364 



TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIjo.. 



fingers of the dear wife to help me, now I 

 have them not, and a large share of my 

 own thoughts, energies and strength are 

 used in trying to bring her back to health, 

 /know that the Review is not what it was 

 once, at least not editorially, and no one is 

 more conscious of this than is myself, and, 

 as I have already said, all that I ask is that 

 my friends will not be too severe in their 

 judgement, that they will not just yet de- 

 sert me and the Review, because the latter 

 is not up to the standard. I am doing the 

 best that I can under the circumstances, 

 and feel sure that these troubles cannot 

 always last, that I shall yet be able, as of 

 old, to make the Review one of the best 

 journals that there is for the practical hon- 

 ey producer. It is my life work and I love 



it. 



Latek— Since the above was written there 

 has come a letter from the superintendent 

 of the asylum asking that a pair of rubbers 

 be sent for Ivy. I know what that means. 

 It means that she is better, that she is able 

 to go out doors, something which she has 

 not done since she went there. 



SIZE AND SHAPE OF SECTIONS. 



The editor of Gleanings copies part of my 

 editorial on this subject and encourages the 

 idea of using thin, oblong sections. The 

 serious objection is that our fixtures are 

 adapted to using the regular 4I4 x 4,V sec- 

 tions and to change is somewhat expensive. 

 The question IS, will the advantage be suf- 

 ficiently great to justify the change ? With 

 the T super it is an easy matter to use thin- 

 ner sections. In adapting these supers to 

 the use of oblong sections I think that I 

 would arrange them to place the long way 

 of the section in a horizontal position. 

 Three tiers of sections 5 2 3 inches long 

 would cover as much space as four tiers of 

 the i% X 4I4. If made three inches the other 

 way they would hold just about the same as 

 the4i^x43^4. With these shallow supers 

 tiering-up could be carried en to belter 

 advantage. Here is a letter just received 

 from a bee-keeper in Wisconsin. 



BiKNAMWooD, Wis., Dec. 28, 1896. 

 Friend H. — 



The last number of the Review 

 seems somehow to be unusually good. 

 Your comments in reeard to the size of 

 section which would yield the best returns 

 financially are, I think, a step toward the 

 right. I have been convinced for some 

 time that the sections in common use (4^4 x 



\%) are not the best siae for the economical 

 production of honey. 



After careful experiment and thought, i 

 have concluded that a section 4 x 5)^ would 

 be about the right size. These used with- 

 out separators would average, as sections 

 are filled with me, about 14 to 15 oz. 



This would give from 28 to 30 lbs. of 

 surplus for each well filled super instead of 

 22 lbs, which is about the average with me 

 this year. 



It is my experience that a colony will till 

 a case holding 28 or 30 lbs. when narrow 

 sections and no separators are used, as 

 quickly as a case of M4 x ^i x 2 in. sectTons 

 with wide frames and tin separators. What 

 say you? (Mv experience says "yes.' —Ed.) 

 i believe the "standaid" section was 

 first used in wide frames containing eight 

 sections, and that its size was due to the 

 fact that it fitted the frame. 



But I will not weary you with a lengthy 

 communication. 



In case contributions for the Review on 

 this subject are in order I shall be glad to 

 submit my experience. If you can't use it, 

 no harm done. 



M. P. Cadt. 

 Certainly, my friend, contributions on 

 this subject are in order, and nothing will be 

 more welcome than your own experience. 



THERE IS A BICTOLK IN THE REVIEW FAMILiY. 



A great many times have I wanted a bi- 

 cycle—and the girls have wanted one— but 

 —well, I couldn't afford it, or thought I 

 couldn't. Last fall wife and I took long walks 

 for her benefit, and often she would return 

 tired, and say if she could only ride each 

 day she thought it would be better. T sug- 

 gested a bicycle. To my surprire she seem- 

 ed to fall in with the idea. I was surprised, 

 beeause she had often ridiculed the idea of 

 a woman's riding a wheel, thought that she 

 looked— well, ungraceful, and declared that 

 she would never, never, ride one. Whether I 

 could afford it or not I went right and bought 

 a lady's wheel. It was a good, strong, high- 

 grade wheel. The next morning I went out 

 into the yard with the determination that 

 I was going to ride that wheel. Within an 

 hour I was riding around the yard. I think 

 that a lady's wheel is easier to learn on 

 than is a gentleman's wheel, as it is easier to 

 get off if you go to fall. Then Mrs. Hutch- 

 inson came out and tried it, but was com- 

 pletely discouraged at first— declared that 

 she could never learn. But I kept helping 

 and encouraging ler and within an hour 

 she. too. was riding around the yard. Then 

 one of the twins came out. She had tried 

 before to ride, but had not succeeded. In a 



