THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



Ill 



then one sharp, square blow with 

 the edge of strip will bring them 

 together, where they will stay and 

 the work will not have to be twice 

 done. 



The other corners are done the 

 same ; of course, the last piece will 

 need glue on both ends. 



The glue lubricates the joint, so 

 that it goes in easily, and also 

 keeps it in place. If the glue is 

 hot, very little will stick, and if 

 thick, the section will be stiff 

 almost before out of your hands. 

 As soon as it is in shape it is 

 crowded into the angle of the 

 square which is leaning against a 

 box, on the bench within easy reach. 

 This squares the section, and 

 it is so stiff that tossing it on the 

 pile near by will not rack it, and in 

 a few minutes it is as strong as 

 could be desired. Should you 

 carelessly drop an armful down 

 stairs, you can gather them up in 

 good condition, and it is said that 

 they may be put together six 

 months before use, and be strong 

 and stiff when needed. It seems 

 that we now have all that could be 

 desired in construction and ma- 

 terial, but in these progressive days 

 we may soon see something better ; 

 and right here, I must say a word 

 in regard to the new side " slot 

 section, " 



Why are beekeepers so slow to ac- 

 cept an improvement that is " prac- 

 tically self-evident?" Is it because 

 they are quietly testing.it, or have 

 they not received the idea clearly ? 

 1 can see but one objection : trouble 

 and expense of changing fixtures. 

 They can be used with or without 

 separators. I shall use them this 

 season, and feel so confident that 

 they are desirable, that my neio fix- 

 tures are all adapted to them. 



One of the principal reasons why 

 Mr. L. L. Langstroth had his 

 bee-space above the frames was 

 that the bees were able to go from 

 section to section, without going 



into the brood-nest, and that they 

 were generally shut off in small sep- 

 arate clusters. 



This would doubly apply to the 

 new section, which allows the bees 

 to pass from box to box, side or top, 

 giving them a chance to cluster as 

 on full combs, and allowing heat to 

 pass freely to all of the sections. 

 If there are any real objections, I 

 would like to know them. 



Paivtucket, M. I. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



SPRING MANAGEMENT. 



The principal object in spring 

 management is to rear all the brood 

 the bees can care for. The old 

 maxim " Keep your stock strong" is 

 as much a truism as ever, although 

 to a certain extent misunderstood. 

 We want bees as producers and not 

 consumers ; and our plan of work 

 will decide what means shall be 

 adopted to obtain them. If a crop 

 of honey only is desired, and no in- 

 crease of bees, it is only required to 

 rear so much brood as will either 

 become foragers, or allow foragers 

 to issue from the hive at those times 

 when honey is secreted rapidly. All 

 brood reared more than this will 

 cause loss. If, however, we want a 

 maximum of increase, either of col- 

 onies or bees by the pound, then the 

 queen should be forced to her full 

 capacity during the whole season. It 

 is of course important to have all 

 colonies well filled with young bees 

 at the close of the season, but in our 

 experience those monster colonies 

 we sometimes read about will winter 

 no better or give better results the 

 following season tlian those of mod- 

 erate size. In wintering on summer 

 stands we have found that bees 

 enough to cover well five L-frames 

 in October will prove fully as profi- 

 table as a larger number. 



