6 The Townsend Bee Book 
It might be well to have two or three extra stories the same as 
the hive-bodies, for there are sometimes combs that are undesir- 
able for use in the brood-nest, but which would be all right for 
extracting-frames. In this way, even if no particular pains are 
taken for producing extracted honey, some may be secured the 
first season. The second season, all extra combs from dead or 
queenless colonies should be used for extracting-combs. Then if 
shallow extracting-combs are used in the comb-honey supers, as 
I have recommended, by the second year, at least, quite an amount 
of extracted honey may be produced. In this way the beginner 
may be gradually drawn into the production of both comb and 
extracted honey until, before long, half of the yard may be 
worked for each. The amount of extracted honey can be regulat- 
ed, however, for if more empty combs accumulate than are needed 
for extracted honey the swarms could be hived on them. 
CHAPER II. 
What Hive to Adopt 
A DISCUSSION OF THE MERITS OF THE DIFFERENT HIVES, 
TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE MAN, 
THE METHODS, AND THE LOCALITY 
The proper hive to use is a question that confronts every 
beginner. The kind, size, and shape of the hive best adapted for 
the purpose must be taken into consideration, and these depend 
upon whether comb or extracted honey is produced; whether the 
colonies are all in one yard or in several outyards, ete. 
In reading the current literature on the subject, much confu- 
sion of ideas is noticeable; for in some locations, where conditions 
ought to be the same, one beekeeper will use a large hive and the 
other a small one, each being successful with his own preferred 
size. This reminds me of a little incident that came up in our 
convention at Saginaw. Mr. W. J. Manley, of Sandusky, told of 
buying about 60 colonies of bees, one of which was in a soap-box. 
This soap-box colony was inverted, an upper story put on, and, 
although the colony was handled the same as the others, several 
more pounds of honey were extracted from it than from any other 
individual colony in the yard. This only goes to show that bees 
