J\IAY 1, 1913 



Fig. 3. — Safely liived. (J. Ij. Byer sitting on the fence.) 



from the fence and the swarm gently jarred 

 into the hive. The picture in Fig. 3 was 

 taken after the bees had been shaken intn 

 the hive; and if ever a crowd of bees were 

 glad for a home they surely were, as they 

 settled down I'ight at once with that home 

 cry so well known to the beekeeper. 



My nephew, Leslie Williamson, happens 

 to have a camera, and that explains how Ave 

 got the pictures. By the way, I rather 

 smiled when the picture was shown me, as 

 I am perched on the fence in Fig. 3. It is 

 rare that I Avear a veil except in extract- 

 ing time, and there was no need of one at 

 all under the circumstances, as the bees 

 were not at all cross. I had put it on when 

 first going over to where the swarm Avas, 

 and had forgotten all about it till after the 

 camera had snapped. 



Mount Jov, Ont., Canada. 



SWITCHING THE HALVES OF A DOUBLE 

 BROOD-NEST TO CONTROL SWARMING 



r.Y J. A. Yi:OMAN.S 



In the June 15th issue for 1912 I had 

 an article, p. 366, concerning some experi- 

 ments I liave been making with the view of 

 reducing sAvarming and at the same time in- 

 creasing tlie production of surplus hone}'. 

 I Avas much pleased to hear from beekeep- 

 ers from all sections, shoAving their interest 

 in these experiments. One m.an in particu- 

 lar reported as having Avorked alor'g tiie 

 same lines with results and conclusions the 

 same, so far as he had progressed. 



The summer of 1912 was a poor one for 

 honey production in eastern Washington. 



Warm summer weath- 

 er Avas a scarce article. 

 A few Avarm days 

 Avould be folloAved by 

 a spell of cold or 

 rainy Aveather that 

 dreAV on the surplus 

 gathered by the bees 

 during the Avarmer pe- 

 riod. Some of my bee- 

 keeping friends re- 

 ported practically no 

 crop, and at least one 

 said that he feared 

 that not enough Avas 

 on hand for Avinter 

 stores. My crop Avas 

 65 pounds per colony, 

 spring count, Avhich I 

 considered satisfactory 

 under the conditions. 

 During the season I 

 tried some experiments 

 Avhich I am confident cut doAvn my yield 

 someAvhat. For instance, I was anxious to 

 see hoAv early I could raise the "hatching 

 story " of the brood-chamber and get the 

 bees to start Avork in the supers (supers 

 placed beloAv it and above the laying story). 

 I therefore tried this arrangement very 

 early, before the hive Avas at all crowded, 

 and before there Avas any real need of it. 

 In fact, the result shoAved there were not 

 enough bees in the divided colony to gener- 

 ate sufficient heat if Aveather turned cold. 



The bees started Avork at once in supers 

 (in Avhich I had placed some bait sections) ; 

 but in a few days the Aveather turned cold 

 and rainy, and honey-gathering was stop- 

 ped completely for scA-eral days. The .leld 

 bees having all gone doAvn from the hatch- 

 ing story, leaving only young bees in it, 

 there were not enough left to cover all the 

 brood, and some of it Avas chilled and killed. 

 In spite of this setback the colony built un 

 vei-y rapidly. I should not have eommencecl 

 switching so early. I feared the above 

 would happen, but wished to try it any 

 way. If the hive had been full of bees the 

 result Avould haA'e been different. I did not 

 wait until the colony Avas strong enough. 



The results of the past year convince me 

 that the principles involved in this system 

 are right. I expect and hope the beekeep- 

 ing fraternity Avill improve on the detail?. 

 For the benefit of those Avho may not have 

 the June 15th number, 1912, I will repeat 

 in a feAv Avords the principles of the system, 

 and Avill then try to answer the questions 

 that have come to me from all sides. I 

 have had letters from California, Oregon, 



