THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



201 



exchange. I consider any or all exchange 

 unproti table. 



As a compensation for the lack of natural- 

 ness in having a sufficient proportion of 

 sealed brood, I allow a large quota of bees 

 to remain as nurses. This of course must 

 necessarially detract from the size of the 

 forced swarm. Recognizing a lack of uni- 

 formity in the issuing of natural swarms, I 

 prefer to wait, and select only those having 

 plenty of sealed brood. There ought not to 

 be less than four combs fully sealed. After 

 a colony is selected for increase, place an 

 empty hive near to receive the combs of 

 brood and honey ; also, have in readiness 

 frames containing full sheets of foundation. 

 Starters will answer ; but to avoid the con- 

 struction of drone comb, as well as encour- 

 age the new colony, I prefer to furnish full 

 sheets. Proceed with a smoker, giving them 

 a little at the entrance , then open and re- 

 move the combs, examining and transfer- 

 ring them to the new hive until the queen is 

 found. If found upon a comb containing 

 empty cells and unsealed brood (which is 

 most likely), return both comb and queen to 

 the old hive. If upon a comb of sealed 

 brood, transfer her to one with open cells. 

 The remaining combs (if any), should be 

 immediately removed, substituting the 

 frames containing foundation, and closing 

 the hive. We now lift comb after comb 

 from the new hive with the exception of 

 two ; and shake the bees in front of the old 

 hive. In the instance of three or four un- 

 sealed combs, the adhering bees should be 

 left upon three of them. When shaking the 

 eombs, one or two short, sudden, downward 

 movements are sufficient. The combs, and 

 bees which remain clinging to them, should 

 be returned to the new hive. 



After closing the hive it should be carried 

 to a new location, the entrance contracted 

 according to the temperature, and at the end 

 of twenty-four hours supplied with a queen 

 cell ; or, after their construction and re- 

 moval, a queen may be introduced. As 

 queens are naturally produced in strong col- 

 onies, it would be unwise, as well as a waste 

 of time to allow them to rear one. 



By this plan an artifiicially formed col- 

 ony may be made in four or five minutes, 

 aside from finding the queen, which an ex- 

 pert can generally do in an equal space of 

 time. 



If extremely rapid work is desirable, no 

 search for the queen need be made : simply 



shake the bees from the combs and trans- 

 fer the latter to a new hive. As the queen 

 with her burden of eggs is liable to injury in 

 being jarred from the combs, cheese-cloth 

 spread loosely in front of the hive, together 

 with holding the frames low, and shaking 

 them lightly will do much to lessen the fall. 

 However, I prefer to occupy more time than 

 chance any injury to the queen. 



By this method of increase, the colony 

 formed, so closely approximates a natural 

 swarm, that no perceptible difference can be 

 seen in their prosperity. 



This plan may be modified by making one 

 colony from two or more, in which instance 

 the order becomes reversed ; the new col- 

 onies are less real, while the increase of those 

 in old comb becomes apparent. The for- 

 mer gives all the force possible to a single 

 colony, and is in accordance with natural in- 

 crease. The latter corresponding with the 

 parent colony, is also in accordance with 

 nature. 



With this modification by which a moder- 

 ate increase is obtained, there is less necessi- 

 ty for shaking the bees from the combs, as 

 a sufficient force will be left in each colony 

 to draw out the foundation. Care, however, 

 should be exercised not to remove the queen 

 with the combs. This plan is exceptionally 

 practical when the honey yield is light. 



.Jackson, Mich. 



June 22, 189.'>. 



The Social Feature of the North Ameriran 



has Become its Greatest Attraction. 



Amalgamation of the Union and the 



North American Besirable. 



E. m'kNIGHT. 



ONE short sentence in your able introduc- 

 tory article, on the special topic for this 

 month, published in the June number of the 

 Review, summarizes the character and work 

 of the North American Bee-Keepers' Associ- 

 ation, (as now constituted), so fully that lit- 

 tle is left to be said of its work past and 

 present. 



" The object of the North American is to 

 meet socially and discuss apiarian topics for 

 mutual improvement." So says the editor, 

 and in saying so, he says about all that can 

 be said of its usefulness thus far. To meet. 



