244 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For the American Bee JournaL 



Honey-Boards and Section Boxes. 



W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



Mr. A. J. Hatiield, of New Carlisle, 

 Liid.. asks the following questions, 

 which I will answer in the Bee Jour- 

 nal, as requested : 



" At the Michigan State Conven- 

 tion, yon mentioned using a queen- 

 excluding honey -board, with spaces 

 5-32 of an inch wide. I would like to 

 inquire wliether you observed any 

 difference in the disposition of the 

 bees, in regard to the readiness with 

 which they entered the sections 

 through this small space, compared to 

 that usually given them to pass 

 through ; and, judging from your ex- 

 perience, you would recommend the 

 •5-32 of ail inch space, in making 

 queen-excluding honey-boards. 



•• I am thinking of changing the 

 size of my sections, which are i}ix- 

 4)^x2, to some size that can be used 

 without separators ; and I would like 

 your advice in regard to what size to 

 adopt. Dr. Tinker says that sections 

 43,^x4^^x1}^, when filled, will weigh 

 on an average, 14 ounces. Mr. B. 

 says that ih^iJi^lH will weigh 18 

 ounces. Now, would not a i^i^i^z^- 

 Ij^, weigh about 15 ounces, aud be a 

 nice size to use ? 



'• As others besides myself would 

 probably like to know your opinion 

 upon these subjects, please answer 

 throogh the Bee Journal." 



I haye used the Heddon slot or 

 skeleton honey-board, in which the 

 spaces are about .5-16 of an inch 

 across ; and I have used a honey-board 

 of similar construction, in which the 

 slots were % "f an inch wide, and 

 placed just the merest trifle less than 

 5-32 of an inch apart. I have also 

 used the perforated zinc, in which the 

 perforations are 5-32 of an inch in 

 width. The bees do not pass quite so 

 quickly through the wooden honey- 

 boards with the narrow slots, as they 

 do through the regular Heddon honey- 

 board, or through the perforated zinc ; 

 but they pass through quickly enough 

 to be able to carry the honey " up- 

 stairs " as fast as necessary ; at least 

 I have never noticed any difference in 

 the amount of honey stored over a 

 regular Heddon honey-board, one 

 with the narrow slots, or one of the 

 perforated zinc. Although I have 

 crowded the brood next, until there 

 was but little in tlie brood combs, ex- 

 cept brood ; yet I have never had a 

 queen pass through the perforated 

 zinc ; although they have been re- 

 ported as doing so ; and, for this rea- 

 son, I would have the spaces in queen- 

 excluding boards a trifle less than 5-32 

 of an inch. Aside from their cheap- 

 ness, I prefer the wooden boards, be- 

 cause they are always straight, and 

 the spaces above and below remain 

 equal, while the zinc is apt to sag, or 



become kinked or warped ; thus mak- 

 ing one of the spaces so large that 

 comb is built in it. while the other 

 becomes so small that the zinc is 

 glued fast. 



The majority of the fixtures, all 

 over the land, are adapted to the use 

 of the 414x414 sections. In fact, this 

 size is regarded as the standard ; 

 hence, it would require a most excel- 

 lent reason to induce me to change 

 from that size. I would advise sec- 

 tions 414x414x13^ to be used without 

 separators. Of course, such sections 

 would contain but little, if any more 

 than *g of a pound; and it is possible 

 that such a section might eventually 

 be adopted as a compromise, by both 

 the defenders and the enemies of that 

 umovation, the half-pound section. 

 No sections are of such a size, nor 

 filled in such a manner, that they can 

 be sold for a pound each, without 

 weighing : and it is better that a sec- 

 tion weigh a few ounces less, than a 

 few ounces more, than a pound. 



Rogersville, Mich. 



For the American Bee JoumaJ. 



That Improved Heddon Case. 



C. H. DIBBERN. 



I was pleased to notice Mr. Hed- 

 doii's criticisms on my improvements 

 on the so-called Heddon Case, on page 

 153. I do not believe that Mr. Hed- 

 don, himself, is entirely satisfied with 

 the Case, as he makes it ; as he wrote 

 me that he had tried numerous im- 

 provements, but failed. I do not 

 claim that my Case is perfection ; but 

 I am certain it is an improvement. In 

 this view, Mr. Caldwell, of Cam- 

 bridge, 111., Mr. Hackman, of Peru, 

 111., and others, fully agree with me. 

