86 



TWM Mm^WMlGMM M'MM J@i'PRf*MX. 



sion-boards you can use from 1 to 10 

 frames in the hive to suit the size of 

 the colony. 2. One and f from centre 

 to centre of the to])-l)ars. 3. Frames 

 are gauged from the, outside, to make 

 tliem uniform in size. I use the Stan- 

 dard Langstroth frame, whicli is 

 17|x9J inches, outside measurement. 

 4. Just as many frames as tlie size and 

 strength of the colony demands ; 

 usually ten in the heated part of the 

 season- — G. W. Demaree. 



My frames are of the Langstroth 

 size, and present about 288 square 

 inches of comb surface each. Eight 

 frames to the hive gives me 2,264 

 square- inches. Before storage begins 

 I slip in another frame, making about 

 2,500 square inches of comb surface. 

 This extra frame increases the .strength 

 of the colony and lessens the empty 

 space in the brood-chamber at the 

 same time. — J. M. Shuck. 



1. We have used extensively and 

 prefer a solid brood-chamber of the 

 following capacity and shape : Ten 

 inches deep, 111 inches wide, and 18J 

 inches long, inside measurement. In 

 this we use 8 Standard Langstroth 

 combs in suspended frames. This size 

 and shape is not always the best for 

 all purposes, and at all times ; but as a 

 compromise for all purposes and all 

 times, we would not change it in the 

 least. In my patented divisible brood- 

 chamber hive new functions and re- 

 sults ap))ear, and another capacity is 

 ])referable. We keep the length and 

 width of the frames the same, and the 

 combs the same distance from centre 

 to centre. The combs are little longer, 

 however, because the frames are tight- 

 fitting in the cases. As the brood- 

 chamber is horizontally divisible, and 

 the halves practically interchangeable, 

 there are two sets of 8 frames, each 

 frame containing a comb 5 inches 

 deep, and this brood-chamber is of the 

 capacity of the 10-frame Langstroth 

 hive, and from it we realize the advan- 

 tages of both large and small, and 

 shallow and deep brood-chambers. 

 Now, our friend can make figures 

 which will make my answer complete. 

 — James Heddon. 



1. The "times and seasons" control 

 the amount of comb surface in' a well 

 regulated hive. 2. The space between 

 the brood-frames should be a little less 

 than IJ inches from centre to centre. 

 3. I have used several sizes and kinds, 

 but prefer the Standard Langstroth 

 hive. 4. It contains 10 frames, but 

 their use depends upon many condi- 

 tions and circumstances. — TheEditor. 



OHIO APIARISTS. 



Fiflli Aiiiiual Convention of the 

 Ohio Bee-Kceperii. 



Wrttttn for the American Bee Journal 

 BY FKANK A. EATON. 



I>ook Over last year's numbers of the 

 Bee Journal, and if any are missing, 

 send for them at once, as we liave but few 

 left now, and they are dailj' becoming less. 



The convention was held at Colum- 

 bus, O., on Jan. 10 and 11, 1888, and 

 opened at 9 a.m.. President E. R. Root 

 in the chair. 



After the routine business of reading 

 the report of the last meeting, and the 

 reports of the oflicers, tlie first topic 

 was announced for disfcussion. viz : 



Bee-Conveulioiiiii, How to ITlake Iheni 



a Siicve»i»<9 siiitl their Value to 



JBee-Keepersa 



A. I. Root — It pays to hold and at- 

 tend conventions. It has been hai'd 

 work to get me out. I owe a debt of 

 gratitude to Prof. Cook and others, for 

 gelling me starled ; it does me good, 

 ind 1 am thankful that I have been in- 

 duced to attend conventions. I learned 

 of a new 5-cent comb-honey package 

 at Manistee, by going to the Mi<!higan 

 convention, and getting out among 

 folks last month. He spoke of the 

 joint meeting of the horticulturists and 

 bee-keepers of Michigan ; of a two 

 hours' address by a Professor — but 

 when it came to the bee-keepers' time, 

 they were up and alive, speaking 

 briefly and to the point, and they had 

 lots of intelligent fun. 



