626 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For tbe American Bee Joui*nal. 



Size and Style of Frame, etc. 



O. M. DOOLITTLE. 



On page 5(i3 of tbe Bee Journal, 

 I fliid these words : " I wish to ask 

 Mr. Doohttle what style of frame, 

 how placed, what sl/.e, one or two 

 stories, would he adopt if starting 

 anew into bee-keeping, for extracted 

 and comb honey V"" In answering the 

 above, I could simply give my pref- 

 erence as to frames, how used, etc., 

 but as this would only prove to the 

 reader that Dooliltli' used such and 

 such frames and tiives, without rea- 

 sons for so doing, I prefer to tell why 

 I would and do adopt the style of 

 frame and hive I use botli for comb 

 and extracted honey. This being 

 done, the reader can compare my rea- 

 sons with those of others using dif- 

 ferent styles of frames and hives than 

 I do, and thus, after comparison, come 

 to a definite conchision as to what 

 they w'ill adopt. Mere assertions 

 never help any one to a correct de- 

 cision on any matter, but reasons are 

 always helpful. 



When I first began bee-keeping, I 

 used the Langstroth frame, that being 

 17%x9!^. For the reason that my 

 father had been more successful, 

 years before, in producing comb honey 

 while using box hives, when he placed 

 his boxes at the sides of the hive in 

 connection with top boxes, I desired 

 to adopt the plan of both side and top 

 boxing in connection with frame 

 hives. That the above style of frame 

 would not admit of this plan of work- 

 ing to the best advantage, was one 

 reason why I dispensed with it and 

 adopted another. However, even 

 with the Langstroth frame, I was 

 more successful in producing honey 

 on the above plan than I was on the 

 tiering up plan, recommended by 

 many. Next I worked with the 

 American frame, which was at that 

 time (if I recollect aright) 12x14 inches, 

 as )ised about here. Tliis did not 

 prove better than the Langstroth 

 frame, for while the Langstroth hive 



fave the largest returns from the top 

 oxes, the American gave tlie most at 

 the sides. 



To avoid these to extremes, I next 

 tried the (iallup style of frame, which 

 is lOJ^xlO?^, inside measure. With 

 this I found the bees would work in 

 about equal proportions in both side 

 and top boxes, and by adopting the 

 single case system when section boxes 

 came into use. and raising the part 

 filled with sections (by the case) from 

 the sides, and placing tliem on the 

 top as fidl cases were removed, I 

 found I could get an average vield of 

 one-third more honey than \>y any 

 method I had heretofore used. 



Then, again, I reduced the size of 

 the brood-chamber to 9i the size rec- 

 ommended by Mr. Gallup, thus getting 

 the brood in compact form, and close 

 to the sections on both sides and top. 

 The reason why the Langstroth frame 

 is best adapted to top boxing, is be- 

 cause the brood comes nearer to the 

 top than the sides, as a rule, and for 

 the reason that the brood is at the 



sides when the American frame is 



used, is why that is best adapted to 

 side storing. The using of so few 

 frames in the brood-chamber, that 

 they shall be literally filled with brood, 

 and then surrounding this brood with 

 sections, is one of the great secrets of 

 success as applied to comb honey, in 

 my opinion. 



During the past season I worked 

 some hives with only 6 Gallup frames, 

 instead of 9 as formerly used, or 12 as 

 recommended l)y Mr. Gallup ; and met 

 with a success never before attained 

 by me in the production of comb 

 honey. If tliese colonies so worked, 

 prove e(iual to wintering, I shall 

 adopt the plan quite largely in the 

 future. Tliat the Gallup frame al- 

 lows of being successfully worked on 

 the above plan, and that the above 

 plan is the one looking toward the 

 greatest success, is my reason for us- 

 ing it, and the reason why I should 

 adopt it, if I were starting anew into 

 bee-keeping. Some will say that the 

 tiering up plan will dis"tance the 

 abovet as to labor required, by a long 

 ways. Admitted, but wOiich is con- 

 considered the better farmer, the man 

 who employs certain help to work 200 

 acres of laiid to secure a certain yield 

 therefrom, or the man who uses the 

 same help on 100 acres, and se- 

 cures as large, if not a larger amount 

 than does the other from his 200 acres. 

