Sept. 17, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



603 



in natural cups except when crowded for room, and when 

 the eggs have the last possible item of development. But 

 how about the choice queen kept in the nucleus on purpose 

 to keep her from shortening her life by profuse laying ? If 

 things in the nucleus are all right, and the breeder is so run 

 as to lay only 200 eggs a day (instead of the 2000 she might 

 otherwise lay), will there be any No. 2 eggs ? From one 

 point of view all the 200 should be at the best possible qual- 

 ity. From another point of view not so — whole machinery 

 running too slow for best results. Too few workers en- 

 gaged in giving her the wherewith, and those few too lan- 

 guid about it. Egg No. 1,500 at the close of a day when 

 she would gladly have laid 2,000 is apparently the child of a 

 stress and superabundance which cannot exist in the other 

 case. Whole thing does not amount to a hill of beans, per- 

 haps — and then, again, perhaps it does. 



Hard to get the long Alley strips if one must not let a 

 breeding queen have any large room ahead. 



While we're at it I'll go somewhat further and say that 

 I have suspected that influences — needed influences of devel- 

 opment coming from the living bees — go right through the 

 sealing of cells, and are needed by sealed cells, and missed 

 when absent, and also missed when partially absent by the 

 colony's being too weak. This is altogether beyond and 

 apart from the danger of chilling. Where shall we get to, 

 then ? To the point where we must have a full, rousing 

 colony all the time, and the queen-rearing nucleus abolished. 

 Page 475. 



[ Our Bec-Meepin§ Sisters | 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



An Older Sister— Bee Hat and Gloves. 



I'm one of " Our Bee-Keeping Sisters," for I've been 

 handling bees for 33 years without a break. I'm in my 72d 

 year, and I've taken care of my apiary almost alone this 

 season, as my husband is an invalid. 



My apiary has been growing smaller for about 13 years 

 — no great losses, but gradually ; the increase not being 

 equal to winter loss. 



The seasons have been poor, but the colonies have been 

 well cared for. If I'm to blame it is because I neglected to 

 introduce young queens, and there was so little swarming. 



Last season was the first entire failure we ever experi- 

 enced ; the bees stored a winter supply, but no surplus. 

 During fruit-bloom the bees built comb under the devices 

 and then starved, as I found to my sorrow when I returned 

 from Florida, May 2. I gave them syrup until they neg- 

 lected the feeders. Honey came with a flood, and as soon 

 as a bee left a cell it was filled with nectar, and the queens 

 had no chance to lay. There has been very little swarming 

 in our apiary. I would have preferred more. 



A BEE-HAT OR MASK. 



When I first began bee-keeping I purchased " Lang- 

 stroth on the Hive and Honey-Bee," and I followed his 

 directions in making a protector for my head, and I've 

 never regretted it. I've tried veils galore, but they would 

 catch on limbs of trees, and tear, or, while working, get 

 close to my face or head, or where it was fastened about my 

 neck, and I would be stung. 



THE HAT AS I M.\KE IT. 



I measure from the top of the head to my shoulders, 

 and cut this length from a web of fine wire-gauze, painted 

 green, allowing a liberal amount for hems, bottom and top. 

 I roll the hems, working all loose wire in, and bind with 

 cloth ; this is to prevent the ends of the wire from'scratch- 

 ing when set over the head. Then roll it into a cylinder 

 large enough to go over the head ; roomy, but not too large. 

 Sew a top to this cut from pasteboard, not round, but ob- 

 long. To the bottom a cape with an armhole on the right, 

 and open on the left. 



The front should be shorter than the back, and rounded 

 out at the top. There should be a short piece over each 

 shoulder, with a draw-string at the bottom.! 



I put the hat on. with my right arm through the hole, 



and tie at the left, and put on a linen vest, and button it 

 up, and no bee can get at my head. 



Bees do not sting through starched linen, and some- 

 times I wear a linen coat, as it has sleeves, and an apron 

 tied around, so that no bees can creep under it. 



BEE-GLOVES. 



I prefer a small buckskin glove with a gauntlet of tick- 

 ing or heavy drilling reaching to the elbow. I don't but- 

 ton the glove, but sew up the opening, having it loose so it 

 can be drawn on easily. I've tried rubber gloves, but they 

 are a delusion and a snare. 



Clad in this armor I can work with confidence, knowing 

 that no bee can possibly sting me. 



Peoria Co., 111., Aug. 10. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



A Nevada Sister's Report. 



Our bees have done well. I had 45 colonies in the 

 spring, and increased to 74, but did not receive any honey 

 to speak of from the increase, but they are all filled up 

 ready for the second crop of clover. From the old colonies 

 I obtained 29 cases of comb honey, and 70 gallons of ex- 

 tracted — beautiful alfalfa honey. I have sold 60 gallons of 

 extracted at 80 cents a gallon. We expect 11 cents a pound 

 for our comb honey. The second crop of clover is begin- 

 ning to bloom. I do all the work with the bees. 



Washoe Co., Nev., Aug. 14. Mrs. B. A. Cooper. 



Swarming"— Rearing- Queens- 

 Escape. 



-Using- the Bee- 



I am a reader of the American Bee Journal, and enjoy 

 it beyond expression. Although my apiary is small I take 

 pleasure in working in it. The season is fair ; I will get 

 three supers of comb honey to the hive. Some of this will 

 be on exhibit at the Clark County Fair. 



As I am a novice in bee-keeping I wish to ask a few 

 questions : 



1. Is natural swarming a hindrance to success ? 



2. Can as good or better queens be reared by artificial 

 ways as by natural ? 



3. If the queen-cells are cut out of the parent hive eight 

 days after the prime swarm issued, why do you prefer to 

 put the prime swarm on the old stand ? I like to give both 

 swarms the same chance. 



4. Will a bee-escape work under a super or hive having 

 brood in them ? Mrs. Della E. Stone. 



Clark Co., Wis., Aug. 6. 



1. That depends. If you want increase it is all right to 

 let the colonies swarm. But if it is honey you want, then I 

 would try to have as little swarming as possible. It is not 

 an easy thing to prevent all swarming, but all but prime 

 swarms can be prevented without much trouble. 



2. If you have only one colony you will get just as good 

 queens from it by natural swarming as by any artificial 

 process. But if you have a number of colonies it is not 

 wise to trust entirely to natural swarming. Find out which 

 is your best colony, and secure queens from that stock. 



3. I don't cut out the cells when I make the change. I 

 let the bees do that part of it. I believe you will get better 

 results by throwing the flying force into the prime swarm, 

 as that will give you one strong colony, and it is the strong 

 colonies that give us the honey. If, however, you want to 

 give each colony equal chance, hive the swarm on a new 

 stand. 



4. Not very satisfactorily. The bees are loth to leave 

 the brood. 



" The Hum of the Bees in the Apple-Tree Bloom " is 

 the name of the finest bee-keeper's song— words by Hon 

 Eugene Secor and music by Dr. C. C. Miller. This is 

 thought by some to be the best bee-song yet written by Mr. 

 Secor and Dr. Miller. It is, indeed, a " hummer." We can 

 furnish a single copy of it postpaid, for 10 cents, or 3 copies 

 for 25 cents. Or, we will mail a half-dozen copies of it for 

 sending us one new yearly subscription to the American 

 Bee Journal at $1.00. 



*—-* — ■ 



The Premiums ofifered,this,week are well worth working 

 for. Look at them. 



