1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



307 



apiary, yet I have very largely the same strain of bees which 

 I then had. Will those who call excessive swarming an "in- 

 herited mania," tell me why the excessive swarming of 1876 

 has not been kept up? 



Once more : A few years ago I had one queen which led 

 out three prime swarms, completely filling her hive with bees 

 and brood each time before they swarmed (a thing which 

 never happened with me except in this one instance), and 

 from the reasoning of those who claim such swarming an in- 

 herited mania, they should have swarmed excessively the next 

 year and since then, yet such has not been the case, for the 

 next year not a single swarm issued from either of the five 

 hives containing the original queen or the four young ones 

 I'eared from her. 



The success or failure of all things pertaining to bee-cul- 

 ture depends largely upon the season and surrounding in- 

 fluences ; and the sooner we realize this fact the sooner we 

 shall have greater charity for those who do not agree with us, 

 and have a broader view of the possibilities of apiculture. 



Again, to form a correct conclusion we need an experience 

 covering a term of years, for no two years are alike. What 

 will work well one year, and in one locality, will not hold good 

 in another, and I find more and more, each year, that I need a 

 broader charity, so that I shall do no injustice to others who 

 differ from me. It is said that the bee-doctors disagree the 

 most of anybody, and more than in any other profession or 

 calling in life ; but I mistrust that if any two of these dis- 

 agreeing ones were to work in the same apiary during the 

 same year, they would see " eye to eye." 



The only remedy I know of for swarming, excessive or 

 otherwise, is the free use of the extractor during the swarm- 

 ing season, and they who expect to work for comb honey 

 without any extra manipulation, and not have swarms, will 

 sooner or later be disappointed. 



In swarming, the bees but carry out the instinct implanted 

 in them by Him who said, " Multiply and replenish the 

 earth ;" and very many of our best bee-keepers believe that a 

 judicious increase by natural swarming will secure the best 

 results in comb honey. 



All non-swarming colonies, and all non-swarming strains 

 of bees have, during the past, sooner or later become a dis- 

 appointment to those who placed their affections upon them. 



In the above I have simply given my views, based upon 

 practical experience, and if any disagree, I accord to all the 

 rights which I enjoy. Borodino, N. Y. 



^ 



Straight Worker-Comb Without FouHdatioH. 



BY I. W. BKCKWITH. 



G. M. Doolittle's method, as given on page 113, is a modi- 

 fication of the way I practiced 25 years ago. He considers 

 that it is the strength of the colony that gives the bees a de- 

 sire to build drone-comb, which I think is a mistake, or 

 partly so. 



I observed that a colony composed almost entirely of old 

 field-bees were not inclined to swarm or rear drones, no matter 

 how strong in numbers. So I took two straight combs, con- 

 taining but little capped brood, with the queen and adhering 

 bees, from a strong colony and put them into an empty hive, 

 moving the old hive a considerable distance, and put the new 

 one in its place, so as to catch the old workers from the old 

 hive. If this did not make the new colony strong enough, I 

 moved it a little every day till I had it by the side of a strong 

 colony, which I moved and put the new one in its place. I put 

 an empty frame between the two combs, and when this was 

 nearly filled, I spread them and put in more empty frames. 

 If the colony was strong enough to justify, I put in more 

 combs and frames at first. 



I removed nearly all the brood as fast as capped, so that 



but few bees would hatch in the hive ; but kept up the re- 

 quired strength by putting it in the place of strong colonies as 

 above. 



If I did not wish an increase of colonies, I divided the old 

 (now queenless) colony among such as needed their strength. 



In the high altitude of this State, where it is always cool 

 during nights and cloudy weather, Mr. D. would find it difii- 

 cult to get those weak colonies to build comb of any kind ; but 

 with the plan described above, I got an abundance of worker- 

 comb and no drone, unless I allowed too many young bees in 

 the hive. 



The reader will notice that as long as Mr. Doolittle al- 

 lowed but few bees to hatch in the hive he got worker-comb 

 all right, and only got drone when the conditions which he 

 described would give the colony an abundance of young bees. 



It may be said that swarms built drone-comb before they 

 have hatched much brood. Very true ; but when in a normal 

 condition they do not swarm till they have young bees to go 

 with them. 



Since coming to this State I have been troubled a good 

 deal by those combs not wired sagging, allowing the bees to 

 rear drones near the top where the cells are now larger than 

 first built. But this difficulty may be overcome by leaving the 

 bottom-bar off till the frame is filled, when it will be found 

 that the comb has been built low enough to be supported by 

 the bottom-bar. 



If the combs between which the empty frames are put are 

 not entirely filled with brood at the top, the bees are liable to 

 attach the new comb to the old, making crooked, bad work, 

 so 1 find a comb-guide a necessity. I prefer a wax guide M to 

 M inch wide, with a thin, feathery edge to a two inch founda- 

 tion starter, and I will tell you how I make it. I got a valua- 

 ble hint from Mr. C. E. Mead, on page 178, of Vol. XXXIII: 



Have a board as long as the inside length of the frame, 

 about two inches wide and a little thinner than % the width 

 of the top-bar for a guide-stick. Take an old rifle cartridge 

 shell, and make a ^j-inch hole near the lower or head end, 

 and stick two bits of solder on the opposite sides at the upper 

 end. On the table in front of you have a board a little larger 

 than the frame. Near the back edge drive two nails about a 

 foot apart, letting them project an inch or more. Raise the 

 back edge of the board a little, lay the frame on the board 

 with the top-bar toward you, and the bottom-bar over the 

 projecting nails. Have the guide-stick well soaked, wipe it 

 with a wet cloth, and lay it in the frame against the top-bar, 

 and hold it in place with the left hand. Take the cartridge 

 shell between two fingers of the right hand, just under the 

 solder ears, dip it in the melted wax and put the thumb over 

 the mouth to prevent the wax running out while you carry it 

 to the work. Let the bottom rest on the guide-stick, with the 

 hole next the top-bar, and pour a little stream the whole 

 length of the bar. 



I use two table-boards and two guide-sticks, so as to give 

 wax more time to cool. 



After using the stick two or three times, the wax may 

 stick a little, then turn it over and use till it sticks ; then 

 change ends and use two sides ; then scrape off all sticking 

 wax, dip it in cold water and wipe again. 



The wax should not be much hotter than melting, or it 

 will stick worse to the guide-stick. If you get a line of wax 

 1/16-inch wide it is enough. If the dipper holds too much, 

 have less wax in the dish, or put a stick in the shell so it will 

 hold less. 



By using a light wax-guide in sections you will avoid the 

 objectionable "fish-bone" that foundation produces. 



Grover, Colo. 



No'w is the Time to work for new subscribers. 

 Why not take advantage of the offer made on page 312 ? 



