500 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 21, 1904. 



second swarm might issue in a week or less. Some casualty 

 might happen to the queen — she might be unable to fly, and 

 issuing with a swarm might be lost, the swarm returning 

 to the hive. Then a swarm would issue as soon as the first 

 emerging young queen was ready to go with it, and if the 

 bee-keeper should have failed to see the previous abortive 

 attempt at swarming, he would be surprised to see what he 

 called a second swarm issuing within a day or two after the 

 first. 



The Germans are wise to insist that the important 

 thing is to learn theory as a groundwork for practice. 



Appreciated Appreciation. 



In the last American Bee-Keeper appears an article 

 headed, "Let the Honey Get Ripe," with the following 

 appreciative words of introduction : 



"The agricultural press, in general, usually makes a mess of any- 

 thing attempted in the line of apiarian discussions, but the following. 

 from the Florida Farmer and Fruit Grower, is a rare exception to this 

 rule, and the comment and suggestions are so excellent that we have 

 pleasure in reprinting it in the American Bee-Keeper.'' 



Then follows in full the editorial, " Extracting and 

 Marketing Unripe Honey," to be found on pape 131 of the 

 American Bee Journal for Feb. 25, 1904. It is gratifying 

 to know that the article is so fully appreciated, and the 

 Florida Farmer and Fruit Grower shows excellent taste in 

 making its selections, but it would be still more gratifying 

 if the Florida Farmer and Fruit Grower would imitate the 

 courtesy of the American Bee-Keeper by giving full credit 

 to the source from which its selections are made. 



Treatment of After-Swarms. 



In general it is best to prevent after-swarms, and the 

 plan given on page 435 will usually prove successful. But 

 " accidents will happen in the best of families," and it is 

 well that the novice should know how to proceed if an after- 

 swarm issues. 



The old rule was to return to the parent colony an after- 

 swarm as often as it issued, and except for the labor in- 

 volved in returning a number of times the rule was good. 

 The philosophy of the plan is this : 



When a prime swarm issues, a number of queen-cells 

 are in the hive, and in a week or more the virgins in these 

 cells are ready to issue. If further swarming is contem- 

 plated, only one virgin is allowed to emerge, the others 

 being guarded in their cells by the workers. A second 

 swarm issues with the free queen, and it may be that only 

 one of the remaining virgins will be allowed to emerge, 

 which virgin will accompany a third swarm, and this may 

 continue until four or more swarms have issued. Generally, 

 however, the colony is so weakened by the issuing of the 

 second swarm that all virgins are allowed to emerge, a 

 royal battle occurs, and only one aspirant for royal honors 

 is left. If the second swarm be at once returned, the vir- 

 gins may be kept in, and it may be necessary to return the 

 swarm several times. To avoid this, hive the first afttr- 

 swarm that issues, a>nd leave it standing in the shade for 24 

 hours. Then shake the bees down in front of the mother 

 colony, letting the bees run in. The mother colony, during 

 that 24 hours, will have allowed all virgins to emerge from 

 their cells, and there will be no more swarming. 



'• The Hum of. the Bees in the Apple-Tree Bloom " is 

 the name of the finest bee-keeper's song — words by Hon- 

 Eugene Secor and music by Dr. C. C. Miller. This is 

 thought by some to be the best bee-song yet written by Mr. 

 Secor and Dr. Miller. It is, indeed, a "hummer." We can 

 furnish a single copy of it postpaid, for 10 cents, or 3 copies 

 for 25 cents. Or, we will mail a half-dozen copies of it for 

 sending us one new yearly subscription to the American 

 Bee Journal at $1.00. 





Miscellaneous Items 





Jas. A. Green, bee-inspector for Mesa Co., Colo., wrote 

 wrote us July 8 : 



" The honey-flow so far this season has been very light ; 

 very few swarms and very little honey. Causes : Cool 

 weather and overstocking." 



General Manager N. E. France, of Grant Co., Wis., 

 writing us July 7, reported that there was not much show 

 for a honey harvest in • southern Wisconsin, but that ttiere 

 is an abundance of alsike in central Wisconsin, with a fair 

 harvest prospect. 



Hon. E. Whltcomb, of Saline Co., Nebr., one of the 

 board of directors of the National Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 has an article on " Nebraska Honey-Bees," in The Saturday 

 Summary, published at Beatrice, Nebr. Mr. Whitcomb is 

 entertaining both as a speaker and as a writer, either on 

 bees or on any other subject that he takes up. 



Prof. Geo. E. Thompson, for many years editor of the 

 publications of the Government Bureau of Animal Indus- 

 try, Washington, D. C, is a candidate for the office of 

 Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, to succeed the late 

 lamented Mr. Brigham. We trust that President Roosevelt 

 will appoint Prof. Thompson, as we believe he possesses 

 the qualifications necessary to fill that high position with 

 satisfaction to all. 



Car-Load of Texas Bee-Keepers for St. Louis.— H. 



H. Hyde, of Floresville, Tex., is making up a car-load of 

 bee-keepers to go to the St. Louis convention together. The 

 train will leave San Antonio the evening of Sept. 24, over 

 " Katy." Those who are going, from that region, and wish 

 to get with this crowd, or join it on its way out of Texas, 

 should write to Mr. Hyde for full particulars and sleeper 

 rates. It's the best way to go. No one who was in the spe- 

 cial car-load to the Los Angeles convention last August will 

 ever forget that trip. It was a bee-keepers' meeting over 2000 

 miles long. 



[ Convention Proceedings | 



Report of the Michigan State Bee-Keepers' 

 Convention. 



BY K. B. TYRRELI,, SEC. 



(Continued from page 487.] 

 COMB OR BXTRACTED HONEY — WHICH ? 



QuES. — " Which is more profitable to produce, comb or 

 extracted honey 7" 



Mr. Larrabee produces comb honey, but will change to 

 extracted next season. He really favors comb honey, but 

 hasn't the time for it. He would use the Langstroth hive, 

 either 8 or 10 frame. 



Mr. Griggs favors comb honey. He uses both bee-way 

 and plain sections, but favors the plain sections. He is not 

 sure that he gets as much honey with separators, but he 

 gets it in better shape. He prefers tl;e lOframe hive, as it 

 requires less work and attention, a. id uses full sheets of 

 foundation in both brood department nd supers. He hives 

 the new swarm on the old stand, pn supers from the old 



