38 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
Arnii.. 
ey for barely 10 days, gave us average of about [ 
35 lbs. from 57 colonies, which paid for all 
care, and a comfortable percentage on the 
amount of capital invested besides. 
THE STANDARD HIVE AND FRAME. 
rj TRANGE it is, but scarcely a new thing 
P comes up in bee culture, but that if we 
examine carefully, we will find somewhere a 
record of where our old friend Langstroth has 
been over the same ground before us. Even 
now we have just called to mind a pleasant 
correspondence that passed between us just 
before the time of our mutual friend Wagners 
death when Mr. L. was in Washington. The 
correspondence originated from sending Mr. L. 
one of our new frames. We were then consid- 
ering a 12x12 frame. We extract from differ- 
ent letters as follows: 
Washington, Apr. 4th, 1872. 
DEAR FRIEND : — I hope you will try the 12 x 12 
biu 1 have years ago tried such frames and do not like 
uiein— too much cost to make, handle, etc. 1 think 
the nive 14x i4 and 13 deep much better, and shall 
probably auopt that shape, as Hie honey emptier and 
tide boxes make it no longer so desirable io haven 
shallow hive. 
April 5 ill. You will see from my last that I propose 
to change the dimensions oi my name, perhaps there 
will not be much to ehoose between il»c hive 14 x 14 x 13 
and 12 X 12 x 12, but 1 prefer the first, i much preler ten 
l rames to 12. 
Here comes a reply to some queries of ours 
in regard to the Simplicity hive which then 
*• tilled our head ; " also as to confining the bees 
to a single story and using the Ext. ou friend 
Dean’s plan, sec page 55, Vol. 1. 
If you refer to Fig. (1) P.20, (my book) you will see 
that 1 used an open oox. Try some on this new plan, 
lull let me strongly caution you not to go into it large- 
ly. You will never like the movable 11. It. you will 
lint ii an intolerable nuisance, there is nut lime to go 
into the reasons, hut you will lind i am rigid. Under 
borne circumstances perhaps as much could he emp- 
tied from a single, as from a double lilve, hut it rn/s 
too etuxe. Too littie room room lor brood, we want the 
bees to get the set ol'traiues pretty well tilled with the 
scaled holier— not safe to go on any other plan, tlieir 
own lirst, unless we take about all of the best and re- 
place with sugar syrup, this may pay with present 
prices. 
It seems to us that we have scarcely a read- 
er who can fail to see the rare gootl sense that 
shines in every line of the above. 
After reading it again, we have the same 
feeling that we had two years ago; that we 
were utterly incompetent to advise in regard 
to a hive that will be best, all things consider- 
ed, for the coming generation of Bee Keepers, 
j Of one tiling we are sure however, and that is, 
that the plainer and simpler it is, the better. 
That the Simplicity hive will give equally as 
good yields of honey as the more complicated 
and costly hives has been abundantly proven, 
and were we going to use a two story hive we 
should most assuredly use a movable bottom 
J board, and precisely the hive we advised last 
1 season. In regard to the size of the frame, it 
I seems our friend Langstroth had anticipated 
| as usual, the fact that a different shape might 
: lie better when we considered a hive suitable 
! for the Ext. only, and the dimensions of a 
frame for the hive he suggests would be very 
nearly the one we are now talking of fora 
Standard. 
Now we have ample evidence that as much 
honey can be secured with frames a little deep- 
er, spread horizontally ; and the advantages of 
such a hive for the extractor are too obvious 
to need mention. We believe we have only 
then to consider the subject of wintering; one 
plan that will certainly answer is given by 
I friend Palmer, page 29, and another is our 
i present “hobby’’ of the stable manure. 
That a few inches of chaff, straw, or old 
clothing, around a hive is no positive protec- 
tion, we think is generally admitted, and unless 
we can give a colony a place that. will keep 
fruit or potatoes from freezing, they had much 
better he on their summer stands. We wish 
some one who has had a positive experience in 
tlie matter would tell us how much manure 
would have to be heaped over a bushel of po- 
tatoes, heaped up directly on the ground, to 
keep them from freczifig. Such a place, ami 
such a temperature, frbm what we can gather 
from many experiments, reported from differ- 
ent points, would seem to be most desirable 
April 10th.— Bv carefully calculating the difference 
between 12 xuix 12, and II x i.xle, i lind thui ten 
iranics of the latter sized hire, » ill have neurit/ as 
laneli comb surface as /a. rlcctl 01 Lila former, .row 
lake into fair account the extra oust and time ul liaml- 
iing. Hie fact that in poor seasons Ihe more flames, 
tile more the honey Is scattered etc., and i feel sure 
you will not adopt the smaller size, t hope that yoa 
win make one hire ofmy new size. 
April 2-ird.— i know that you and those with you, 
i;,ii not on;y l/t ur plain criticism till tlesire il. Bet 
me remind you how apt we are to let an idea run 
away wilh us. M lien we gel a good thing we are 
a. most sure to run some pans of it into tile, ground; 
I c seems to me that you are in danger of doing this in 
t wo tilings, the one 1 have just mentioned, and the 
dispensing with die lixed bottom hoard. When you 
have falriv worked it out, summered it and wintered, 
it. I feel very coultdciit that you will come In Ihe ron- 
. union I reached 20 years ago. Willie you try it in 
your Apiary, let me advise you not to recommend it 
"to the public, unlit you have pul iL to the test in your 
own Apiary, i Inink our leading Apiarians should 
lie very chary of recommending what they have not 
texted; often, xw/t/extiuim from such parties, lead to 
rash adoption of them, and serious injury to noil-ex- 
ports. When 1 was must largely engaged in experi- 
menting, 1 found il to lie a good plan to give my 
notions to friends, that together we might work them 
out. They having no paternal interest in the notions, 
are more likelv perhaps than myself, to see in fllem 
only conceit!!, i tut enough of this, i hope that you 
will understand what i am aiming at. 
lor bees to winter. 
Having an entrance continually open on the 
; south side would tend to make the bees colder 
than tlie potatoes, but on the other hand we 
have their own animal heat, to balance this 
disadvantage. A covering of earth would do 
of course, if thick enough to prevent frost pen- 
etrating, but having no source of heat within 
itself like the manure, and being so heavy to 
handle we must consider it out of the question. 
Prom what experience we have had wc would 
feel safe to risk the bees under, half a wagon 
load to each hive; we would feed them meal at 
any time during the winter should opportunity 
offer. 
It lias been often objected, that they would 
fly out and get lost during unseasonable weath- 
er, to which we answer, they have as yet done 
nothing of the kind. They sometimes come to 
the entrance and look out, as much as to say 
“nlnt we nice in here?” and again they tip 
their heads on one side to observe the sun an 1 
clouds seemingly, but don’t go out unless the 
weather is such they can readily get back. 
Remember no breath of wind touches them 
whatever may lie its force or l 'inperaHire. 
