i889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



733 



of the brood-nest in an ordinary hive. They were 

 now left till Iho brood in the raised part of the hive 

 was mostly sealed over, when this part was set op a 

 separate stand, after shaking- a part of the bees out 

 of it, if it was thought that they would have more 

 bees than would be needed to take care of the brood 

 alter the old bees had returned to the old stand; 

 then a queen-cell was given them, as 1 desired in- 

 crease this season. If I had not so desired, this 

 part of the plan would be left off, putting both 

 parts ;ibove the sections, as about to be described. 



Having- the bees all in one part of the hive and in 

 the sections, the next thing I did was to bring 

 another halt- hive, and, after taking- the colony 

 from the stand, this half-hive was set in place of 

 that set off. This half-hive contained frames hav- 

 ing- starters only in them, said starters being about 

 Vi inch of foundation the whole length of the under 

 side to the top-bar of the frame. The sections and 

 honey-board were now removed from where they 

 were, to the top of this new hive, and the passage- 

 ways down into the sections were closed by putting 

 a sheet of enameled cloth over the top of the whole. 

 The hall-hive having- the bees and queen was now 

 opened, the queen found, and set out of the hive, 

 when about two-thirds of the bees were shaken in 

 front of the new part; and, lastly, the queen was 

 placed with these shaken-off bees so she would be 

 in the lower part of the hive where new comb was 

 to be built. The part containing- the brood and 

 bees which were left to protect it was now set on 

 top of the sections, over the enameled cloth, and 

 the hive closed. These hives were worked inside of 

 the shell of a chaff hive, the chaff being- removed. 

 In a day or two, an entrance was opened, which 

 had been previously prepared, at the bottom of 

 each part to the hives, so that the bees in the up- 

 per hive had to run down the sides of the section 

 case and lower hive when they wished to get out, 

 going- in at the bottom of the lower hive, and out at 

 the entrance. After having their playspell they 

 would stay in the lower hive and in the sections, 

 so that, when all had hatched, the upper set of 

 combs was free from both honey and bees, when 

 they were taken off and stored away for another 

 season. Young beep enough seemed to remain to 

 hatch the brood, while they went down into the 

 lower hive just right to keep the colony at its 

 strongest point all the while storing honey. The 

 sections were tiered up as needed, or removed, and 

 the bees seemed to think that they had swarmed, or 

 at least they appeared to so think, after they were 

 shaken into the empty part below. If an empty 

 shell is not used, I would leave one corner of the 

 enameled cloth turned back a little for the bees to 

 pass through the sections down below; but in this 

 case probably the bees might store a little honey in 

 the empty combs after the brood had hatched. 

 This has worked well this season, a season when 

 not many swarms have issued, and 1 believe it will 

 work in any season, giving us no swarms and lots 

 of honey. I have time only to briefly outline it, 

 but trust it will be sufficiently plain so that all can 

 understand what the plan is, and help to perfect it 

 still further. G. M. Doodittle. 



Borodino, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1*89. 



I should expect the above plan to work, 

 unless the bees had gotten the swarming 

 mania before it was started. I am afraid, 

 in such a case, they would swarm in spite of 

 us. The objections to the plan are, that it 



is a little complicated, and fully as much 

 work, if I understand it correctly, as mak- 

 ing an artificial swarm. Would not the final 

 result be something like the plan so often 

 given, of hiving the new swarm, and setting 

 it on top of an old one, then in a few days 

 destroying the queen-cells below and shak- 

 ing the bees and queen in front of the lower 

 one V In the above case the bees would 

 probably conclude that they had swarmed, 

 and therefore give it up until circumstances 

 or the honey-yield should get them into con- 

 dition to swarm again. 



ARTIFICIAL INCEEASE VERSUS BUY- 

 ING BEES. 



HENRV LARGE'S EXPERIENCE REVIEWED. 



TFnoone else has criticised H. Large's experi- 

 |i[ ment, page 618, Aug. 1, permit me to say, while 

 W it is worthy of notice as to the amount of in- 



■*• crease possible, and also the amount of sugar 

 necessary to expend to obtain that result, the 

 balance-sheet itself is incomplete, and, to begin- 

 ners, misleading. From the dates given in the arti- 

 cle, 1 beg to submit an approximate balance-sheet, 

 leaving out the question of time and labor, which, 

 for the five months, could not have been obtained 

 for less than $50. And another point is not made 

 quite clear, whether they were full colonies sold, or 

 only three-frame nuclei— see page fil8, right-hand 

 column, 4th and 5th line. If the latter, then bee- 

 keeping might be profitable. 



Dr. i Cft. 



1 stock on hand $ 6 •)(» 22 storks at S5.00 $110 00 



U hives at SI. 20 52 80 



20 queens at SI. 00 20 00 



Sugar 70 <M> 



4iki shifts of foundation, 



say 50 lbs. at 42 21 00 



Tobalamv 62 20 



$232 00 $232 00 



You will see that I beg to differ with you in 

 charging the 20 queens. They should be charged, 

 even if Mr. Large had them given to him; and 

 hives also have to be charged, and also foundation, 

 as per his letter. 



Now, is the game worth the candle? I can buy 

 colonies in February and March right here, and I 

 have no doubt most bee-keepers can elsewhere, at 

 from $3.00 to $3.00 per colony, and the cost of build- 

 ing up friend Lirge's 45 was ¥1.75 each, exclusive 

 of labor, hives, and foundation. H. Fitz Hart. 



Avery, La., Aug. 25, 1889. 



5 stocks .a $6.00 30 oo 



is stocks at 85.00 90 00 



Suga r 2 00 



NEW METHODS OP QUEEN-REARING. 



ZINC-EXCLUDERS, ETC. 



"Up N interesting question now before our leading 

 **Vt apiarists is, Can young queens be fertilized 



g$m from a hive where there is a laying queen in 

 -^*- the brood-chamber, the queens being exclud- 

 ed from the brood-chain ber aud each other, 

 and given separate entrances? 



This matter has been considered in the American 

 Bee Journal, see page 26, Vol. XXV., where a in ga- 

 tive view is taken. That view is still held. While 

 it may occasionally occur, as in a great honey-How, 

 or where there is a failing queen, still it is an ex- 

 ception to a great law in the nature of the honey- 

 bee; and that law is, that, so long as a vigorous 

 queen occupies the brood-chamber, she reigns 

 practically supreme as regards all rivals. But if 

 for any cause she deserts the brood-chamber for 



