October, 1915. 



American Hee Journal 



FIG.50.-BLUE VERVAIN IN BLOOM 



Apocynum cannabiiium, known as Indian 

 hemp, Canadian hemp or choctaw root, 

 and Apocynum andrositrnifoUiim, the 

 spreading dogbane. 



Dogbane can be distinguished from 

 milkweed by the finer stem and smaller 

 leaves. The stems are usually reddish 

 in color. By Fig. 52 it will be seen 

 that the flowers are very different. At 

 times the bees work on this plant very 

 freely. 



Atlantic, Iowa. 

 Copyright: 1Q15. by Frank C. Pellett. 



The Meaning of Feeding-Stock 

 Explained 



BY G. C. GREINER. 



WHEN I described my method of 

 " Doubling the Yield of Surplus 

 Honey " in the American Bee 

 Journal last spring, I tried to make 

 everything sufficiently plain that even 

 the most recent beginner without any 

 previous bee experience could follow 

 the plan without a misstep. In this I 

 was mistaken, judging from the inqui- 

 ries for full particulars on one point 

 or another, which I have answered 

 personally. Many things considered 

 perfectly plain and simple by the old 

 timer are shrouded with mystery to 

 the less experienced. I will gladly ex- 

 plain to the best of my ability any 

 points of my previous pennings that 

 are not made plain enough to be un- 

 derstood, if requested to do so. 



One writer. Rev. M. A. Dinier, wishes 

 to know what I mean by feeding-stock 

 and the necessary quantity to be re- 

 quired. 



By feeding-scock I mean the honey 

 fed to the comb-producing colonies 

 after the honey flow, to finish (cap) the 



FIG. 51.-BLOSSOMS AND LEAVES OF MILKWEED 



sections that were advanced far enough 

 to begin capping, but removed before 

 much of the capping was done. The 

 object of not allowing our bees to do 

 any capping, or at least no more than 

 can be conveniently managed during 

 the honey-flow is twofold. First, it re- 

 quires much time and labor to do this 

 work; capping is a slow job, which 

 can be done to better advantage later 

 on, when there is "nothing doing." 

 Second, capped honey is the incentive 

 to swarming. As long as we keep open 

 honey, or better, empty combs (bait 

 sections) in the hive, bees are not so 

 liable to contract the swarming fever. 

 But when honey is capped bees con- 

 sider their job finished and swarming 

 is the result. 



If our object is the production of 

 comb honey exclusively, we must run 

 a small percentage of our colonies for 

 extracted honey to produce this, "feed- 

 ing-stock." It is somewhat different 

 from the ripe, finished honey of the 

 trade, which we might call, to distin- 

 guish it from the former, "market 

 stock." I still believe and agree with 

 the majority of our most extensive and 

 experienced producers of extracted 

 honey, that a prime quality, that will 

 stand the test and gain the confidence 

 of the consumer, must be ripened and 

 capped by the bees. But the former is 

 managed in a different way. It is ex- 

 tracted as soon as the combs are heavy 

 with honey, no time being allowed to 

 ripen or thicken, which would lessen 

 its usefulness for the purpose it is in- 

 tended, the finishing and capping of 

 our sections. 



The colonies set aside for this pur- 

 pose need only one super. The full 

 combs being constanly exchanged for 

 empty ones, give the bees no chance 

 for ripening, much less for capping. 



When the honey flow is at its best they 

 fill their combs in a surprisingly short 

 time, so that for best results the ex- 

 change of combs may be repeated 

 every two or three days. Bees must 

 have close attention at that time. To 

 leave them alone for two or three 

 weeks and expect them to do their 

 best is out of the question. 



The quantity of feeding-stock we 

 need is governed by the number of 

 sections we have to be finished and 

 their state of advancement when taken 

 from the hives. I hardly need to say 

 the farther advanced, the less feed it 

 will take to finish them. Every bee- 

 keeper must make his own calculation 

 to meet his individual conditions. 

 There is one essential point we must 

 bear in mind. After feeding is once 

 begun, and this should take place be- 

 fore the honey flow has entirely ceased, 

 bees must have feed before them un- 

 interruptedly until the sections are 

 finished. If a break is allowed to oc- 

 cur, the face of the section is liable to 

 be uneven and notched. 



Another important point we must 

 remember; Bees do not always act 

 the same in different localities. My 

 management is especially adopted to 

 my surrounding conditions. Even a 

 distance of 10 miles may require some 

 modifications. 



La Salle, N. Y. 



Rearing Good Queens 



BY J. F. ARCHDEKIN. 



IN discussing this subject from a 

 breeder's standpoint, there are sev- 

 eral things to be considered. In 

 the first place the most pressing obli- 

 gation is that of making his product 



