August, 1910 



O I. E A N T N n S T N B K K C V h T U K E 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



to draw out foundation than in the autumn. 

 The August work in such localities will be 

 much the same, as just described, in regard 

 to requeening and the time and manner of 

 increase; but the increase will have to be 

 at the expense of a portion of the honey 

 crop. R- F. Holtcrniann. 



Brantford, Ont., Canada. 



A LATE START IN BEEKEEPING 



But a Real Success Achieved that Brought Both 

 Money and Pleasure 



It is not in the spirit of boasting that I 

 present this brief narration of a late be- 

 ginner 's success wdth bees, but rather to 

 prove that age and entire ignorance of 

 methods form no barrier to entering the 

 field of beekeeping with good chances of 

 ultimate success. 



Ten years ago, at the age of 62, I started 

 beekeeping. Meeting a neighbor one morn- 

 ing he proposed to exchange two colonies of 

 bees with me for a load of hay. I accepted 

 his offer, and that day I became a beekeeper. 

 I was, perhaps, as ignorant in the mysteries 

 of the art as one could well be. In fact, I 

 could not even tell a drone from a worker 

 nor a super from the bottom-board. But 

 being "in it" I resolved to succeed. 



My first season resulted in increase of 

 only one colony and no surplus honey, owing 

 to absolute unpreparedness. The end of the 

 second season of my venture showed me 

 satisfactory gain, having secured some sur- 

 plus honey and four colonies of increase. 

 The second winter found me studying and 

 preparing for the following season. My 

 work was chiefly making hives and supers, 

 wiring Hoffman frames, and filling supers 

 with sections all ready for the hives. I 

 early learned the value of using full sheets 

 of foundation for both brood-frames and 

 sections. The third season 's crop more than 

 repaid all previous expenses, and from that 

 date on the business grew and became suc- 

 cessful beyond my highest expectations. 



The season of 1917, however, proved to 

 be my banner year, and stamped success in 

 big letters on my late-in-life endeavor with 

 bees. At the beginning of that season I had 

 on hand about 40 hives filled with frames of 

 empty combs, or foundation, and 135 supers 

 ready, too, with full sheets of foundation in 

 every section. I commenced outside opera- 

 tions early by putting supers of empty comb 

 and unfinished sections of the previous year 

 on my strongest colonies during the fruit- 

 bloom period. I allowed the full fiatural 

 increase except that I raised the front of 

 each hive % inch in hot weather to over- 

 come partially the swarming inclination. 



My plan has been to allow all swarming 

 and to double up the swarms as much as 



])cssib!e, thus making new strong colonies 

 tliat will in a few days jump right up into 

 the supers and fill them with astonishing 

 rapidity. Any old colony, apparently in- 

 active or lacking in numbers or vigor, I 

 treat to a new swarm; and to prevent fight- 

 ing I give each several thoro smokings and 

 then introduce the new swarm en masse 

 from the top of the hive right on to the 

 brood-frames, and never from the entrance. 

 The new combination will, in a little while, 

 work with the vigor of any new swarm. 



Inspired, perhaps, to greater action by the 

 voice of the press, urging every person to 

 help in the universal need of more produc- 



A caiload of honey at Delphos, Ohio, and the men 



who produced it. From left to right are Walter 



Leininger, J. H. Allemeir, Fird Schimmoller, John 



Leininger, Fred Leininger, B. I. Solomon. 



tion, I labored with determination both in 

 beekeeping and my old-time line of garden- 

 ing, and I believe I have added the cap- 

 sheaf to my lifework industrially. My 45 

 colonies increased by swarming to 90 dur- 

 ing the season, and my entire production 

 from the bees netted me $496.20, and from 

 my bees and garden $670. This I accom- 

 plished alone and unaided for the season of 

 1917, at the age of 72. 



Altho starting late in life, and perfectly 

 ignorant of bees and bee management, I 

 have found pleasure and profit with them; 

 and were I young today I would start with 

 bees for a life occupation. E. E. Colien. 



Manana, Wis. 



ONE OF THE SIX BEST 



A Failure in Colorado but a Success in Utah - 



Utah may boast of one of the six best 

 beekeepers in the United States, according 

 to no less an authority than Dr. E. F. Phil- 

 lips of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture. Utah people know this honey- 

 producer as the man who took first prize 

 for comb honey at the State Fair. Colorado 

 knows him as a beeman they hated to see 

 leaving the State, and, thanks to his suc- 

 cess in producing honey, Hyruni, where he 



