300 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15. 



object of the aforesaid notches. A section is 

 set down in position indicated in the drawing, 

 with one side projecting s/ighily over the 

 notch in the side of the box. The knife makes 

 one sweep, shding clear past, down into the 

 notch, sweeping the scrapings into the box. 

 The section is then reversed, and the other 

 side is treated in Uke manner. Last of all, 

 the edges are gone over. Within convenient 

 reach of the boys were a pile of shipping cases 

 that were being filled. As soon as a .section 

 was cleaned it was set down into the case, and 

 then another was taken from the super just as 

 it came from the hive, this super being also 

 conveniently in leach, as shown in the illus- 

 tration. The work is so arranged as to make 

 only one handling ; and, if I remember cor- 

 rectly, the grading was done at the same time. 

 There is one case for first quality, another for 

 second, and so on. 



After I had watched the boys crate, looking 

 over toward a pile of hives I said : 



" Is this the Boomhower hive ? " 



"Yes," said Mr. B., "and it is the most 

 convenient hive I have ever had." 



Then he went on to tell me how he had ex- 

 perimented with the various kinds of hives 

 and brood-frames, sometimes changing over 

 his whole apiary. All this experimenting had 

 cost him hundreds and hundreds of dollars; 

 but now he has got through. He had found 

 the >ie plus ultra in brood-frames and hives. 

 He has tested them thoroughly, and the more 

 he tested them the more he liked them. He 

 could handle his brood-frames any time with- 

 out a screwdriver. They were of the self- 

 spacing type, always ready for moving, and 

 always easily pulled out of the brood-nest. 

 "Why," said he, they beat your Hoffman 

 frames all to smash. My neighbors who have 

 been using the Hoffman have discarded them 

 for my frame." 



^\ 



"^ 



1^ 



Nearly a year ago (May 1st, p. 331) we gave 

 an illustration of this hive and frame, and for 

 the convenience of our readers I reproduce it 

 here. The hive is of the ordinary eight-frame 

 Langstroth type; and, so far as the hive prop- 

 er is concerned, it differs but little from the 

 ordinary eight-frame Langstroth. But the 

 particular feature of the hive is the brood- 

 frame and metal rabbet. This last is a nar- 

 row strip of sheet iron let into a saw-cut as 

 shown at C in Fig. 3. He used spacing-sta- 

 ples between the sides of the frames as shown 



in the illuslration; and a nail driven through 

 the projection of the top-bar on a slant into 

 the end-bar prevents end play, for the top-bar 

 itself is shortened on both ends so as to leave 

 a bee-space, as at E, around the ends, and 

 thus do away with the gumming of the ends 

 to the hive-rabbet itself. 



The staple-spaced frame that we introduced 

 lately is a good deal after the same stjde; but 

 Mr. B. considers his end-spacing nail better. 

 I could not see it just as he did, but he says 

 he has tried both ways, and sa\ s he knows the 

 nail is better. Since that time Dr. Miller, who 

 has tried both wajs, has decided in favor of 

 the staple. 



I found Mr. Boomhower to l)e a man of 

 practical ideas, and very decided in his opin- 

 ions too; and while I could not agree with 

 him on all questions, yet from his standpoint 

 he gave very good reasons for his preferences. 



In our next issue I will say something fur- 

 ther about him, and also about the greatest 

 buckwheat country in the world, for friend B. 

 is in the heart of that region that produces 

 millions of bushels annually. I will also in- 

 troduce } ou to his son Novice, one of the 

 lightning operators. 



METAL-SPACED HOFFMAN FRAMES. 



Minnick's Hive-stand; Open-corner Sections. 



BY JAS. A. MINNICK. 



I am glad to note the interest that you take 

 in metal Hoffman frames, as designated in your 

 editorial on pages 57 and 5S. Mr. Marks' 

 frame is substantially the same as mine (a 

 sample of which I send you by to-day's mail), 

 except he has the metal both on same side of 

 frame instead of diagonally oppusi'.e, as in 

 mine; he also uses iron while I use zinc; and 

 his metal pieces are twice as wide as mine; 

 also, he uses a ivood projection for top-bar 

 that I could uol be induced to use. I prefer 

 the nail projection so much over the wood 

 that I have sawed off the ends of nearly all of 

 my Hoffman frames that I bought of you, 

 though they have no metal spacers. This 

 nail is allowed to project far enough to just 

 touch back of tin rabb.-t, as you make them. 

 They can nol be glued to it as the wood pro- 

 jection, nor does it smash the bees, and they 

 are " cleared out " of the rabbets by the time 

 you set your smoker down. 



I have about 500 brood-frames and 100 

 extracting combs of my own make, with the 

 nail and metal bearing, that I made on a foot- 

 power saw. I make only for myself, and it is 

 not patented. It is so good I wish all bee- 

 keepers knew of it. 



If you will turn to page 249 of Auierican 

 Bee Journal, April lis, 1895, you will find a 

 good description of it in detail. In that article 

 you will find that I prefer the wood rabbet. 

 After some years of experience I find that I 

 like your tin rabbet better. 



I like your new hive - stand as per last 

 Gleanincs, and think it is very cheap. 

 Herewith please find a sketch of a stand that 

 I have made and like better, as it elevates the 



