THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



153 



colonies strong- during the wliole aum- 

 mer, and it is the strong- colonies that 

 count in giving us our surplus. The 

 mere fact of having a large number of 

 colonies does not amount to anything- 

 unless they are strong in bees and are 

 well cared for at all times. 



In making your increase this way 

 your new swarm on the old stand is in 

 tine shape to receive a super filled with 

 sections when j^ou take the top hive 

 away, as it has a large working- force 

 backed up by having its hive nearly 

 full of brood. They will go at once 

 into the sections and have no thought 

 of swarming. The old hive that was 

 on the top will soon have a laying queen 

 and with young bees hatching rapidly 

 the young queen has plentj' of room to 

 lay. Tlie}^ can now be given a super 

 of sections and no thought of swarm- 

 ing. 



If 3'ou have done 3^our'duty with your 

 bees as I recommended by feeding- a 

 little warm sugar S3^rup ever}' evening 

 up to the time the main hone}' flow 

 commences and have kept them covered 

 snug and warm, j'ou will have on June 

 loth two good strong colonies instead 

 of one, read}' to commence work on 

 your clover harvest. From an exten- 

 sive experience along this line I find I 

 can get nearly twice the amount of 

 surplus by dividing- as above stated 

 over any other method. 



RUBBER BANDS. 



How They May be Used in Transferring 

 Bees. 



In transferring- bees from box hives, 

 the experienced bee-keeper may well 

 use what Mr. James Heddon calls the 

 modern method, that of driving out the 

 bees and hiving- them on sheets of 

 foundation, then three weeks later, 

 driving again, when the old combs are 

 left free from brood, and may be ren- 

 dered into wax. This work must be 

 done about swarming--time, when the 

 weather is warm and there is a honey- 

 flow. For the novice, or in transfer- 

 ring from one style of movable comb 

 hive to another, the old fashioned 

 method is preferable; when the fasten- 

 ing in of the combs is quite important. 



Some wind strings around the combs, 

 others tack sticks across the frames, 

 but what seems to me the best way of 

 all was described in Gleanings, l.-^st 

 October, by Grant Stanley, of N is bet, 

 Penn. 



Here is what he says: — 



In transferring comb from one size 

 frameto another, or from a box to an itn- 

 proved hive, why not throw awa}' the 

 splints and string-s used formerly, and 

 use medium strong rubber bands? 

 Stretch a band over each cap; and if the 

 pieces of comb are small, one can be 

 placed in the center of the frame. In the 

 manipulation of the frames after the 

 bees have fastened the comb to the wood, 

 press the blade of a sharp knife on the 

 bands where they cross the top-bar 

 and they will fly out of the way. 



Commenting- upon the foreg-oing-. 

 Editor Root Sa3's : — 



Your sugg-estion of rubber bands is 

 most excellent, and I believe it is ahead 

 of any thing else that has ever been 

 suggested. The.}' are novp so cheap 

 that the cost would be practically 

 nothing-. After the bees have got the 

 combs fast in the frames it would not 

 even be necessary to remove the frames. 

 Just run a sharp knife over the top- 

 bar through each rubber band and 

 they will fl}' off the frame quicker than 

 you can say it. down to the bottom- 

 board. The objection to a string is 

 that the bees do not alwa3's g-naw it 

 away. Practicalh', it is necessary to 

 remove the brood-frame, cut the string 

 and then unwind. The suggestion of 

 the rubber band is worth considerable, 

 and I have marked it to be incorporated 

 in our A B C of Bee Culture, providing 

 it proves to be satisfactory in our bee- 

 3'ards. 



"I LIKE MY JOB." 



Some Things That Enthusiasm Will Do. 



I doubt if it is fulh' realized that en- 

 thusiasm is great force; that it will 

 enable a man to do more work, and 

 stand a greater strain. One of the 

 best illustrations that I have seen along- 

 this line is contained in the follow- 

 ing- clipped from the Ladies' Home 

 Journal. 



