15C THE BEE-HIVES. 



honey ci'dps make it impossible for the queen to lay to the 

 utmiist of her capacity, before the time when her bees would 

 be useful. 



It is perhaps necessary to say here, that we have found more 

 opposition on this subject than on any other, especially in 

 ihe bee-papers. But we take this opportunity of again /■ner- 

 getically asserting that our preference for large hives is based 

 on a successful practice of nioi-e than forty years, with se\- 

 eral hmidred colonies in different sized hives. 



Men of great experience and success, like Doctor C. C. 

 Miller, who use eight-frame Langstroth hi\"es, manage to 

 secure the fullest breeding of prolific queens, before the open- 

 ing of the honey harvest, by adding another brood chamber 

 when the queen has filled the first. This additional brood 

 chamber is removed at the time of putting on the supers and 

 the combs of brood are divided among weaker colonies, if 

 there are too many of them to fill one bi'ood chamber. 



This is the ou'v way in which full results may be achieved 

 with small hives. 



313. It is only by testing different sizes of hives and 

 frames side Ijy side, for years, on a large scale, and with 

 the same management, as we have done, that the compari- 

 son can be made serviceable. Our experiments prove also 

 that small frames imi)ede the laying of the queen. The 

 hrood-chanihcr of a large hive ran casilij be reduced in si:e, 

 if need he; but a amall liivc carnioi be enlarged at will, e.reept 

 ty ihe addition of upper stories, which should properly be 

 deroted to the storing of honey. 



31-1. In addition to the disadvantages of small frames 

 and small hives already enumerated, another— and the great- 

 est of all — is the excess of natural swarming whicli they 

 cause. The leading advocates of small hives, some of whom 

 are large himey pr(5dueers, invariably acknowledge that they 

 have too much nidural swarming ; nor is it to be wondered at, 

 since swarming is mainly caused )\v the lack of breedmg 

 room for the queen. (106.) 



315. The main criterion of a good farmer is the care 



