Nov. 17, 1904. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



775 



sand colonies of bees in out-apiaries, mix in other busi- 

 ness, and be a successful bee-man. If he must increase his 

 business let him keep more bees. He should even leave the 

 gardening- for the "lady of the house " to superintend. 



It is decidedly best that a camping^ outfit be prepared, 

 with a wag-on and team, atid during the busy season live 

 most of the time with the bees, being certain to spend all 

 Sundays at home with the family, and, if possible, attend 

 church and Sunday-school with them. While this may not 

 appear to be a part of the successful management of out- 

 apiaries, yet I believe the keeping of the Sabbath, and rest 

 from all labors of a secular nature, has a tendency to rest 

 one's mind, and gives greater zest for the following week's 

 work, for 



■' A Sabbath well spent. 

 Brings a week of content ", etc. 



The spring management of out-apiaries is not unlike 

 that laid down by our best writers, sufi5ce it to say that a 

 part of this management should begin the previous fall ; 

 with young queens and plenty of stores all will surely go 

 well until we strike that awful snag of swarming in out- 

 apiaries. Here's where the out-apiary man's work begins 

 in earnest ; and I will say that this is by far the most 

 knotty problem that confronts the man that tries to manage 

 successfully out-apiaries. We must work our bees to have 

 the minimum of swarming. 



In the production of bulk-comb and extracted honey, 

 by proper manipulations swarming can be practically con- 

 trolled — by the spreading and scattering of brood, making 

 artificial increase, and by the " shook swarm " methods. 

 These manipulations, to prevent swarming, might also be 

 applied to the producer of comb honey in the one-pound 

 sections. 



One of the most important points is to have all colonies 

 strong in bees at the beginning of the honey-flow, and if 

 we can keep down swarming until the honey-flow begins 

 all will be safe, as a heavy flow of honey almost invariably 

 cuts oflF all desire to swarm, . . 



The bee-keeper's attention is now turned to directing 

 the best efi^orts of the little workers, giving frames of foun- 

 dation and necessary room at the proper time. With 10 

 yards of 100 colonies each on his hands, even with efficient 

 help he may expect to work days, and drive several miles 

 after night. It is economy to have plenty of good help at 

 this time in order to keep up all parts of the work, for a de- 

 lay at this most critical time means irreparable loss, for the 

 honey-flow is passing, and it is absolutely necessary that 

 the proper room and attention be given when needed. All 

 hives, supers, frames, etc., must be on the ground, and in 

 good condition long before this date. Boxes of foundation 

 can be stored at the yards, or can be carried from yard to 

 yard as convenience or necessity demands. 



A few weeks of this sort of work and the honey-flow is 



over. The honey is then left on the hives until it is thor- 

 oughly ripened and sealed. 



The great rush over, we can take our work a little 

 easier, but if the flow has been good there is much and 

 heavy work ahead of us in the taking off and preparing our 

 product for the market. At each yard there is honey to be 

 extracted, combs to be cut out and fitted into cans, cleanly 

 and neatly done. 



We have an extracting tent built in the form of an inverted 

 box, 14 or 16 feet square, with S-foot ropes attached to each 

 of the four corners, also one rope attached to the center of 

 the cone-shaped roof, which is thrown over the limb of a 

 tree and drawn to the proper hight. The corners of the side 

 walls are then drawn out to the proper position, and the 

 ropes are tied to posts already prepared. A double fold of 

 the cloth for a door near one corner is left unsewed for this 

 purpose, and in two minutes our bee-roof tent is erected, 

 and in like time it can be taken down, folded and put into a 

 sack ready for transportation to the next yard. After the 

 tent is set a first-class reversible Cowan honey-extractor is 

 placed in position and thoroughly anchored. Then, with 

 keen uncapping knives and honey-vessels on hand, we as 

 systematically as possible remove the honey from the hives, 

 taking it into the tent, where, by the helpers, it is prepared 

 and packed as the nicest, purest, and best article of com- 

 merce that comes from the State of Texas. 



This is a brief outline of the most important of the 

 work I have been following, and expect to follow the com- 

 ing season. Doubtless many of you have some shorter 

 cuts, and perhaps better methods, all of which we wish to 

 hear discussed. W. H. Laws. 



Mr. Stachelhausen told how, by the use of the shallow 

 frame, he tried to overcome the swarming propensity of the 

 bees in out-apiaries, and, unlike the writer of the foregoing 

 paper, all the honey from his out-apiaries he hauled to his 

 home honey-house, where it was then extracted, combs cut 

 out, and placed in cans and prepared for market. The 

 combs from which the honey was extracted were afterward 

 hauled out and returned to the bees from which they were 

 taken. His crop this season — all bulk comb — was 20,000 

 pounds. 



Mr. Hyde then told that they had an extracting-house 

 on wheels, and this was taken to the out-yards, the honey 

 extracted, combs at once returned to the bees, the honey 

 barreled, and the comb honey hauled home and packed for 

 market at their leisure. 



Messrs. Victor, Knolle, Will Atchley, Powell, and 

 others, practically agreed with the writer of the paper, and 

 practiced the same plans of management with some little 

 variations. 



W. O. Victor then described his bee-tent, which was 

 identical with that of Mr. Laws. 



(Concluded aext week.) 



The " Old Reliable " seen through New and Unreliable Glasses. By E. E. Hastt, Sta. B Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



BDILDING WALLS AROUND HOMES. 



Garden walls in Ireland — what substantial things they 

 are sometimes ! They say not only, " Beasts keep out ", 

 but, "Men keep out"; and, "Fellow men, you must not 

 even see in. This is our garden ". Needless to say that I 

 like the tone and spirit of Ohio, as it used to be 50 years ago 

 much better than this. The Ohio of to-day is getting to be 

 an Ireland fast. And when we get fortress-like walls 

 around our gardens then the east and south aspects will be 

 nice places to string along bees. Page 679. D 



OBJECTS cOF BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATIONS."^ 



As to the objects of beekeepers' associations, perhaps 

 Ireland is morally ahead. They openly propose— some of 

 them do— to better the . iidition of cottagers by getting 

 them to keep bees. Such ^ policy would be voted down in 

 some of our associations : surmise. But they have over 



there also the society which speaks only of the benefit of its 

 own members — and you have to hold $5.00 of stock to be a 

 member. Well enough to bear in mind that (like the sheep 

 and goats of the last day) associations are of two kinds. 

 Some are self-seeking and some are public-weal-seeking. 

 All right to be both in one if honestly so. Page 678. 



THAT CONFECTIONERY " PASTE ". 



The " Paste of Marshmallow Root with Honey ", on 

 page 682, is not a new device to keep labels from peeling 

 off bright tin, but a confectionery to eat — something on the 

 style of jujube paste. I suspect some readers got mixed 

 on it. 



RENT PAID FOR AN OUT-APIARY. 



It is of interest to hear that many people in Texas will 

 not take pay for letting an out-apiary stand on their prop- 

 erty. And the bee-folks have partly settled it that 10 cents 



