24 



on the other hand seven, and even as low as five were not uncommon. To 

 make matters worse these non-spacing frames are free to move in almost 

 any direction. Let us see what happens when a swarm clusters at some 

 distance from the bee-yard. The beekeeper gets a hive containing 

 frames, we will be generous and assume that the correct number of nine 

 has been put in, and hastens with it to the bush or tree where the swarm 

 is hanging. Setting it on the ground he adjusts the frames, then he cuts 

 the branch and dumps the bees on top of the frames. As soon as they have 

 all gone down he places the quilt on top, then the cover and carries the hive 

 to its stand. As he makes the trip the frames wobble round freely, only 

 coming to rest when the hive is set in its place. The beekeeper assumes 

 everything is all right, but when the inspector comes along he finds the 

 frames all jammed tight to one side of the hive. The bees think it is an 

 ordinary box, and build their combs accordingly. The inspector is pretty 

 much of their opinion. Before he can do anything with it he has to pass 

 a longbladed knife between frames so as to cut through the crosscombs, 

 then if he wants to give someone who says he is anxious to be a good bee- 

 keeper a fair start, he will out of the kindness of his heart trim up the 

 angular faces of the combs, force them into line, space the combs truly, 

 and go on his way full of the happy feeling that he has helped at least 

 one earnest soul in the course of the day. On his return visit a couple of 

 months later he not infrequently finds that the enthusiasm was a little 

 flicker in the pan, that his two hours' well intentioned help were apparently 

 wasted. However he has experiences even more discouraging, as for in- 

 stance the cases where he puts all the hives in workable shape even to put- 

 ting on the supers, and finds on his return that the rancher has begun to 

 wonder why the inspector has not been around to take off the supers for 

 him. As autumn advances the inspector smiles quite benignly when he 

 finds that the bees have been carrying the super honey down into the 

 brood-chamber. 



THE KIND OF HIVE TO USE. 



After a summer in the field among beekeepers, sizing up the floral and 

 climatic conditions, considering the amount of time the average rancher 

 has to spend with his bees and his lack of skill with them, the inspectors 

 .are agreed in recommending that the 10-frame self-spacing Langstroth 

 hive be adopted in this province. The frame is in almost universal use, and 

 is stocked by all the manufacturers and dealers on both sides of the line, 

 while the 10-frame size is not only made by all of them, but is apparently 

 out-selling the 8-frame size which was popular for many years. There is 

 unfortunately a little disagreement as to the width of this hive, some 

 manufacturers making it wide enough to allow the use of a follower, 

 while others do not. The inspectors prefer the type where a follower is 

 available as its presence facilitates the handling of the frames. 



The bottom-board they prefer is of the reversible type, that is to say, 

 when one side is turned up the entrance is three-eighths of an inch in 

 height and the full width of the hive; when the other side is up the 

 entrance is almost one inch in height and the full width of the hive. The 

 narrow entrance is for winter, and can be contracted during March and 

 April by placing blocks on each side. The wide entrance is used when the 

 colony becomes strong and is continued until the end of the honey-flow io 

 July. The large doorway provides great possibilities for ventilation and 

 =so tends to prevent swarming. 



