1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



545 



first, and so on until the can is nearly full. 

 One ten-frame super will fill a can. The 

 combs are cut across into four pieces for the 

 12-lb. pails, and five pieces for the G-lb. For 

 the small 3-lb. cans the comb is first cut 

 lengthwise from end to end, about one inch 

 from the bottom; then crosswise into six 

 pieces. This makes six small squares of 

 comb, and the same number of half-squares 

 of the one-inch strip first cut off. In pack- 

 ing these into cans we first place two of the 

 smaller (or half) squares side by side in the 

 bottom of the can, then lay two of the squares 

 on top of these. In this way three cans can 

 be filled with each comb. 



Extracted honey is then poured in over 

 the comb honey to fill up the crevices and 

 empty space, and make up the weight. It 

 also keeps the comb honey in a buoyant 

 state, so that it does not mash up in shipping. 



We always make it a practice to heat all 

 our extracted honey before putting it on the 

 market, as it will prevent granulation much 

 longer. The liquid honey is filled in quite 

 warm, and the cans closed. Nothing but 

 first-class honey should be put up under 

 any circumstances, and then a profitable 

 trade can soon be secured. 



New Braunfels, Texas. 



CELL-BUILDING IN COLONIES 

 CAGED QUEENS. 



WITH 



BY J. A. CRANE. 



iThe Crane method of formiiiK nuclei, as stated in 

 our June 1st issue of last year, in brief, is this: The 

 queen of a colony is caged three days, during which 

 time cells will be started. The hive is then lifted off 

 its bottom and a body of combs and a frame of brood 

 with the queen is put in its place. A honey-board is 

 put on, after which the removed brood-nest with its 

 cells just started is set on top. The bees, according to 

 Mr. Crane, will continue building the cells. On this 

 point Mr. Buchanan, in our May 1st issue of this year, 

 took issue.— Ed.] 



On page 284, May 1, Mr. J. F. Buchanan 

 evidently refers to my article on increase, p. 

 757, June 1, 1908. I intended to indicate that 

 the plan was a sort of combination of the 

 Somerford and Alexander methods — the 

 Somerford so far as getting cells started, the 

 Alexander in getting all brood hatched and 

 sealed, so as to lose none from starvation or 

 neglect. I have used the plan for two sea- 

 sons with the greatest success, having had 

 only ope failure out of fifty last season. In 

 one case I caged the queen in the forenoon, 

 and found the bees had started cells before 

 night the same day. I raised the brood to 

 the upper story, and released the queen be- 

 low an excluder, and the bees finished the 

 cells in fine shape. I also get the best of 

 queens in this way, as I never let the bees 

 raise more than ten at one time. I did not 

 say that it was necessary to have honey com- 

 ing in to make the plan a success, because I 

 never imagined any one would want to make 

 increase or raise queens except during a 

 honey-flow, unless it was a regular queen- 

 breeder, and they understand tne necessity 



of feeding, and practice it when necessarjf. 

 I want no queens which are reared by arti- 

 ficial feeding myself. While they may some- 

 times be good, the chances are certainly in 

 favor of those reared during a good honey- 

 flow. 



IS DOOLITTLE WRONG IN HIS ESTIMATE OF 

 HOW FAR BEES MAY FLY? 



I have also several times noted Doolittle's 

 statement in regard to bees' flight; and 

 while I have never doubted one statement 

 that came from his pen, and have probably 

 learned as many profitable kinks from his 

 writings as from any other one source, I still 

 doubt whether my bees ever get much more 

 than two miles from home, lo-day, May 16, 

 there are many patches of dandelions, and a, 

 few apricot and Japanese plums, and many 

 hard maples, in blossom. On my way to 

 church, and also on the return trip, I watch- 

 ed closely all the way; and as the nearest 

 bees in that direction are a good four miles, 

 and all blacks, while mine are all yellow, the 

 last yellow bees I could find were a little 

 more than a mile and a half from home, and 

 then for nearly a mile I did not see a bee of 

 any kind. Of course there were not many 

 fruit-trees in bloom; but every one that was, 

 was literally alive with bees; also every 

 patch of dandelions. The hard maples were 

 most plentiful, and the bees were working 

 on them in my yard, and for a quarter of a 

 mile along the road much more than further 

 away. I think the fruit-bloom yielded a lit- 

 tle honey, as I could detect the odor of new 

 honey in the yard. If the maple affords pol- 

 len only, as I beheve, it seems that my bees 

 were satisfied to get it at the nearest avail- 

 able spot, but would fly the limit to get a lit- 

 tle nectar. 



Marion, N. Y. 



A NEW EDITION OF THE ABC AND X Y Z OF 

 BEE CULTURE UNDER WAY AGAIN. 



We are now busy at work %n a new edition 

 of the A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture. It 

 is astonishing, the number of changes we 

 have to make from year to year — not because 

 we have to throw out matter that is false or 

 misleading, but because there are better 

 methods or shorter cuts for accomplishing 

 the same end. 



We get out, on an average, a new edition 

 of 15,000 every year and a half, or 10,000 

 every year. During this interval, new ideas 

 or better practices are brought out. For 

 example, during 1908 and '9 there seemed to 

 be a large amount of testimony to show that 

 feeding copiously in the fall was far better 

 than feeding in the fall to a moderate ex- 

 tent and then again in the spring to stimu- 

 late. 



In the multitude of counselors there is 

 wisdom, and so in the new edition of our 

 work we are putting more emphasis on fall 

 feeding and less on feeding in the spring, 

 although there come times, of course, when 

 the latter is absolutely necessary. 