Dr. Mason — It does not pay me in 

 dollars and cents, for we can get the 

 best thoughts and the valuable sug- 

 gestions of our best men who attend 

 the conventions, in the published re- 

 ports of the meetings, but it pays 

 socially. 



Dr. Besse — It pays me by learning 

 of new appliances, getting new ideas, 

 mental culture, etc. I have got luy 

 pay already, and the convention has 

 only just started. 



H. R. Board man — It pays the spe- 

 cialist financially, and always paj's all 

 socially. 



N. Hutches — It has paid me well. I 

 have kept bees 49 years, but I used to 

 kei'p them in the old "box" and 

 "gum" hives, but from attending 

 conventions I have learned of bee- 

 periodicals, and all that I know about 

 keeping bees in the right way. I have 

 40 colonies in good condition ; three 

 years ago 1 cleared $300. 



Dr. Tinker — I feel that it pays, and 

 that these gatherings are of value and 

 interest to the bee-keeping fraternity. 



The general impression was, that it 

 paid to attend conventions, and that 

 those depending upon the published 

 reports lost a great deal. 



Dr. G. L. Tinker, of New Philadel- 

 ])hia, O., then read the following essay: 



'jriie;Sec'tiouaI Krood-riiaiuber, and Its 

 Advantages. 



If it had been announced that I was 

 to discuss the advantages of sectional 

 hives, we should be dealing with a 

 practical subject, one with which ever}' 

 bee-keeper in the land should be 

 familiar. But the subject in hand is 

 one in sore need of discussion, since, 

 for some cause, vevy little has appeared 

 in our bee-periodicals to enlighten us 

 concerning it. 



My first season's experience with 

 sectional brood-chambers seemed very 

 favorable. It happened to be an ex- 

 traordinary season with us, and any 

 hive with good m.anagement would 

 have made a fair record. The past 

 season was not a good one, and the 

 defects of the new hive were apparent 

 in many things. As compared with 

 the Simplicity hives, of which I had 

 seven in use, they were a marked 

 failure. The bees in the Simplicity 

 hives of my neighbors also did better. 

 They not only had more bees all 

 through the season, but had more sur- 

 plus, and stored enough for winter, 

 while the bees in the sectional brood- 

 chambers had to be fed for winter. 



I am reluctantly compelled to make 

 this confession, partly because of my 

 own disappointment in these hives, 

 and partly because of the kindly feel- 

 ing I entertained for the inventor. 



I will give in detail mj' experience 

 with the sectional biood-chamber, and 

 my reasons for abandoning it. In the 

 first place, the horizontal half of a 

 brood-chamber is too small for a 

 swarm, too small for a colonj' in the 

 fall, and too small for wintering. It is 

 too small for a swarm, since, with a 

 queen-excluding honey-board, the bees 

 will store much pollen in the surplus 

 sections, and soon dwindle down to the 

 size of a good nucleus. It is too small 

 in the fall, since the bees are limited 

 in space for stores and brood, and be- 

 come too weak in numbers to winter 

 to the best advantage. It is too small 

 for wintering, since it will not contain 

 sutficient stores to winter the colony 

 and make a respectable start in brood- 

 rearing in the spring. 



Thus it will be seen that one of the 

 cases of such a hive, by itself, is of no 

 value in the hands of the practical 

 honey-producer. It is requiied that 

 both parts of the brood-chamber be 

 used together to make any thing like 

 a success of it. But if they are so 

 used, the following difiicullies arise : 

 In the spring, the colony breeds up 

 slowly, and without much attention 

 will not get ready for the harvest. 

 When at last it does get ready, if the 

 honey-flow is extra good, the bees pro- 

 ceed to fill up the horizontal space 



