1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



285 



to the full developjiient, both as to growth 

 and nectar secretion, of one variety of first- 

 class dependable nectar-yielding plant, or 

 more than one, if their period of blooming 

 is identical, one colony sufficiently populous 

 to be a prime surplus honey-producer for 

 each lyi. normal acres of tiora within \]4 

 miles of the apiary will properly stock the 

 location. 



2. Wherever soil and climate are adapted 

 to the full development, both as to growth 

 and nectar secretion, of two or more varie- 

 ties of first-class dependable nectar-yielding 

 ])lants that flourish on the same range, and 

 t)loom in succession or at difTerent periods 

 of the season, each yielding honey of the 

 same value per pound, and the same quan- 

 tity per normal acre, one colony sufficiently 

 populous to be a prime surplus honey-pro- 

 ilucer for each 1>^ normal acres of flora of 

 the variety that flourishes in greatest abun- 

 dance within 1>^ miles of the apiary will 

 l)roperly stock the location. 



Corollary. — If the varieties of honey are 

 of difTerent values per pound or qviantity 

 per normal acre, the number of colonies 

 should correspond with the number of acres 

 of that variety of flora that will yield to the 

 ai)iarist the greatest value. 



Bee-keepers whose locations are under- 

 stocked are allowing valuable resources that 

 are right at hand to go to waste that could 

 be economically garnered, for the reason 

 that the appliances for running a fair-sized 

 apiary are in a Targe measure sufficient 

 for running one several times as large. It 

 would seem to be the plain duty of the api- 

 arist to stock liis location properly if he de- 

 sires to monopolize it. 



Kenmore, N. Y., Feb. 9. 



SPRING DWINDLING. 



Longevity versus Pollen Substitutes. 



BY SAMUEL SIMMINS. 



Mr. F. Dundas Todd, i)age 122, Feb. 15, 

 asks, "Is there a practicable method of giv- 

 ing a substitute for jiollen inside the hives?" 

 There are several, some of which he appears 

 to have overlooked. Certainly he had an 

 experience that would make him think hard 

 on just that subject. 



Mr. Todd gives a quotation from my 1904 

 edition, which is rather a condemnation 

 than a hel])ful explanation of any plan of 

 substituting artificial pollen in the" total ab- 

 sence of the natural article. I have seen 

 and known of so much harm being caused 

 by candy fed in winter, and flour candy used 

 at an improper season, that, until the above 

 issue of my work, I had been very much in 

 the same mind as the editor as regards offer- 

 ing various methods of supplying pea flour 

 1 hat I had tried over a jieriod "of )iiore than 

 t hirty years. 



But notwithstanding Mr. Todd found only 

 four words referring to meal, I should like 

 to ask him to take up that same edition of 



the work referred to and cast his eye down 

 page 8(j, where he will find directions for 

 su])])lying artificial pollen in two forms in- 

 side the hive, close to tlie cluster. The best 

 way that water can be supplied at the same 

 time is undoubtedly by the means of warm 

 thin syrup so placed that it will keep warm 

 all the time. 



If the weather should be fair when meal 

 is given to the bees, then no harm can oc- 

 cur; bvit with a cold and sunless })eriod my 

 own opinion is they are much l^etter with- 

 out. Stocks have dwindled badly, just be- 

 cause flour candy had been supplied in early 

 spring, and I have always tried to ])ersuade 

 my correspondents to discontinue its use at 

 that period. , 



LONGEVITY AND STAINIINA. 



I have made a law unto myself, that, un- 

 less overtaken by disease, there should be no 

 spring dwindling in any modern apiary 

 where any sort of progress is claimed by the 

 owner. His watchword should be longevity 

 and stamina; and with these points gained 

 he can defy dwindling and short honey crops. 

 There is not even the excuse available that 

 his bees have gathered a lot of honey-dew^ 

 as he can always feed enough pure syrup at 

 the latter end, upon which the bees will 

 then feed during the critical period, leaving 

 the poor feed for use when they begin to 

 move freely. 



My own district is one that shows a great 

 scarcity of pollen in autumn and spring, so 

 that my stocks, nine years out of ten, win- 

 ter wdthout that desirable adjunct to their 

 stores. Nevertheless, the bees frequently 

 go from August until April without rearing 

 the least patch of brood; yet I often get two 

 and three frame nuclei (wintered as such) 

 into swarming condition earlier than the es- 

 tablished stocks wintered by many of my 

 correspondents, even though they are bless- 

 ed with an abundance of natural pollen. 



The peculiarity of my district has compel- 

 led me to select my breeding stock so that 

 workers hatched in August are found still 

 active in May of the following year. So per- 

 sistently have I bred for longevity that I 

 believe no sort of ordinary neglect, apart 

 froui actual starvation, can cause these bees 

 to dwindle; hence the necessity of early 

 brood-rearing is not very important. I might 

 even say its absence is an advantage, as 

 progress is the more rapid when the advent 

 of fair weather provides the necessary ni- 

 trogenous food. Possibly few owners have 

 ever established stocks absolutely without 

 pollen at the beginning of winter; but usual- 

 ly one comb would easily contain all I could 

 find among 100 colonies. 



In securing the quality of longevity, one 

 is sure of obtaining almost every desirable 

 point required in a good honey-getting 

 strain. The stock of bees that loses the least 

 number will always be strong in wing power, 

 and, of course, they build up to full strength 

 in half the usual time. Moreover, they ap- 

 pear to hibernate so perfectly that the stores 

 show little diminution before brood is rear- 

 ed extensively. They require to fly but sel- 



