen in any pai't of the U. S. I believe there 

 are very few places in the L". S. wliere. because 

 of the excess of propolis. Hoffman frames can 

 not be used. Some parts of California and the 

 southern part of the countrv mav be among the 

 <'xcepted localities.] ' " E. R. R. 



THE HOFFMAN FRAME. 



THE IXVEXTOK USES IT. AM) HOW ITS 

 MAXIPl'LATION COMPARES IN SPEED 

 WITH THE LOOSE FRAME. 



Friend Enief<t R. Root:~^ly hive holds elev- 

 en frames without spacing-board: but to han- 

 dle frames fast there ought to be at least one 

 spacing-board and one frame less in the hive, 

 which will give room to handle and get the 

 frames apart without removing any from tlie 

 hive. For separating and closing" up partly 

 closed-end. or the so-called Hoffman frames, I 

 use a stout screwdriver or chisel, which, in clos- 

 ing them up. is inserted between the spacing- 

 board and hive-wall, and with a single motion 

 the frames are pressed together lirmly (see cut). 

 In this way the whole set of frames, or any 

 numlicr nf them, can at any time be shoved 



from one side of the hive to the other, which I 

 found quite a saving of time. The crowding 

 together of the frames before closing the hive is 

 very important, as any space left between the 

 clo,se-fitting parts of the frames will, of course, 

 be filled n\) with propolis by the bees, and would 



MAXXER OF CROWDIXG HOFFMAX FRAMES TO- 

 GETHER. 



prevent close fitting when the frames are inter- 

 changed. If. however, any propolis should ac- 

 cumulate between the close-fitting edges, this 

 pressing together in warm weather will easily 

 remove it. If the hive is used for comb honey 

 it will, of course.be better to use two or more 

 spacing-boards, according to the number of 

 flames the bees are allowed. Two spacing- 

 boards will also be needed in prepai'ing the 

 bees for winter, so that a vacant space is left at 

 each end or side of the hive, between the spac- 

 ing-board and the hive-wall. Into these open 

 spaces the quilt or rag. covering the frames, is 

 tucked down. If as it should be. only seven or 

 eight frames being left in the hive for wintering, 

 good heavy covering can be used. 



SPAflXG-ROARU WITH UrBBEI! EDUES. 



The spacing-boards, see cut, are suspended 

 like tbe frames, and are made smaller than the 

 clear of the liive. to leave a bee-space at the 

 sides and bottom of the hive, so as to work free, 

 and also not shut out any bees by closing the 

 hive. A strip of stout rubber cloth, about as 

 long as the frames are close fitting, or nearly 

 half way down, is grooved in the edge of the 

 spacing-board, which strip is wide enough to 

 crowd well to the sides or ends of the hive. 

 This arrangement will hold the spacing-board 

 and frames in place sufficiently, and also pre- 

 vent the escape of warmth fiom the upper ijart 

 of the brood-nest. Such boards will never be 

 glued fast by the bees, enougli to lihuler the 

 easv removal of the same. 



