1900 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



51 



attending the primaries for delegates to be 

 elected to the " tinkering convention." Wait 

 and see. " A threat of this kind is, " etc. No 

 threat, my boy ; simply an expression of a 

 humble subscriber. Notwithstanding the one 

 hundred who are willing for a change, I still 

 adhere to the minority, and think that the 

 sentiments of the practical bee-man are unal- 

 terably opposed to any modification of the 

 English orthography. One of the strongest 

 objections to the so called reformed spelling 

 is ihe obliteration thereby of many of the dis- 

 tinctive marks of derivation, many of which 

 indicate at once the source whence we derive 

 some of our modern English words. 



George N. Wanser. 

 Rahway, N. J., Dec. 8. 



[You did not offend me ; and even if you 

 did, your apology displays " evidence of a gen- 

 tleman." But when I get a letter about some- 

 thing that has appeared in Gleanings, and 

 nothing said about its being a private note, I 

 take it that I can use it for publication. 



Yes, I might have used the blue pencil, but 

 when one differs from me I find if I don't let 

 that one use his exact language that I am lia- 

 ble to be accused of cowardice. So I prefer to 

 take my chastisements just as the writer pens 

 them. 



As to the real matter at issue, you are refer- 

 red to an editorial in this issue which I think 

 will make the antis more free to express them- 

 selves. — Ed.] 



TAI.L SECTIONS ; ARGUMENTS FOR AND 

 AGAINST THEM. 



In these days of advancement in other things 

 I am pleased to see that apiculture is not 

 one whit behind the times. I think the Dove- 

 tailed hive is far ahead of the Simplicity, and 

 the Hoffman frames equally siiperior to the 

 old unspaced. There are many other changes 

 equally for the better, but I think there is no 

 doubt that many articles are brought to notice 

 that are no improvement; and while some are 

 advocating the tall section, I desire to speak a 

 word in favor of the one in general use. Is it 

 not a fact that the general tendency of the 

 times is to have every thing prepared so it will 

 sell regardless of what the consumer may get 

 oiit of it? I do not say I am free from it; but 

 ought we not to consider oftener how our cus- 

 tomer will be benefited ? If it is a fact that 

 the tall section will sell better than the square 

 one, is it not because the one who purchases 

 it thinks he is getting more honey for his mon- 

 ey ? It is surely not in as good shape to place 

 on the table, and there is where we all like to 

 have it look well. 



Now, if I change to the tall section, and it 

 sells better, my brother bee-keeper will be 

 compelled to do the same in order to compete, 

 and after we have all made the change at an 

 extra expense, what have we 'gained ? Have 

 we any reason to believe there will be any 

 more honey consumed ? The square section 

 is just the right size to take the place of the 

 L. frame in the upper story, which enables us 

 to run for either extracted or comb honey, 

 simply by putting in either section-holders or 



frames. This is a great advantage, I think, as 

 I produce both kinds, and can supply a cus- 

 tomer according to the size of his pocket book. 

 J. T. VanPetten. 



[This matter of preference for tall sections 

 is not wholly one of a better price, for there 

 are several other important considf rations. 



1. It is not the sections that look best on 

 the table, but that which presents the best ap- 

 pearance in the market. A hou=e with square 

 windows and square doors would not look as 

 well as one with tall ones. Tin fruit-cans, 

 packajjes of starch, coffee, and ail kinds of 

 groceries, are taller than broad. Tall sections 

 simply conform to the proportions of other 

 articles offered for sale, and with which we are 

 familiar. 



2. A 4x5 section for approximately a pound 

 weight permits of the use of a thinner comb — 

 a comb more nearly approaching store combs 

 in nature when bees are left to their own sweet 

 wills. Thin combs are more liable to be bet- 

 ter filled and sooner filled; and, what is of con- 

 siderable importance, there will be fewer un- 

 capped cells. Thin combs having shallow 

 cells, it is argued, will permit of the honey 

 being ripened sooner ; and if this is true, it 

 may account for the quicker and better filling 

 of the combs. 



3. R. C. Aikin, one of the brightest bee- 

 keepers we have, lays down the rule that " iti 

 comb-building the downward progress exceeds 

 the sidewise in a proportion of about ^ to 2,^^ 

 and then he adds, " If, then, comb-construc- 

 tion goes on in this way, a section that is as 

 wide as deep will be finished down the center 

 before it is at the outer edges. This will be 

 made plain by looking at combs in all stages 

 of progress." A tall section, then, more near- 

 ly conforms to the natural instincts of bees in 

 comb-building than a square one. 



4. A greater number of tall sections holding 

 approximately a pound can be accommodated 

 in a given super. 



5. A tall section will stand shipping better 

 than a square one, in proportion as it is taller. 

 Take, for example, the 4X5 and the 4}4X-i)4. 

 The former can have 9^ inches of perpendic- 

 ular attachment, and the latter 8 inches. 

 Then the square comb has a wider comb to be 

 held by those perpendicular edges. 



There are other minor advantages, but these 

 are the principal ones ; but from what I have 

 offered you can see that the rising popularity 

 of the tall section is not due wholly to the 

 commercial argument. — Ed.] 



A SEVERE TEST FOR EXTRA-THIN WEED FOUN- 

 DATION ; TALL SECTIONS, AND DOES IT 

 PAY TO CHANGE? 



Let me state, for the benefit of those who 

 are against tall sections, and who claim that 

 foundation will not stay in them, that I filled 

 200 Danz. supers of 4X5 Danz. sections with 

 full sheets of extra-thin Weed foundation, and 

 fastened only at the top of the section, leav- 

 ing l4 inch space at bottom, and a small space 

 at the sides of foundation. These I moved 

 about 34 miles to bean-fields ; and, it being an 

 exceptionally cool year, only a small portion 



