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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL-. 



the best results. If they are only 

 "casts," hive together for the best re- 

 sults.— J. P. H. Brown. 



The latter method, decidedly, unless 

 the swarms are very small. — R. L. Tay- 



LOK. 



Much depends. In my locality I 

 would practice your first suggestion.— 

 J. M. Hambaugh. 



Hiving them separately in a contracted 

 hive, and then uniting, will give the 

 most white honey. — B. Taylor. 



I don't know. If the honey-flow is to 

 last long, perhaps hiving separately ; 

 otherwise uniting. — C. C. Miller. 



If swarms are weak, I always unite 

 them at swarming-time, and never unite 

 at any other time.— Jas. A. Stone. 



If the swarms are not too late or too 

 light, better results will be obtained by 

 hiving separately.— Mrs. J. N. Heater. 



If the swarms are large, hive them 

 separately ; if small, put enough to- 

 gether to make a strong colony.— E. 

 France. 



It all depends upon the condition of 

 the swarms. If small swarms, put them 

 together; if good fair swarms, hive 

 separately.— H. D. Cutting. 



The success of either method will de- 

 pend upon locality — that is, time of 

 making swarms, and time of main honey 

 harvest, whether early or late.— P. H. 

 Elwood. 



This will depend upon the size of the 

 swarms. I do not think I would care to 

 unite two good swarms, but there might 

 be times when it would pay. If I in- 

 tended to unite at any time, I would 

 prefer to do it when the bees swarm. — 

 Emerson T. Abbott. 



So much depends upon circumstances 

 that a definite answer cannot be given. 

 What would give the best results in one 

 locality would fail in another. Nothing 

 is to be gained by uniting large swarms, 

 and two small ones will do better united 

 than separate. — M. Mahin. 



I have never tried the plan, so I don't 

 know. I don't intend to have such 

 small swarms as are indicated in the 

 question. I return second or third 

 swarms, or, in fact, all small swarms, to 

 the parent colony, as it does not pay me 

 to fuss with them.— J. E. Pond. 



If the swarms were not too large I 

 would hive them together. Good, strong 

 swarms, at the beginning of the tioney 

 season, is what wo should aim for. One 

 such colony is worth three or four weak 

 (or '• middling fair") colonies. One of 



the secrets of success is to have our 

 colonies strong and in working condition 

 during the working season. Let in- 

 crease be always secondary to the good, 

 healthy and vigorous condition of our 

 colonies. — W. M. Baknum. 



That would depend upon the season. 

 In a good season, hiving two such 

 swarms together would give the most 

 surplus — if they do not swarm again. 

 I believe, however, that hiving separately 

 on a reduced number of frames, and 

 uniting afterwards, will generally pay 

 best. — C. H. Dibbern. 



I would do neither in the way you 

 state it. But if one of the queens is re- 

 moved at the time the two swarms are 

 hived together, there is less trouble 

 about absconding, or, what is little bet- 

 ter, sulking, and wasting of valuable 

 time. I only "contract" when I decide 

 to work the bees into cash, in way of 

 surplus honey. — G. W. Demaree. 



I do not know in your State, but for 

 Texas I will always take the swarms 

 separately, large or small, and build 

 both up for our honey-flows. But for 

 your latitude, you may get more honey 

 by hiving both together, contract the 

 brood-nest, and force them into the sec- 

 tions — a la Hutchinson. I would not 

 unite at all in my latitude. — Mrs. Jen- 

 nie Atchley. 



It would seem by 946 that honey in- 

 stead of increase is your object; if so, 

 and your honey harvest is likely to be a 

 short one, it would be best to unite at 

 swarming-time, as two moderate-sized 

 swarms might, if united, gather some 

 surplus. If hived separately, they 

 would no more than gather enough for 

 their own wants. If the honey season 

 was to be a long one, it might change 

 conditions. — S. I. Freeborn. 



Sam and MaMy " Keep Bees." 



BY A. B. keeper. 



(Continued from page 246.) 

 Having finished my work in a couple 

 of hours, I strolled down to Sam's dom- 

 icile to see the new candidates for api- 

 arian honors, and help them out with 

 some instruction. Arriving near the 

 place, I was arrested by sundry exclama- 

 tions and an excited colloquy. Ap- 

 proaching the fence, I paused, and see- 

 ing Sam and Mandy in front of the 

 bee-hive, I waited to see what they were 

 "up to." Sam had a burning rag 



