IHE BEE-KKKPERS' REVIEW. 



65 



drdwn comb for every section in tlie first 

 super put ou, we would have a much <jveat- 

 er iuduceuieut for work in tlie super, aud 

 also a mucli ureater aiiioiiut of comb for 

 storage. 



Ajjaiu, look over the apiary iu about a 

 week after putting ou sectious of fouudatiou, 

 and jH)u will likely find one colony at work 

 iu the sections, aud by its side another col- 

 ouy, iu apparently as good condition, doing 

 nothimj iu the sections: but just steal the 

 super of sectious of partly drawn comli from 

 the first named colony at work in the sec- 

 tions, aud put it in place of the one ou the 

 la^t named colony, and the chances 

 are this colony will take possession of the 

 sectious at o)iee. 



The above is exactly what I have been 

 doing for years ( only ou a larger scale ), ex- 

 cept that 1 generally allow the first super to 

 remain on the colony for the bees to store 

 houey iu while drawing out the foundation 

 in the sections of tlae second, third, or more 

 8Ui)ers, as circumstances may require. 



In this locality, in average years, there 

 are usually two chances for practicing the 

 above with success, namely, the summer 

 How and the fall flow. 



Iu giving my method, I will describe my 

 management only in the fall flow (said per- 

 iod giving me the most profit in securing 

 drawn combs ); as this article would be too 

 lengthy to also give the summer manage- 

 ment, which would have to be varied some- 

 what, such as building up a few colonies 

 iuto strong ones by feeding, or otherwise, 

 ahead of the rest, or by placing a cone bee 

 escape over the entrance of one hive, caus- 

 ing the returning bees to go with their loads 

 into the hive sitting by their side (my hives 

 sit in pairs nearly side by side); thus at once 

 secnring a very strong colony able to take 

 immediate possession of ereri/ section and 

 draw out the foundation at once. 



I will now give my plan in detail. I gen- 

 erally select about half a dozen or more 

 strong colonies, as the occasion demands. 

 Then, for each colony selected, I fill one 

 super with partly drawn combs, or better, 

 partly filled sections left over after the sum- 

 mer flow, and, just as the fall flow begins, I 

 place them upon said colonies. If my sel- 

 ection has been good, they will go to stor- 

 ing in the sections at oure. In a day or two, 

 or as soon as the first super is fully oc- 

 cupied by the bees, if the honey flow con- 

 tinaes aud the weather is hot, (aud it gen- 



erally is here, in August) I add nnderneath 

 the first super, another super of sections con- 

 tainiug /bHH(/«^io»i. om/w. I prefer to have 

 the best thin section foundation, and cut to 

 fill the section, or not more than 1-1(> of an 

 inch of the sides aud bottom. "Bottom 

 starters too, " did you say V No, I find no 

 use for any. There being plenty of bees at 

 this time of year, and, with the above con- 

 ditions, and foundation in every section, 

 work will have to be begun upon it at once, 

 and it will be attached to the bottom as well 

 as the sides. I find no trouble from the 

 bees biting the foundation partly away, as 

 they do in the fore part of the honey flow 

 when giving foundation only. In about one 

 or two days the supers will have been sn^- 

 ^WeA ■^iih beautiful, even, well - filled, sec- 

 tionB of dratvn combs; a few having some 

 honey stored therein, at which time they 

 are ready to come oft', aud be placed upon 

 a bee escape board, over the top super, and 

 another super (filled with foundation ) add- 

 ed in its place: and this again taken ofl'as 

 soon as ready, and soon to the end of the 

 flow. 



Remember, the first super placed upon 

 these selected colonies should contain 

 draivn combs and should remain there for 

 the bees to store their surplus honey iu. 

 Thus securing comb honey at the same time 

 that drawn combs are being produced. 



I have had better results in getting the 

 foundation drawn out properly, by exchang- 

 ing the first, or top su[>er when tlie sections 

 get nearly full, for one only partly full of 

 honey, rather than allow more than two 

 supers for the bees to work in at one time. 



I try and select enough cokniesto draw 

 out the foundation in one super for each 

 colony that I wish to run for comb honey iu 

 the fall flow, and enough more to supply 

 one, at least, to each colony at the next 

 seasou's white honey flow. And that re- 

 minds me of an article on drawn combs by 

 friend Baldridge in .January Review page !> 

 where he says; " We prefer freshly drawn 

 combs to those drawn out in Autumn." I 

 would too if secured at no greater expense 

 of houey, or tirnf"; but with me such has not 

 been the case. Comls drawn out in Au- 

 umn, aud at o ce perfectly cleaned of hon- 

 ey by the bees, and properly taken care of 

 will be readily excepted by the bees the en- 

 suing year, and, besides, we must remember 

 that Autumn-drawn combs will be built of 

 Autumn honey, honey which has a slower 



