234 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



using it to prepare for the future; and 

 in closing- the honey season, perhaps 

 the paramount tliought should be to 

 close it in such a way, that we will be 

 best prepared for the future; remem- 

 bering, always, the better the condi- 

 tion our bees are placed in in August, 

 the better they will -winter; and Ihe 

 better they winter, the better (as a 

 rule) will l)e our crop next season. 



In order to secure these conditions, 

 every colony siiould be provided with 

 a laying queen, or else broken up. and 

 liie stores used where they will do the 

 most good. Now is a good time to do 

 some sensible equalizing; and all 

 nuclei and weak colonies should be 

 given enough nurse bees so that every 

 queen can close the breeding season 

 doing her very best. 



GIVE UNFINISHED SECTIONS, INSTEAD 



OF EMPTY SUPERS TO STRONG 



COLONIES. 



With regai'd to the manipulating of 

 the surplus arrangement in this locali- 

 ty, all medium colonies should be re- 

 duced to one super from a week to 

 10 days before the close of the honey 

 season. All supers should be removed 

 from colonies that are making no pro- 

 gress in them, or show a disposition 

 to remove honey from the outside 

 combs. When the honey is being 

 cased, all of the best of the unfinished 

 sections can be placed in supers by 

 themselves, and marked "go backs;" 

 these can be placed upon the most 

 powerful colonies (those that have fin- 

 ished their work or nearly so) to be 

 rtiushed up as No. 2 honey. Thou- 

 sands of pounds that are extracted or 

 sold as cull honey, could be so finish- 

 ed if given to good strong colonies in- 

 stead of giving them an empty super 

 of starters at or near the close of the 

 season. I say No. 2 honey, as at least 

 GU per cent of it would be No. 2, be- 

 cause a good strong colony will do 

 better work, even near the close of 

 the season, than a much weaker one 



in the main flow, hence the sections 

 are more or less ridged at the place 

 where the strong colony began work, 

 and are better filled at the lower end. 

 While the weight may be good, the 

 attractive appearance has ])een spoiled. 

 Now comes a critical time with the 

 operator, for he does not care to strip 

 his apiaries until he has secured about 

 all the surplus possible, yet he should 

 have all supers off just before the close 

 of the honey flow; not only because 

 he Avill have more finished honey 

 than he would if he left it on for a 

 few days after the flow has entirely 

 ceased, but because it is much more 

 pleasant to finish up work with the 

 bees; besides, it leaves the apiaries 

 in a quiet condition at the close of the 

 season and without any tendency to 

 rol). As the last supers are removed 

 is the time to secure some nice drawn 

 combs for next season's bait combs 

 if one desires to do so. 



GETTING "bait SECTIONS" FOR 

 NEXT YEAR. 



Perhaps 30 to 40 per cent of the col- 

 onies, when the last super is removed, 

 will have their honey all sealed and 

 be in such a condition that they will 

 completely fill with bees an empty su- 

 per (furnished with starters) and draw 

 the starters out to one-half depth 

 comb in 48 hours. Now I trust no one 

 will put on a lot of supers and leave 

 them on all through the Autumn to be 

 gnawed, and yellowed, and spoiled, 

 but if it is done at all, remove the su- 

 pers of nice drawn combs before lhe:s 

 are spoiled. 



A physician in writing his prescrip- 

 tion for us to take medicine by al- 

 ways says "take as indicated" and I 

 always think this a good suggestion 

 Avith regard to our work in closing the 

 season "do as indicated." 



Longmont, Colo.. July 20. 1!)03. 



