504 



GI.EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JUNB 15 



in Gleanings and American Bee Journal 

 of 1878 and '79. Notwithstanding, after test- 

 ing paper and other materials we changed all 

 our supers at that time, adapting them to 

 wooden separators. 



The comb surfaces of our honey since have 

 been so perfect, the weight of the sections so 

 uniform, that I should be very unwilling to 

 go back to the open super. It would cer- 

 tainly be a step backward. I can see no ma- 

 terial advantage in dispensing with the sepa- 

 rator. As to getting along without them 

 when trying to produce honey in no-beeway 

 sections, that simply is out of the question. 

 What looks better than a no-beeway section 

 brimful of honey ? 



Naples, N. Y. 



[I once heard an extensive bee- 

 keeper get up in convention and 

 say he had no use for separators — 

 that he could and did dispense 

 with them ; and, what was more, 

 he got just as good prices for his 

 non-separatored honey as he did 

 for that produced with them. It 

 so happened that, months after- 

 ward, I ran across some of this 

 man's non-separatored honey; 

 and, of all the "kicks" I heard 

 from the buyer ! The long and 

 short of it was, he would never 

 buy any more of that honey 

 again. It was too crooked, too 

 bulged, too every thing ; so when 

 I hear a non-separator man talk 

 I wonder whether he holds his 

 trade. — Ed.] 



»««»« n ■ . 



SWARTHMORE'S SYSTEM OF QUEEN-REARING. 



How to Maintain and Handle the Miniature Nu- 

 clei in Brood-frames, Described on Page 434. 



BY SWARTHMORK. 



lay the back lid on the grass, inside up, then 

 carefully remove the front lid with the box 

 in hand. When you see the queen, place the 

 front lid crosswise on the back lid, always in- 

 side up, and then lift your queen up quick- 

 ly but gently. Then, lastly, stand the little 

 frame directly across the lids, and cage the 

 queen. Now put the box together once more, 

 and proceed to examine the lower box in the 

 middle row. After the middle row has been 

 removed, the side boxes will easily draw from 

 the frame. 



If any of these little colonies are found 

 queenless, and too weak to care for them- 

 selves longer, they should be doubled with 



When the little combs are heavy with brood 

 and honey it has been my practice to bind the 

 boxes (described on page 434 of our issue for 

 May 15) snugly together with three strands of 

 cord or twine after the lids have all been ad- 

 justed. Pass the cords around each row of 

 boxes logitudinally, and tie a slip knot at one 

 corner of the top-bar. Any rough handling 

 can not then loosen the lids. 



A piece of water-proof (not tar) paper fold- 

 ed neatly and tied securely over the top of 

 each frame (as illustrated at the bottom of 

 page 436), when set out on the stakes will 

 prevent rain from entering the compartments. 

 It will also protect the frame and boxes from 

 the sun's rays, and will give more comfort to 

 the bees occupying such close quarters. If 

 possible, place the frames where they will be 

 shaded the greater part of the day, and let 

 them stand high enough to get what air there 

 is stirring. 



When the time comes for caging the queens, 

 just untie the middle cord first, and then 

 remove the top box by tilting the tier toward 

 you. Remove the back lid and keep a sharp 

 eye for the queen. If not found on that side. 



the one in the same row by placing them back 

 to back. The feeder (Fig. 2, p. 436) is then 

 placed on one of the two front lids. Tie all 

 snugly together with the cord that was used 

 about the frame, and in three days another 

 virgin can be run in, as Alley does it, with 

 tobacco smoke, or a hatching cell may be giv- 

 en as shown in the illustration above. 



Fig. 1 is one of the section-box frames, 

 shown on p. 435, May 15th issue, with a }i-\nc\\. 

 hole cut through its top bar for the insertion 

 of a liquid feeder (salt-shaker), or a shell con- 

 taining a ripe queen-cell. Fig. 2 shows the 

 manner of inserting the shells ; and just be- 

 low this may be seen a fully developed queen- 

 cell built from a shell cup which will herein- 

 after be described. 



Some time previous to the introduction 

 of the second young queen, the back lids com- 

 ing together may be removed, and in their 

 stead may be placed a rim of half-inch stuff 

 between the boxes, to give the necessary bee- 

 space. This will give the new queen the 

 range of both combs, much to the advantage 

 of the little colony. 



It should be understood that the doubled 

 nuclei are not again put back into the frame, 

 as illustrated at the bottom of page 436, May 

 15, but are placed directly on the grass, with a 

 piece of board under them to keep them out 

 of the wet ; or they may be hung on a single 

 stake a few inches from the ground. 



If these little colonies are kept well fed with 



