38 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



tleman runs some 400 hives this 

 3'ear, and all for box honey. Last 

 year was a most unfavorable one, 

 only giving him an average of 29 

 lbs. per colony, whereas in good 

 honey years he can obtain an aver- 

 age of 60 lbs. to 80 lbs. per colonj- . 



Mr. Hoflfman works on the sys- 

 tem of suppression of the queen 

 during the time of the greatest 

 honey flow — each queen being 

 caught and caged for a certain 

 period of time. 



When the season for buckwheat 

 flowering comes on he packs his 

 colonies on a wagon, and moves 

 them to its neighborhood, follow- 

 ing the old German and French 

 migration system. A pleasant 

 time was passed discussing the va- 

 rious breeds of bees, Mr. H. for 

 many reasons preferring a strain 

 of bees he imported at great ex- 

 pense from the Caucasus moun- 

 tains in Asia. These bees, he 

 claims, make whiter comb honey 

 than any other race, besides winter- 

 ing well, breeding fast, etc. Mr. 

 Hoffmann is the inventor of the 

 " Hoffmann Frame," which has 

 shoulders to it so that the frames 

 once placed alongside each other 

 are at once properly spaced, and 

 in moving on wagon or cars can- 

 not jolt one against another. 



The location of Mr. H.'s house 

 is very pretty, perched on one side 

 of a valley that must be simpl}' 

 lovely in summer. The terraced 

 garden stretching away in the rear 

 of the house showed hives every- 

 where, even on the roof. I was 

 most cordially received, and hos- 

 pitably entertained by him and his 



queen bee Mrs. Hoffman. In the 

 case of Mrs. Hoffman, the work 

 carried on in the home hive was 

 slightly altered from that carried 

 on in the bee hive, for instead of 

 being fed, and waited upon, it 

 seemed to me that Mr. H's queen 

 bee lived only to feed, and tend 

 her little bees and care for the 

 stranger within her gates. 



A few days after this very pleas- 

 ant visit, business brought me to 

 Canandaigua. The trains being run 

 at awkward intervals, and having 

 finished my business, I found I had 

 to wait from four p. m. to ten p. m. 

 for a train. Chatting with a mer- 

 chant I asked if any beekeepers 

 were near. I was told there was 

 one in an extensive way, onl}^ a 

 mile or so out of town. I decided 

 to fill in the time by calling upon 

 him. Walking there I met the 

 gentleman, Mr. Soden, in his 

 field, and he most kindl}^ welcomed 

 me. 



His colonies and honey house 

 stood in the open field, and formed 

 quite a pretty sight. All the col- 

 onies were still in their winter 

 packing of cut straw. Some were 

 opened to show me the method of 

 packing adopted. In this case the 

 Quinby frame and hive are used 

 and with the packing, form practi- 

 cally a chaff hive. 



The bees in these hives had 

 come through the winter well. 



Mr. Soden farms some twenty 

 acres, runs now about one hundred 

 and fifty hives, and all for comb 

 honey. Formerly he used to have 

 a bee yard quite close to the town, 

 and surrounded by villa residences, 