 The greatest number of colonies kept 

 should not be our ambition, biit the 

 largest yield possible from a given 

 number." As in the above, our 200- 

 acre farmer has double the capital 

 invested on which he is getting only 

 the same returns as the other with 100 

 acres, so if we secure the amount it 

 would take to keep 100 colonies of 

 bees for a vear as a surplus, where 

 only 50 are 'kept, we get the honey 

 from our field in shape of surplus in- 

 stead of feed for the bees, thus mak- 

 ing a gain in our favor. As it takes 

 at least fiO pounds of honey to keep 

 one colony of bees for one year, this 

 item is worth looking after. 



But I have digressed. I am asked 

 how the frames are placed. I have 

 them run from front to rear of the 

 hive, or endwise to the entrance, for 

 where side l>oxes are used, the bees 

 would have to travel under or through 

 the boxes to get from the entrance to 

 the brood-chamber. 



For comb honey I use a cap or 

 chamber to the hive S inches high, so 

 as to cover the top boxes, and also to 

 admit of chaff or sawdust packing for 

 winter. So far I have only spoken of 

 my preference for the Gallup frame as 

 regards comb honey. I have equally 

 good reasons for my adopting it for 

 tlie formation of nuclei, queen-rear- 

 ing, wintering, etc., etc., but time 

 and space forbid my giving them at 

 this time. 



For extracting, I am as well pleased 

 with the Gallup frame as with any 

 other, and as I use it for comb honey, 

 of course I prefer it for extracting. 

 Were I working for extracted honey 

 exclusively, I should not consider its 

 advantages as great as I do for comb 

 honey. That it can hang in the ex- 

 tractor the same as in the hive, is one 

 reason for preferring it, and that the 



Langstroth frame cannot so hang in 

 the extractor, is au objection to it, in 

 my opinion. 



In extracting, I use two different 

 plans, one of which is to use the hive 

 two and three stories high, leaving 

 the combs undisturbed until tlie honey 

 season is over. The other is to place 

 combs in the side storing apartments 

 of my comb honey hive, and extract 

 from them as fast as filled, ripening 

 the honey in a warm room, in open- 

 mouthed vessels. Each plan has its 

 advantages and disadvantages. By 

 the former I get a splendid article of 

 honey with a little labor. By the 

 latter I get nearly double the quant- 

 ity, but it requires more labor, at a 

 time labor is of the greatest value, 

 and the quality of the honey is not 

 nearly as good. If this reply is not 

 satisfactory in all points to Mr. Moles- 

 worth, he will please call again, and 

 I will try and make it so. 



Borodino, X. Y. 



The Michigan Conventlen. 



Dear Mk. Editor :— May I ask you 

 to call special attention to our next 

 annual meeting to be held in Flint, 

 Dec. 5 and 6, of the Michigan Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. We expect to 

 have by far the best meeting ever held 

 in the State. It is expected that the 

 Rev. L. L. Langstroth will be present. 

 To see and hear him will pay any one 

 for the trouble and expense incident 

 to the journey. We also expect D. A. 

 Jones, A. I. Root, C. F. Muth, and 

 hope to have C. C. Miller and T. G. 

 Kewman. From wliat I hear, Michi- 

 gan bee-keepers are to be out in force. 

 Hotel rates are to be $1.00 a day. Fur- 

 ther particulars as to programme, will 

 be given soon. We expect to get re- 

 duced rates on the railroads. To aid 

 in this, and that I may know how 

 many certificates on railroads to ask 

 for, will every one in this or other 

 States who expect to come, drop me a 

 card at once to that effect V 



A. J. Cook, President. 



[Sorry we cannot attend.— Ed.1 



1^ The annual meeting of the 

 Lorain County Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion will be held in the Court House at 

 Elyria, Dec. 19, IHS^. 



O. J. Terrell, Sec. 



North Ridgeville, O. 



1^" Owing to the death of our Sec- 

 retary, Mr. T. Brookius, please an- 

 nounce in the Bee Jouhnal that the 

 annual meeting of the Champlain Val- 

 ley Bee-Keepers' Association, will 

 meet in the parlors of the Addison 

 House, Middleburg, Vt., the second 

 Thursday in January, 1884. 



J. E. Crane, Pres. 



^" A meeting of the bee-keepers of 

 Des Moines Co.. Iowa, will be held on 

 th* second Tuesday in January, at 10 

 a. m., for the purpose of organizing a 

 county bee-kepers' association, at Mid- 

 dleton, Iowa, in R. C. Crawford's 

 Hall. John Xau, Frank Melceler, 

 A. M. Baldwin, W. R. Glandon, 

 Committee. 



