776 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



there was uo difference in the results; 

 ■while, if the same number of frames 

 were used in a hive, the small frames 

 gave the most swarms. 



But here came the trouble in using 

 so many large frames ; the bees would 

 ihave plenty of room in the hive below 

 to store houey, and after once coai- 

 menciug to store honey there, tliey 

 "would crowd the brood nearly all out 

 before they would go iuto the boxes 

 or sections, and the result would be 

 little or no honey in the sections, 

 with a colony weak in bees to go into 

 winter quarters. 



As a part of these experiments were 

 conducted before the honey extractor 

 ■came iuto use, I found tliat by using 

 the large hives, I had nearly all the 

 honey in an unsalable shape ; thus 

 the large liive with its few swarms 

 did not yield me one-half as much 

 profit as the smaller hive with its 

 small frames. I now reduced the 

 number of large frames so that six of 

 them represented the same amount 

 of comb space which nine of the 

 small ones did, when I found that 

 after the colonies in each kind of hive 

 ■were of the same strength, they 

 •would produce equal results as to 

 lioney and swarms. 



After I procured an extractor, I 

 tried emptying the combs as fast as 

 filled in the large hive, so as to give 

 the queen room in which to lay, hop- 

 ing that thereby I could get a good 

 yield of honey in the sections with 

 but few swarms. At the end of the 

 season I found that I was beaten 

 again ; for as long as I extracted from 

 the brood-chamber, no honey was put 

 into tlie sections, so I decided that 

 there was no sure way of getting a 

 good yield of honey in sections except 

 by a moderate increase, wjiich is the 

 conclusion all arrive at sooner or later. 

 As tlie Gallup frame was more to 

 my liking than the unwieldy Quinby 

 or American, I gave the latter up 

 after trying one more experiment, 

 which was to try the two sizes of 

 frames side by "side for extracted 

 honey, as it was claimed by some that 

 the small frames could not be worked 

 for extracted honey without more or 

 less swarms. As "some advised the 

 use of half combs in the upper story, 

 the saving of time claimed by many 

 in handling the combs wliile extract- 

 ing, was found to be a myth, as the 

 loss in the handling of the small 

 frames more than balanced the time 

 gained with the large ones. Hence, 

 the only advantage the large frames 

 could possibly have, was the fact (if 

 such it should i)rove to be) that they 

 would give no swarms, while the 

 small ones would. 



To test the matter, a given numljer 

 ■of each was set apart, and before the 

 honey harvest commenced, room was 

 given in the upper story to each in 

 about the same proportion by placing 

 in them empty combs. When these 

 ■were partly tilled, more was put in 

 imtil some were three tiers high. The 

 result was. that not one swarm issued 

 from either size of frame, and I fully 

 believe that i\\e small frame is just as 

 effectual in preventing swarms as the 

 large one, wliere both are worked for 

 extracted honey. 



Any sized frame can be used upon 

 the uon-swarming plan, when the 

 apiary is worked for extracted honey, 

 provided the upper set of combs is so 

 that the bees have free access to them. 

 However, if thus used, more or less 

 brood will be found in the upper set 

 of combs, especially if the season 

 should prove a poor one. In fact I 

 have had, during the past season, the 

 queen and " all hands " move upstairs 

 so tliat there was neither brood nor 

 honey in the lower hive. I have tried 

 the perforated zinc to some extent to 

 remedy this, but so far it has not 

 proven satisfactory, on account of its 

 giving the bees a disposition to swarm 

 the same as they do when working for 

 comb honey. 



If brood is placed above the zinc, 

 the bees seem to consider it isolated 

 from the main hive or cluster of bees 

 and go to rearing queen-cells on it, 

 from which cause they are almost 

 sure to swarm as soon as the cells are 

 sealed. If no brood is thus used, they 

 swarm from failingto takepossessiou. 

 Perhaps if the frame of brood were 

 taken out just before the cells were 

 sealed, the bees would continue to 

 work and no swarming would result. 

 With a good honey year, and where 

 the extracting is all done at the end 

 of the season, it is of little conse- 

 quence if the queen does go up-stairs 

 to lay ; and by allowing her to do so, 

 swarming is surely prevented in my 

 apiary. 



Borodino,© X. Y. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Northern Michigan Convention. 



