OCTOBER 1, 1913 



677 



We have been over Dr. Miller's letter that he has 

 written to you, and would endorse every thing he 

 says, especially where he says your plan would not 

 prevent swarming. Your scheme is based on the 

 idea that, when running for the production of ex 

 tracted honey, there would be little or no swarming. 

 This is correct when the hives are properly managed 

 — that is, providing that empty drawn combs are 

 given the bees fast enough, or, rather, often enough, 

 so that at no time are they ever crowded for room. 

 But your plan does not contemplate the scheme of 

 giving extra room. You produce your honey in the 

 first place in shallow frames. This honey must be 

 built off from thin super foundation, and in that 

 respect you are no better oflf than if the combs were 

 drawn out and filled with honey in sections. Now, 

 this may be a new fact to you ; but we have been 

 producing comb honey in shallow supers for the last 

 six or seven years. We are mailing you under sep- 

 arate cover a sample of our cut comb honey, such as 

 we have been supplying to the Pullman-car trade 

 during that period. 



Naturally enough, we supposed, as did you, that 

 wlien we produce extracted honey in shallow frames 

 we would reduce swarming; but in this we were 

 very greatly disappointed ; in fact, we can see very 

 little difference between the behavior of colonies 

 drawing out foundation in shallow frames and colo- 

 nies drawing out foundation in sections. The one 

 seems to be almost as bad as the other in respect to 

 swarming. But, on the other hand, if we can give 

 shallow extracting-combs, already drawn out, mind 

 you, there will be little or no trouble from swarming, 

 providing these supers are put on often enough to 

 give the bees room as fast as they fill one set of 

 combs. The theory of swarm prevention in extracted 

 honey production is empty combs all ready for the 

 bees. On that point Dr. Miller is exactly right. The 

 thing that makes bees start to swarm is building 

 combs, simply for the evident reason that they have 

 not any store room ahead. When that condition 

 arises, and the hive is a little crowded, swarming is 

 almost sure to be the result. Bees seem to be dis 

 inclined to build comb, and they will swarm before 

 tliey will do very much of it — that is, unless other 

 jireventive measures are employed. 



In your letter to us, however, you say that the 

 ^Hitter of swarm prevention is not your only idea. 

 We can readily see that. It involves the old scheme 

 of producing comb honey by a plan which you be- 

 lieve will give perfect combs, free from soiling, by 

 making the bees attach those combs to sections after 

 they have been drawn out and capped over. 



Right on this point it is our belief that you would 

 not be able to get the bees to attach these combs to 

 the se<.1ions as firmly as if they had been built there 

 in the first place. The very fact that some of the 

 combs dropped out in shipping is rather an indica 

 tion of what might happen if a few cases of comb 

 honey produced in this way were shipped long dis- 

 tances as ordinary comb honey has to go. 



Now, we have spoken rather frankly, and in a 

 way that almost indicates that your invention is of 

 no value. So far from believing that, the fact that 

 we have been using something along similar lines 

 would indicate that we do attach some value to cut 

 combs, not on the plan that you employ, but on the 

 plan that we use in putting them into cartons and 

 then wrapping up afterward. Combs will ship in 

 cartons very much better than they will in sections. 

 You see we have a saving over you in that the bees 

 do not have to attach the combs to any thing. We 

 simply cut them up and then put them into cartons 

 and wrap them up. 



Taking it all in all, we think you will see that the 

 plan we have been working upon is an improvement 

 on yours in that the combs do not have to go back 

 into the hives to be attached to the sections. We 

 simply produce shallow extracted honey, cut it up 

 afterward, and then wrap it up as shown in the 



article in Gleanings for Dec." 15. 1909. This plan 

 has the advantage over the one that you mention in 

 the fact that comb honey can be shipped in this way 

 around the world, because it is not attached to any 

 thing. The difficulty with ordinary comb honey In 

 sections is that the combs break away from the rigid 

 support of the section. That is the reason why the 

 comb-honey business has been going to the bad, and 

 nearly evex'y one is working toward the production 

 of extracted honey. E. R. ROOT. 



As stated in this letter, we have had a 

 great deal of exiierience in cutting up ex- 

 tracting-combs into small squares or plugs 

 for the Pullman-car trade. This plan was 

 illustrated and described, in our issue for 

 Dec. 1.5, 1909, as already stated. Since that 

 time we have continued the business of 

 comb-lioney production, but not on the reg- 

 ulation lines. We found a considerable de- 

 mand for these cut combs, especially for 

 fancy restaurant and dining-car trade. We 

 have not attempted to cut comb honey in 

 scjuares weighing a pound or more, but have 

 only catered to the trade that calls for in- 

 dividual service of comb honey — that is, 

 little chunks weighing between two and 

 tliree ounces. Well, having been at this 

 business for the last seven years, the scheme 

 of producing comb honey in shallow ex- 

 tracting-frames was a rather old one to us. 

 We have not, however, tried the plan of cut- 

 ting the combs of just such a size as to fit 

 neatly the common section honey-box. With- 

 out having tested it, it would be our opinion 

 that these combs would not be as stable in 

 the sections as those built there in the first 

 place ; that the cut comb afterward fasten- 

 ed in the section would have a sort of stuck- 

 in look — that is to say, it would not have 

 the finished appearance of a nicely built 

 comb that has been built in the sections 

 from foundation. However, we are open 

 to conviction; and if Dr. Humpert has 

 struck upon a new and simpler plan of 

 producing section comb honey we feel sure 

 that the beekeeping world will be glad to 

 )iay him for it. While he may be able to 

 secure a patent on tlie appliances for cut- 

 ting the combs, he could not very well pro- 

 tect himself on a patent covering the meth- 

 od of letting the bees fasten the cut combs 

 into sections. Honest beekeepers, of course, 

 would pay the doctor a royalty ; but thou- 

 sands of dishonest ones, and others who 

 might claim the idea was old, would disre- 

 gard his rights, secure in the belief that 

 he would never know- that they were pur- 

 loining his invention. — Ed.] 



Comb Honey, 214 Lbs. from One Colony 



This has been a fine season. I have taken 440 

 lbs. of comb honey from five colonies, my best giving 

 214. I think that is good for one in the A B C class.. 



.Springfield, 111., Sept. 2. A. C. Baxter. M. D. 



