June, 1908. 



American Hee Journal 



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It is a tendency of bees to build 

 quecn-cclls along the edges of brood- 

 combs, and it is well for the apiarist 

 to observe and make allowance for this. 

 Conditions are evidently more favor- 

 able for the perfect growth of queens 

 when the cells are along the edges of 

 combs. Cells containing larvx 3 or 4 

 days old may be grafted successfully if 

 in proper position. 



From 9 to 10 days after the operation 

 the cells should be utilized.— Translated 

 and condensed by F. Greiner, of Naples, 

 N. Y., from Leipz. Bztg. 



[A common pin inserted with its point 

 into a fine stick or handle, has been 

 found to answer very nicely for moving 

 larv;e. — F. G.l 



Fall and Spring Feeding- 

 Convention Program 



BY DR. G. BOHRER. 



There is probably no subject upon 

 which more has been written during the 

 last year than that of fall and spring 

 feeding of bees, and while it deserves 

 the careful consideration of all bee- 

 keepers, it should not be forgotten that 

 it may be overdone, either in the fall 

 or during the spring months. 



On page 574 of Gleanings, Editor 

 Root says that spring feeding of bees is 

 really a question of locality. I hope 

 he will pardon me for assuming the 

 ground that conditions as well as locality 

 are involved in the matter of feeding. 

 For instance, if a colony at the end of 

 the year's honey-flow has not an ample 

 supply of honey stored to carry them 

 through the winter they are confronted 

 by a condition that is frequently met 

 with in any locality where bees are kept, 

 and fall feeding is the only remedy that 

 will save the colony. And in case they 

 have stores sufficient to carry them 

 through the winter months, but not suf- 

 ficient to meet the demands of the col- 

 ony, in the matter not only of supplying 

 the wants of the bees that have lived 

 through the winter, but a sufficient quan- 

 tity also to enable them to carry on 

 brood-rearing to a desirable extent, they 

 are again confronted by a condition that 

 can be met only by feeding. This con- 

 dition will be encountered in any local- 

 ity. And that bees can be fed so much 

 in the fall that there will not be a suffi- 

 cient number of empty cells in the lower 

 and front part of the brood-chamber for 

 them to go properly into winter quar- 

 ters in, I think no experienced bee-keep- 

 er will for a moment doubt. I have 

 had bees crowd out a queen to such an 

 extent that on the first of September 

 there was not as much as 6 inches square 

 of empty cells in a lo-frame Langstroth 

 hive in which to rear brood. This brings 

 another condition, namely, too few bees 

 to keep up a sufficient amount of animal 

 heat to keep the inmates of the hive in 

 perfect health. 



In spring feeding the queen may also 

 be crowded out to such an extent as to 

 prevent a suitable increase of bees, so 

 that when the honey-flow proper begins, 

 the number of bees will be too short 

 to store honey rapidly. Just how much 

 to feed a colony each day will depend 

 upon circumstances to quite an extent, 

 for while a colony strong numerically 



at the close of the winter months, or 

 when the Drood-rearing season proper 

 begins, and is headed by a prolific queen 

 that can supply her workers with all 

 the eggs they can develop into bees, 

 may consume from half to one pint of 

 syrup each day, many other colonies 

 owing to a scarcity of numbers and 

 queens not desirably prolific, will re- 

 quire a smaller amount. 



My own observations, beginning over 

 44 years ago, have led me to conclude 

 that nothing short of ocular inspection 

 will reveal to us the actual amount of 

 food a colony will require each day. 

 But that a shortage of food at this 

 season of the year means failure, and 

 over-feeding or filling the cells of the 

 brood-chamber to the extent of crowd- 

 ing out the queen can not bring success 

 in a desirable degree, is certain. But 

 again, an 8-frame Langstroth or Jumbo 

 hive may at the end of the honey and 

 brood-rearing season, be well supplied 

 with both bees and honey. And owing 

 to a backward turn of the following 

 honey season in our northern regions, 

 it may run short of stores and perish 

 if not fed. In cases of this kind, lo- 

 cality cuts something of a figure. But 

 if the hive in a northern country con- 

 tained ID well-stored frames in the fall, 

 locality would not be as likely to call 

 for spring feeding as in the case of the 

 8-frame hive. 



