i82 A Modern Bee-Farm 



all hives in the apiary. Whether they be hybrids, or 

 some special strain of any pure variety bred up to a high 

 standard of excellence, no pains should be spared in 

 perpetuating these good qualities. 



Position of Frames. 



All hives should stand so that the frames are " end on " 

 to the south wall, that every seam of bees is warmed up 

 during each gleam of winter sunshine, enabling them to 

 change their position and take food, while bringing stores 

 nearer the cluster. Bees will winter all right if so situated 

 and in good heart, but where placed behind thick walls in 

 hives, as generally constructed, they are subject to a con- 

 tinued low temperature, as the mid-winter sun does not 

 penetrate to the cluster. There is no warmth in such 

 double walls at this time, just when it is most required, 

 though of course I admit that they are a benefit as soon 

 as the cluster expands, retaining the heat given out by 

 the bees ; but this does not compensate for the greater 

 disadvantage in mid-winter as before mentioned. 



Mr. Abbott, when editor of the British Bee Journal, was 

 quite aware of the immense advantage of admitting the 

 sun's rays during winter, and recommended that a piece 

 of glass be let into the outer wall of double-sided hives. 

 However, double-packed walls to stock hives seldom pay 

 for the extra expense as compared with single walls, and 

 besides being more cumbersome, are a positive nuisance 

 during the heat of summer, when shade is required as 

 offered in the Conqueror Hive, rather than additional 

 heat. For as a matter of fact packed walls cannot be cool 

 in summer, as the advocates of the same would have us 

 believe. Why the more frequent swarming complained of 

 with these ? and are we not told that more warmth is given 

 in winter ? how much more then, in excess, in summer. 



