J*ol>Jis7ied IVeeli^ly, at Sl^OO jy&r annum. 



Sample^ Ooi>y sent on A.pi)llcation, 



36th Year. 



CHICAGO, ILL., JAN. 23, 1896. 



No. 4. 



Can Bees that are Noa-Swarming be Secured ? 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



A correspondent writes me protesting against some of the 

 teachings of the past regarding new swarms being the best for 

 honey, and queens from swarming-cells being the best queens 

 for the average bee-keeper ; he wishes me to give my views 

 regarding these matters in the American Bee Journal, and to 

 offer any suggestions I may thinli proper. He states that 

 "hundreds of bee-keepers do not want swarms," which I have 



should be written, or what should not be written, we must 

 take in the great multitude of bee-keepers as a whole, and not 

 narrow ourselves down to just what we want, but go out in 

 our thoughts, asking the question, "What will be the greatest 

 good to the greatest number ?" Failing to do this, we are not 

 complying with the golden rule, nor using that broad charity 

 for others which it is our privilege to use at all times, if we 

 would make the world better for our having lived in it. 



I think that, as a whole, in the past, I have given more 

 matter on "How to prevent increase," and save to others the 

 providing to themselves of hundreds of dollars worth of hives, 

 which often become empty and useless property, than I have 

 on the different methods of increase, for on the whole, I am in 

 favor of runuing an apiary on the plan of as little increase as 

 possible ; yet while I now so feel, I have not forgotten the 

 time when I was so anxious for natural increase that I lay 

 awake nights planning how it might be obtained. 



In regard to queens from swarming-cells carrying the 

 swarming mania throughout the country, I doubt very much 

 there being any ground for such an idea, only a mistaken one, 

 yet this brings me to the main point I wish to make in this 

 article, which is, Is it possible to breed out of bees the dispo- 



Apiary and Some of Mr. Henry Sutherland, Bainbridge, Mich. — ice page 56. 



not the least doubt is the case, yet it is equally certain that 

 hundreds of bee-keepers do want swarms, and it has been for 

 these latter I have written at times in the past, when I have 

 spoken favorably to new swarms, and not for those who do 

 7iot wish warms, like the correspondent. What the object of 

 others has been, who have written favorable to natural 

 swarming, I do not know ; they can answer for themselves. 

 The point I wish to make right here Is, in thinking of what 



sitlon to swarm ? I have always said that it is not, nor do I 

 now believe it entirely possible, yet some things have come 

 under my observation of late that have modified my opinions 

 to a considerable extent. I have said little of the matter, but 

 it may be better to speak of it now, so that others may try 

 their hand, and thus perhaps perfection may be reached 

 sooner, for, "In the multitude of counselors there is safety." 

 All who have read my book on queen-rearing will remem- 



