SEMPTEMBER 15. 1912 



He is an indefatigable worker. His 

 correspondence is voluminous, for he never 

 seems to tire in rendering helpful advice, 

 not only in zoological matters but in tell- 

 ing the farmer and the fruit-gi'ower how 

 to grow more and better crops, as well as 

 how to combat insect enemies with which 

 they have to contend. We are glad, there- 

 fore, to recommend this bulletin on practi- 

 cal apiculture, because we believe its advice 

 is sound and safe. 



It contains over 70 pages of matter, with 

 original illustrations by the author. This 

 latter feature is quite unique in a work of 

 this sort, because many modern bee books 

 consist of a series of illustrations that 

 seem to be more or less "common plunder." 

 But Professor Surface has not borrowed a 

 single cut. The whole work from begin- 

 ning to end is distinctly original. 



Nothing is stated as to how this book 

 can be obtained; but we presume that any 

 resident of Pennsylvania can secure it free 

 of charge by making api^lication to the 

 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. 

 Ask for Zoological Bulletin, Vol. II., No. 

 3, entitled "Beekeeping, by Prof. H. A. 

 Surface." Persons living outside of Penn- 

 sylvania will probably have to pay a mod- 

 erate fee. A letter addressed to the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, Harrisburg, will 

 doubtless bring the information. 



a new government bulletin on comb 



honey; how to solve the 



swarming problem. 



There has just come from the Bureau of 

 Entomology, Farmers' Bulletin, No. 503, 

 entitled "Comb Honey," by Geo. F. De- 

 muth, Apicultural Assistant in the Bureau 

 of Entomology. For several years Mr. 

 Demuth was foul-brood inspector for Indi- 

 ana. Prior to that time (and even after- 

 ward) he was one of the most successful 

 producers of comb honey in the country. 

 When we say "successful" we mean he 

 made money at the business year after 

 year. Now that the production of comb 

 honey, because of difficulties, is getting to 

 be neglected, a bulletin that can be ob- 

 tained free for the asking, telling how one 

 can overcome those difficulties and at the 

 same time make money, is particularly op- 

 portune. 



We have read this bulletin with consid- 

 erable care, and we believe that, from every 

 point of \dew, it is not only orthodox, but 

 one of the best if not the best treatment 

 of the subject we have ever seen. Some 

 of the methods advocated are old, and some 

 others are practically new. 



A plain standard Lang-stroth hive with 



the usual super equipment is illustrated 

 and described; in fact, the paper is full 

 of original illustrations showing hives and 

 supers in a variety of combinations. Plain 

 and beeway sections and their supers are 

 clearly shown by line cuts. The merits of 

 the extracting supers, combination supers 

 (for both comb and extracted honey), and 

 bee escajjes are all carefully considei'ed. 



The manipulation of the bees to secure 

 a crop is taken up very minutely. 



The author's treatment of swarming de- 

 serves a most careful reading by every 

 one of our subscribers. As swarming is 

 one of the serious drawbacks if not the 

 most serious in the production of comb 

 honey, the man who contemplates produc- 

 ing this product will do well to learn how 

 Mr. Demuth eliminates the nuisance. Per- 

 haps not all will agree with him as to the 

 theory of swarming. He says, "It is pos- 

 sible to manipulate all colonies before any 

 swarming occurs so that most of them go 

 through the honey flow without swarming, 

 thus eliminating the weekly examination." 

 Italics ours. We are in position to know 

 that he has done what he says he can, and 

 that, too, without the purchase of any 

 special a23pliances other than those in pos-. 

 session of beekeepers generally over the 

 country. Now, then, listen: "Any ma- 

 nipulation for swarm control," he says, 

 "whether ai^i^lied after the colony has ac- 

 quired the 'swarming fever' or aj^plied to 

 all colonies alike previous to the swarming 

 season, is based upon the single principle 

 — a temporary disturbance in the continu- 

 ity of the daily emergence of brood." The 

 italics in this case are those of the author. 

 He goes on to describe the different meth- 

 ods for controlling a swarm, and says that 

 by each one of these methods "the tem- 

 porary disturbance in the continuity of 

 brood is an important factor in the pro- 

 cess." 



For some time Dr. E. F. Phillips, in 

 Charge of Apiculture at the Bureau, has 

 been looking for a comb-honey man — one 

 who is an expert in the practical treat- 

 ment of bee diseases. That he made a 

 wise selection will be agreed to when the 

 beekeepers of the country come to review 

 this bulletin. We predict that the entire 

 edition will be exhausted in very short 

 order; and any one who desires to secure 

 a copy should speak at once, before the 

 edition is all gone. This bulletin may be 

 obtained free by addressing the Secretary 

 of Agriculture or any Member of Con- 

 gress. Ask for Bulletin 503, entitled 

 "Comb Honey," by G-eo. F. Demuth, Bu- 

 reau of Entomology. 



