766 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1 



Although it is claimed that the lai'ge full- 

 depth hives will prevent swarming, yet bees 

 in such hives continue to swarm the same as 

 of old. This theory is as destitute of any 

 proof for its support to-day as it was twenty 

 years ago; and yet it has been harped on for 

 so long that it has come to be accepted as a 

 matter of fact, while in reality nothing in 



FIG. 2. — SIDE OF UPPER SECTION DETACHED TO SHOW 

 CONSTRUCTION. 



the world could be further from the truth. 

 If these articles are the means of wiping out 

 this venerable fallacy, and establishing in its 

 place a better precedent, we shall feel that 

 our labors have not been in vain. The prin- 

 ciples of the sectional hive are in perfect har- 

 mony with the nature of the bee ; and by the 

 manipulations for which it is especially 

 adapted it enables the apiarist to turn the in- 

 stincts of the bees to his own account in solv- 

 ing the problems of successful apiculture. 

 This will be clearly demonstrated by actual 

 work in the apiary further along 

 in these articles. 



PROPER CONSTRUCTION OF SEC- 

 TIONAL HIVES. 



Improperly constructed hives, 

 and failing to separate the sys- 

 tem of manipulation by hives 

 from the old method of han- 

 dling brood-frames singly, have 

 led many to condemn these 

 hives. If I were to use some of 

 the hives that are called sec- 

 tional, with thumb-screws and 

 wedges, etc., and didn't know 

 any better than to handle these 

 little brood-frames, I'd be tempt- 

 ed to brand the whole system 

 as a delusion and a snare. The 

 illustration will show a properly 

 constructed sectional hive. The 

 brood-sections and section su- 

 pers are alike and interchange- 

 able. The brood-frames will fit 

 one as well as the other, as will 

 also the wide frames for sec- 

 tions. We use the 41 plain sec- 

 tion and fence separator. 



The brood sections contain eight closed- 

 end standing frames, and the section supers 

 hold six wide frames and 24 sections. All 

 frames stand on metal supports nailed to the 

 bottom of the ends of hives. 



There is no bee-space between the ends of 

 frames and hives, and frames should drop 

 into hives easily without binding in the least. 

 To facilitate getting out frames 

 these hives and supers are pro- 

 vided with a movable side ex- 

 cept li inches at the bottom. 

 This piece holds the hive per- 

 ectly rigid when the movable 

 piece is removed. 



This movable side is clamped 

 on to the side of the hive by a 

 pair of Van Deusen clamps. 

 Where it is clamped on a strip 

 across at each end on the inside 

 engages the uprights to frames, 

 compressing them up against a 

 pair of super-springs which are 

 made fast to the other side of the 

 hive. 



The tension on the springs 

 allows for swelling and shrink- 

 ing, and the frames are always 

 tightly compressed together. An- 

 other essential feature that we 

 have added to this hive is the 

 narrow top and bottom bars to the brood- 

 frames. To facilitate the clearing of the 

 brood-chamber of bees, and also to enable 

 the operator to have a clear view of the 

 surface of the brood-combs from the bottom 

 of the hives, the bottom-bars are ^Xi inch, 

 and the top-bars are f Xyf- 



A FEW DONT'S. 



Don't think that any old thing is good 

 enough for a sectional hive, and then con- 

 demn the whole system because your hives 

 were not properly constructed. 



FIG. 3.— UPPER SECTION FILLEli Willi 



MJD-FRAMES. 



It should be understood that the sides of the sections are made 

 removable— not to permit of more easy handling of combs, for Mr. 

 Hand never manipulates combs singly— but to facilitate the work 

 of putting in and taking out the frames or sections and fences. 