But with ample stores to last a popu- 

 lous colony with a prolific queen from 

 the close of the honey-season to the re- 

 turn of the next honey-flow proper in 

 any locality, I have never been able to 

 see any benefit in spring feeding. For a 

 strong colony with a prolific queen and 

 ample stores on hand of the previous 

 year's collection, I have never known 

 to neglect seasonable brood-rearing, ex- 

 cept as interfered with by early or late 

 spring temperature. 



Program for the Detroit convention. 



I see that Secretary Hutchinson has 

 made some suggestions as to what the 

 program should be for the National con- 

 vention to be held at Detroit, Mich., in 

 October. And he also asks for sugges- , 

 tions from others. He speaks of a 

 banquet. I will suggest that this be 

 omitted, as it is not likely that all will 

 care for it, and unless all who attend 

 are willing participants, it would not be 

 a desirable feature. The object of such 

 associations is the dissemination of 

 knowledge concerning the industry of 

 apiculture. A banquet, as I understand 

 it, means a feast not only of edibles, 

 but also of words in the way of toasts 

 and social conversation, which, as the 

 Secretary says, will require not only 

 from 3 to 4 hours of extra time^which 

 almost all in attendance will enjoy more 

 in getting sleep so much needed after a 

 journey requiring one or more nights 

 on the road with but little rest — but it 

 will require from $1.00 to $2.00 each to 

 defray the expenses of the same. 



He suggests a debate at each day ses- 

 sion between two of our best speakers 

 and most experienced bee-keepers, on 

 some question. For instance, he men- 

 tions, " Resolved. That the 12-frame 

 Langstroth hive is more desirable in the 

 production of extracted honey than the 

 8-frame hive-body." My judgment leads 

 me to believe that the question-box will 



bring this topic before the convention in 

 a manner that will bring out more in- 

 formation of a practical nature than a 

 two-handed discussion ; for the reason 

 that there might be persons present who 

 could, if permitted to do so, enlighten 

 both of the disputants selected. A free- 

 for-all discussion will, I believe, prove 

 to be both the most satisfactory as well 

 as the most profitable. A very few short 

 papers, by able, practical bee-keepers, 

 left open to discussion, may also be of 

 real worth. 



I hope to be at that convention. I 

 was at the first National convention ever 

 held in the United Stales. Mr. Baldridge, 

 of Illinois, and myself, are the only 

 persons that I know of now living who 

 were there. While that was an enthu- 

 siastic convention and was quite well at- 

 tended, everything considered, I hope 

 the Detroit gathering may be the largest 

 body of bee-keepers ever assembled in 

 this or any other country. 



I moved to Kansas in 1873. This State 

 was not then well adapted to bee-keep- 

 ing, but we have been busy all these years 

 in making it truly a land of both milk and 

 honey. Alfalfa is a great producer of 

 the above named articles. And Dr, Mil- 

 ler can locate here in any of our alfalfa 

 districts without any danger whatever of 

 being crowded out by persons over- 

 stocking the country with bees. 



But a friend speaks of the first even- 

 ing session being devoted to the discus- 

 sion of the diseases of bees, then have 

 an inspector to tell us how the bee- 

 keeper can detect foul brood. I am not, 

 and never will be, an inspector of apia- 

 ries, yet I have diagnosed foul brood 

 and have successfully treated it, and 

 will claim the right to give the conven- 

 tion the benefit of my experience, if in 

 my judgment I ought to do so. So let 

 us not make any rule entirely inflexible. 

 In short, to outline what might be a 

 fair program, is proper. But as many 

 persons are likely to be present who 

 wish to hear subjects with which they 

 are not so familiar as they may desire 

 to be, I shall suggest that the conven- 

 tion members be left free very largely 

 to make their own program. True, one 

 evening session might be pleasantly and 

 perhaps profitably spent in toasts and 

 responses ; and also make some effort 

 to induce the public in general to at- 

 tend. 

 Lyons, Kansas. 



The Question of Hives and 

 Supers 



BV L. E. GATELEY. 



I believe this is a subject in which 

 most bee-keepers are more or less inter- 

 ested, whether their colonies be few or 

 many, for what one is there among us 

 who doesn't use them ? It is a question 

 so many-sided that one can always have 

 a new side presented to view just as 

 long as he cares to keep turning it over. 

 We have been and are mostly interested 

 in the "best hive for the production of 

 fancy section honey" side of the ques- 

 tion. 



For a good many years I have been 

 experimenting with the different styles 

 of hives in an endeavor to determine 

 just what style and depth are best for 



