JUNR. 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
mNBJBD KITE AND FRAME. 
I N 2F. B. J. for April, page 94, we read as 
follows : 
“We no more expect ever to see a “standard 
frame,” or a standard hive, than we do to see a 
“standard” religion or “standard” opinious on 
anything. 
People cannot see alike, and the hest way Is 
lo exchange opinions freely, and then “agree 
to disagree.” ” 
Again on page 121, B. K M. w'e read: 
“A Standard Frame. — Everybody — beg 
pardon — every bee-keeper, would like to have 
all other sizes and shapes of frames and hives, 
thrown away, except one. Whose is It ? Why, 
mine, of course. No other is iost right, it Is 
like the efforts to unite all denominations of 
Christians. They are all ready, willing, anx- 
ious, but it must be done on “my creed.” ” 
We are really sorry to find we have been so 
little understood, and that too, by two Journals, 
who certainly have it in their power to do 
much toward lessening the growing evil of 
having so many different dimensions oflilvus 
and frames, and still more coming. We can- 
not see how Mr. King could get the impression 
that we advocated our own favorite hive, for 
the one we have proposed as a Standard, be- 
cause i t seems nearest the preference of the people, 
Is one we have never used at all. 
Mr. E. and Mrs. Tupper would do a great 
amount of good, by advising their subscribers 
to adopt the 12x12 frame if they are agreed in 
preferring that, and also by advising them lo 
be very exact in the outside dimensions, that 
whenever American hives are found, from 
Whatever source, any frame may fit, uny hive. 
New beginners could certainly adopt this, just 
as Well as to have them vary or ^ of an 
Inch, or just enough to make an exchange Im- 
possible. What bee-keeper has not seen troub- 
le of this kind. Because the evil is so great, 
shall we despair and make no attempt at all to 
lessen it, or to prevent Us increase with the 
next generation of Bee-keepers f 
B. K. M and N. B. we beg of you both to 
Consider well, what you are doing before you 
advise Bee-keepers to make no attempt at uni- 
formity in hives and tVaine.s. We should be 
perfectly willing to adopt the American frame 
as a Standard if. '.t was the wish of the majority, 
and in choosing the Adair frame which comes 
nearly halfway between it and the Langstroth 
frame, we hoped to have one that would be 
adopted when circumstances favored a change, 
by the advocates of both, or either of them. 
We hope no one will he so thoughtless, as to 
allow personal or outside matters to influence 
their judgment in such a matter. If we cannot 
have one frame, cannot we limit the number to 
four or five, or half a dozen at least? In the 
manufacture of Extractors, great expense and 
labor can be saved by coming down to a few 
regular sizes. 
What would be thought of our coach and 
wagon-makers if they persisted in making vtv 
hides that “tracked” all the way from two to 
ten feet in width, with no two alike? Now if 
Bee Culture is to become a permanent indus- 
try, are not the evils of hives and frames all 
unlike, a parallel ease? 
Weather wet ami e.olil, bees breeding up very slow- 
ly notwithstanding the piles of manure around them, 
£“ r that has cooled off- — the rain we have had for 
the lAst two weeks would cool oil almost anything. 
, , iv0 f , "mdc several “Standard hives” alter the plan 
In April No., I like the looks ot them. Yon speak of 
Ekii bottoms before using, 1 suppose you mean 
Inside hive, and they need it outside full worse don’t 
Liioy ? 
How would boiling coal-tar, with dry sand sprink- 
led on, do for them next the ground ; preserve the 
bottoms and keep the dampness out wouldn’t It? 
Maualupan. N. J. c. H. Run. 
"We should think the coal-tar and sand, a 
tine thing for the under side, but would it not 
be somewhat inconvenient, unless a lot of hives 
were treated at once ? Wc always have paint 
handy and can put it on at once. The coal- 
tar would doubtless be cheaper. 
a l took my 5 hives out of cellar 
April loth. One was Queenlcs9, one swarmed out the 
same day and went to another hive. Speaking of 
standard hive, I have come very hear It, 1 nave made 
J-VJ 1 holding 20 frames; the frames are 
lljfixUsg out-side measure, with % inch square bai- 
lor top, and lay my quilts on top. I also made a lot of 
hives square 16x17 holding ten trames, and box on top 
under which I put 4 honey boxes, took oft’ quilts and 
nut boxes on top of frames. Hive made same as yours 
a J> feting and nailing both ways on the corners. 
Wolcott v file, Ind. April 4th. 1874. A. Plough. 
We have also had several orders for hives to 
hold only ten of the Staudard frames, but we 
would not advise these to be used either for a 
two story hive, or for box honey on account of 
depth. If we were to use a two story hive, 
’t would assuredly be the Langstroth frame, 
and for box honey, either the L. or Q. frame. 
As we have given several letters, defending 
a larger frame than the Standard, we will give 
one in favor of a still smaller frame. See 
friend D’s letter of last month. 
I prefer a shallow frame, because the bees regain 
the cluster better on cola days, In fact I like to have 
the cluster near the entrance ; the reason 1 like a 
short frame is. It gives me the power to condense 
the beos Into a small compass for wintering, and al 
auy time when reduced. 
For all that I can see, my Queens pass to the next 
comb In lay fug, readily, and I can Interpose a comb 
that Is empty when 1 please, and will not havo a cold 
end In my hive at nil, especially in winter and spring. 
I he bee bread will bo on about four combs mostly, to 
be had at pleasure, this helps us with weak hives. 1 
generally take an about 100 hives In the fall— keep 
about 60 over. This gives rue a warrant of success, 
and I increase more in new swarms. T have to han- 
dle more frames, but what of that, I am willing to 
work harder and make a sure thing of bee-keeping. 
I can sav a great deal more that Is truly Important to 
thehive if needed. Delhi, Mich. J.X. DAVIS. 
Now as an evidence ot the soundness of Mr. 
Davis’ teachings, we append the following, 
that came some time ago from his neighbor- 
hood. Wc don’t know what frame friend L. 
uses, but hope he will inform us. 
: ^ roft, d from one *u%rm, 4 others, 
and 4.14 lbs. of honey. The old stock had at the cmi 
of the season at least 40 lbs. of honey and 30 each for 
the young swarms, two of the young swarms made a 
part oi the 4:41 lbs. From 5 strong and 8 weak colonics, 
I got about 1600 lbs. of honey which hero, was as good 
as $240.00, and had in the fall 16 very heavy swarms. 
1 have never seen so good a season for bees as this. In 
this place. 1 have never taken a Journal until Mr. 
Davis sent Gleanings to me. Mr. Davis has taken 
much pains to show me how to manage my bees, when 
* „ ve visaed him; he lives ten miles from here. 
From one of my hives I got 2 f> lbs. in 8 day 8, from 
another 37 % in 7 days. 
West Windsor, Mich. J. L. Lewis. 
Arc wc not right in thinking, all things taken 
into consideration, that the evidence in favor of 
a larger frame than the Standard is just about 
equal to that in favor of a smaller, and no more; 
and : 1 1 • i \ not the same be said of both length, 
and depth. 
