The Townsend Bee Book 9 
results, and I patterned after this same size when I adopted the 
ten-frame Langstroth hive. 
I do not mean in any of the above that I prefer the eight- 
frame hive. It is true that I said that the eight-frame Langstroth 
hive is large enough, and some may wonder why I use the ten- 
frame hive. I will try to explain the reason. It sometimes hap- 
pens that we do not see our colonies from the time they are taken 
out of the ‘‘ clamps ’’ until it is time to put on supers, and in such 
a case all must be fed enough in the fall to make a total of from 
25 to 30 pounds of stores, to make sure that none starve during 
the spring when we do little if any feeding. Our colonies use from 
20 to 25 lbs. of stores from October till the main honey-flow in 
June. At the time of the main honey-fiow, there will be from 5 
to 10 lbs. of stores left in the hives which have contained 30 lbs. in 
the fall, and from nothing to 5 lbs. in those hives which contained 
25 lbs. in the fall, the calculations being based on good average 
colonies—weak colonies consuming less. Now, a Langstroth 
brood-comb contains 5 Ibs. of honey and bee-bread when sealed ; 
and 380 lbs. of stores will, therefore, fill six brood-combs spaced 134 
from center to center; so that in an eight-frame hive there will be 
only two empty combs left in the fall. A colony wintered fairly 
well in such a hive will become honey-bound before the main flow 
the following June. It would have been in better condition at this 
time if there had been a comb or so of stores left. On the other 
hand, the ten-frame hive with 30 lbs. of stores would have four 
empty combs in the fall; which combs, together with those from 
which the honey is used during the winter, would make ample 
room for the queen to lay and still allow a ‘‘ reserve fund ’’ con- 
sisting of a comb or more of honey at the beginning of the honey- 
flow in June. For this reason, therefore, we prefer ten-frame hives. 
The size of a hive is much more important than the shape. A 
well-shaped hive is important only because it is more convenient 
for the apiarist. In outyards every hive should be the same, for 
a variety of sizes and shapes is an abomination. I have had ex- 
perience with different sizes ; but every one of my extracted-honey 
colonies is now in a ten-frame factory-made dovetailed hive, and 
every super is the same as the lower story or body, so that all are 
interchangeable. I use ten Hoffman frames in the bodies, and 
eight loose hanging frames in the upper stories, the eight frames 
in the ten-frame super making 134-inch spacing, so that all combs 
are bulged. 
Mr. J. N. Harris, of St. Louis, Mich., has two or three out- 
yards in the northern part of the State. A part of the colonies 
