48 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



.L\x. 15. 



bar as used by D. A. Jones and others. But why 

 not go the whole figure? If I remember cor- 

 rectly, the bottom -bar that Jones uses is only 

 about an eighth of inch thick laterally, and 

 perhaps ^^ inch deep. Yours contains as much 

 or more lumber, but its width is greater than its 

 vertical thickness. Whafsa bottom-bar for, any 

 way? For one thing it keeps the lower end of 

 the end-bars at the proper distance apai't, and 

 I'm not so sure that it has any other use. You 

 may say that it makes the bees build the comb 

 down to the right place; but the bottom-bar in 

 general u.^e does nothing of the kind. The bot- 

 tom-bar is just where we should like the lower 

 edge of the comb to be, but the bees stop build- 

 ing about a quarter of an inch above the bottom - 

 bar. I have had some combs built in frames 

 without any bottom-bars, and they were quite 

 satisfactory. Now, if bees will build down bet- 

 ter to a bottom-bar I4 inch wide than they will 

 to one Js wide, will they not do still better if 

 the bottom-bar is only }% wide? Would' not a 

 bottom-bar Jg wide and ^i deep answer every 

 purpose? While we are at it, lefs make a sure 

 thing of having the comb built down to the 

 bottom -bar, with no holes between comb and 

 bottom-bar for the queen to hide in. With such 

 a small bottom-bar, if the bees are still inclined 

 to leave hiding-places, the foundation might 

 come down over the upper edge of the bottom- 

 bar and be fastened there so as to make, proba- 

 bly, a sure thing. If the }ix% bottom-bar is 

 retained, would it not be a good thing to cut in 

 it a rabbet V^H' to fasten the lower edge of the 

 foundation in? 



Since you've given up the Hoffman idea of 

 keeping the bees off the rabbets.^perhaps it 

 would not be so bad a plan to cut away all of 

 that V edge except 3-t or }i an inch at "the up- 

 pei' end, and the same at the lower end. Oi'. it 

 might be bef.er still to have no V edge, and 

 then cut away enough to make bee-space be- 

 tween end-bars, leaving only enough at the top 

 and three inches lower down to hold the frames 

 at the right distance apart. I think that would 

 kill fewer bees than the end-bars you now have. 



Now. if you think I am inclined to modify too 

 much your modified frame, just remember that 

 I am not yet entirely free from the influence of 

 that great modifier, the grip. 



Marengo, 111, C. C. Miller. 



[It may surprise you, doctor, if we tell you 

 that the new Hoffman frame is more a Hoff- 

 man in its real essence of working than the 

 one we offered last year. While we have left 

 out one feature of the original frame, that of the 

 widening of the ends of the top-bar. we added 

 another, that of V-ing the end-bar<. which the 

 inventor regards as very important. You seem 

 to have the impression that this is an addition 

 of our own. By turning to (tlkanixg.s for July 

 1, I8S1O. page 48i), you will Sf>e this V edge illus- 

 trated and described by Mr. Hoffman himself. 

 As many may not have the back number in 

 question, we quote Mr. H.'s words: "One of 

 tne edges of the uprights orjends of the fiame. as 

 far as they are close-fitting, should be l)eveled 

 otT to a little less than ^ of an inch, so as to 

 meet the center of the scpiare edge of the next 

 franiH. This will prevent the gluing and the 

 sticking-together of the frames, also squeezing 

 of the bees to a largi^ extent, and allow faster 

 working of them." You se(^ from that this V 

 edge is not a matter of experiment, and that 

 your fears as to the effect of the proijolis are 

 groundlc^;^ in fact. It was natural for you to 

 think as you did; so did we. We might add. 

 further, that the V edge requires no wedging, 

 and this is a big point. 



We used somi^thing over .">(X) thick-top frames 

 last season, only S inch thick; and although 



most of the frames were loaded with honey 

 there were only two or three of these frames 

 that showed sagging of the top-bars. This sag- 

 ging was so slight that it could be detected only 

 by a straight-edge, or by sighting across the top. 

 These would not have sagged: but the grain of 

 the wood favoi'ed it. Pi'actically. then, there was 

 no sagging; but to our new thick-tops we havp 

 added a comb-guide, which will be more than 

 the equivalent of a top-bar ;^4 inch thick. 



The new Iwttom Cno. it's old) has been most 

 heartily indorsed — in fact, so has the whole 

 frame. We may get the bottoiu-bar a trifle 

 narrower— say % square ; }ix% deep we fear 

 would be too much of a good thing. 



With regard to the whole frame, a number of 

 the Michigan bee-keepers at their State conven- 

 tion said, in private conversation, they were 

 much pleased with the modified Hoffman; in 

 fact, we never offered any bee- keeping appliance 

 that has been so heartily indorsed by so many 

 letters from all parts of the country, in so short 

 a time, as the new Hoffman frame.] 



OUTDOOR "WINTERING. 



FKANCE CKITICISES Dlt. MII.LEK S PLAN. AX1> 

 AL.SO DESCRIBES HIS OWN METHOD. 



On page 9.i.5 Dr. C. C. ^Miller has an article on 

 the above subject. He asks, " What are the ob- 

 jections to this plan, and what improvements 

 are suggested? '" 



First objection, it is too much work, as we can 

 accomplish the same thing with less work. His 

 fence arrangements would be sure to catch snow- 

 drifts if there were snow to drift. His boards 

 standing up in front of the hives would catch 

 rain, and lead it down to the entrance of the 

 hives, and make trouble; and his great pile of 

 straw over the hives would get wet, and al.so 

 make a harbor for I'ats and mice. We have 

 been running out-apiaries several years, and we 

 never haul bees home to winter — no need of it. 

 If they are properly fixed they can just as well 

 stay on their summer stands; and as most of our 

 out-apiaries are located in pasture-grounds 

 where cattle, sheep, horses, and hogs all have a 

 free run. what would become of Dr. Miller's 

 pile of straw that he puts over his hives? Of 

 course, if he fenced around the hives he could 

 keep the stock away, or perhaps he could fence 

 the whole apiary: but that is too much work; 

 and, in fact, I'd rather have the stock run 

 among the hives, as they keep down the grass 

 and weeds, and the stock don't do any hurt — 

 nothing but a blind horse. Keep the blind horse 

 away. 



Now, how am I going to improve on Mr. M.'s 

 plan? When he has his four hives in a bunch, 

 he is very near right; but instead of having 

 four single hives I make the four all into one 

 hive— make the lower story all solid together, 

 having partitions running through the hive 

 both ways, and have u bee-entrance on each of 

 the four sides. Then our upper stories are made 

 single — each one rests on one division of the 

 lower hive. We can tier them uiias high as we 

 wish. We use two tier-^ of single stories, making 

 a three-story hive during the summer and work- 

 ing season. When we put them into winter 

 quarters we tak& off the "third, or upper story; 

 s<'lect the best frantes of honey — enough to fill 

 the second story with t'liU frames of honey — I 

 don't want th(^ bottom frames to have too much 

 honey in them; in fact. I don't care if they are 

 empty combs, as tne bees want empty combs be- 

 low the honey, to cluster in. Then as they eat 

 the honey out of the second story they work up; 

 so when spring arrives the bees \\\\\ be in the 



