Oct. 3, 1901. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



631 



consumers only. This objection is especially raised in Ger- 

 many, where small hives are used. 



If large hives are used all the year around, there will 

 be strong colonies in the spring, which will develop much 

 faster than weaker ones. 



When the queen has reached the limit of her egg-laying 

 capacity, which is a little more than 3,000 eggs daily, it will 

 be impossible to extend the brood-nest any more ; the queen 

 ■will soon need a rest ; the number of eggs laid daily is di- 

 minishing, and the now very strong colony will send out a 

 very strong force of field-bees. Contrary, if we have a 

 weak colony in the spring, in a brood-nest too small for 

 proper development, the queen can not reach the limit of 

 her egg-laying power ; now the honey-flow commences, and 

 we give the supers, it is only natural that the brood-nest is 

 extended into these supers, and a large part of the flow is 

 used to rear these worthless consumers, so much talked 

 about. This unde»ired condition is caused by the small 

 brood-chambers used in early spring. During the spring 

 the queen could never lay all the eggs she would be able to 

 lay, for lack of empty cells at the right place. Now, by 

 giving a super with empty combs during a moderate flow, 

 the queen is given the best occasion to extend her egg- 

 laying to her fullest capacity. This will be prevented if 

 the honey-flow is very good, and so fast that the bees fill 

 the cells faster with honey than the queen can lay eggs in 

 them, or if she is kept down in a limited space by a queen- 

 excluder. By the latter manipulation a large or small 

 amount of honey may be obtained, according to the strength 

 of the colony ; but development has been hindered in the 

 spring, consequently the colony is not as strong as could 

 be, besides the large amount of unnecessary labor expended. 



2d. Of more importance is the objection, that large 

 brood-chambers are in a bad condition for the production of 

 section honej', when the main flow cnimences. When the 

 section supers are put on, at the beginning of the main 

 flow, the combs in the brood-chamber should contain as 

 much brood as possible, and some bee-keepers want a brood- 

 chamber of such a size that the queen can keep full of 

 brood during the honey-flow. Hence they neglect the ad- 

 vantages of large brood-chambers during spring, and try to 

 build up strong colonies in small chambers, by manipulat- 

 ing the frames, a la Doolittle, with some considerable work. 



The problem is, how to use the advantages of large 

 brood-nests in the spring, and the advantages of small 

 brood nests during the main honey-flow, both combined, 

 •without their disadvantages. 



He solved this problem in a very simple way. It is wel' 

 to know that no colony is better fitted for storing honey in 

 sections than a strong swarm issuing just at the beginning 

 of the main flow; especially if two or more swarms unite 

 just at the right time, we may get from them a good crop of 

 comb honey. 



Gravenhorst taught, about IS years ago, how to form 

 such swarms at any time, and have them work with the 

 same vigor as natural swarms. Consequently, it was easy 

 for him to combine these two experiences and in this way 

 to solve the problem. 



Since publishing his way of producing comb honey, 

 more have appeared who use ways similar to his. 



The construction of the hive is of less importance, as 

 we can use large brood-nests in diEferent ways. Those who 

 have 8 or 10 frame hives may take two stories for a brood- 

 chamber, one on top of another. He uses shallow cases, 

 and the bees have brood in three or four of these in the 

 spring. Dadant prefers large combs in single stories ; all 

 these managements have advantages and disadvantages. 



One thing is important, that the frames are wide 

 -enough ; fortunately this question is settled for the United 

 States, for the width of the Langstroth hive is the stan- 

 dard here, and large enough. Other things could be consid- 

 ered with the advantages of large brood-chambers. 

 (Concluded next week.) 



Why Not Help a Little— both your neighbor bee-keep- 

 ers and the old American Bee Journal — by sending to us the 

 names and addresses of such as you may know do not now 

 get this journal? We will be glad to send them sample 

 ■copies, so that they may become acquainted with the paper, 

 and subscribe for it, thus putting themselves in the line of 

 success with bees. Perhaps yov. can get them to subscribe, 

 send in their dollars, and secure for your trouble some of 

 the premiums we are constantly offering as rewards for 

 such effort. 



