M»r 1. 1912 



and five slatted partitions. This gives a big 

 airy brood chamber, which goes a long way 

 to make the bees contented. They cluster 

 in the slatted dividers, and never hang out. 

 There is so much space between the brood 

 frames that the colony never feels crowded. 

 Two comb-lioney supers with shallow ex- 

 tracting frames on the sides were jilaced on 

 top of the brood chamber. Half of the sec- 

 tions in the lower super contained combs 

 partly drawn. It was in these that work 

 first started, and soon spread throughout the 

 super. The upper super was placed under- 

 neath when the first one was about three 

 tjuarters full. 



In this locality the flow depends on the 

 weather, anti the weather is very uncertain. 

 If we start the bees in the second super be- 

 fore the first one is pretty well filled, we are 

 apt to get more unfinished sections than 

 full ones. 



The experiment was tried with a rousing 

 strong coiony from stock that has the repu- 

 tation of swarming twice a year. They got 

 through the main honey flow in good shape. 

 The ten combs were well filled with brood 

 all of the time, and the colony stored a good 

 surplus of nice section honey. About the 

 first of August they built queen cells. In 

 one I found an egg, and in another a young 

 larva. These were destroyed; and as the 

 hive stooil in a very warm place I set one- 

 inch bio -ks under the corners of the hive 

 and slid the cover forward so that it rested 

 on the back cleat. Plenty of ventilation is 

 one of tlie best things I know of to keep 

 down swarming, especially in very warm 

 weather. 



TliP colony thus ventilated built no more 

 queen cells: and when smartweed began to 

 flow they tilled more sections, besides stor- 

 ing a goodly supply for themselves. The 

 slatted dividers were removed, and the 

 brood chamber reduced to one section as 

 soon as brood-rearing began to slacken in 

 the fall. 



With this large airy brood chamber, with 

 partly drawn combs in the lower super, and 

 plenty of ventilation during the very warm 

 weather, I think the tendency to swarm is 

 no greater tlian that in a ten-frame two- 

 story extracting hive. The queen is not 

 discouraged in her egg-laying, with the re- 

 sult that there is always a strong working 

 force ready to take care of any honey flow 

 that may come. 



While'an apiary of such hives might not 

 be p acti«'al. a little experimenting will do 

 no harm, and may throw some light on the 

 swarming question. 



Nonh Topeka, Kansas. 



[This arrangement has been suggested be- 

 fore; but Mr, Aspinwall has not recommend- 

 ed it. Whether it would not accomplish 

 the res di sought at all, or would do so only 

 partially, we can not say. If the slatted 

 divider in aliernation with the brood frames 

 or section holders is the basic principle of 

 his inventioi, then it would seem as if the 

 same device, even though there were no ex- 

 tra slats back of the end bars, on the plan 



here shown and described, would prevent 

 swarming to a very great extent; and why 

 not? The object of the slatted dividers is to 

 prevent overcrowding of the brood nest. 

 The bees, instead of clustering oufKide 

 in front of the entrance, blocking the en- 

 trance (which ought to be wide open to pro- 

 vide for the necessary ventilation) will be 

 inside the hive, where they can do some 

 good. 



It has been suggested that, when there is 

 a lack of ventilation, the brood is liable to 

 become overheated; that to prevent this the 

 bees that are on the inside, where they 

 should attend to the feeding of the brood, 

 are forced outside; that the overheated or 

 neglected brood and the idleness of the 

 "house " force, if we may use the term, in- 

 duces swarming. However this may be, we 

 can not say. At all events, it is a fruitful 

 subject for discussion. 



We should like to hear from some of our 

 other readers who may have tried the Aspm- 

 wall slatted dividers in the ordinary Lang- 

 stroth hives. From the amount of inquiry 

 that came in to this office about two years 

 ago, asking if the device could not be used 

 to prevent swarming in regulation hives, we 

 should infer that some may have tried it. 

 In the mean time, perhaps Mr. Aspinwall 

 himself can throw some light on the plan 

 tried out by our correspondent and why 

 cells were started. — Ed.] 



A PRACTIC\L WAY OF MAKING UP WINTER 



LOSS WITH A MINIMUM OF LABOR 



AND EXPENSE 



BY E. D. TOWNSEND 



What is the best way to make increase for one 

 who runs about 25 ten-frame colonies for extracted 

 honey? I have my nights and mornings principal- 

 ly for such work. 



There are numerous plans in the bee papers and 

 books, but usually there is an "or" in them, with 

 a choice of some other way, and I should like a 

 straisht talk, with no "or." 



Jeflerson. N. Y. < 1. W. Harris. 



You will need to have your hives in read- 

 iness for the increase at the opening of the 

 main honey flow, which will likely be from 

 clover in your location. Here in Michigan, 

 clover begins to produce honey any time be- 

 tween the 8th and the 15th of .Tune, varying 

 according to the condition of the weather 

 during the spring. 



The hives should be full of either drawn 

 worker combs or frames with full sheets of 

 medium brood foundation. We wire all 

 our brood frames before putting in the foun- 

 dation, seeing that the wires are drawn only 

 moderably taut. The top wire can be drawn 

 so taut as to sing some when picked with 

 the finger. The two central wires should 

 be drawn only until they are straight, while 

 the bottom one must be left quite slack for 

 best results. In fastening the foundation 

 in the brood frames, be sure to see that the 

 wedge is well seated in the sawkerf, other- 

 wise the foundation with the weight of the 

 bees adherini? to it m'^v drop out. Use an 

 Easterday wire-imbedder. 



