SUPPLEMENT. 149 



in the gas-man's garden, and -without speaking to any- 

 body about it, I took it to be a bar-frame hive in straw, 

 and a model of beauty it was. Something better than 

 wood is wanted for bar-frame hives. 



As to the management of bar-frame hives, I have to 

 say that Mr Eaitt of Beecroft, Blairgowrie , has brought 

 a great amount of intelligence and practical experience 

 to bear on this question, and in his hands the bar-frame 

 system is scientifically managed, and successfully too. 



Mr Raitt's hives contain sixteen frames, and have 

 partition - walls, which, of course, are movable. His 

 mode of management may be stated in few words. In 

 autumn he tries to get a hatch of brood by artificial 

 feeding, using some flour or pea-meal in the syrup. He 

 fancies the meal in the food causes the queen of a hive 

 to recommence laying, and thus a hatch of brood is 

 obtained after the season for breeding has passed, and 

 this hatch of young bees so late strengthens the hive 

 for winter. Mr Eaitt may be right in thinking that 

 the meal tends to produce eggs, though I dare not 

 endorse his statement ; for common syrup without the 

 admixture of meal, given to bees in autumn, almost 

 always secures a hatch of brood. 



About the end of October, when bees creep closely 

 together and sit in little space, Mr Eaitt reTjinvea a.hnu t 

 ten frames of comb from every hive , and places the 

 partition -frames close to the bees, so that they may 

 have small, cozy, warm dwelling-places in wiuter. The 

 frames of combs that are removed are placed carefully 

 in a dry room, and there preserved tiU spring, when 

 bees begin to multiply in numbers, and want more 

 room. The partition -walls are removed further from 

 the bees to admit the bars of comb as they are needed. 

 Additional bars of comb are gradually given to the bees 

 tin the whole sixteen are replaced ; and when these are 

 weU filled with brood, supering begins, sectional supers 

 being used at Blairgowrie. The bar-frame school of 

 apiarians should be grateful to Mr Eaitt for so far 



