132. MANUAL OF THE APIAET. 



ment of Southard and Ranney, of Kalamazoo, which, on the 

 score of simplicity and convenience, has much to recom- 

 mend it. 



In the above I have said nothing about porticos (Fig. 29). 

 If hives are shaded as they should be, these are useless, and I 

 believe that in no case will they pay. To be sure, they are 

 nice for spider-webs, and a shady place in which bees may 

 ■cluster ; but such are inconvenient places to study the 

 wondrous fabrics of the spider, even were he a friend of the 

 bees, and the most successful apiarist will not force his bees 

 to hang in idle clusters about the hive. 



THE FRAMES. 



The form and size of frames, though not quite as various 

 as the persons who use them, are still very different. Some 

 prefer large frames. I first used one ten by eighteen inches, 

 and afterward a shallow frame about seven by eighteen (Pig. 

 29). The advantage claimed for large frames is that there 

 are less to handle, and time is saved ; yet may not smaller 

 frames be handled so much more dexterously, especially if 

 they are to be handled through all the long day, as to compen- 

 sate, in part at least, for the number ? The advantage of the 

 shallow frame is, as claimed, that the bees will go into boxes 

 more readily ; yet they are not considered so safe for out-door 

 wintering. This is the style recommended and used by Mr. 

 Langstroth, which fact may account for its popularity in the 

 United States. Another frame in common use, is one about 

 one foot square. I use one eleven inches square. The 

 reasons that I prefer this form are, that the comb seldom 

 breaks from the frame, the frames are convenient for nuclei 

 and save the expense of constructing extra nucleus hives, and 

 that these frames permit the most compact arrangement for 

 winter and spring, and thus enable us to economize heat. By 

 use of a division board, we can, by using eight of these frames, 

 occupy just a cubic foot of space in spring, and by repeated 

 experiments I have found that a hive so constructed that the 

 bees always cover the combs during the early cold weather, 

 always gives the best results. As the honey season comes on 

 more can be added, till we have reached twelve, as many, I 

 think, as will ever be needed for brood. This was the size of 



