NOVEMBER 15, 1913 



807 



and resulted in a Ldgh percentage of fancy 

 honey in the finished product. 



PSYCHIC CONDITIONS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR. 



Notwitlistanding this, however, we were 

 painfully reminded of the antipathy of the 

 bees against existing conditions within the 

 supers; for swarming became the rule in- 

 stead of the exception, to the extent that 

 we were compelled to devise a special equip- 

 ment for the control of it. This led to the 

 development of the switch method of con- 

 trolling bees by mechanical means, wliich 

 settled the swarming question in short order. 

 It soon become apparent, however, that we 

 were not getting the best work out of our 

 bees that they were capable of performing; 

 for while we had almost perfect control of 

 swarming it was a matter of forcing them 

 into the sections by sheer force of numbers, 

 regardless of their inclination. 



Since bee nature still revolted against the 

 abnormal conditions that still existed within 

 the storing-chamber, there was considerable 

 loafing; and it became evident that the forc- 

 ing ijrocess Avas not conducive to best re- 

 sults in honey production ; therefore if we 

 would maintain the psychological condition 

 of contentment and satisfaction that is es- 

 sential to best results in honey production, 

 we must furnish an incentive so powerful 

 as to overcome all their idiosyncrasies, and 

 induce them to enter sections willingly and 

 eagerly. 



NEARING THE GOAL. 



Fully realizing that, next to combs of 

 brood, freslily drawn combs are the most 

 powerful incentive imaginable to induce 

 bees to enter supers, we soon developed our 

 split-section idea into a method that enabled 

 us to take a strip of drawn comb from the 

 hive, and, while still warm, place it exactly 

 in the center of four sections, without loos- 

 ening it from the frame or touching it with 

 the fingers, or using any tools of any kind. 

 To say that we were enthusiastic about the 

 development of the principle is putting it 

 mildly; for we felt like throwing up our 

 hat and shouting " Eureka! " 



COMING DOWN A PEG. 



But, alas for human endeavor! " the best- 

 laid plans of mice and men gang aft agiee," 

 and we v/ere not the exception to the rule, 

 for unforeseen and unexpected complica- 

 tions arose, and apparently insurmountable 

 obstacles blocked our pathway to success 

 along the line of split sections; and it be- 

 came painfulljr evident that we had chosen 

 the wrong method of applying the principle. 

 Our disapiDointment was lessened by the 

 knowledge that certain features of the split- 

 section method had always been a thorn in 

 the flesh to us, and we consoled ourselves 



with the belief tliat we had about outgrown 

 the idea. 



THE GOAL ATTAINED^ AND THREE PROBLEMS 

 SOLVED. 



The knowledge that the basic principle 

 must ever remain unchanged until the na- 

 ture of bees is perverted was a consolation, 

 and we cheerfully and hopefully began to 

 bestir ourselves to discover the correct 

 method of applying it. It involved a little 

 inventive genius, however, for our mind 

 naturally reverted back to our hitherto un- 

 precedented success with the little squares 

 of artificial comb, and little time or talent 

 was required to develop the princii^le, for 

 we felt assured that we h.ad at last discov- 

 ered the correct method of doing it, and 

 subsequent events only strengthened the 

 conviction. 



THE EQUIPMENT. 



No extra equipment is required in prac- 

 ticing this method, except a form composed 

 of four blocks of wood nailed to a thin 

 board. The position of the blocks when 

 nailed in place is such that they will fit 

 loosely into the four sections when the frame 

 holding them is placed upon the form. The 

 thickness of the blocks is governed by the 

 thickness of the section and the depth of 

 cells in the drawn combs. A gauge is used 

 for cutting up the comb into pieces of a 

 size to fill completely and snugly the sec- 

 tions. Two sharp thin-bladed knives are 

 needed ; for if the cells are very deep it may 

 be necessary to use a heated knife in order 

 to do a smooth job. 



HIVES AND SUPERS. 



Any standard liive of the Langstroth di- 

 mensions is adapted for use with this meth- 

 od. Concerning supers, any of the standard 

 brands may be used without modification. 

 In my opinion, however, the one listed in 

 the Root catalog and designated as " N," 

 Fig. 707, is best suited for this method, 

 since it is provided with section frames 

 which protect the outside of sections, keep- 

 ing them neat and clean. It also admits of 

 handling four sections at a time over the 

 form; furthermore, it admits of either comb 

 or extracted honey production, or both to- 

 gether, by simply changing frames. With 

 this method it is not advisable to use ex- 

 tracting-combs on the sides, but, instead, a 

 half-inch space back of the outside separa- 

 tors. This will insure a better filling of the 

 sections in the outside rows. 



UTILIZING WASTE MATERIAL. 



A sufficient number of extra-strong colo- 

 nies should be selected for the purpose of 

 drawing out foundation in connection with 

 extracted-honey production. In this way 

 the labor involved in the operation does not 



