Beekeeping in the Tulip-Tree Region. 11 
Little modification in beekeeping practices is necessary where the 
beekeeper has one or more of these plants as important honey 
sources in addition to the tulip-tree. Some beekeepers in the moun- 
tains utilize honey from the tulip-tree for brood-rearing, because 
the honey is dark and brings a lower price than does that from 
sourwood. Since to get a crop from the tulip-tree requires that the 
colonies be strong unusually early, the chief difficulty is in keeping 
the bees from swarming during the tulip-tree bloom and in keeping 
up the colony strength until July by continued brood-rearing. 
Swarm-control methods are given farther on. The continuation of 
egg-laying may best be insured by frequent requeening from prolific 
stock. If it is desired to use the tulip-tree honey for brood-rearing, 
it should be taken from the hives before any lighter honey is gath- 
ered and should especially not be in the hives during the blooming 
period of the sourwood, for if the light honey is mixed with the dark 
the market value is reduced. The black locust is a valuable source 
of white honey when the weather is good during the blooming period 
of a few days, but its secreting period so nearly coincides with that 
of the tulip-tree that it is rarely possible to get that honey sepa- 
rately. 
EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDED. 
Many beekeepers in the region where the tulip-tree thrives have 
their bees in “ gums” and box-hives, and it can not be too strongly 
recommended that these be transferred as rapidly as possible to mod- 
ern movable-frame hives. For methods of transferring, see Farmers’ 
Bulletin 961. The complaint is often heard in this region that the 
“patent gums,” as movable-frame hives are often called, are too 
expensive, but it will pay any thoughtful beekeeper to borrow the 
money to buy the better hives if this is necessary. The advantage of 
being able to handle the bees far outweighs the cost of equipment. 
The 10-frame Langstroth hive, now manufactured by all factories 
making beehives, is the one best suited to the practices here given for 
beekeeping in this region. This hive is not patented. Care should 
be exercised to get accurately made hives and frames. The spacing 
of the frames should be accurate and the parts of all hives should be 
interchangeable. It should be emphasized that transferring bees to 
modern hives will not be profitable unless the bees are then properly 
cared for. If neglected, they will probably not do so well in new 
hives as they did in the “ gums.” 
The combs of the brood chamber should be all of worker-sized 
cells. This condition may be obtained best by the use of full sheets 
of comb-foundation, and no beekeeper of this region can afford to. 
use merely starters of foundation. The frames should be carefully 
