9 March, 1908.] Absconding Swarms of Bees. 133 



vigor of the plant. On the whole, the stooling was a little better, and 

 flag more abundant. Germination in many cases was also more advanced 

 than on either the bare fallow or rape fallow. The soil itself on the 

 subsoiled portion was more mellow and worked up finer. 



I anticipate that the effects of the subsoiling will last another year. 

 after which that portion of the fields will be worked up deeply again. 



General Review of the Work up to Date. 



After three seasons' work on these fields, a review of what has been 

 achieved and what features promise to reveal themselves in the future is 

 interesting. 



The most useful purpose t>f the fields so far has been the demonstration 

 of the superiority of Federation wheat G\er all other varieties grown 

 alongside it under identical conditions. This in itself has already had 

 an appreciable effect on the wheat production throughout the State, and 

 when more universally grown its suitability to almost every class of soil 

 Avill be manifested. Another valuable object lesson, in the direction of 

 soil treatment, appears likely to be furnished as the experiment progresses. 

 Manure tests have confirmed the superiority of the superphosphate over 

 other forms of phosphatic manures, and furthermore demonstrated the 

 inutility of using more than from 50 to 70 lbs. per acre. The addition 

 of nitrogenous and potassic manures has not produced sufficiently increased 

 yields to justify the extra cost of application. 



On the whole, while much yet remains to be done, the experimental 

 work has justified its practical worth to the wheat farmer, and I am 

 hopeful that the work projected in the future will further demonstrate 

 the fact that the Department is in entire sympathy with the wheat far- 

 mer, and will not permit any reasonable expense to stand in the way of 

 solving, the problems of his industry. 



abscondtxCt swarms of bees. 



R. Bciilnic. Prciidciit, Yicloriaii Apiarists' Association. 



The absconding of swarms is a source of annoyance to the beekeeper 

 at any time and during, or just before, a honey flow it is a serious loss. 



There are quite a number of causes which induce bees, after swarming 

 and hiving, to swarm out once more and depart. Occasionally it may also 

 happen that a swarm will issue from a hive and fly straight away without 

 first, as swarms usually do, settling in a cluster on some object not very 

 far from the hive. A swarm which absconds without first settling is nearly 

 always from a hive which by some means has lost its laying queen and 

 the queen which accompanies the swarm is a virgin queen raised from the 

 brood which was left when the old queen died or failed. As it takes 

 sixteen days from the egg to the emerging of the queen, and a few more 

 days before the young queen is ready to take wing, very little if any brood 

 will be left when she takes her mating flight, which is about five days 

 after hatching. As she leaves the hive the bees follow as a swarm and 

 usually depart with her. It is of course impossible to entirely prevent 



