I50 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



jiiattors; for proof or lack of proof 

 i!> siuiply a matter of good iogic. 



l^tiiuulative feeding for spring is one 

 practice \\ iiose valne is unproved, 

 lience it cannot be included in the list 

 of essentials. Tt lias beci said l.itcly 

 it is desirable in Colorado- bid (ii- 

 ^-incing proof has not been given. 

 If feeding stimulates that does not 

 prove that the stimulation is protitable. 

 From the view point of this locality, 

 Uiere are two questions involved: 1. 

 Which is better, a strong colony of 

 old bees, wliose vitality is unimpaired 

 liy previous brood-rearing, or a wesik 

 colony of youQg bees tl!irty-se\en days 

 before the flow, that being the time; 

 reciuired to rear honey-gathers fror.\ 

 the egg? 2. When natural pollen (thi! 

 best kind of a stimulant) begins, as it 

 does here, more than thirty-seven days 

 before the flow, and continues without 

 .1 break, is it any additioiial stinuil.-i- 

 lion to feed thin honey? In a:^swer 

 to the first question, one experience 

 in cellar-wintering here shows t]iat a 

 comparatively late start in brood-rear- 

 ing with strong colonies of vigorous 

 old bees, which start was still, hov.'ev- 

 er, more than thii-ty-seven days be- 

 lore the flov, . produced results just 

 as good as the usual handful of brood 

 kept up from January on. resulting in 

 weak coloides by the first of May. To 

 be sure, natural pollen begins rather 

 late here, not till the last week of 

 April, and bees will take artificial pol- 

 len eageriy before that time, and it 

 cerainly does stimulate tnem; but it is 

 very doul)tful whether that stimulation 

 is any real good. As to the second 

 (juestion, anyone fanuli-ir with tlie 

 normal aspect of tbe brood-chandiers 

 here in the middle of May— brom! 

 sheets of brooii with eomparat i\-(>!y 

 few l)ees— and who concludes that tlie 

 bees can lu> stimulated more Ih.in they 

 are, must have some considerations in 

 ndnd whi(.h are not apparent tj tlM,> 



undei'standing of this writer. If Ihere 

 is one thing in winch tiieui-etical view-; 

 fie dondnant it is in this matter of 

 stimulation AVhere aie the proofs? 



The proper method of keeping the 

 M\es free of aroiie-cojub is also open 

 to much difference of opinion. By the 

 time the readers get this issiie it v.'ili 

 be the middle of July, just the time to 

 test tiie after results of hiving swarms 

 on starters in the bro()d-cIiaml)er vs. 

 full sheets of foundation. Anyone whj 

 lias ever ti'ied it knows how much 

 time is consumed in wiring frames, and 

 what an e.xpense it is to buy full 

 siieets of foundation. Moreover, some 

 ( omb-honey producers ha^'e made com- 

 juirative tests of the amount of surplus 

 piocnred from swarms hived on full 

 sheets in the i)rood chamlver, compared 

 with the surplus from others hived 

 en starters in the laood-chamber, and 

 the swarms a\ ith starters below eamo 

 out ahead; naturally, for Avith full 

 sheets below too much honey is stored 

 liclow at the very start, at the expense 

 of the surplus department. Compare 

 the plan of hi\ing on starters, then re- 

 noving the frames containing drone- 

 combs as soon as the whole brood- 

 chand>er is built out. sulistituting full 

 sheets of foundation for those fe^v 

 coml)S. If this is done when there 

 is still plenty of time before the tlow 

 stops for tlie bees to get their l)rood- 

 nest in noriual condition for A\int<'r 

 b.y having the major portion of each 

 (ond) stuffed full of sealed honey, one 

 will be the gainer by as many sheets 

 of foundation as would ha\e been used 

 ill those frames which actually contain 

 all worker coml) built from starters. 

 Y(>s, but how about those extr;t combs 

 taken out? Not a bit of loss. Don't 

 all bee keepers sooner or later bemoan 

 then- lack of for(>sight in not having 

 some exti'a combs of honey? WIt^ 

 would ever us<> a feedi^r, and buy feed. 

 to bring up a si)ring sl'.orlage of stores, 



