JUNE 15, 1912 



379 



year or two of pleasure and hope, and then 

 all were discarded as a failure, while the 

 same amount of money invested in honey 

 would have supplied the family for years. 

 Just as long as these conditions exist we are 

 forced to admit that there is something 

 wrong- with our industry. There is a de- 

 mand for simplicity, and safer promises 

 for returns from investments; and we have 

 drifted into a system of manipulating hives 

 that has become standard and yet not up to 

 requirements. 



The beginner has the impression that he 

 must secure the very latest equipments de- 

 scribed in the catalogs, believing them nec- 

 essary because in general use, and it seems 

 that all of us have reached this same con- 

 clusion. We discarded the two-pound sec- 

 tion long ago to adopt a standard pound ( "?) 

 section to meet commercial demands; but 

 to-day we have no section of comb honey 

 weighing, uniformly, a i:)ound to the sec- 

 tion. We admit that bees stored more hon- 

 ey in the larger section; but we sacrificed 

 it for the smaller, it being most in demand ; 

 but it is still a question whether the cjuanti- 

 ty produced would not have increased the 

 profits for the producer. We all think we 

 must use separators or fences in producing 

 comb honey, and yet we know that any 

 plan tliat divides the cluster during comb 

 building retards the progress greatly. Our 

 seasons for surplus honey are short at the 

 best; and how disappointing to close the 

 season with a few small unfinished sections 

 between separators, when, with different 

 and more simple equipment, results might 

 have been more satisfactory! I sometimes 

 think that the beekeeper known as the "old- 

 fog\' type" is ahead of his "up-to-date" 

 competitor when I see the results. For in- 

 stance, the man who produces comb honey 

 in shallow frames or full-size brood- 

 frames, and then cuts it out, adds some ex- 

 tracted honey, and puts it up in a neat con- 

 tainer with his label. He would not con- 

 sider sections or separators, has less swarm- 

 ing during the flow, his product is always 

 ill demand, and the method paves the way 

 for safe winter prejiaration. 



The demand for broken comb honey or 

 bulk comb honey is excessive, and is increas- 

 ing. One can produce both comb and ex- 

 tracted in the same yard ; and Avith the same 

 equipment the quantity of comb pi'oduced 

 on this plan will be much greater than 

 what could be secured in sections where 

 clusters of bees are divided. Some will say 

 that the objection would be granulation 

 when put up. Comb honey that has not 

 been bruised in shipping will keej^ a long 

 time without gi-anulating, and packages 

 could be put up as required, always fresh 



and clear; and even if some did granulate 

 we begin to know that granulated honey is 

 not to be snubbed. There is a most excel- 

 lent illustration of this method in Texas. 

 Texas is a large producer of very fine hon- 

 ey, and yet we do not hear of Texas honey 

 on our overstocked markets. The reason is, 

 they have learned how to create a home de- 

 mand for their product; they have a good 

 thing, and they use it themselves. I am in- 

 formed that every family, rich or poor, has 

 a can of broken or chunk honey in the 

 house. It reminds me of the story of the 

 traveler at a hotel. He ordered an extra- 

 tender porterhouse steak and accessories; 

 but the waiter halted him with the remark 

 that, if the boss had a steak like that in the 

 house, he would eat it himself. 



Beginners become confused about hives 

 as to wintering qualities, and should be im- 

 pressed through books that a strong colony 

 with an abundance of stores will survive in 

 almost any kind of hive. The severe losses 

 of the past winter can almost be traced 

 to lack of stores — bees simjjly starved to 

 death, but often in the midst of plenty. If 

 bees were overfed in fall it would add much 

 to their safety in winter, and they would 

 produce surplus earlier the next season if 

 the brood-chamber were well supplied. 



Indianapolis, Ind. 



SWARM PREVENTION 



Three Methods for Effecting it by the Use of Large 

 Hives 



BY GARRISON H. ADAMS 



There are several good methods of keep- 

 ing bees from swarming. The best is one 

 which I have used to a great extent for 25 

 years. Others are using it upon my recom- 

 mendation, and find it a great success. It 

 is simi^le, and easy to carry out, with very 

 little work. The hive must be the right 

 size. The one which I use I call my non- 

 swarming hive. First, the beestand is niade 

 18 inches wide and 28 long, of two pieces 

 of 2x4 hemlock studding. The stand boards 

 are nailed to these at its ends. The whole 

 thing is then placed on four bricks which 

 make it nearly 7 inches high. 



The hive, outside measure, is 13 inches 

 high, 14 wide, and 25 long. The brood 

 part contains 16 frames about the same size 

 as the Galluji. All of the frames must be 

 used for the brood, and a good queen will 

 fill nearly all of them early in the season. 



The frames are made very easily and 

 cheaply from % white-pine lumber. The 

 top and bottom bars are one-half inch 

 thick. The sides are the same width, but 



