<<<< What size supers do you use Sid Pullinger?  You must be 115 or so
aren't you, with all your tales of beekeeping early in the century  :)>>>>>
 
Sorry to disappoint you.  Although that is the age I feel sometimes you are
way out chronologically.  I started beekeeping in 1930 so I am knocking on a
bit, as they say hereabouts.  Old men often reminisce about the "good old
days" which usually were not good at all.  However, for me as a hobby
beekeeper they were excellent.  Farmers had not learnt about blanket
spraying, hedges were rampant, weeds everywhere and hay fields full of
colour.  When the sun shone the nectar poured in and there was no oil seed
rape (canola) to force one into hasty extraction.
We have a hotch-potch collection of hives here, six different types of
broodchamber and I have tried most of them at different times.  Usual
practice is to keep the queen on deep combs under an excluder and use
shallows for supers.  Depending on the broodchamber used the super combs
range from the British standard, a  small comb, to the largest, the Dadant
shallow.  I ran Dadants for many years and those supers want some lifting.
A common hive around here is of Langstroth width but Dadant depth, and
referred to as the Jumbo,  using Langstroth shallows as supers.  The
commonest hive to be found is the National, which has small combs and is too
small for a good queen,  so that two brood chambers or one and a super are
necessary.
Long ago we followed the Kenyan TBH with a long, single storied hive using
standard brood combs, designed for the older beekeeper who had got beyond
the heavy lifting stage.  Many of us took part in the testing but the
results were disappointing.  Most extractors took only super frames, the
yields were lower and the bees appeared reluctant to travel sideways.
Gradually the experiment fizzled out and the hives became storage chests.
Now I have reached the old age, creaking back stage perhaps it is time for
me to turn to the KTBH.  Over the last two years I have been trying an
alternative.  I split several Dadant broodchambers in half to give two five
comb boxes making a two storied set.  On top go similar half sized shallows.
With four or five supers this makes a very tall hive but no heavy lifting.
It would be too unstable in the open air but I have a large beehouse where
they are quite safe.  Results so far are promising.
From someone who has read as far as this I would appreciate some
information.  Years ago I had occasion to compile statistics on world honey
production, country by country.  Most of this came from the USDA.  Do they
still issue these figures and if so how can I obtain them?              Sid P.
_________________________________________________________________
Sid Pullinger                    Email :  [log in to unmask]
36, Grange Rd                Compuserve:  [log in to unmask]
Alresford
Hants SO24 9HF
England