676 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



traeliiig bad to be performed with care on 

 account of the thin foundation. 



After selecting the best combs, my son 

 and I went to work. The first step was to 

 slide the comb so the five knives simulta- 

 neously penetrated it just beneath the top- 

 bar, then a downward pressure of the foot 

 on the pedal forced the knives through to 

 the bottom-bar, completing the vertical sec- 

 tion. Then, slipping the comb back, it was 

 laid upon an inclined slab (which drained 

 into the uncapping-can). Now the two 

 knives mounted four inches apart in one 

 handle were inserted and the longitudinal 

 cut made. This double operation was made 

 in less time than it takes to describe it. Rut 

 the following steps were a little more te- 

 dious. The plugs had to be slightly separat- 

 ed to permit room for the thickness of the 

 sections. However, the plugs fitted exactly; 

 but I discovered that, if the slab were hing- 

 ed in such a way that it could be raised into 

 a vertical position, thus facilitating taking 

 off the filled sections without fear of having 

 tlie jdugs slip out, it would be quite an ad- 

 vantage. Yet I worried along very nicely. 

 In ]ilacing the sections in the supers I tried 

 to overcome another difficulty ; it has been 

 my experience (and, I believe, evei'y bee- 

 keeper's) that bees will wax up or propo- 

 lize any contiguous parts; but where there 

 is bee space it will take some time before 

 they will get to daubing. Here's where I 

 spent a lot of useless time. At first I had 

 driven nails through slats to rest in the bot- 

 tom of tlie supers with the points project- 

 ing upward about % inch, intending to set 

 each section on four nail-points, and as far 

 apart. (I had a number of large supers, 

 made to fit the Dadant hive, otherwise this 

 would not have been possible). Thus I ex- 

 pected that, if there were any daubing at 

 all, it would be only at the nail-points; 

 however, this was a failure. Too much time 

 was wasted in placing the sections, and the 

 care required in handling to prevent top- 

 pling over. Then I resorted to a modifica- 

 tion of the old T tins ; but instead of being 



shaped thus |1 I enlarged the center 



fold thus __\ 1 so the requisite bee-space 



was secured, and the sections could be 

 quickly placed. 



Now, in my impatience I chose six of my 

 strongest colonies and put two supers on 

 each to be sealed. In twenty-four hours T 

 removed them. Yes. they were all fastened : 

 a few plugs had toppled over, but, alas I 

 many cells had been emptied. I had neg- 

 lected to gorge those colonies first, flunking 

 that, as they were the most populous and 

 wealthiest of all, they required no prelim- 

 inary treatment. Somewhat discouraged — 

 vet determined to hold out — I proceeded to 



gorge three colonies and tried again with 

 better success ; and, being also more careful 

 about the longitudinal cut, so as to get it 

 square, and at right angles with the surface, 

 none toppled over. Ah, the beauty of it ! 

 though tiie sections had been daubed with 

 lioney thej^ were all licked clean, and not a 

 speck of propolis. Only one doubt remain- 

 ed — were those plugs sealed as firmly to the 

 wood as otherwise? Apparently, yes; but 

 after a little rough handling at the store 

 two dropped out. Hereupon I left them 

 on 36 hours instead of 24, with better re- 

 sults. 



Such were my results, but what avail? 

 Most of my bees had perished ; and, consid- 

 ering the uncertainty of season and locality, 

 I chose to devote my whole time again to 

 my profession. My son also, who, I hoped, 

 would become a successful apiarist, deter- 

 mined instead to become a machinist. To 

 ]>erfect liimself in this his ambition turned 

 to the metropolis, where opportunities and 

 facilities existed. Having but one son I 

 dreaded an early separation, so I completed 

 the circuit and 'moved back to St. Louis. 



Not being in position to test this method 

 of comb-honey production any further I 

 give it to the public for what it is worth. 

 I am convinced, however, that any one in a 

 fair locality would soon become proficient 

 with this method. Practically the bees would 

 be treated the same as in the production of 

 extracted honey, with the exception of the 

 hives utilized for fastening and finishing 

 up. Yet with those, though being gorged, 

 could be given plenty of super room and 

 thus discourage swarming. Some more ex- 

 l)erience is necessary to ascertain just how 

 long the finishing process should last to 

 secure best i^esults. I had as many as six 

 supers at once on the strongest colonies. It 

 seemed that better results were secured with 

 four or six supers than only one. The more 

 dripiiing honey there was to be cleaned up, 

 the less space they had left to put it. As 

 to the fastening up, it really seems to be 

 instinctive. The bees themselves appear to 

 dread any loose combs or parts. 



St. Louis. 



[Before negotiations had been completed 

 by which we were to publish the article, and 

 after securing Dr. Miller's opinion, we in 

 turn wrote our own " opinion,'' a part of 

 wliich is given herewith : 



Mr. Geo. A. Humpert : — Yoiir favor of July 12, 

 with the enclosure of article describing your system 

 of comb-honey production and swarm prevention, 

 together with letter from Dr. Miller, was duly re- 

 ceived. We don't wonder that it seems fascinating 

 to you ; and \inless one has had a very large and 

 extensive experience, and opportunity for extended 

 oliservation, he might be misled, just as you were in 

 part. 



