and its Economic Management. 8i 



A COMMERCIAL STANDARD. 



I-must state at once that the Standard frame of the British 

 Beekeepers' Association is much too small for any bee-keeper 

 who is attempting to produce honey on a wholesale scale. It 

 is true I have been using the Standard frame largely for some 

 years past, and expect to continue to do so as long as I supply 

 bees to those who have adopted that size ; but its use has only 

 the more forcibly brought to my mind the decidedly superior 

 advantages enjoyed when using a frame measuring i6 inches 

 by lo inches. Reference to the pages of the British Bee youmal 

 will show that there were not a few who held out for a 

 brood or stock frame of the above dimensions at the time the 

 ■ Association decided on the miserably small stock frame now 

 almost universally used in this , country, and conspicuous 

 among the opposition was that veteran bee-master, Mr. C. N. 

 Abbott. 



It would indeed appear that almost the sole reason why 

 the present Standard was adopted, was because of its near 

 approach to that of the ' Woodbury ' pattern, a slight altera- 

 tion being made that it might accommodate six American 

 4j-in. by 4i-in. sections, and yet, in practice scarcely one bee- 

 keeper in fifty has ever brought the stock frame into use for 

 that purpose. This very doubtful advantage was probably the 

 only reason, not that the majority prevailed, but why that 

 majority existed at all, for it is certain there were few, if any, 

 extensive honey producers present at the Association meeting 

 which then decided upon establishing one of the most serious 

 hindrances progressive bee-culture has had to contend with 

 during the past decade. 



Evidence in favour of the larger size, as giving greater 

 security in winter; a larger population more rapidly developed 

 in spring ; less inclination to swarm ; and at all times a more 

 prosperous and profitable colony, with comparatively little 

 trouble in maintaining that prosperity — has been accumulating 

 right along, as shewn by the practical results secured from 



