BEEKEEPING IX THE SOUTH 



59 



Early Breeding Up. 



In Farmers Bulletin 975, on the Control of European Foul- 

 brood, is written: "If it is certain that there will be no honey- 

 flow until midsummer or later, it is not so necessary, from the 

 standpoint of good beekeeping, to have all colonies strong so 

 early in the year, but it is surely an exceptional locality where 

 there is nothing for the bees to get in early summer." Applied 

 to northern conditions this is eminently true. Applied to much 

 of the South and the need of a use other than swarms for early 

 hatched bees is plainly seen. At present, swarm prevention is 

 being handled largely by shipping combless packages or in mak- 

 ing queen mating nuclei. With others, unless they are careful 

 beekeepers indeed, swarms are the result. Excessive swarming 

 is probably the best reason for the average lower yield per colony 

 of honey in the South, if the last federal census figures are to be 

 credited. 



Fig. 22. Home and queen mating yard of J. L. Leath of Corinth, Mississippi. 



