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THE AMERICAN BEE JOLHI>AC. 



July 23, 1903. 



we do not particularly care to get reproducers. I hold that 

 in a state of absolute freedom, each colony of bees is in- 

 duced by Nature to rear a large number of drones for the 

 sake of the young queen that must meet one in her wedding- 

 flight. In a state of domestication, when we congregate SO 

 colonies in one location, it is our place to regulate this over- 

 production of drones, for it becomes an overproduction 

 when we gather the colonies in one spot, the drones of one 

 or two colonies being amply sufficient to mate with the SO 

 young queens that may be reared. 



In a state of entire freedom a colony of bees will not 

 continue to store honey away till it amounts to tons. It 

 will rear drones enough to eat its surplus, at some time or 

 other. This in a general way. A colony that is ill-supplied 

 with honey will kill its drones much sooner than one that is 

 rich in stores, or " fat," as the French call it. The rich 

 colony will also rear drones much earlier in spring, and will 

 thus use up its surplus. But our domestication of the bees 

 will not be thorough if we do not learn to save on the breed- 

 ing of drones, and cause our bees to produce only enough of 

 them for the absolute needs of the apiary. 



If drones had been intended at all for warmth, they 

 would have been kept when the weather is cold in the 

 spring. But the reverse is the case. Let there be a few 

 weeks of warm weather early drones will be reared, then 

 let a cold spell come when the brood needs care and warmth, 

 and at that very time you will see the workers persecuting 

 the drones, driving them out, mercilessly, one by one, to 

 tolerate them again when the heat returns. 



Hancock Co., 111. 



[ Our Bee-Keeping Sisters | 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



A "Sister" to Help in the Apiary. 



I keep a few bees, and would like to build up a fair-sized 

 apiary, but as I am the miller I do not have the time to give 

 them the proper attention. With the opportunity there is 

 for selling the honey here at home, I think this would be a 

 good location. 



Do you think it would be advisable to try to secure the 

 help of one of the bee-keeping sisters, or one who wishes to 

 learn ? She might help with office-work, and I could help 

 with the bees. M. DusTY. 



Washington Co., Pa. 



Answer. — It might be a good plan. You can tell better 

 after giving it a trial. Very much depends upon the per- 

 son. If you can secure the assistance of some relative who 

 will take a personal interest in the work you may find it 

 very advantageous. 



Bees Working on White Clover and Alfalfa. 



I have kept bees for ten years. I do the work myself. I 

 have 14 colonies now. White clover and alfalfa are in 

 bloom, and bees are at work early and late. 



Bokhara clover is seeding heavily this year. 



Wabaunsee Co., Kan. Minnie Peet. 



A Pennsylvania Sister's ]Experience. 



I have been connected with bee-keeping for a number 

 of years, and ought to know more about the business, but 

 I have found that even what we " don't know " can be a 

 help to others by starting investigation. To tell of my 

 varied experiences in all these years would fill a volume. 

 Successes and failures have followed all the way along. 

 Losses have been in wintering. I have tried almost all 

 ways. The most successful was under a part of our house 

 not excavated as a cellar, but quite roomy and enclosed all 

 around. It was such backaching work to get them under 

 there, we gave it up for that reason. 



My first venture, after having kept a few colonies, was 

 to buy 25 colonies, giving a horse in exchange. I gained 

 considerable experience in working with them. In 1896 my 



son and I bought an apiary of 42 colonies, hives and fix- 

 tures, all in excellent condition, of a widow whose husband 

 was a bee-keeper. She did not want to have anything to do 

 with the bees, and so we got them at a bargain. We had 

 about three excellent honey-years, and did well. Now, 

 there have been three off years, and natural increase has 

 not equaled winter loss. After selling some this spring, 

 finds me with only IS colonies and a lot of empty hives. 



My son has the farm work to do and can not help 

 much about the bees. My husband has been an invalid for 

 more than two years with a nerve trouble. He never took 

 kindly to the bees. I enjoy them as much as ever, and 

 would like to increase this summer without spoiling my 

 honey crop, which has been a much-needed source of revenue 

 to us. 



I have taken the Bee Journal a number of years, and 

 like the new department very much. I am looking for a 

 queen for a new subscriber. I can not always spend as 

 much time, and give close attention to the bees as I would 

 like, owing to other duties. Mrs. D. W. Brown. 



Erie Co., Pa., May 18. 



Rearing" Queens, Swarming-, Etc. 



My Dear Miss Wilson : — 



I have 8 colonies of bees and wish to increase to 16, and 

 Italianize. I want to buy a queen and rear young queens 

 from her, but can't decide whether to get a " breeder " or 

 " select tested." I am anxious to have the very best queens, 

 and don't mind any trouble to produce them, but I am inex- 

 perienced, and am afraid I'll make some mistake, therefore 

 I don't feel like paying a high price for a breeder when pos- 

 sibly a select tested would be almost as good, and less ex- 

 perience for one to "tinker " on. 



1. Is there much difference between the two ? 



2. Now, I propose to put two stories of brood over a 

 strong colony, confining the queen to the first floor. In 

 eight or ten days take both upper stories with all the bees 

 of each and place on a new stand, confining them for 24 

 hours, and give them young brood from my choice queen, 

 and in nine or ten days break this colony up into nuclei. 

 Will this method give me the best of queens ? or would it be 

 better to put both stories back over the excluder and queen 

 after cells are started ? I intend to put entrance-guards on 

 hives containing black drones before my young queens take 

 their flight. I am unable to watch my bees continually, as 

 I have other work to do. 



3. Will they store as much surplus if I use entrance- 

 guards and queen and drone traps during the swarming 

 season ? My idea is to put an Alley queen and drone trap 

 on the hive on which I find cells most advanced, so as to 

 catch the queen and place among the cluster (also to pre- 

 vent her getting lost, as she will be clipped). Then hive 

 in a plain box and return to the parent colony next day. 

 (The trap will be shifted to other colonies when needed.) 



4. Is there much danger of such a colony swarming 

 again ? I forced one colony April 14 (finding advanced 

 queen-cells), and it swarmed June 8 just the same. 



5. If you had most of your hives to buy now, and were 

 running for comb honey, which kind would you buy ? I 

 have a couple of Danz. hives, but I haven't tested them 

 enough to know whether thej' are best or not. My other 

 hives are for ten frames. 



My bees have always wintered well, never having lost 

 a colony, and they have had no extra attention, such as 

 feeding, packing, etc., and wintered on the summer stands 

 in quite an exposed position, too. I have read much about 

 rearing bees six or eight weeks before the harvest, so I tried 

 this spring by covering each hive with old rugs, paper, 

 straw, etc., and turning a large dry goods box, in the bot- 

 tom of which was straw held in by paper and small sticks, 

 over each colony. 



6. Do you suppose it did any good ? or would it have 

 been better to have had them so packed all the winter ? My 

 bees swarmed earlier this year than ever before. The first 

 swarm issued April 8. I thought perhaps it was because of 

 their being wrapped up, though a few weeks later other 

 swarms in the neighborhood were reported. I am anxious 

 to know what kind of " locality " this is for bees. I have 

 never made it a study, but I am trying to do so now. 



Pruit blooms here through March, commencing about 

 the first; white clover from the first of May through June, 

 sourwood the last of June. I don't know what will be next, 

 but I intend to " look out ;" nor do I know how much pas- 

 turage of any kind is accessible. White clover grows quite 

 profusely along the roads and in the yards, but most of the 