 I tiave neither patents nor Cases to 

 sell ; and my only interest in this mat- 

 ter is to give bee-keepers a better 

 method than many now have. 



I do not use glass in the sides of 

 Cases, but many prefer it. I simply 

 described in my first article, how it 

 could be used. The principal points 

 of advantage in my Cases are as fol- 

 lows : 



1. The sections set on hives in as 

 compact a shape as possible to put 

 them ; thus saving the lumber and 

 space of the partitions. This saving 

 of space, on some hives, will allow of 

 an additional tier of sections. 



2. Many of us cannot dispense with 

 separators, and this Case is admirably 

 adapted with or without separators. 

 I have never yet been able to produce 

 one-pound, and larger sections of 

 honey, to my satisfaction, without 

 separators. I find many other bee 

 keepers in the same boat. What we 

 may be able to do, with half-pound, 

 or sections 1% inches wide, remains 

 to be seen. 



3. The Case being instantly change- 

 able to different sized sections. For 

 instance, it holds 5 tiers, 7 in a tier, 

 414x4^4x2 sections. It will, also, hold 7 

 tiers 414x3x1 9-16 scant, or 7 half- 

 pound sections. 



This will be found a great conveni- 

 ence where it is desired to produce 

 both one, and half-pound sections ; as 



the Cases are the same sizes, and per- 

 fectly interchangeable. Also, should 

 the bee-keeper run out of either sized 

 sections,during the hurry of the honey 

 harvest, he can just fill them up with 

 the other size, without any fixing over 

 of cases, or vexatious waiting for sec- 

 tions to arrive, which may still be in 

 the original planks. 



As my tin T"s lay perfectly loose in 

 the Cases, when einpty, I would take 

 them out entirely. I fail to see Mr. 

 Ileddon's objections about getting 

 them bent, when not in use. In re- 

 gard to the T's not being strong 

 enough, Mr. H. is certainly mistaken. 

 If they are properly made, they are 

 like a piece of railroad iron, surpris- 

 ingly strong : and if sections fit prop- 

 erly, will hold them in place, prevent- 

 ing any warping. The bees do not 

 stick the sections very securely to the 

 tins. I have used Cases with par- 

 titions, for years, and know tlie difiS- 

 culty of variations in size of sections. 

 For instance, your Case is made for a 

 414x414 scant," section. The next lot 

 of sections, perhaps, coming from a 

 different manufacturer,are a little full, 

 just enough so they will not go be- 

 tween the partitions". If there is any- 

 thing more vexatious, it is when the 

 fire in your smoker goes out, and the 

 bees begin to feel well. 



In regard to bee-space, I have al- 

 ways used a f4 space ; but I have no- 

 ticed that this space, by warping of 

 boards and accumulation of propolis, 

 never becomes any less. I have been 

 surprised, when I thought I had a % 

 inch space, to find, after a few years, 

 that I actually had }.i inch, or more. 

 It may happen a,s Mr' H. thinks, that 

 I will discard the improvement, in a 

 few years ; but I rather guess that I 

 will be knocking the partitions out of 

 those made after his model. 



Milan, 111., March 17, 1884. 



For the American Bee Journal, 



Reversible Frames. 



M. M. BAXDRrOGE. 



My attention has been called to an 

 article on " Reversible Frames," on 

 page 117 of the Bee Journal, written 

 by a bee-keeper in Kentucky, from 

 which I quote as follows : 



" The season of 1882 was a very 

 poor one for honey ; and when honey 

 was coming in slowly, my reversible 

 frames worked like" a charm; aud 

 sure enough I had a bonanza. But 

 the season of 1883 proved to be an 

 extra good one for honey ; and, al- 

 though I could work the reversible 

 frames like a charm, still I could see 

 nothing gained by reversing them 

 when tliey were full of brood or honey, 

 and no I'oom for any more. So, after 

 a trial of reversible frames in one 

 poor and one good season, I have de- 

 cided that such frames work better in 

 the head than in the hive. In other 

 words, reversible frames are good in 

 a poor season, but poor in a good 

 season." 



The above contains some food for 

 thought. I am glad, indeed, to learn 

 that " reversible frames are good in a 

 poor season " for honey ; but the 



