322 



GLEANINGS IN BEE (lI/rrRF. 



May 15 



can find to overcome the tendency. At]any 

 rate, these troubles of swarming, foul-brood, 

 etc., are not without their benefits. 1 can 

 control foul brood, and I can, by a proi)er 

 system, direct the energies of the bees into 

 the i)roper channels, and, by my system of 

 shaking, keep their energy keyed up to the 

 proper i)itch while the flow lasts; and while 

 /can do these things at a profit, others who 

 possibly could do them, but do not take the 

 trouble' to learn how, tlo not do them, and 

 fail. Otherwise they might be troublesome 

 competitors. 



By the way, did it ever occur to you that, 

 if the swarming impulse were eliminated, 

 the building of drone comb would also be 

 eliminated? The thought has occurred to 

 me that, if we could establish and maintain 

 the conditions favorable for building worker 

 comb only (always excepting the time of 

 superseding), the swarming question would 

 be solved. 



I have been able to establish, but not to 

 maintain, this condition indefinitely. Now, 

 Dr. Miller, can you not suggest some plan 

 to do so, and thereby place the coping to 

 the splendid monument you have erected 

 to guide the feet of the laity? 



Redkey, Ind. 



THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE OF SHAK- 

 ING. 



Interchange of the Division of a Sectional Hive 

 the More Scientific Treatment. 



BY LEO E. GATBLY. 



Successful honey-producers have reported 

 beneficial results from shaking to increase 

 the energy of bees; and, from the nature of 

 things, others have expressed a strong be- 

 lief in its efficiency. I wish merely to draw 

 attention to the mistake made in supposing 

 the operation in itself to be in some myste- 

 rious way a stimulus, while all such bene- 

 fits clearly emanate from a change of con- 

 ditions connected with the manipulation. 

 Let us lay aside tradition and preconceived 

 notions, examining this subject with a de- 

 sire to know the truth. 



The error in concluding that benefit is 

 derived purely through the act of dislodg- 

 ing bees from their combs into a pile before 

 the hive is apparent when the claim is set 

 forth that the disturbance will bring old 

 colonies into some psychological condition 

 which characterizes swarms. If newly hived 

 swarms display an unusual degree of activ- 

 ity, it has been conclusively shown that 

 such energy is not a result of the swarm 

 having issued from the hive, nor its han- 

 dling in being captured, but entirely from 

 new environments. How frequently is an 

 incidence taken for a cause ! and how severe- 

 ly are the poor bees often matle to sulTer 

 through ignorance and lack of careful in- 

 vestigation! It is the broodless condition 

 of newly hived swarms, and not mental 

 conditions, that is alone attributable to an 

 increased activity. 



i>AMAUED SHIPPl^G-CAt5Efe. 

 See Bee-keeping in the Southwest. 



Colonies that refuse, during a good flow, 

 to do super work while others may be busy 

 in the sections, will, if investigation be 

 inade, generally be found laboring under 

 adverse conditions. They can usually be 

 induced to do so by i)roviding more favora- 

 ble conditions under which naturally they 

 are inclined to do such work — never through 

 dumping them out upon the grass. Some 

 colonies are naturally inclined to ignore su- 

 pers because of inferior blood; but more 

 frequently it is the result of extenuating 

 circumstances and surrounding influences. 



Shaking will occasionally remove unde- 

 sirable conditions through breaking into 

 and disarranging the natural order of things; 

 but the benefits are accidental, and he who 

 would be master of the situation nnist rather 

 locate and remedy evils. Certain it is that 

 the mere act of dumping bees before their 

 entrance, and letting them crcej) back to 

 their work, is of absolutely no value except ^ 

 when connected with a change of environ- ^ 

 ment. To anticipate beneficial results from 

 indiscriminate shaking would be extremely 

 illogical and inconsistent, as it is simply 

 l>revenLing the colonies from working. On 

 the other hand, intelligent manii)ulation is 

 imi)erative and indis|)ensaV)le to profitable 

 lioney-l>i"o<luc1 ion. 



\\y the transposition of brood-sections, 

 users of tli\ isible hives can accomplish in a 

 few minutes, and with a minimum of labor, 

 the oV)ject sought by "shakers." To create 

 increased activity positively it is then only 



