1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



791 



bar is nailed on after the foundation is pui in, the foundation 

 being cut % inch more than the inside depth of the frame. 

 That allows '4 inch to slide into the saw-kerf of the top-bar, 

 and ?4 inch to be between the two parts of the bottom-bar. 

 The outer dimensions of the frame are the regular 1~ %-i's)%. 

 The lug or projecting end of the top bar is ]yi inch, the frame 

 being spaced endwise by a staple driven in the end-bar under 

 the lug, the staple projecting '-4 inch. 



For spacing the frames one from the other, a common 

 wire nail is used as a spacer, the nail being 1 'j,' inches long, 

 with a head 3,/l() to '4 inch across. A nail specially made 

 with a head '4 inch thick, so that it could be driven automat- 

 ically to just the right depth would probably be better, but 

 such a uail cannot be had. Four such nails are driven in 

 each frame as spacers, two on one side at one end, and two on 

 the other side at the other end. As you hold up the frame 

 before you with one side of the comb facing you, the two 

 nails at the left end face you, and the two nails at the right 

 end are from you. The upper nail is driven in the top-bar, 

 about half an inch from its upper edge and half an inch from 

 the end bar. The lower nail is driven in the end-bar about 

 23-2 inches from the bottom of the frame. I do not recom- 

 mend this frame as one that will suit every one, as I know of 

 no one else using it, and I have been using It only two years. 

 If my bees didn't use any propolis I might like the Hoffman 

 as well. 



1 should want to do some experimenting with the Ideal 

 super and deep section so as to decide whether to adopt that, 

 or the T super with sections ii^x-Hi. 



The failure of the honey crop last season prevented a trial 

 of the fence and plain section, so I have no practical knowl- 

 edge of them. 



It isn't a certain thing that what would suit me would 

 most surely suit you. If I didn't have to haul bees back and 

 forth to and from an out-apiary, I wouldn't care so much for 

 a hive so small as the S-frame, and I don't think I should be 

 willing to use so small a hive if I couldn't use two stories at 

 least part of the time. 



A itueeii Experience — From 12 to SO Colonies. 



1. About 40 days ago I attemptedto introduce an Italian 

 queen (after killing the black one) in the shipping-cage. The 

 other day I saw a fine black queen alight at this hive and 

 march in. As there have been no drones for some time, what 

 would be the outcome, or what is the best thing to do with 

 this colony, considering the time of year (Nov. 25)? 



2. With a good season, would it not be possible to in- 

 crease a dozen good colonies to 50 by using foundation and 

 laying queens for nuclei ? Kansas. 



Answers — 1. Let it alone til! next spring. You may 

 find it with a laying black queen. 



2. Yes, it's possible, but look out! It's also possible to 

 have 50 colonies so weak that you'll not have 12 left the fol- 

 lowing spring. 



■^m — ■ ^ 



Several (iucstlons on management. 



1. Why should all uncapt honey be extracted from the 

 brood-chamber before packing for winter? 



2. I want to try the double brood-chamber plan next 

 season, as practiced by you. Can I use foundation in the 

 added brood-chamber (as I have no extra combs) to good ad- 

 vantage, or will I have to procure combs? 



3. When you wish to add but two or three frames in the 

 lower story, how are they arranged ? Do you fill the vacancy 

 with dummies, or just leave the space vacant ? 



4. I have had bees but two seasons, and I find that both 

 years they began to swarm in the latter part of April, and the 

 prime or first swarm also; the old colony would swarm again 

 about the middle of June, which is about the middle of the 

 white honey-flow. Is this as it should be? If not, how am I 

 to avoid it? Would not adding the extra brood-chamber keep 

 back the first swarming till about the first of .lune, when they 

 could be hived ready for the. white honey-flow, which came 

 the 5th to the 10th of June ? I have no trouble with after- 

 swarms, having had but one. 



5. If you knew that the honey-flow that you wisht to go 

 into the sections would come on a certain day, how long be- 

 fore that day wbuid you wish your bees to swarm ? 



6. Do you use queen-excluders on your newly-hived 

 swarm ? If so, how long do you let them remain on after hiv- 

 ing ? Tknn. 



