1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



106? 



I have tried about all kinds of frames that 

 have been described in print, and many oth- 

 ers; and if I were obliged to choose and use 

 any of the frames offered to the public I 

 would take the Hoffman, as I consider it, 

 even as now made, to be superior to any 

 loose hanging frame or other self-spacing 

 frame with which I am acquainted, and this 

 without any regard to locality; for I do not 

 believe that thex'e is any place on earth 

 whei-e propolis is any worse than it is here. 

 But after all this 1 wish to state that I 

 would not take and use the Hoffman frame, 

 as now made, if they were given to me and 

 I were paid a bonus of five dollars for every 

 hive I used them in. This may seem like a 

 strong assertion, but it should be remem- 

 bered that frames, barring accidents, will 

 last a lifetime; and five dollars a hive would 

 be no temptation for me to use the Hoffman 

 frame as now made the rest of 

 the time I hope and expect to live. 

 Still, the frame I have used large- 

 ly, and am changing to entirely, 

 is but little different from the 

 regular Hoffman. The end-bars 

 are just the same, except that 

 the edges are all square. The V 

 edge is the greatest objection I 

 have to the regular Hoffman; and 

 although, Mr. Editor, I know you 

 do not agree with me in this, I 

 wish to be frank about the mat- 

 ter, and say that I do not believe 

 you or any other intelligent man, 

 after using thousands of these 

 frames, both with and without the 

 V edge, as I have, would, in a 

 locality where propolis is as bad 

 as it is here, tolerate a V edge for 

 hardly any money consideration. 



In theory the V edge is a nice 

 thing; but in practice and use I 

 have found that the square edge 

 is far better. With two square 

 edges together, if they are press- 

 ed up close there is but little 

 chance for them to be glued so 

 that it is hard to separate them; 

 but with a V and a square edge 

 together the case is far different. 

 The channel or open space on 

 each side, caused by the V, will 

 solid full of glue, which is, of 



out the top-bar (in a few cases with the V 

 edges this was all I got). Another strong 

 objection to a V edge here is that they are 

 great bee-killers. There is so much propolis 

 plastered in and around these V edges that 

 they soon become much wider or thicker 

 than a square edge. 



One more of the many other things against 

 the V edge is that there are three different 

 ways these frames can be nailed together, 

 and each will work all right — that is, those 

 that are all nailed one way will work togeth- 

 er, but they can't be used with those that 

 are nailed either of the other ways. As you 

 probably know, there are two ways to nail 

 these frames, and have a V edge on each 

 side of the top-bar; that is, I can start nail- 

 ing them together, a V edge on each side of 

 the top-bar; and as long as I keep on the 

 way I started, my frames will work togeth. 



ANOTHER VIEW, SHOWING SWARTHMORE AND VISITORS. 



be filled 

 course, 

 also fastened to the square edge; in fact, I 

 do not see how any thing better than a V 

 and a square edge could be devised to enable 

 bees to glue frames together. But so far as 

 sticking together is concerned I don't care 

 much if any thing about this, for I can sep- 

 arate them all right. The trouble is, they 

 are often stuck together so tight that they 

 will not separate at the joint; but the pro- 

 jection, either on one frame or the other, 

 breaks off. I have broken hundreds of 

 frames in this way. Of course, any one 

 could tinker away and finally separate them 

 at the joints; but I have not time for this in 

 the busy season. 



When I open a hive and wish to remove a 

 frame I take it right out, or at least I take 



er all right. But you start the other way, 

 although you have a V edge on each side, 

 and yours will work all right together; but 

 yours and mine can't be mixed or used to- 

 gether. 



Last spring I went to look at some colonies 

 a party wished to sell, and I found these 

 frames had been nailed up in a still different 

 way. Both V edges were on one side of the 

 top-bar, and both square edges on the other. 

 These frames could not be used with frames 

 nailed either of the other ways, nor even re- 

 versed among themselves. I know that you 

 explain in your catalog the right way to 

 start nailing them; but I do not beheve one 

 person in a thousand would see or under- 

 stand that there are two ways to start, and 

 still have a V edge on each side of the top- 

 bar. I have found that about as many start- 



