March, 1918 



G I- E A N I N G « IN BEE CULTURE 



147 



strongly advised that whatever changes were 

 made should be moderate. 



Brantford, Ont. E. F. Holtermann. 



* * » 



[The two parties hold quite opposite 

 views on this vital question. With the for- 

 mer we are in hearty accord; with the New 

 Yoi'k beekeepers whom Mr. Holtermann 

 quotes, we most emphatically disagree. 



When our government bulletins are advis- 

 ing us to stop raising comb honey and ex- 

 pend all our energies in producing extracted, 

 since more of it can be produced, it is not 

 a time to attemjjt adding a few extra pennies 

 (even if we could) to our coffers, especially 

 when doing so necessitates our snatching the 

 luuch-needed sweets from a sugar-starved 

 world. 



It is claimed that "bees could produce al- 

 most as much coffib honey in sections as they 

 could extracted honey, if they had to draw 

 out the foundation." Our experience has 

 proven that bees have a decided preference 

 for the large frames over the little square 

 section boxes, and therefore produce much 

 more honey when using the former. In this 

 same connection we note the further conten- 

 tion that "it is not an easy matter to face 

 the season running for extracted honey with- 

 out drawn comb." Now^ it just happens that 

 we have some exact data along this very line 

 which seems to show rather conclusively that 

 the difference is not as great as generally 

 believed. 



In 1916, we started a small apiary of 33 

 colonies. All but one of these were sup 

 plied with one shallow super of drawn combs 

 and six or seven combs in the brood cham- 

 ber. The rest of the frames in the brood 

 chamber and the remaining supers were all 

 filled with foundation. This apiary increased 

 about 57I/2 per cent (the new colonies being 

 given no comb whatever) and made an aver- 

 age of 106 lbs. of honey per colony. In our 

 other ajjiaries in that same locality we had 

 190 colonies which increased 41 per cent and 

 averaged 118 lbs. Last year we bought an- 

 other small apiary of 35 colonies, and, with 

 the exception of one shallow super of combs 

 per colony, they were given foundation en- 

 tirely and, as usual, no extracting done un- 

 til the end of the season. This apiary pro- 

 duced no increase, and, it being a poor sea- 

 son, only averaged 48 lbs. per colony. The 

 265 colonies of the other apiaries of this 

 group also produced no increase and made 

 an average of 44 lbs. of honey per colony. 



Further it is claimed that ' * the sw^arming 

 impulse would be much greater when the 

 bees had to draw out sheets of comb foun- 

 dation in the supers instead of having 

 combs." We would expect to find something 

 in this. But for 1916, which was an es- 

 pecially bad year for swarming, and 1917, 

 which was an unusually good one in this 

 one resjject, does our record bear out this 

 statement in a very striking manner'? But, 

 really, this last quotation hardly deserves to 

 be answered, anyway, for is it not really 

 begging the question? 



In changing from comb to extracted, there 

 could arise no question as to whether colo- 

 nies with frames of foundation would be 

 more apt to swarm than those with combs. The 

 question would be whether colonies with full 

 sheets of foundation would be more- apt to 

 swarm than those with sections of founda- 

 tion? If there is any difference, we are 

 inclined to think it is all in favor of the 

 full sheets. 



The New York men's last point is that "if 

 many beekeepers were to change from comb 

 to extracted honey production, a good mar- 

 ket for comb honey might be lost." Good! 

 That is just what we want during the dura- 

 tion of the war. That is exactly what the 

 government is working for (now by request, 

 later perhaps by enforced demand). Also this 

 is what every red-blooded American bee- 

 keeper ought to be working for. 



We are glad to call attention to what Mr. 

 Holterman himself has heretofore said as to 

 making money the deciding factor in hon- 

 ey production in these days of food 

 scarcity. It will be remembered that 

 he sold his 1917 crop at only Vi cent ad- 

 \ance in price over the crop of 1916, because 

 as he said: "I was utterly disgusted witli 

 the grab and greed of the present day." and 

 "I, for one, should I be living that long, 

 want to be able, when the crash comes, to 

 look every one in the face and say, ' I had 

 no part in it.' " 



When we recall the many millions of dead 

 over in Europe, especially of old people 

 and children who have starved because of 

 the shortage of food supplies, are there any 

 arguments strong enough to persuade us to 

 raise less food? If so, what would l-e that 

 all-convincing argument? Money? No, not 

 when beekeepers see the matter in its proper 

 light, or even if they look at it in the liglit 

 of money only. For, consideriiig the present 

 price of comb and of extracted honey and 

 remembering certain facts given on this 

 page, it will not be difficult to prove that 

 changing to extracted honey will be a good 

 financial venture. 



But, as before stated, this will not be the 

 determining factor. The motive thac is go- 

 ing to arouse the beekeepers of tiie land 

 to this desired step may be expressed in one 

 word — patriotism. — Editor] 



Another Convert to Extracted. 



" I think the comb honey business will 

 have to go. It doesn 't pay to monkey with 

 comb honey wdien the price is about the same 

 as extracted honey. There is only one — the 

 best grade — for all of it; no culls; no bother 

 to keep hives level; not one-tenth the bother 

 to keep bees from swarming; no hurry to 

 sell it before it candies; no danger of the 

 bee moth spoiling it; no trouble to have the 

 bees cap it white; and some clean cash to get 

 from the wax of the cappings. There are 

 all these advantages and more, in producing 

 extracted honey over comb-honey produc- 

 tion. So comb honey will be a thing of the 

 past for me at least." 



Brush, Col. Daniel Danielson. 



