4 DADAXT SYSTEM OF DEEKEEPIXG 



resided only in the dimensions of the hives ana of the frames; 

 Quinby having adopted the Langstroth invention of movable- 

 frames, but adapting it to frames and hives of a different ^ize. 

 This invention consists in hives containing frames of comb with 

 a bee-space between the ends, tops and bottoms of the frames 

 and the body of the hive, opening at the top. 



The writer, son of Charles Dadant, was initiated in the 

 main secrets of the bee hive at the age of 14 but did not become 

 an active apiarist till the age of 18. 



He was very timid with bees, being afraid of their stings. 

 It was not until a very prosperous season for honey production 

 when, his father being laid up with hay fever, he felt compelled 

 to look after the bees. Finding the hives full of honey and the 

 bees working eagerly in empty supers and filling them with 

 beautiful white combs, his enthusiasm got the better of his 

 fear of stings and he became a bee lover henceforth. 



The senior Dadant was fond of experiments. So he tried 

 not only the Langstroth and Quinby styles of hives, but a number 

 of other styles, and in 1868 had a few hives in square frames 

 12"xl3", which he liked well enough to recommend them in a 

 little book, "Petit Cours D' Apiculture" published, in the 

 French language in 1874, for the benefit of his native country. 

 After trying them for 30 odd years, side by side with largely 

 increasing numbers of both Quinby and Langstroth hives, we 

 finally adopted the Quinby size of frames, adding to the number 

 of frames from the original eight, recommended by Quinby, 

 to 9 and 10. Why did we find the Quinby frame preferable? 

 Because it is a little over two inches deeper than the standard 

 Langstroth frame, contains more surface of comb, and supplies 

 more honey over the cluster for winter. 



Although we do not propose, in this book, to describe at 

 length the natural history of the honeybee which is given in 

 more or less detail in both of our published works, "The Hive & 

 Honey Bee" and "First Lessons in Beekeeping," it is necessary 

 to explain some of the characteristics of the queens, workers 

 and drones in order to indicate the requirements that bring 

 about the greatest success. 