Answers. — 1. It Is somewhat doubtful that many extract 

 all unsealed honey before going into winter quarters. Those 



who do so probably give as a reason that the unsealed honey 

 is more Inclined to become thin and sour than that which is 

 sealed. It is probably thinner in the first place than that 

 which is sealed, and has the chance to attract moisture from 

 the air better than if sealed. Without question, the thick, 

 sealed honey is better for wintering, but a large amount of it 

 is not always, if often, present, and when only a small amount 

 of honey is unsealed it may not pay for the trouble to remove it. 



2. F'oundation may do in the lower story, but the bees 

 will be a little slower to work down in it. If the colony is 

 strong, it might work well to put a frame of brood in the 

 lower story and put a frame of foundation in its place in the 

 upper story. Of course this should not be done till the queen 

 has fully occupied all the room in the one story. 



3. Yau may put two or three frames where you please in 

 the lower story, having them together and under the combs 

 fully occupied with brood, with a dummy next the frame on 

 the vacant side, or if the frames are in the center putting a 

 dummy next the vacancy on each side. There will be no im- 

 mediate need of filling the vacancy with dummies, but after 

 the frames or combs below are well occupied there is a likeli- 

 hood that the bees will commence building in the vacancy. 



4. It would be hard to say positively just what would be 

 the result, but the thing is well worth trying. 



5. I don't know. I'm inclined to think I should want all 

 the swarms that issued to come just when the flood of 

 honey came. 



6. It is so seldom that I hive a natural swarm that I can 

 hardly tell what my practice would be, but I think I should 

 prefer an excluder and the supers to be put on at once, the ex- 

 cluder to remain at least three or four days. If no excluders 

 are used, It is better not to put on supers for two or three days 

 after hiving. 



Questions on Siveet Clover. 



1. You recommend white sweet clover for honey and for 

 impoverisht land. I have a lawn of about 10 acres at my 

 summer residence on Cape Cod, where, also, I have several 

 colonies of bees. Two of these are in the roof of a building, 

 and from one of these I take about 50 pounds of honey every 

 fall, cutting it from the rafters. It is always very thick and 

 rich, but quite dark-colored. There are quantities of milk- 

 weed and bouncing betts in the vicinity — io these account for 

 the color ? 



2. The edges of my lawn, as well as my kitchen-garden, 

 seem to be running out — the sod is sandy. In reading your 

 remarks on the sweet clover. It occurred to me that I might 

 Improve my land and the color of my honey at the same time. 

 Do you know how this clover does In this location and soil ? 



3. When ought It to be planted ? 



5. Ought the ground to be fertilized when the clover is 

 planted ? 



6. How does the clover improve the land unless it is left 

 uncut and plowed under ? 



7. Do you consider it better for the land and the bees 

 than the white clover we have here ? 



8. How much seed would I require to the acre, and what 

 is the price ? Mass. 



Answers. — 1. I don't know the color of honey obtained 

 from milkweed or bouncing betts, but have an impression 

 milkweed honey is amber. A patch of considerable size of 

 bouncing betts Is right beside ray home apiary, but I have 

 never seen a bee at work on it. The dark color may not be 

 due to the source of the honey. It may be that It Is only the 

 comb that Is dark. That might be because the comb is cut 

 from below, where it becomes dark sooner than if stored 

 above the brood-combs. If a comb Is cut on a plate, and the 

 honey that runs out on the plate is light, then the thing to do 

 In order to have light honey is to take the surplus by some 

 modern plan. 



2. The fact that sweet clover flourishes over almost the 

 whole United States points to the strong probability that It 

 would do well with you. 



3. It can be sown any time appropriate for sowing other 

 clovers 7 



4. Yes, your understanding is correct. 



5. It might make a stronger growth for being fertilized, 

 but will succeed without. 



6. Like all the clovers, it takes nourishment from the air. 



7. Probably much better for the land than white clover, 

 and it will probably produce a good deal more honey to the 

 acre than white clover. 



S. It will do to sow the same as your farmers sow red clo- 

 ver, or it will do to use half as much seed, as it will spread 

 out. The price is shown on page 795. 



