AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



299 



I am a little inclined to think that the 

 partly-filled super cut some figure in the 

 case. You know that a feeling of wealth 

 and prosperity is one of the elements 

 necessary for swarming. Take every 

 drop of honey from a colony preparing 

 to swarm, and they are likely to defer 

 their exodus. On the contrary, crowd 

 honey in on them and you may start to 

 swarming a colony that otherwise would 

 not have thought of it. Now if the same 

 trouble comes next year, try leaving off 

 the partly-filled super until the bees get 

 to work in the new hive. Put an empty 

 super on if you like, but don't put on 

 the one with honey till perhaps the third 

 day. Possibly that may help you out in 

 good shape. 



Swarms Clustering. 



When two or more swarms issue, or 

 are on the wing at the same time, the 

 queens having been caught and caged, 

 will the swarms ever settle together ? If 

 so, when they break cluster, will they 

 separate and each return to the several 

 locations from which they came, as a 

 single swarm will ? 



Answer. — I've had them settle to- 

 gether in a cluster as big as my body, 

 and almost as long as I am, and some- 

 times they would hang there half a day. 

 Sometimes they would go to their own 

 hives, and sometimes all pile into one 

 hive. 



Hiving Two Swarms Together. 



What are the disappointments likely 

 to be met with in hiving two swarms to- 

 gether, as you intimated some time ago? 

 How would this plan work ? Cage the 

 clipped queen when the swarm issues, 

 and remove the old colony to a new loca- 

 tion, and throw a cloth over the en- 

 trance ; place the hive containing the 

 swarm with which it is desired to hive 

 the swarm which is out, and after they 

 have entered change back. (I would 

 not change back with the first swarm). 

 Will they enter? If so, will it be peace- 

 able, generally, so as to be a success? 



Answer. — I don't remember to what 

 disappointments I referred — possibly it 

 was that in some cases I didn't get as 

 great results in surplus as I expected. I 

 never tried the plan you mention, but I 

 think it will work all right providing 

 swarms are not more than a day or so 

 apart. There will be no trouble about 

 the bees entering. 



Om Doctor's Hiets. 



By F. L. PEIRO. M. D. 



McVicker's Building-, Chicago, III. 



A Bald Proposition. « 



Dr. C. C. Miller generally propounds 

 questions the solution to which necessitates 

 the evolution of great chunks of wisdom. 

 The answer, however, to your question on 

 page 240, is perfectly easy and natural, 

 dear Doctor. The brainy "gray matter" 

 inside some people's heads is so abundant 

 and active that it forces all obstacles off 

 the track, as it were ! This is beyond doubt 

 the correct answer to Bro. Miller's ques- 

 tion, " How to prevent our heads growing 

 through our hair." Cure ? Enlarge your 

 surroundings to accommodate the growth 

 of that witty '' top-piece." Catch on ? 



Charge ? Oh, no: just make it four sec- 

 tions of your best white honey, and call it 

 square. 



A Question About tlie Hearing. 



The following question was received, to 

 be answered in this department of the Bee 



Journal : 



My hearing has been getting a little dull 

 for the past 15 or 20 years. I'm not as 

 young as I once was, but stiU I'm not hurt 

 with old age, and when I go out to tea or 

 to a quilting I like to hear what is said 

 about my neighbors. A man that adver- 

 tises to cure deafness, writes that if I send 

 him .$5.00, in two months he can make me 

 hear as sharp as when I was a girl. Doctor, 

 would you send him the money ? 



I like what you write better than so much 

 about bees. 



When the hearing begins to go, is it 

 bound to go, like the sight, or can anything 

 be done ? 



Put your answer in the American Bee 

 Journal, but you needn't mind about 

 giving my name. 



Dr. Peiro very much deplores that the 

 lady asking the question cannot well hear 

 all the interesting tales of her gentle neigh- 

 bors, because she must miss lots of fun ; but 

 only a thorough, personal examination 

 could enable me to give a reliable opinion 

 as to what can be done in her case. The 

 hearing is not boimd to go ; indeed, it is 

 often curable, but the difficulty must be 

 absolutely known and removed. She had 

 better keep that $5.00. Any one who 

 promises a cure under the circumstances 



