290 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



an increased demand for it was considered, 

 but no action was taken. 



A committee nominated the following 

 members for a board of officers, all of 

 Avhom Avere unanimously elected. President, 

 W. D. Wright, Altamont; tirst vice-presi- 

 dent, Charles N. Hays, Brookview; second 

 vice-president, Irving 0. Cross, Hoosack 

 Falls; secretary, S. Davenport, Indian 

 Fields; treasurer, I. J. Stringham, New 

 York. 



A summer field-day meet and demonstra- 

 tion was suggested, and received much fa- 



vorable consideration. The president and 

 I. J. Stringham were elected a committee to 

 superintend the matter and make it a suc- 

 cess. The meet will be held at the home 

 apiary of the president at Altamont, some 

 time in July. 



Two interesting letters from Audubon 

 Johnson, Simi, Cal., Avere read by the sec- 

 retaiy, and received much appreciation. 



President W. D. Wright and W. D. West 

 Avere elected delegates to attend the next 

 annual convention of the State Association. 



Indian Fields, N. Y. 



DIVIDING COLONIES BEFORE THE SURPLUS HONEY-FLOW 



BY R. F. HOLTERMANN 



When Ave undertake to combat an idea 

 we ought to make quite sure that the man 

 Ave connect with that idea holds it, else we 

 are apt to find that we are aiming at an 

 imaginary target. 



I Avant to endorse fully Avhat Dr. Miller 

 has stated in Gleanings in effect, that, with 

 a Avhite or alsike clover-flow prospect, it is 

 uuAvi.se to divide colonies before that floAv. 

 For quite a number of years, noAV in the 

 distant past, I had the management of a 

 bee-supply business; and let me say in an 

 aside that my experience in that line, knoAv- 

 ing what the net profits Avere from year to 

 year, has made me quite willing to let the 

 supply-dealer have Avhat he can make out 

 of that business ; but during that experience, 

 and since, I have seen that one of the rocks 

 upon which many a beginner in the bee- 

 keeping business makes shipwreck is the 

 intense desire for increase. It is like the 

 case of the hen to Avhieh the oAvner gaA'e 

 about thirty eggs to sit on. When asked 

 why he gaA'e her so many he said, " I just 

 wanted to see the old fool spread herself." 

 I am not relating this story for fun nor 

 Avith the expectation that the readers of 

 Gleanings have not heard it before, but 

 because it is applicable to the subject in 

 hand. We as beginners want to spread our- 

 selves and we often do it to an extent that 

 we undertake more than Ave are able to 

 bring to a successful issue. 



There may be occasions Avhen increase is 

 desirable, sacrificing the honej' crop; but as 

 a rule, the first few years at least, it is 

 better to make a very moderate increase and 

 secure a honey ci-op. 



On page 137, Feb. 15, Dr. Miller points 

 out the difference between expecting a hon- 

 ey-floAv from Avliicli one can reasonably 

 expect a sur])liis. hegiiniiiig May 27, and 



Avhen such a floAv begins 27 days later. He 

 stated that he had knoAvn the Avhite-clover 

 harvest to be over by July 4. I too haA'e 

 had such an experience. I A^enture to say 

 that many a beekeeper has had no surplus 

 honey, or very little, from one colony Avhen 

 he might have had 50 lbs. to the colony if 

 tliese colonies had been in prime condition 

 at the beginning of the honey-flow. I knoAV 

 what I am talking about, because I have had 

 personal experience along that line. Who, 

 unless he has equalized colonies, or unless 

 he has a very limited number of colonies, 

 has not had in the apiary some Avhich have 

 given about one sui^erful of honey before 

 or by the time another needed a super at 

 all? In such a ease as Dr. Miller states, if 

 the flow should be short, or if it should 

 cease at the time specified above, one can 

 not see the great difference in yield. It is 

 all very Avell for people to talk about having 

 every" colony jDractically the same. In rare 

 instances it may be so; but moi'e people 

 judge their own Avith partial eyes, and I 

 fancy I Avould require a microscope to find 

 the percentage having the apiary in such 

 condition. 



My practice, so far as the magnitude of 

 my operations Avill allow, is to build up the 

 bees so that they will occupy Avith brood, 

 l)ees, pollen, and honey the twelve-frame 

 brood-chamber. I then take out of the 

 strongest colonies several combs of brood 

 as nearly mature as I can find it, and give 

 these to colonies Avhich Avill not quite reach 

 that stage by the time the surplus floAv 

 comes on. This practically makes them 

 full colonies also, and so in this way I get 

 the largest number of full colonies for sur- 

 plus lioney. Every bee emerging from the 

 ti'ansfei'red combs is in a full worker colo- 

 ny, and the l)rood develo])ed in the frames 

 ])ut into the strong colonies Avill be much 



