1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



177 



to get in at that place. If they chance to fly about 

 the top, there is no odor there; hence they make no 

 efifort to get in at the top. As the native instinct of 

 a bee teaches him to go to the lif-'bt, so those inside 

 fly to the screen. The next thing nature teaches 

 the bees to do is to climb to the top (instead of from 

 side to side or downward) as soon as she finds she 

 can not go straight out. If too heavily laden to go 

 with ease, a part of the load is given to the bees out- 

 side, which makes them try the harder to get in 

 when the odor comes through. Upon reaching the 

 top, away goes your bee; and as none return, the 

 room is kept free of bees. Bees do not reason, but 

 do only that which instinct prompts them to do. Try 

 it, friends, and be convinced. G. M. Doolittle. 

 Borodino, N. Y., Feb. 15, 1883. 



BYKON AVALKER'S COMBIINED CRATE 

 AND SHIPPING-CASE. 



Uo^v to avoid Propolis on tlie Sections. 



SEE FEB. GLEANINGS, P. 61. 



fN reply to the questions which you ask me in the 

 last number of Gleanings, in regard to the 

 — ' combined crate and shipping-case that I use, I 

 would say, first, I do tier up these crates, and am 

 troubled but little by having the sections soiled with 

 propolis. As my hive has a bee-space above the 

 frames, in making crates no space is allowed be- 

 neath their bottom slots; and, of course, in tiering 

 up, the tops of sections' in one crate are entirely 

 covered by the bottom slats of the one above it. As 

 where Simplicity hives are used we have to allow a 

 space for the bees, they are^at liberty to propolize 

 (he tops of sections when tiered up. We can avoid 

 this, however, by turning the cases bottom side up 

 when tiering, in which case the sections of the up- 

 per crate rest directly upon thoseof the one beneath 

 it. As the sections are crowded close together from 

 both ends and sides of crates, there is but little 

 chance for gluing either the^endsorsidesof sections, 

 especially where there are not projections at their 

 tops and bottoms; in which case, when tiered, they 

 are entirely covered with the bottom slats. 



There is, however, a bee-space at part of one end 

 of crate, and also at the sides of the outside rows of 

 sections, the same that you object to between the 

 edges of all the sections in the proposed new style. 

 Right here I must say, that I can hardly see the 

 force of your objection, considering the advantages 

 to be gained, as I have always reckoned the par- 

 ticles of propolis, found where a bee-space was 

 given, as among the smallest obstacles I have had to 

 contend with in handling comb honey; at any rate, 

 I can see no good reason why bee-glue is any more 

 objectionable in this case than in the extra spaces 

 always left by the bees where separators are used. 



Second. I have used sections at the sides of brood- 

 nests in broad frames nearly four inches wide, so as 

 to take two widths of sections in each frame, the 

 top of the frame being made so as to remove easily; 

 but I have discarded this plan in favor of the one 

 given last month, it being altogether too much 

 trouble. 



Third, J usually allow the bees to entirely finish 

 cappiiig the sections before removing the crates, 

 but always tier them up when the outside sections 

 are partially capped over, when the flow of honey 



and the strength of the colony will permit it. I 

 would say, however, that where the L. frame is used, 

 the best results will come from using crates adapted 

 to eight-frame hives, as the bees seem reluctant to 

 cap over the outside sections of larger crates after 

 tiering. 



Fourth. I presume it is hardly possible to space 

 the bottom slats of crates so accurately as to make 

 an absolute queen-excluder, and at the same time 

 allow room for the bees to pass at all points; still, it 

 is not very difficult to secure a practical excluder 

 without hindering the passage of the bees. I do this 

 by spacing the slats 3-10 or even 7-33 of an inch apart 

 instead of 11-64. Not one queen in a hundred will pass 

 through this space from the brood-nest to enter the 

 sections. Perhaps the best way to space the slats 

 accurately is to make use of a number of short 

 blocks of thoroughly seasoned hard wood an inch or 

 more in width, and exactly as thick as the space de- 

 sired, using twice as many blocks as you desire 

 spaces, or one at each end of each space. When the 

 slats are in position, secure with wire nails. 



It seems from page 73, that friend Mason does not 

 agree with me as to the relative merits of broad 

 frames and the combined crate and case; though in 

 the light of my experience he has failed to make a 

 single point in favor of broad frames. I have al- 

 ready shown that it is not necessary to separate the 

 sections by any space in tiering (at least where only 

 two crates are used); and though it were, this is a 

 small matter compared with not being able to tier 

 up at all. Again, with the crate I use I have never 

 found it necessary to handle eight sections, much 

 less one at a time. This may be tolerated where 

 one has but a few colonies to handle, and can find 

 nothing else to do; but when large apiaries are to 

 be dealt with during a flow of honey, twenty sec- 

 tions are none too many to handle at once, and I 

 often have occasion to.lif t forty or even sixty at a 

 time. 



Perhaps friend Mason is correct about getting 

 partly filled sections filled out at the close of the 

 season; but with me, at this time of year, bees often 

 work well in a crate of such sections placed near the 

 confer of the brood-nest, when they would be apt to 

 be lugging the honey out of them had they been 

 placed in broad frames above; besides, contracting 

 supers by means of division-boards, and at the 

 same time wedging the sections close together, es- 

 pecially at this time of year, is a matter that works 

 better in theory than otherwise. 



The last consideration mentioned by friend Mason, 

 that of grading our honey before shipment, which 

 you speak of as being a strong argument in favor of 

 broad frames, certainly deserves careful attention; 

 but I hardly think we are warranted in adopting his 

 conclusion. Of course, there will be crates where 

 unfinished sections on the outside must be exchang- 

 ed for others more perfect, and doubtless there are 

 localities where the flow of nectar is at times so con- 

 tinuous, and varied in quality, that great pains must 

 be taken in order to keep the different grades sep- 

 arate; yet where crates of not over an average size 

 are used, holding say from 20 to 25 lbs. with open- 

 top sections (none other should be used with such 

 combined crates), and the locality is what may be 

 regarded as an average one,— that is, one with an 

 early and a late harvest, with a period of scarcity in- 

 tervening,— it is not very difficult to grade your 

 honey with tolerable correctness, without handling 

 each particular section; an operation requiring no 



