566 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Apr. 15 



like them; still they may be best. I know 

 you don't advise the Danzenbaker. I have 

 been thinking of a hive just 20 inches square, 

 outside measure. This would take the regu- 

 lar Langstroth frame. But I would want 

 closed-end self-spacing frames without the V 

 edge, with two division- boards to each hive, 

 I thick, with self-spacing end-bars to them, 

 supers to match. For extracting, frames 5| 

 deep, closed-end frames, and two division- 

 boards. Please help me by pointing out all 

 undesirable features, and also the advantages 

 of such a hive. I am compelled to purchase 

 some hives and supplies, and I am not certain 

 which is best, and can not afford to make 

 any mistake. 

 Phillippi, W. Va. 



[Dr. Miller replies:] 



It would be easier to make reply if you 

 should ask about getting the most honey pos- 

 sible from each colony, without regard to the 

 amount of labor on the pai't of the bee-keep- 

 er. Most of the study goes in that direction; 

 yet I think some attention should be paid to 

 those who are, like yourself, desiring to have 

 the bees mostly take care of themselves. 



The first requisite relates to size. The hive 

 must be large; and seeing that you are work- 

 ing for extracted honey, there is little danger 

 of naving it too large. A strong colony will 

 not be disturbed by one or more frames that 

 are not occupied; but it may be damaged no 

 little if it has a single frame less than its 

 queen would supply with brood. 



The divisible brood-chamber seems to strike 

 you favorably. The chief advantage of a di- 

 visible brood-chamber lies in the fact of its 

 elasticity. You can have your hive small or 

 large, according as you use one story or more 

 than one story. When you have a small col- 

 ony, one story is enough for it; when it be- 

 comes stronger you can add a story, making 

 the hive larger or smaller according to need. 

 But there you are, getting directly away from 

 the let-alone plan, for it might need pretty 

 close attention to make the nive smaller or 

 larger at the right time. The safe way to 

 use such a hive would be to keep it two-story 

 all the time. But in that case, what advan- 

 tage would there be in the divisible feature? 

 No one claims that two shallow frames, one 

 directly above the other, are any better than 

 a single deep frame of the same capacity, if 

 the two are to be used always in that way; 

 and it can not be denied that at least at times 

 there is a disadvantage in having a space 

 right in the middle of the brood-nest. Be- 

 sides, it costs more for the two shallow stories 

 than for the single deep one.* 



I don't know what your objections are to 

 the Dadants' deep frames; but if you are to 

 use two sets of shallow frames permanently, 

 it certainly looks an advantage to have them 

 made into a single set of deep ones. Besides, 

 the success of such bee-keepers as the Da- 

 dants with these frames, and the small amount 

 of swarming they have with them, are things 

 not to be lightly esteemed. 



♦They are listed at the same price in the supply 

 catalogs.— Ed. 



Now as to the disadvantages and advan- 

 tages of your proposed 20-inch-square hive 

 (should it not be at least 20| with | stuff?). 

 It would hold 12 Langstroth frames — beside 

 the dummies — a very good size for the let- 

 alone business; and, indeed, some who do 

 not go on the let-alone plan would not con- 

 sider it any too large. The closed-end frames 

 with the dummies on the two sides quite give 

 the advantage of a double-walled hive. The 

 disadvantage of the closed-end frames would 

 be the danger of killing bees every time you 

 put the frames in place; but that would not 

 count for a great deal when the hive is not 

 often to be opened. 



The Dadant or the Jumbo with extra-deep 

 Langstroth frames would give you the same 

 capacity with fewer frames to handle, and 

 the deeper frames would have some advan- 

 tages for brood-rearing, although that would 

 count for more further north. On the other 

 hand, the 12-frame Langstroth has the advan- 

 tage that it was thought out by yourself. 



Really it's a hard thing to say which would 

 be best — the hive you have proposed, or the 

 Dadant or the Jumbo. Either of them ought 

 to suit you well; but I don't believe the thing 

 for you is the divisible brood- chamber. 



Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller. 



[There will be a series of articles soon 

 from Mr. J. E. Hand that will set forth the 

 advantages of the divisible-brood-chamber 

 hive. We advise Mr. Fisher to wait till he 

 has read this series of articles before he 

 builds a special odd-sized hive — not because 

 they will discourage the divisible- brood- 

 chamber feature, but because they may en- 

 able him to build more intelligently. — Ed.] 



STARTERS MADE OF STRIPS OF OLD COMB. 



Thinking to interest some of the small 

 bee-keepers like myself I wish to describe a 

 comb-guide for brood-frames that pleases me 

 better than any thing else for the purpose 

 I have ever used. It is simply strips of old 

 brood-combs, and the way I use them is like 

 this: I take old tough brood-combs and cut 

 them in strips one inch or even less in 

 width, being careful to cut them square— 

 that is, not on a bevel. I use a very thin 

 knife and straight-edge. The older and 

 tougher the comb the better it pleases me; 

 and to fasten them in the frames I proceed 

 as follows: 



Stand your frame bottom up on a bench or 

 board, then with a spoon pour some melted 

 wax with a liftle resin added, having it 

 quite hot, along the top- bar the whole length 

 where the comb is to be attached. This be- 



