1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



477 



ter advantage than the inventing of machines 

 for its removal from the combs, and is a great 

 saving in many ways above the melting of the 

 combs entirely, as some still persist in ad- 

 vising. 



But until you become familiar with these 

 ways of working it is not best to become self- 

 conceited in these matters, lest you find your- 

 self in the position of a certain preacher I 

 once heard about, who had a way of promis- 

 ing to preach, and on beginning would say 

 something similar to this: " I have been too 

 busy to prepare a sermon; but if some one 

 will kindly give me a text I'll preach from 

 it." A certain friend of his determined to 

 cure him, so invited him to preach. The in- 

 \ntation was accepted. When the time came 

 he began his usual introduction: "Brethren, 

 I have been so pushed for time since I receiv- 

 ed the invitation that I have been quite unable 

 to prepare a sermon. But if some one in the 

 audience will kindly give me a text I'll preach 

 from it. Perhaps my brother here," turning 

 to the plotter near him, " will suggest a text." 



" Yes, brother, " came the ready response; 

 " I will do so. You will find the text I wish 

 preached from in the last part of the ninth 

 verse of the first chapter of Ezra, and the 

 words are, ' nine and twenty knives.' " 



There was a pause quite long drawn out, as 

 the preacher found his text. He read it aloud, 

 "Nine and twenty knives," and began at 

 once. " Notice the number of these knives — 

 just exactly nine and twenty; not thirty, not 

 eight and twenty. There were no more and 

 no less than nine and twenty knives." A 

 pause — a long pause. Then slowly and em- 

 phaticall}', "Nine and twenty knives." A 

 longer pause. Then, meditatively, " Nine and 

 twenty knives." Again he rested. " Nine 

 and twenty knives." A dead stop. " Nine 

 and twenty knives; and if there were nine 

 hundred and twenty knives I could not say 

 another word." 





A SWARM THAT RETURNED TO A HIVE WITH 

 A CI.IPPED OUEEN; A FAIR QUESTION. 



When a colony that has a clipped queen 

 casts a swarm when no one is present to hive 

 them, they will return into the hive from 

 which they came. Now, what should be done 

 to prevent further swarming, for I understand 

 they will swarm again in a day or so ? 



Flora, 111., May 28. G. J. Sturm. 



[Usually an attendant is present, and will 

 give notice that this or that hive cast a swarm, 

 and that the bees subsequently returned. It 

 is true, as you say, that if a colony has once 

 tried to swarm it will try it again. Indeed, it 

 may keep on trying, and fool away the best 

 part or all of the honey season, while the other 

 colonies are busy in the supers. As soon as I 

 know that a swarm has returned and gone 



back into the hive, I take away the parent 

 hive and put another with frames of founda- 

 tion (or empty combs) on the old stand. I 

 now shake two-thirds of the bees in front 

 of the entrance of the new hive on the old 

 stand. I next place the super that was on the 

 old hive on the new one. Last of all, I carry 

 the old colony with the few bees to another 

 location, and contract the entrance. The new 

 hives with frames of foundation will probably 

 cure the swarming mania. 



If possible, the transfer of hives should take 

 place while the swarm is in the air. An at- 

 tendant can do this as well as the experienced 

 bee-keeper; then when the bees return they 

 are ready for business. — Ec] 



EIGHT OR TEN FRAME HIVES— WHICH ? THE 



EDITOR ASKED TO COME OUT SQUARE ON 

 THE QUESTION. 



Mr. Root: — I think j'ou had better acknowl- 

 edge what you believe in regard to the eight- 

 frame " Langstroth " double brood-chamber. 

 While your position does not affect any who 

 carefully read your writings, especially be- 

 tween the lines, beginners and those who do 

 not follow your teachings very closely think 

 that you recommend eight frames for brood. 

 Why don't you come out plain, and say what 

 you believe and what A. I. R. used to teach, 

 that ten Langstroth frames or their equivalent 

 is a good compromise between large versus 

 small brood-chambers? 



Gleanings certainly took a wrong step 

 years ago in recommending eight-frame hives 

 for comb honey. Two or three or even more 

 eight-frame stories may be all right for ex- 

 tracted honey ; but for comb honey the trou- 

 ble is in getting the sixteen frames crammed 

 full of bees and brood, especially before the 

 surplus season ; and you in editorial, p. 400, as 

 well as others, acknowledge the difficulty. 



Ten frames are as many as most of us suc- 

 ceed in getting ; and the general opinion of 

 apicultural writers, with but few exceptions, 

 is that eight brood-frames are not enough, and 

 then we have the excessive swarming to con- 

 tend with. H. H. McKinney. 



Renfrew, Pa., May 30. 



[I do not know but I am like Dr. Miller — I 

 don't know which is better — the eight or ten 

 frame. I know this : That the eight-frame 

 with single brood-chamber is not nearly large 

 enough. I am pretty well satisfied, also, that 

 the ten-frame is too small. I am not sure that 

 a twelve-frame Langstroth brood-nest is large 

 enough. An eight-frame body is plenty heavy 

 enough to lift when it is full of honey ; and 

 I am almost inclined to believe that two eights 

 — that is, 16 frames in all — are none too big 

 for a brood-nest ; but ten-framers would be too 

 large. No, I prefer an eight-frame to a ten- 

 frame ; and I think I should prefer a twelve- 

 frame to a ten-frame ; hwX if a twelve-frame is 

 too small, then I should rather have two eight- 

 frames. 



You seem to feel that I know that a ten- 

 frame is better than an eight-frame, but that I 

 am afraid to say it. If I really believed that a 

 ten-frame were the right thing I would talk 



