110 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



Four years ago we moved 50 colonies 

 in chaff hives, to Tustin, 70 miles from 

 here. We set them in the yard the 4th 

 day of August, with not' five pounds of 

 honey in a hive, and very little brood. 



We put on supers and went home. 

 In 10 days we heard they were swarm- 

 ing lively; and in 25 days after moving, 

 they had stored enough honej' to 

 winter, and made 1,000 pounds of sur- 

 plus comb honey. 



The next spring we moved up 25 col- 

 onies more to hold our number good, 

 and to consume the honey left by the 

 colonies that died in the winter. The 

 second winter we put 95 colonies into 

 winter quarters, and had 50 in the 

 spring — most of. them were mere hand- 

 fuls. We went home, after building 

 them up the best we could, and giving 

 lots of room, and in three weeks were 

 surprised to hear that the\' were 

 swarming every day. 



It will surprise 3'ou when all of the 

 most approved plans of shook-swarm- 

 ing and dividing fail, and nothing will 

 stop swarming except to take away 

 the old queens. 



We have two out-yards run for comb 

 honey, and do not allow swarming ex- 

 cept as one sometimes gets the start of 

 us. 



Swarming is the problem to solve 

 when running for section honey. 



I think your plan for securing ex- 

 tracted honey is good. 



I think clamps will not compare with 

 chaff hives for wintering. Nothing, 

 short of the cellar, will be successful 

 in northern Michigan. 



TEI.L us HOW TO PRODUCK COMB HONKV 

 AND NOT HAVE SWAKMS. 



Why don't you run for comb honey, 

 and teach us something ? Any body 

 can run for extracted. Comb honey is 

 worth twice as much as extracted, and 

 will sell four times as easy. We never 

 get enough nice early honey to supplj' 

 the demand. 



Here are a few of the things I want 

 to know: 



1st. How to keep a large apiary to- 

 gether until the honey is completed ? 



2nd. The easiest way to get rid of 

 old queens, and have all young queens 

 in the bee yard in the fall, and, at the 

 same time, keep the colonies all strong, 

 and ready for all harvests ? 



3rd. How to keep bees from wanting 

 to swarm ? 



4th. How to get all nice clean honey 

 without travel stains ? 



Then we can have all honey of fancy 

 grade. 



Next spring I shall put supers on all 

 my colonies iust as soon as they are 

 strong enough to take two, 45-pound 

 supers, each. Then, if they will 

 swarm after this, I will take away 

 their old queens. After all desire for 

 swarming has passed, I will requeen 

 again. I requeened 300 colonies last 

 year, while I prevented swarming, and 

 think I did not lose a pound of honey 

 by re-queening. Some colonies .Sulked 

 and would not work, and some used 

 all their energ3' in raising brood, but 

 would not make any surplus. This 

 year I shall try to head off the desire 

 to swarm and sulk, and, at the same 

 time, start all at work as fast as they 

 can occupy two large supers. A super 

 that holds less than 32 pounds is "no 

 good" here, only to cause excessive 

 swarming. 



If you ripen your extracted honej' 

 good, on the hives, you will have 

 swarming just the same as we do. 



SOMR HARD NUTS FOR SMART BKK MKN 

 TO CRACK. 



The bee-deeping world lias only be- 

 gun to learn the art of producing comb 

 honey, and I would like to .see a few of 

 the smartest bee men practice comb 

 honey raising. Shook-swarming will 

 not work where red raspberries grow. 

 I have seen 10 or 12 colonies shook one 

 day, and swarm out in the next two or 

 three days. I want these smart bee 

 men to go where red raspberries grow 

 in profusion, and learn how to secure 



