JUNE 15, 1913 403 



Beekeeping in the Southw^est 



Louis ScHOLL, New Braunfels, Texas. 



A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 



Instead of reproducing each inquiry and 

 answering each question separately, which 

 would take more space and yet not give any 

 more information, I am incorporating all 

 the answers into a short article. These in- 

 quiries, from four different persons, are all 

 on the subject of bulk-comb-honey produc- 

 tion, some of the questions being identical, 

 while others are entirely different. Many 

 inquiries are made for a booklet on our 

 method of management, the hives we use, 

 and on the matter of using the divisible- 

 brood-chamber hives, and the production of 

 bulk comb honey. To this we shall have to 

 reply that we have no literature on any of 

 tliese subjects other than what the bee jour- 

 nals have so kindly given during a period 

 of fifteen years or more, although we have 

 been requested several times to have such 

 booklets ]3ublished for the benefit of those 

 who are seeking information. Our time has 

 been so much taken up that we have not 

 even given the matter serious thought, and 

 consequently do not know whether it would 

 be advisable for us to do so. 



THE HIVE WE PREFER. 



The most frequently asked question is in 

 regard to our preference of the hive to use 

 in connection with our methods of manage- 

 ment, esi^ecially for bulk-comb-honey pro- 

 duction. It is already well knoAvn that our 

 long years of experience with different hives 

 has given us an opportunity to test the di- 

 visible-brood-chamber hives to a finish; and 

 since we have had the best results with them 

 we prefer them. They are comjoosed of 

 shallow supers known as the Ideal shallow 

 extracting-supers, of the ten-frame size, 

 with shallow Hoffm.an frames, 5% inches 

 deep, as listed in the supply-dealers' cata- 

 logs. Our frame has a heavier top-bar, 

 however, I/2 inch thick. It is narrower also 

 than the regularly made top-bar, or % iiicli 

 wide. There is no comb-guide or groove for 

 the foundation, as this is fastened with 

 melted beeswax. 



BURR-COMBS 



The foundation is used in full sheets, of 

 the thin-super grade, and without wires al- 

 ways. This gi'ade of foundation is just 

 right, and heavy enough so that brood foun- 

 dation is not necessary in these shallow 

 frames. The same supers or shalloio stories, 

 as they ought to be called, are used the same 

 way throughout for brood-chamber and su- 

 pers — a great advantage on account of the 

 interehangeability. There is no trouble 

 about too many burr-combs between the 

 several stories, or the frames of one story 



and those of another, in our manipulation 

 of this kind of hive. It seems that beekeep- 

 ers often allow their colonies to become too 

 crowded, and hence experience this trouble. 

 Colonies always allowed room as needed 

 will have little occasion to build between the 

 bottoms and tops of frames of one story 

 and another. Proper manipulation of the 

 several stories, and interchanging with an- 

 other from below to above, and vice versa, 

 which is necessary to accomplish the best 

 results, never allows the stories to remain 

 so long in the same position as to encourage 

 serious burr-comb buildings. Our narrow, 

 thick top-bar is no more, if as much, sub- 

 ject to cause burr-comb building than the 

 thinner and wider top-bars regularly fur- 

 nished. The latter are more subject to sag- 

 ging, however, and often there are more 

 burr-combs, as a consequence. 



THE VALUE OF SHALLOW EXTRACTING-SUPERS. 



With several hundred shallow extracting- 

 supers on hand, the beekeeper has a valu- 

 able investment, and is better prepared for 

 bulk-comb-honey production than if he did 

 not have them. By no means would I cut 

 out these valuable combs and melt them 

 into wax, having to fill the frames Avith full 

 sheets of foundation for bulk comb honey. 

 These supers should be placed on the reg- 

 ular brood-chambers early in the spring. 

 First, to allow more breeding room for the 

 colony, meaning a stronger colony for the 

 honey-flow later; and, second, it furnishes 

 a place for the bees to store the first scat- 

 tering honey that comes in before the main 

 honey-flow begins. We use these supers, 

 one over each brood-chamber jjroper during 

 the entire winter. In fact, this super is, 

 with us, part of the brood-chamber until the 

 honey-flow begins. Just before the honey- 

 flow comes on, this super or upper story is 

 raised up, and the new supers with frames 

 filled full of foundation are slipped in be- 

 tween it and the brood-chamber. Tiering 

 up as with section honey is then continued, 

 and this is one of the best ways to induce 

 bees to begin work, and work with great 

 energy in the supers immediately upon giv- 

 ing them. The extracted honey out of the 

 upper or first super with the shallow ex- 

 tracting-combs, is used for putting up the 

 bulk comb honey, hence is that much profit. 

 The same super is again used after the 

 main honey-flow to catch that honey, which 

 would not be enough to warrant putting on 

 another comb-honey super, and likewise 

 goes for extracted honey, as a great deal of 

 it is needed to put up a good crop of the 

 comb honey. 



