1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1157 



most likely comb, glance over it for eggs, 

 and if none ai-e in sight I lean it against the 

 hive and take the next. As soon as I see 

 eggs I look for the queen, and generally get 

 her by the time I have removed three 

 combs. If she is not on the combs where 

 the eggs are I waste no time in looking 

 over the combs, but remove part of the 

 combs and look on the side and bottom of 

 the hive, where she will often be found, es- 

 pecially if she has any black blood in her. 

 Swedona, 111., Oct. 10. 



[Perhaps the preceding articles will explain 

 about the clover crops. The evidence is pil- 

 ing up showing the efficacy of the bee in 

 fertilization. —Ed. ] 



HOFFMAN FRAMES. 



The Use of Two Followers in a Hive as an Ex- 

 tracting-frame. 



BY C. E. WOODWARD. 



J. A. Green, the veteran writer of the 

 Rockies, arrays himself in a very strong and 

 postive manner against the use of two fol- 

 lowers in a hive. Has he ever used two fol- 

 lowers in a hive with the Hoffman frame? 

 It is well to take ample time, and even to 

 experiment to some extent ourselves, before 

 definitely condemning any system. When 

 I was writing on this subject of two follow- 

 ers I was doing so from a comb-honey stand- 



point. Even in Cuba it would be better to 

 have two followers in comb-honey supers. 

 The merits of the product of the two systems 

 will ultimately decide who are the victors— 

 who is right or who is wrong. Of course, I 

 am speaking of close-fitting followers; and 

 if Mr. Green will try a hive that is factory- 

 made he will see at once that the space is 

 just right. He admits that the Hoffman 

 frame, when handled by intelligent and care- 

 ful operators, will give entirely satisfactory 

 results. This can be said of all frames in 

 use at the present day. But I do say, all 

 things combined, that the Hoffman frame is 

 the best. Now, I'm not keeping bees on 

 paper or in my mind. I'm speaking from 

 experience. Mr. Green speaks of having to 

 pull the top-bar off nearly every frame in 

 the hive before he could get one out; and the 

 bottoms came off, and the ends pulled out. 

 When a man has such trouble as that, then 

 I advise the use of break-joint honey-boards. 

 In fact, no apiary is complete without them. 

 I have used the Hoffman frame, and Dove- 

 tail hive ever since its introduction, and with 

 two followers for comb honey, and find it 

 next to the chaff hive, and have no complaint 

 to make. I also use the break-joint honey- 

 board. I was the first one to introduce them 

 in Cuba. I also believe, as a rule, the merits 

 of the honey-board have, in a great measure, 

 been overlooked by our honey-producers. 

 Matanzas, Cuba, Nov. 21. 



[Mr. Woodward has just ordered two 



APIARY OF C. E. WOODWARD, MATANZAS, CUBA. 



