936 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1 



and therefore give more satisfactory results 

 to the careless user. 



Queer how differently we look at these 

 things! Before I introduced the Hoffman 

 fi-ame (and I suppose I had a good deal to do 

 with it) I was very much disgusted to see 

 how the average bee-keeper spaced the un- 

 spaced frame of the Langstroth type. In 

 dozens of yards that I visited some 1.5 years 

 ago I found in many cases the regular Lang- 

 stroth or Simplicity frames were spaced all 

 the way from two inches from center to cen- 

 ter clear jam up together, leaving the 

 frames or combs in actual contact, and all 

 built together. The farmer bee-keepers and 

 others who did not keep posted almost in- 

 variably had their loose frames spaced in 

 such a way they could not be removed with- 

 out removing the whole set; and then such a 

 mess! And then, too, I found that there was 

 not one in ten that knew how far to space 

 the frames apart, and so most of them 

 guessed at it. Such unequal spacing, bulged 

 combs, and thin ones, led me to favor some 

 sort of self-spacing frame that could not 

 possibly be spaced too close; and when I saw 

 the Hoffman frame in use, and how, in the 

 hands of the careless and indifferent, they 

 were spaced evenly— combs like boards— I 

 became convinced that a frame that could 

 not be spaced too closely, like the Hoffman, 

 must be far better than one that could be 

 jammed up against its mate. As will be 

 seen by the testimony offered by several of 

 the writers in this symposium, actual expe- 

 rience in some instances at least seems to 

 bear out the opinion that I formed in the 

 early nineties. Note, for example, what 

 Mr. F. E. de Beche says regarding the adapt- 

 ability of the Hoffman frame to the incom- 

 petent help he has to put up with in Cuba. 

 I suppose that, if there is any place in this 

 wide world where one will meet with poor 

 help, it is in Cuba. Then note what Mr. 

 Woodward says in the next to the last para- 

 graph in his article. Next see what Mr. 

 Geo. E. Hilton has to say. 



I will admit that the division-boards as 

 originally sent out with the Hoffman frames 

 were defective; but for the last three or 

 four years the Root Co., at least, has made 

 a board that is quite different from the first 

 ones. While the new board was designed 

 with special reference to strength and facili- 

 ty in removing, I think perhaps it can be 

 improved and yet go in the hives as now 

 without changing width. We will give the 

 matter our careful consideration. 



Shall we make thehive wider to accommo- 

 date a slightly thicker follower? I do not 

 suppose it would be possible to lay before 

 one not a manufacturer the exacting de- 

 mands made by bee-keepers generally on 

 the supply-manufacturer, and I give it up; 

 l)ut I will say this: When we have made 

 slight changes in the style of hives or supers 

 already in use, we have called down on our 

 heads all kinds of complaints, not to say 

 abuse. While friend Green would not object 

 to having a brood-nest slightly wider than 

 the super, there are hundreds of bee-keep- 



ers who would make a big scold. It is, 

 therefore, better, in my opinion, to use one 

 less frame, and use two followers, as sug- 

 gested by Mr. Woodward; or, better still, 

 construct a follower that will go in the pres- 

 ent space that will be stronger than any 

 sent out yet. 



About the question of the number and size 

 of nails, the bee-keeper can hardly complain 

 that he does not have enough. We furnish 

 more than enough of nails as large as the 

 material will permit to make good solid nail- 

 ing. In the case of the division-boards, the 

 nails are long enough to go clear through 

 and clinch, except in two places, and have 

 been so for years. The nails are not put up 

 in little packages— just .enough for division- 

 boards, and just enough for something else. 

 They are put up in several large packages; 

 and if one follows the printed directions he 

 can not very well go wrong. If one is so 

 careless as not to nail up even Hoffman 

 frames, he will be equally careless with the 

 Langstroth or any other style of frame. If 

 there are very many people out your way, 

 friend Green, like this, I don't wonder that 

 they make bad work in the hive. If you 

 will send in their names we will be tempted 

 to give them free tuition to Correspondence 

 Course in Bee-keeping. Such people need a 

 little "educating." 



I am glad that Mr. Green has introduced 

 this subject, for no doubt much good will 

 come from the discussion. There are no 

 appliances made yet but that will bear 

 some improvement. Honest criticism from 

 honest men always paves the way for im- 

 provement, and the manufacturer who will 

 give them (the criticisms) fair hearing may 

 profit by it; and the one who is so egotistic 

 as to think his wares are "good enough" 

 may get left in the race. — Ed.] 



THE MILLER NAIL-SPACED FRAME. 



Nails vs. Staples ; Splints for Staying Founda- 

 tion. 



BY DR. C. C. MILLER. 



There seems to be an impression in the 

 minds of some that the Miller frame differs 

 in nothing from frames already listed in the 

 catalogs except that nails are used as spac- 

 ers. The nails are by no means the chief 

 difference; indeed, staples are used as well 

 as nails, the staples being used for end- 

 spacing. One feature of the frame is that 

 the same width, li inches, prevails through- 

 out—top-bar, bottom-bar, and end-bars all 

 being the same in width. 



Except for the saving of lumber I know of 

 no reason for having the bottom- bar or the 

 end-bars any narrower than the top-bar. 

 When end-bars or bottom-bars are further 

 apart than \ inch, the bees sometimes build 

 past them or between them. With the \- 

 inch space this does not happen. A possible 

 objection to so- wide a bottom-bar is that the 

 dead bees in winter do not so readily drop 

 down through the J-inch space. 



