STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. ' 177 



fall, and it gave them shade protection in the summer, using 

 the Clinton grape more on account of its prolificness. 



Mr. Snell — I think the matter of shade depends largely 

 upon location, as Mr. Hutchinson said; where the apiary is 

 surrounded by a good deal of wind-break the air is more 

 suffocating, and the hives in that case will need shading; 

 where, if they stood out in more of an open place, where 

 there is more circulation of air, they would not become 

 heated up enough so that the bees would chister out very 

 much and desert the supers. 



WIRING BROOD-FRAMES WITH STARTERS. 



"Should brood- frames with starters be wired to prevent 

 breaking out of the comb?" 



Mr. Hutchinson — Unless the hives are to be moved or 

 shipped by express I don't think there is any necessity for 

 it, simply for use in your own apiary. If they are to be 

 shipped they need wiring. Possibly if you are going to pro- 

 duce extracted honey those wires would be of advantage, 

 especially when the combs are new. After they are old they 

 are not. 



Pres. York — Would the bees be apt to build the combs 

 properly over the wires when using only starters? 



Mr. Hutchinson — Yes, they will. 



Mr. Kimmey — My experience with bees has been limited 

 to the first swarm I had issue. I hived upon simple frames 

 with starters, and I never expressed nor move them any- 

 where except to carry them in the cellar, and three of those 

 frames broke down; I don't know whether it was from 

 my awkwardness, or weak combs, or what it was. It seems 

 to me that after that experience I would always wire the 

 frames. 



Mr. Meredith — In wiring frames of foundation I have 

 experienced the trouble of the bees gnawing in or around 

 the wire, and to do away with this trouble I use the brush 

 and slightly cover the wires with a little heated wax. 



Mr. Becker — In my experience I have never used any 

 wire. I always use half sheets of foundation for every brood- 

 frame, and I have never had any trouble with frames break- 

 ing down. 



Mr. Hoffman — I won't agree. If they do as I do they 

 will have no trouble. Hive on full sheets of foundation, 

 and put it in the hive, and then you want to wire. But 

 I try, as a rule, to get all the combs drawn before that 

 time. I put them in the top hives and have the bees draw 

 them out, and then I can put them anywhere and they are 

 all right. This wiring is a tedious undertaking for me. 



Mr. Horstmann — ^The comb will not break if properly 

 handled, so there will be no necessity for wiring for the 

 purpose of holding the combs. Take a frame and turn it 

 over, and they are going to work up into it, right up and 

 down; they will never break. 



Mr. Colburn — I think it depends upon whether tlie 

 combs are fastened to all sides of the frames. I have had 



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