252 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1. 



the top-bar, i\, wavy combs showing even 

 greater protruding in some cases. The direct 

 result of these combs being thicker than the 

 top-bars are wide is the building up past, over, 

 and all around the tops, fastening all solid 

 to sections, honey-boards, cover-boards, or 

 whatever was above. Like work was also 

 done around end-bars to hive-ends. 



The matter stood just this way: I must en- 

 dure the azvful, aivfnl burr-combs; make an 

 entire change of frames, or else close space 

 till I could afford a change, and I chose the 

 close spacing. Those who use a loose frame 

 know that the bottom spacing is very uncer- 

 tain. A very few cases occurred in which two 

 combs, because of crooked combs, or swinging 

 toward each other, came so close that the cells 

 on one had to be reduced to less than brood 

 depth in order to allow of brood in the other, 

 which shows the limit of close spacing, and 

 the disadvantages of crooked combs and loose 

 frames. 



I said the thickness of a sealed comb of brood 

 (I speak of worker, drone-brood comb is 

 thicker) is V^ to 1 inch. New comb is about 

 %, while old comb may reach the one-inch 

 mark. I therefore reason that the width of 

 top-bars should be one inch. The spaces be- 

 tween comb faces, when filled with honey, 

 and sealed, may be said to be ■4 inch. They 

 will frequently seal at Y% if the honey-supply 

 is short and comb plentiful; but when comb 

 is built just as needed, and also, frequently, 

 even when there is a surplus of ready-built 

 comb, ihe capped faces of store comb are but 

 % inch and less apart. 



Suppose, then, brood -frames are spaced 1^, 

 the combs, when filled with honey, and sealed 

 at \ inch apart, would be \)i thick. Since 

 it frequently happens that a honey surface has 

 for its neighbor a brood surface, the honey- 

 cells may exceed somewhat the \yi mark. 

 In order, therefore, to avoid the building of 

 the comb thicker than the top-bars, and there- 

 fore up past them into burr-combs, the top- 

 bar should be in width the thickness of the 

 thickest comb. Since, for other reasons, it 

 seems best to have the top-bars no wider than 

 the thickness of a brood-comb, it seems to me 

 that even closer spacing than ly^ would be 

 advisable. A \% spacing would allow of a 

 plump X inch between worker-brood faces, 

 with perfectly true wired combs, and thus, no 

 matter whether filled with brood or honey, the 

 combs would at all times remain at the same 

 thickness, hence at all times perfectly inter- 

 changeable, even with self-spacing frames, 

 whether Hoffman or other style. 



After much thinking, figuring, and experi- 

 menting, I have decided to adopt an inch top- 

 bar, and not exceed 1 j\ spacing. I know that 

 \\i spacing works, for I have tried it; and, if 

 I remember rightly, Mr. J. E. Pond has advo- 

 cated it for several years. 



Loveland, Col. 



[Cheshire has a good deal to say on the 

 subject of cocoons in worker comb, and how 

 the bases of the cells are filled up in time with 

 deposits. While they are made up of the 

 cast-off skins, there is also quite a thickening 



resulting from excreta of the larvae. So far 

 your observation quite agrees with what 

 Cheshire has to say on the subject. 



That bees may entirely renew old brood- 

 combs every few years is a rather new idea, 

 and yet it must be quite within the range of 

 probability. One of two things must be true : 

 Either bees actually carry out all the cocoons 

 and the deposits in the bases resulting from a 

 series of broodings, or else they tear down the 

 whole business little by little and renew it. 



With regard to the spacing of frames, along 

 about 1890 I went over this question very 

 thoroughly. At that time we were consider- 

 ing the advisability of making and putting on 

 the market spaced frames. Some used the 

 l>^-inch center-to-center distance; but more 

 used the l^/g, because by it they secured less 

 of drone comb and more of worker; and that, 

 moreover, the face of the honey was more 

 even in capping, and the honey itself better 

 ripened. Quite a number also at that time 

 went so far as to argue that 1 '4 -inch spacing 

 was better still, because it would exclude all 

 drone comb; that nothing but worker brood 

 could be reared. It was also urged that it did 

 away to a great extent with the nuisance of 

 burr and brace combs. Prominent among 

 those who held to this idea was H. R. Board- 

 man, of East Townsend, Ohio. He could 

 largely dispense with burr-combs, and still 

 use his old 7,8-inch-wide top-bars. 



I must acknowledge that at the time my 

 preferences were for the very narrow spacing ; 

 but it seemed better to make our top-bars 1 1\ 

 wide, and use 1^, on the ground that it was a 

 golden mean ; that 1 % spacing would be too 

 radical for many who would prefer 1^, but 

 who would consent to take Xy^ because they 

 could not get any thing else. It is the old 

 question that the supply-dealer has to some- 

 times straddle the fence, and adopt, not what 

 he really thinks the best, and which will not 

 sell, but a compromise that ivill sell. — Ed.] 



NOTES OF TRAVEL AMONG BEE-KEEPERS OF 

 YORK STATE. 



Mr. David Coggshall ; Mr. Harry S. Howe, the 



Lightning Operator and Champion HiU- 



cHmber on the Bicycle. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



After Gleanings for March 1 had reached 

 the Coggshalls I received the following note 

 from Mr. Harrj' S. Howe, one of their " light- 

 ning operators." As it may possibly explain 

 why Mr. Coggshall's bees stung so like fury 

 the day I was there, I will give it right here: 



I'ricnd Root. — We were all much interested in your 

 report of the trip to the Varna yard. Of course, the 

 bees were cross; and, besides, I think the boys stirred 

 them up some for your special benefit. About the 

 time the last copy of Gleanings got in circulation. 