The meeting of the Northern Mich- 

 igan Bee-keepers' Association was 

 lield in Greenville. Mich., on Oct. 6 

 and 7, 1.S.S4. The Association was un- 

 fortunate this year in selecting a 

 time for holding its meeting, which 

 proved rainy, but as bee-keepers are 

 not easily discouraged, the meeting 

 was held. Questions both intricate 

 and delicate, specific and scientific, 

 common and proper, and ancient and 

 modern were discussed with untiring 

 zeal and energy, and without fear or 

 favor. 



I need hardly say that wintering 

 bees was the most thoroughly dis- 

 cussed. The usual variety of plans 

 and failures was suggested. One fact 

 in this connection is especially worthy 

 of mention : Those familiar with 

 cellar," clamp," and out-side winter- 

 ing generally agreed that bees were 

 less liable to dwindle in the spring 

 when wintered on the summer stands, 

 and gave as a reason that the bees 

 know by exi)erience the danger in 

 wintering unprotected in unfavorable 

 weather. 



Ohe bee-keeper reported quite satis- 

 factorv results by wintering bees on 

 the following plan: 1. The hive en- 

 trance to be ?4 of an inch high by 10 

 inches long, and giving plenty of 

 lower ventilation. 2. A large box to 

 hold the hive, so as to give space for 

 .S or 4 inches of sawdust around the 

 sides, and a cou[ile inches of chaff on 

 the top. The quilts must be clean 

 and free of propolis, so that dampness 



may find a ready exit through them 

 and the thin layer of chaff. Sticks 

 are laid crosswise on the frames on 

 top to allow passage for the bees ; and 

 the hives are set facing the east to 

 avoid winds blowing into the en- 

 trances. 



The following plan was given as an 

 experiment : A trench, say 3 feet 

 deep made in sloping ground, to be 

 provided with .50 or 100 feet of small 

 tile laid low enough to carry off water, 

 and to preserve a uniform tempera- 

 ture of fresh air. The lower end of 

 the tile should be covered with wire- 

 cloth to keep o\it mice, and a large 

 perforated box placed over it to pre- 

 vent snow from clogging up the same. 

 The trench should be wide enough to 

 allow a single-walled hive to set in- 

 side of it, and be boarded up to pre- 

 vent the sides from caving in. Cleats 

 nailed on the sides will prevent the 

 hives from dropping nearer than 10 

 inches from the bottom of the trench, 

 thus leaving a sulJiciency of room for 

 dead bees below. Place the hives, 

 without bottom-boards, into the 

 trench and cover them well with 

 boards and dry earth. At the upper 

 end of this trench place a ventilator 

 10 or 12 feet long in an upright posi- 

 tion, so as to create a draft and carry 

 off' all foul gasses. This ventilator 

 may be made of 1x6 inch strips of 

 boards, and will, answer the purpose. 



Ileddon's " pollen theory " was gen- 

 erally accepted as correct, though a 

 few objected to it. " How is the ag- 

 gregate strength of bees, and stores 

 reduced during the winter if the bees 

 do not fly V" This guestiou drew out 

 quite a discussion, and was treated 

 in connection with ventilation, and 

 the general opinion expressed was 

 that without proper ventilation damp- 

 ness will destroy the strongest colony. 



Artificial fertilization was discussed 

 and some interesting facts brought 

 out in connection with the spawnmg 

 of fish. All talk on this subject was 

 purely speculative. The question, 

 •■ Which pays best at present prices, 

 comb or extracted honey ?" was de- 

 cided in favor of the latter, with more 

 ready sale for the former. At a time 

 when lioney was coming in slowly 2 

 colonies of the same strength were 

 experimented with, empty combs 

 being placed in one hive, and a sec- 

 tion case on the other. The empty 

 combs were gradually filled while the 

 case was untouched. 



" What shall we do with our poor 

 grades of extracted honey V" A 

 spirited discussion followed this ques- 

 tion. Some favored selling it to the 

 lower class of boarding-houses, mill 

 men, etc.. without comment as to 

 quality. Some advised selling it to 

 merchants, and insisting upon their 

 retailing it as poor honey ; -ndiile 

 others thought that people would be 

 prejudiced against the best honey by 

 using the poor quality. All endorsed 

 the following plan: Sell it to the 

 tobacco manufacturers ; for our poor- 

 est quality of honey cannot injure 

 their finest " weed." Good extracted 

 honev for table use among bee -men is 

 beginning to be the rule, and not the 

 exception. 



