Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-16
"LET ALONE" METHOD IN BEEKEEPINC|
Allen Latham Shows Something New in Apary Worx-Nor- wich Man Breaks Out New Trail in Bee Colony Man agement.

Is to spare, and leaving the bees to their own devices until the following year. The colonies on that remote strip of sand yield him an average of 8 hundred pounds each every year.
 His Unique Hive.
 The unique hive with which these seeming wonders are accomplished is well worth description. Ii Is a box about three feet long by eighteen inch es wide and deep. The bottom Is nail ed on and the cover has a three-inch rim which fits over the body of the hive, making 1t rainproof. The whole hive is covered with one of the black asphalt roofing papers. The entrance extends across one end of the hive and is an inch high. It has a grill of nails to prevent the ingress of mice in winter This entrance is left wide open the year around.
 Made from Old Packing Cases.
 Most of these hives are made from old packing cases which may be bought very cheaply. These are knock ed apart, the nails are removed and
 the boards are cut to the proper di- mensions with a footpower circular saw. Most of the stock is of half-inch thickness. The frames are made by
 
 hive all ready for the bees costs s1.50 for material and $1.50 for labor The frames hang parallel to the en- trance, seven at the front being used for a brood nest. Back of these is placed sheet of queen excluding metal, and behind that are set four teen or fifteen frames for the honey crop. The frames for the brood nest are wired and fitted with full sheets of comb foundation. Those in the honey compartment have a vertical bar in the center instead of horizontal wires, and have only starters" of comb foundation affixed to the top bars. The frames are approximately seventeen and half by fifteen inches. and the top and end bars when the frames are in place touch the whole length. The lower corners of the frames touch a beveled strip extend ing along the lower corners of the hive, making an air chamber between frames and hive. The frames hang about two inches below the upper edge of the hive.
 Bees Established in the Front. The bees are established in the front part of the hivs and left to them selves. When they have filled this they spread through the metal exclud- CT, build combs and store their honey in the frames there. Since the queen cannot follow, the delicate combs con- tain nothing but honey. By the ar rangement of the frames and the hab- It's of the bees the various kinds of honey arc pretty well separated and the light may be kept separate from the dark, or if flavors vary more than the colors the mild and the strong hsN al e..
 by sampling the combs as they are removed.
 Economical Extraction. When the combs of honey are taken from the hives they are cut from the frames and dropped into large square
 cans, the tops of which are wide open. When the cans are hlled tight fit ting ceYer is adjusted and locked on, and they are ready for shipment to ! the owners home. The cans are fit ted into strcng wooden cases cleated for easy dandling They hold about one hundred pounds each. When the honey reaches it's destination it is enptled into large strainers, any un- broken comb is crushed and the honey is allowed to diain out In about a ! week almost all of 1t is out, he crush ed comb Is removed and melted and | I uI InlS AlStUS, HIS pg -PFOGuCJ more than pays for the cost of production. l It Is commonly taught and believed 1 that more honey can be secured by 1 extracting it from the combs with the 1 centrifugal extractor and by returning l the combs to the bees for r5a1lling. Mir. l Ls'ham matatains, however that the | increase is so slight that when the l increased amount Of labor and the dif-
 ference in the amount of wax secured 1 are considered, his way is far more ! profitable.
 In the Home Yard.
 In the home yard he produces mostly 1 comb honey is sections, using for the 1 purpose the conventional type of hive with the surplus compartment above | the brood chamber. He also rears all | of his queens at home and makes his l increase of colonies for stocking his | outyards. He hes unique building
 n which to handle his honey, store
 his extra combs and winter his little | queen nuclei and baby colonies.