862 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



mentioned under increase; hive bees and 

 all on the floor inside of a sixteen-frame 

 hive, the frames extending lengthwise with 

 said hive, thus creating a space of approx- 

 imately 3 inches between the walls of the 

 two hives, and the extra depth of the inner 

 hive creates a space of 2i/4 inches under the 

 frames, while a sixteen-frame super holds 

 7 inches of packing on top of the winter 

 nest. The parent colonies are treated m 

 lil^e manner without changing the outward 

 ai)pearance or position of the hives. A 

 Ihiee-inch flat telescopic cover keeps them 

 snug and dry, and the whole outfit costs 

 .$2.50 in the flat at a local planing-mill, 

 made from a good quality of cypress lum- 

 ber. This lumber is inclined to warp, hence 

 should be painted and corners double-locked 

 to nail both ways. 



It is thus that correct principles of bee- 

 hive architecture minimaze the cost of 

 honey production by eliminating expensive 

 ecjuipment and excessive manipulation ; and 

 it is thus that the sixteen-frame convertible 

 hive is so thoroughly competent, and the 

 system so well organized in every detail, 

 that the solution of one problem materially 

 aids the solution of the next, thus greatly 

 facilitating the solution of important prob- 



I'^ms. The fact that this hive excels in the 

 legitimate office of honey production as well 

 as in the solution of problems proclaims it 

 an important improvement in beehive archi- 

 tecture. After another season's experience 

 with these hives I can suggest but one im- 

 provement, and that relates to the supers 

 which have a capacity of approximately 90 

 lbs., making it .-extremely difficult to man- 

 ipulate the brood-chamber when the supers 

 are full. In view of this contingency we 

 are considering the advisability of using 

 two eight-frame supers with half-inch sides 

 which exactly fit the brood-chambers. A 

 slight modification will also enable us to use 

 them in winter also, and still maintain the 

 deep inner chamber. This modification con- 

 sists of leaving a part of one side open and 

 ])lacing the open sides together on the 

 liives; this modification will be tested next 

 season. Meantime, what few colonies we 

 keep are all in sixteen-frame convertible 

 hives. My brother beekeepers, it is your 

 privilege to eliminate winter losses and 

 minimize the cost of honey production 

 through correct principles of beehive arch- 

 itecture. 



Birmingham, Ohio. 



THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF BEEHIVES 



e Hive AllowEsig line Super 

 to tlie Brood=coinni!b§ if Desired 



BY CHARLIE A. BROWN 



The ideal hive is that one which gives to 

 the bees a substantial home, and at the 

 same time yields to man the greatest conve- 

 nience in management of the bees. Doubt- 

 less a hollow tree, with sufficient space for 

 a large colony, is an ideal home for the 

 bees so far as their own welfare is con- 

 cerned. It is warm in winter, cool in sum- 

 mer, with half-decayed wood to absorb the 

 excess of moisture. But for man's conve- 

 nience and iDrofit bees must be kept in some 

 sort of hive. Many different kinds of homes 

 for the bees have been invented and are in 

 use; but, so far as I am able to discover, 

 there are only about three separate princi- 

 l>les involved in all of tliese, the Aspinwall 

 liive being an exception. 



These three principles or ideas in hive 

 construction are, perhaps, best represented 

 by square frames, oblong frames, and sec- 

 tional hive-bodies. For the last few years 

 1 have had in use all three kinds, and I am 

 satisfied that none of the three is just the 

 ideal. 



My sectional hives have frames 7% deep, 

 Langstroth length. Such hives in Texas, 

 working for bulk comb honey, may be all 

 right ; but for California, running for ex- 

 tracted honey, I don't like them. 



I also have in use 200 hives with frames 

 ll%xll%, 1,3 to the body. These make a 

 good brood-nest; but I do not like the 

 square frames for extracting purposes. 

 There is no use offering reasons for not 

 fancying either of the above styles of hives, 

 as the arguments against them are well 

 known to the beekeeping public; and it is 

 pretty certain that neither of them will ever 

 become the universal hive. 



The Langstroth frame, to my mind, is the 

 ideal except for one little thing. In fact, 

 so far as the frame itself is concerned it is 

 just about the right shape and size for 

 handling; and in actual practice bees win- 

 ter and breed as well on Langsti'oth combs 

 as any other. My objection is this : A square 

 liive made to hold frames of Langstroth 

 dimensions is too big to handle, and tliat 