^ Contributed Articles. \ 



Bee-Dlseases in California— Laws Needed. 



I)V HON. J. M. HAMBAUGH. 



AL,L is not gold that glitters," but every cloud has its 

 silver lining. This I have found quite applicable to 

 our chosen pursuit of bee-keeping here in California, 

 and among the many clouds that hang about the bee-keep- 

 ers' horizon is that of bee-diseases. 



Here, in this salubrious clime, where every'month in 

 the year, and almost every day in the year, bees can go 

 forth in quest of pollen and nectar, opens opportutjity for 

 the spread of infectious diseases, and this, coupled with the 

 wild waste of rocky cliffs, canyons, and wooOed districts, 

 furnishes hiding-places for bees, that can wreak and fester 

 in diseases unmolested. It is hard for the wideawake bee- 

 keeper to overcome these dangers beyond his reach, but 

 there is a danger of far greater magnitude right at his very 

 door, that he needs to recognize, and which needs a cure, in 

 the form of a little legislation. 



Here is Mr. A, a practical bee-keeper, wiih all his 

 combs throughout his entire apiary movable, and acces- 

 sible at any time for inspection, and in appropriate condi- 

 tion to battle against any disease that may arise. Mr. B, 

 his next door neighbor, is of the slipshod, go-as you please 

 bee-keeping make-up, and allows his bees to build their 

 combs at haphazard, half-moons, and all shapes that may 

 suit their fancy, in their brood-chambers, and the conse- 

 quence is, he is locking the door against all knoivledge or 

 treatment of any disease that is likely to turn up; he is 

 also in shape to be (as it were) hugging an adder to receive 

 its fatal sting, and also to dispense its venom amnng his 

 neighbors. When there is such a deadly foe as foul brood 

 abroad in the land, these inaccessible hives are a veritable 

 death-trap, and, so far as inspectors are concerned, they 

 are simply barren from investigation, save what the 

 exterior may reveal. 



In our route through the country these troubles are so 

 manifest, and there is such a universal cry against their 

 toleration, that it seems to me a very easy mattt-r to have a 

 law placed upon our statutes, compelling every one who 

 keeps bees to have them upon movable combs, built in mov- 

 able frames, and, by so doing, minimize the chances for 

 contagious diseases, besides doing away with the old. slip- 

 shod way of keeping bees We believe that every wide- 

 awake bee-keeper in the land should cry down the box- 

 hive, stationary-corab evil, until every one who dares to 

 keep bees would understand that to do so meant they must 

 be upon movable combs, or the penalty of a fine incurred. 



We also believe that a little further protection is needed 

 to the bee-keeper, by statute enactment, and that is, when 

 a bee-keeper contemplates moving from one location to 

 another, he should have a certificate from a lawfully 

 appointed inspector, the said certificate to be an a.'-surance 

 that each and every colony is free from all infectious or 

 contagious disease, otherwise let it be a finable offense to 

 remove them from their old location. 



Now, Editor York, I have sounded the slogan of war, 

 let us hear from you as well as others interested, and see 

 which one of the sister States will be the first to start this 

 good and much-needed reform. San Diego Co., Calif. 



Robbing in tlie Apiary— Honey-Pacltages. 



BY C. D.AVKNl'ORT. 



I WOULD like to be allowed to say a few more words in 

 regard to robbing. Last year I wrote an article in 

 which I gave some of my experience in regard to bees 

 robbing, and afterwards in some comments that were made 

 about it, it was .=aid, in effect, that the advice I gave on the 

 subject was about like advising one to scatter live coals 

 among dry straw. But this is a mistake, for I did not 

 advise any one to practice my methods; in fact, I remem- 

 ber that I plainly said that I did not advise any one to fol- 

 low my practice. I only gave my experience in regard to 

 the matter ; but what I wish to say is that, in my opinion, it 



