898 



full sheets the bees enter the supers more 

 rearlilV; and in that way the bees are less 

 liable to crowd honey into the brood-cham- 

 ber and swarm. 



lig. 3 sliows sections bnilt on full sheets 

 of foundation, and Fig. 4 shows the section 

 honey built from small starters. When 

 selling such honey as in Fig. 4, the best 

 price is not obtained, and the honey will not 

 stand the jars and bumps that that in Fig. 

 3 would. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



next the wood it cuts out more readily. 

 This is very thoughtful and considerate; 

 but the consumer rarely sees matters in that 

 light, and Avill prefer the well-filled section. 

 Some may not like it; but I think the net- 

 weight law for comb and extracted honey is 

 a good law. The consumer knows what he 

 is getting, which he has a right to know. 

 I wish we had to put up our honey in that 

 way in Canada. It would be fair for all. 

 in closing I should like to add an item 



4 ■- .;-"; 



Flo. 3. — The consuiiier prefers the well-filled section. 



1 have done a good deal of comb-honey 

 shipping; and unless the comb is well at- 

 taciied to the wood I never knoAV in what 

 condition the honey Avill reach its destina- 

 tion. 



Then, too, selling honey by the pound 

 each section weighs less. I have heard some 

 people say that if the section is not filled 



'<*-« ^T'V 



Fig. 4. — The best price cannot be obtained for 

 snch honey. 



in favor of comb-honey production. Ow- 

 ing to the limited room which can be given 

 in the supers, at the close of the How there 

 is generally more honey in the brood-eliara- 

 ber, and the colony is thus better provided 

 with fall and winter stores, 

 liiantford, Canada. 



THE LET-ALONE PLAN 



BV S. M. CAMPBELL 



It is time that something be done to help 

 Ihe beckeeper.s, especially in California. It 

 has come to the point where bees will not 

 pay expenses at the price honey is selling 

 this season. There are many tons selling at 

 3^/2 cts. per pound — cheaper than sorghum 

 molasses. The beemen are up against a 

 hard proposition, and will have to cut down 

 expenses or go out of the business. 



Here is my plan to help them out in 

 working bees efficiently. A little further on 

 I will tell how I ^^orked this plan success- 

 fully in Arkansas, and I know it will work 

 in California. 



Suppose a man has 600 or 700 colonies. 

 Instead of employing two or three men, 

 work them with but one man, and do not 

 put in so mucli time. It does not pay. In 

 the first place, have all the super room you 

 think they will fill. We all know that this 

 is the main thing to control swarming. Of 

 course it will not keep them all from 

 swarming; but when we get all this plan 

 together we will knock swarming out; and 

 swarming is what Ihe beekeeper dreads. 



Suppose further that we have outyards. 

 The first trip in the spring will be to in- 

 spect each 3'ard and equalize the honey. Be 

 sure that each colony has forty pounds to 

 commence witli in the fall. I have found 

 that this amount is somewhere near the 

 amount it takes to winter a strong colony 

 here in southern California. 



The second round will be to equalize 

 brood. Here is where you can overcome 

 swarming. Don't do this too early nor 

 wait too late. When it gets warm, and 

 some of yoixr colonies begin to get strong, 

 .open up the hive and take out two or three 

 frames of brood and give them to the weak- 

 er hives. But do not give over two frames 

 to any one coh)ny at a time, for if you do 

 it will m.ake them ball their queen. Alway.s 

 give drawn combs in place of the brood yon 

 take away, as it is much better than foun- 

 dation. 



Be sure you have your hives three stories 

 liigh, and four will be better. If yotx want 

 to malce fewer trips you can put the room 

 on all at once. In case you do not care to 



