MOVABLE-FKAMK HIVBS. 151 



shallow frame has too little honey above the cluster in 

 Winter, and in long cold Winters, like that of 1884-5, a 

 great many bees die for want of food above them, in hives 

 containing plenty of honey (630), the combs, back of the 

 cluster, being too cold. 



The Langstroth-Simplicity frame is long enough, but 

 hardly deep enough. The Quinby frame is deep enough, 

 but would be better if a little shorter. 



307. We have used on a large scale Quinby, American 

 and Standard Langstroth-sized frames for years, and have 

 obtained better results from the Quinby, both for wintering 

 out of doors, and for honey producing. Yet, the Lang- 

 stroth-Simplicity being the standard frame of America, we 

 would hesitate to advise any Apiarist to change from this 

 size ; knowing, by practical experience, how annoying it is, 

 not to have all frames and all hives in one Apiary uniform 

 in size. 



But we would counsel beginners to use the Quinby size, 

 — especially if they intend to winter out-of-doors, — or at 

 least to use a frame as long as the standard Langstroth and 

 as deep as the Quinby. 



308. The number of frames to be used in a hive depends 

 on their size ; for we should manage our bees, as we do our 

 other domestic animals, and give them as much space as is 

 necessary to obtain the best results. What would we think 

 of a farmer who would build a barn without first consider- 

 ing the number of animals and the amount of feed which 

 he intended to shelter in it ? 



309. Many hives cannot hold one-quarter of the bees, 

 comb, and honey which, in a good season, may be found in 

 large ones ; while their owners wonder that they obtain so 

 little profit from their bees. A good swarm of bees, put, 

 in a good season, into a diminutive hive, may be compared 

 to a powerful team of horses harnessed to a baby wagon, or 

 a noble fall of water wasted in turning a petty water-wheel. 



