THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



107 



hand grasps the lever as shown, brings it 

 down with a firm quick stroke, and forces 

 both splints inio the foundation. The 

 handle is released, and the spring in- 

 stantly lifts the lever out of the way. 



When light brood foundation is used, 

 the board which supports the foundation 

 slides along a guide strip, so as to allow 



tv/o splints to be imbedded, when the 

 brood and foundation is slid along to a 

 stop, and the other two splits placed and 

 imbedded. 



In a short time, an entire box of foun- ' 

 dation is splinted and ready for the 

 frames. 



Meridian, Idaho, October SO, 1910. 



Making Over $4,000 from a Single Apiary by 

 Being "Johnnie on the Spot." 



R. D. BRADSHAW. 



CHE year 1905 found me running 

 three apiaries in Payette Valley. 

 Foul brood was prevalent. In 

 fact, there were heavy losses on every 

 hand. It was the fear of this disease, 

 coupled with the desire to keep my bees 

 as clean of the same as possible, that 

 drove me to bring in my out yards, and 

 run all together, a total of 500 colonies. 



SUCCESS CAME FROM MASSING THE BEES IN 

 ONE YARD. 



Now, let me say, right here, that this 

 was the turning point in my success with 

 bees. From that season on, my yields, 

 per colony, steadily increased. The rea- 

 son, I believe, was simply because I was 

 on the spot, and could give them the 

 prompt and needed attention, which is so 

 necessary for success; instead of keeping 

 the road hot between yards. 



In the year 1908 this yard produced 

 1,800 cases of 24 sections to the case, of 

 comb honey, which sold for 34,67 9, F. 0. 

 B., Payette. It was sold to Page cv: Son, 

 of Portland, Maine, on Sept. 1st. 



My expenses were light, as I did nearly 

 all of the yard work myself. Cleaning 

 and casing the crop was .the greatest 

 item. 



My system was the "Old Time Swarm- 

 ing Plan," but extra manipulations were 

 cut down to a minimum. Stimulating 

 feeding was practiced some three weeks 



during the usual dearth preceding the 

 flow. It pays big to keep the bees boom- 

 ing at that time. Very thin syrup was 

 fed in the open, in tubs, with straw as a 

 float. 



GETTING BEES STARTED IN THE SUPERS 

 WITHOUT '"bait" SECTIONS. 



I don't like bait sections. Honey pro- 

 duced in them is usually inferior. On the 

 opening of the flow, 20 colonies were 

 shaken upon five frames with starters, 

 and given sections. As fast as drawn 

 out, these sections, bees and all, were dis- 

 tributed over the yard, giving backward 

 colonies the needed incentive to the start- 

 ing of work in the supers. 



At this time, hives were raised one 

 inch, or more, from the bottom board, 

 front and sides. This, with plenty of 

 super room and shade boards kept down 

 swarming to ten per cent. Swarms were 

 hived on starters, and the sections given 

 from the parent stock, which was moved 

 back, and the swarm put in its place, 

 both being united again for the second 

 crop, three to four weeks later. Honey 

 was taken off fast as completed, cleaned 

 and cased. When the last was off, the 

 car was ready to load. 



THIN TOP BARS AND BURR COMBS 

 ADVANTAGEOUS. 



Give me thin top bars in brood frames. 

 I would much rather have a few burr 



