626 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



flows are required rather than prolonged 

 ones. The greater number of pounds of 

 honey gathered in the least time, the 

 better for the production of comb honey. 

 Upon this we are all agreed. 



THE HTVE REQUIRED. 



Upon this subject I hardly consider it 

 wise to more than touch. There is such 

 a diversity of opinion, that every one 

 must judge for himself, according to 

 conditions. At the same time, I cannot 

 treat the subject honestly and conscien- 

 tiously without stating that I consider 

 any material variation from the depth 

 of the Langstroth frame a mistake. 



THE SUPER CONSIDERED. 



There is perhaps no super that will 

 give us all advantages and no disadvan- 

 tages. We must then select the one 

 which has the greatest number of ad- 

 vantages, and the least number of dis- 

 advantages. I should like a super that 

 would protect the four sides of the sec- 

 tions, also its edges, as far as possible ; 

 but when we consider the difficulty — in 

 fact, impossibility of getting at sections, 

 the conclusion is forced upon us, that 

 something else must be looked for. The 

 section supers with a section-holder con- 

 sisting of two sides and a bottom-bar, 

 with separators, follower and wedge, is 

 probably the super we are looking for, 

 as it is not covered by a patent, and 

 every one is at liberty to make and use 

 it. The sections are protected as far as 

 convenience in handling permits. 



THE SIZE OF SECTION. 



The size of section must be the next 

 consideration. In this we must keep in 

 view convenience, demands of the mar- 

 ket, and what the supply dealer makes ; 

 when we do this, but few will fail to 

 take the 4j^x4^ section. To decide 

 upon the width is a more difficult mat- 

 ter. In Canada 95 out of every 100 

 use the 1% section ; a few use 7-to-the- 

 foot; the balance, 1^^, 1%, 1}^, 1%, 

 and 2 Inches. The demand is for the 

 narrower section — 1% or 7-to-the-foot. 

 In the United States I believe I am safe 

 in saying the demand is increasing for a 

 narrower section — something more in 

 the direction of what Canadians are 

 using, and that demand will be met. 



THE KIND OF BEES. 



Next comes the bees. Upon this it is 

 my Intention here to touch very briefly, 

 as the subject comes up under " General 

 Management." Just let me say that, 

 beauty of comb produced, honey-gath- 



ering qualities, and the like, must be 

 looked to rather than the beauty of the 

 bee. I believe many of our queen- 

 breeders are bowing too much to popular 

 opinion in the breeding of queens. They 

 know that a beautiful queen and beauti- 

 ful bees will please as soon as the eyes 

 rest upon them. We are apt to be car- 

 ried away with them the moment we 

 open the cage, while it takes time to 

 manifest other and more practical char- 

 acteristics. 



THE PROPER MANAGEMENT. 



And now comes management. The 

 bees should have plenty of stores in the 

 fall of the year, they must be wintered 

 well, and every hive should have plenty 

 of stores, so that the bees in the spring 

 need never curtail brood-rearing on ac- 

 count of shortage of stores. All that 

 applies to the building up of colonies in 

 the spring applies to the successful pro- 

 duction of comb honey. 



I take issue with the statement that 

 the bees can get strong too early. Such 

 a condition never was, and never will 

 be ; the opposite, too weak colonies at 

 the honey-flow, alas. Is too nearly the 

 rule, and reduces the number of pounds 

 of honey secured per colony. 



If a colony gets crowded in the lower 

 story, and the time has not arrived 

 when sections should be put on, I place 

 on an extracting super with a queen- 

 excluder, or without, as I see fit, and at 

 the proper time replace this with comb 

 honey supers. With extracting supers 

 on the hive, there is at this season prac- 

 tically no excuse for swarming. 



AH hives should be placed on secure 

 stands, and in every case a spirit level 

 used. There is no serious objection to 

 the hives leaning forward a trifle, suffi- 

 cient to shed rain, but sldewlse. They 

 must be perfectly level. The greatest 

 cleanliness should be observed, bottom- 

 boards, hives and top-bars scraped, and 

 only such old colonies as have bright, 

 clean combs run for comb honey. 



Full sheets of foundation should be 

 used in the sections, and the foundation 

 as light as possible, and of the best wax. 

 I prefer wax made from capplngs, and 

 taken by the solar wax-extractor for 

 this purpose, but in this matter the 

 supply dealer is at the mercy of the 

 bee-keeper, and it rests with the latter 

 what kind of wax shall be used. 



When I make the statement that light 

 foundation should be used, I am at va- 

 riance with some leading comb honey 

 men ; but while it is a fact that the bees 

 will thin down the foundation, there are 

 seasons and times when they will not do 



