400 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15 



THE ASPINWALL HIVE IN THE APIARY OF VEKNON BUKT. 



moved. Just why this should operate to 

 prevent this I have not been able to under- 

 stand fully; but after two or three seasons 

 of test, Mr. Aspinwall has found he has been 

 able not only to increase his honey crop but 

 at the same time prevent swarming. 



Quite a number now of prominent bee- 

 keepers are testing this hive; for it should be 

 understood that Mr. Aspinwall is not offer- 

 ing it for sale, as he wishes to test it thor- 

 oughly, and when he is sure of what it will 

 do in the hands of bee-keepers in different 

 localities under different ccmditious he will 

 then be prepared to place it on the market, 

 provided, of course, it meets the expectations 

 of himself and friends. We expect to test 

 more of these hives this coming summer; 

 and, while we are making no claims for it, 

 we know that Mr. Burt tried faithfully to 

 force a swarm out of his hive, and failed en- 

 tirely. Under the conditions of a natural 

 honey-tiow — not too heavy, but just enough 

 to get bees excited — this hive might cast a 

 swarm. 



Perhaps some one will ask what those 

 rows of holes are in the upper front board. 

 A similar board is situated in the rear with 

 another set of holes opposite to those in front. 

 A cleat with rounded ends is inserted in the 

 two corresponding holes opposite that come 

 the nearest to the follower-board when all 



the frames are in place. A wedge is then 

 pushed down between this cleat and the fol- 

 lower, pressing the latter snug up against 

 the frames. 



The extra end-bars are for the purpose of 

 giving additional clustering room around 

 the ends of the combs. This big wall of 

 bees around each comb must necessarily 

 give a splendid protection to the brood; 

 and as the bees have extra room in which to 

 cluster (as provided by the slatted dividers 

 or dummies) they are not ordinarily inclined 

 to hang out around the front of the en- 

 trance, says Mr. Aspinwall, although appar- 

 ently they did so in this case, as evidenced 

 by the smaller illustration; but it should be 

 rememV)ered that it was a very warm after- 

 noon, with no bees Hying. 



I hope to make Mr. Aspinwall a visit in 

 the height of the honey-liow next summer, 

 as I wish to see the condition of the hive 

 when the swarming season is on, or what 

 will be naturally the swarming season with 

 an ordinary hive. 



In justice to Mr. Burt, perhaps I ought to 

 explain that he was not aware that his fig- 

 ure was to appear in the picture, otherwise 

 he says he would have struck a more erect 

 position. He was simply waiting for the 

 "gun to go off," thinking it would shoot 

 only the hive. 



