AMERICAN BEE JOURNAU 



799 



Winter, they should be kept in a dry 

 upper room, free from dust. 



As to burr-combs, when bee-keepers 

 shall" learn fully how to use the excluder 

 zinc in producing comb-honey, there 

 will no longer be complaint about this 

 greatest of annoyances in handling 

 hives. 



Hence, if I shall suggest that Mr. 

 Heddon knows little or nothing about 

 the proper use of the queen-excluder, or 

 of its proper construction, I shall state 

 a fact that even our doubtful brother 

 will be compelled to acknowledge in due 

 time. 



New Philadelphia, Ohio. 



Fixed or Mim Frames, 



C. W. DAYTON. 



Bee-keepers already- having hanging 

 frames will do well to stick to them 

 until this closed-end-fixed-distance storm 

 goes by. 



I cannot distinguish an advantage of 

 a fixed-distance frame over the movable 

 one, but I can easily see why the unfixed 

 one may be more satisfactory than the 

 fixed one. 



There is apt to be brace-combs built 

 between the combs, when they are 

 spaced much more or less than the right 

 distance apart. This right distance is 

 not mathematically exact, and any eye — 

 even not a very mechanical eye — should 

 be able to tell at a glance when the 

 frames are spaced right ; this is one of 

 the many minor points connected with 

 bee-keeping that should be learned — to 

 space the frames about right, without 

 the aid of spacers. 



It might be well for some to get an 

 empty hive and frames and practice 

 spacing. Any sort of bee-keeper should 

 be able to distinguish the bee-space at a 

 glance, just as readily as the compositor 

 will tell, without measuring, what piece 

 of metal is just thick enough to fill up a 

 line of type. For those who wish to 

 learn the iDee-business by going " across 

 lots," spacers are a necessity, but sooner 

 or later they will find out that the 

 "longest way around is often the 

 shortest way through." 



If it is to be rules and measures to go 

 by, where is the skill to come in ? Every 

 one ought to learn to distinguish the 

 bee-space, because there are so many 

 instances where the space appears. One 

 is led to wonder why the bees have not 

 asked for spacers to aid them in getting 

 the distances to suit them. 



When we begin to apply spacers, or 

 any other contrivance to fix the frames, 

 we immediately begin to spoil the 

 frames or hives for rapid and easy 

 manipulation, and these contrivances 

 are only suggested to save the time and 

 labor required to learn to space by eye. 



Clinton, Wis. 



Bee-Ciiltiire in Soiitliern Colorado. 



F. O. BLAIR. 



This subject can be easily disposed of, 

 partly because there are so few bees 

 kept, but chiefly because I know so little 

 about the matter. I am located in Las 

 Animas county, in the southeastern part 

 of the State, and know absolutely noth- 

 ing about bees or bee-culture outside of 

 the county, and not much of what is 

 in it. 



I have learned that several persons 

 living in the Sunflower bottom, from 5 

 to 15 miles down the river from Trini- 

 dad, have a few colonies each, but only 

 a few. In Trinidad, where I live, only 

 one man, Mr. J. P. M. Butler, has any 

 bees at all besides myself, and he has but 

 5 colonies. When I came here, three 

 years ago, four other persons had a few 

 colonies. each, from one to half a dozen ; 

 but giving them little or no care, they 

 have all disappeared by death or 

 removal. 



"Foul-brood" appeared in the hives 

 of the man who had the largest number 

 in the Fall of 1888, or the Spring of 

 1889, and destroyed them all. He sold 

 one colony to be taken to New Mexico, 

 but it died a few months after it reached 

 its destination. After the bees were all 

 dead. I persuaded him to burn the hives 

 and contents to prevent the spread of 

 the disease further. No foul-brood, so 

 far as I am aware, has appeared the 

 past season. I should be very glad to 

 learn, if possible, how his colonies 

 became infected with foul-brood when no 

 other apiary within a hundred miles, so 

 far as known, was troubled with" it. 



When I came to Trinidad and found I 

 was likely to remain, I began to look 

 about to find where I could obtain a 

 colony or two of bees, for I had been 

 accustomed to have them for many 

 years, and felt lonely without them. I 

 sadly missed the ecstatic thrill of a sting 

 now and then ; and the delight and 

 inspiration of a honey-bee's hum is to me 

 a perpetual joy. Besides, I needed a 

 supply of honey to sweeten my temper — 

 bee-keepers, on account of nature's 



