16 ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 



of the frames, then a board under cover, cleated so as to form two 

 dead-air spaces; then our outside telescope top, which Is kept well 

 painted so as to prevent any rain from entering the hlT». You may 

 think this is taking more pains than Is necessary. We think it has 

 much to do toward helping the bees to give us a nice surplus during 

 the summer. 



Don't put your bees Into winter quarters that will subject them 

 to unnatural conditions. If you do you will lose many colonies, both 

 during the winter and spring. It is almost impossible to save a colony 

 that has been poorly wintered. We may talk and write of the thousand 

 and one different things connected with successful bee-keeping; but 

 when they are all summed up the whole combined is not of as much 

 importance as perfect wintering. We could make more money the fol- 

 lowing season from strong colonies when taken from their winter quar- 

 ters if they were In nail-kegs than could be made from little weak sickly 



colonies in the best hive that was ever constructed. 



August, 1907. 



IP I WERE TO START ANEW, WHAT STYLE OF FRAMES, SUPERS, 

 AND APPLIANCES WOULD I ADOPT? 



IN FAVOR OF A SELF-SPACING BEVEESIBLE FBAME AND 4x5 SECTIONS. 



If I were to start anew I would try hard to adopt some one of the 

 standard hives already in use, mainly for this reason: If I wanted to 

 sell my bees and appliances I could find a buyer easier, and sell at a 

 much better price, than if my hives and appliances were of an odd 

 size. 



But, according to my ideas of a practicable all-purpose bee-hive, 

 there are certain things of paramount importance that would have to 

 be embodied in it before I could Indorse any hive to the extent of 

 adoption. First, I should want a loose bottom — one that Is not perma- 

 nently fastened to the hive. Next, a telescope top. These are a great 

 protection to the upper part of a hive from the summer heat and the 

 cool weather of spring and fall; and they never blow off in bad storms, 

 which is another good thing in their favor. Then I should want the 

 frames self-spacing, so no two could ever, through carelessness, be 

 crowded close together; and I would have them reversible, with some 

 simple arrangement so there would be no special top or bottom. The 

 size of the hive I should prefer would be equal to a nine or ten frame 

 Langstroth. 



In regard to the clamp for holding sections, and the size and shape 

 of section, I think the Danzenbaker clamp-and-section arrangement for 

 comb honey is far ahead of any other I have ever seen. 



There, my friends, when you make a hive with all those require- 

 ments you will have, according to my idea, the best hive that has ever 

 been devised. 



Since I was invited to partake in this discussion I have spent some 

 time in examining all the catalogs of different hives I could get, and 



