1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



487 



bees or queens for sale — but I would like to get hold of a 

 strain of bees that would swarm, for I think then they would 

 store some surplus honey. 



What can be done for a colony that hangs out all the 

 time '? 



I have three colonies of bees, but have had no swarms this 

 season. J. T. H. 



Columbus, Ohio. 



Answer. — Loafing is worse than swarming, providing the 

 loafing comes at a time when there's plenty of work to do. If 

 there is nothing for the bees to do, you can't blame them for 

 loafing. Sometimes, however, bees loaf when there's plenty 

 for them to do in the field. Some bees are naturally more in- 

 dustrious than others, but there may be conditions that lead 

 toward loafing. Possibly there isn't room enough for all the 

 family in the house, obliging some of them to stay in the front 

 yard. In that case, give them more surplus room. Perhaps 

 they have too little ventilation, or the hive stands in too hot a 

 place. Raise the hive up in the old-fashioned way by putting 

 a block under each corner, raising the hive half an inch or an 

 inch all around. If the hive stands out in the open sun, pro- 

 vide some kind of shade, if nothing but a board or two leaned 

 up against the south side of the hive. But if you are in one of 

 the unfortunate regions where bees have no pasture this year, 

 no amount of effort on your part wifl do any good. And some- 

 times there are plenty of blossoms without there being any 

 honey in them. A swarming strain of bees will hardly be of 

 any help, for bees that do the least swarming are likely to do 

 the least loafing, the worst loafing often being about the time 



of swarming. 



^ m 



Do Xol Swarm or §lore Surplus. 



I bought a colony last spring in an 8-frame hive, but they 

 have not swarmed ; they seem to rear plenty of brood, but 

 whenever it has matured, it looks as if they were killing it 

 off again. Besides, they have not stored any surplus honey. 



E. C. R. R. 



Answee. — It isn't easy to answer without knowing more 

 of the case, but I suspect there is nothing greatly out of the 

 way. Many colonies in good condition do not swarm before 

 July lu, the date of your letter, and it may be that your col- 

 ony is not very strong. It may be that the harvest is not good 

 in your region, and that would account not only for the lack 

 of surplus honey, but as well for the killing off of the brood, 

 which may be all drone-brood. 



The Weight of ;\'atural Swarms. 



About how much should an average prime swarm of bees 

 from a one-story Langstroth hive weigh ? I bought a swarm 

 of a neighbor and furnished a hive. The hive was weighed 

 before and after the swarm was hived, when it had increased 

 in weight but two pounds. How many more ought there to 

 have been to make a fair swarm ? J. M. 



Answer. — That's a matter upon which I can give no au- 

 thoritative opinion. Some have spoken of swarms weighing 

 as much as eight or nine pounds, and others seem to think a 

 swarm never reaches that weight. There is a great variation 

 in the size of swarms, and I suppose there might be such a 

 thing as a prime swarm from a Langstroth hive weighing only 

 two pounds. At a guess I should say that a fair swarm ought 

 to weigh four pounds, and if that is correct, it would leave 

 your swarm about two pounds short. That is, short of average 

 weight, although, as I sajid before, there might be such an ex- 

 ceptional thing as a complete swarm weighing only two 

 pounds. When it comes to afterswarms, plenty of them weigh 

 less than a pound. Now, I may be away off in my guesses, 

 aud I shall be glad to be corrected by any one familiar with 

 the weight of natural swarms. 



PERSONAL MENTION. 



4 



f 



Dr. E. Gallup, of Santa Ana, Calif., is a firm believer in 

 doctoring without drugs. And he has had wonderful success, 

 too. 



Dr. E. Smith, of Judd's Corners, Mich., wrote us on .July 

 15 : " We have had an early basswood flow of nectar, and 

 the bees have done well." 



Mr. H. E. Wilder is now foul brood inspector for River- 

 side Co., Calif. J. H. Martin suggests in Gleanings that "no 

 doubt the disease will have to seek other fields " now. We 

 hope H. E. W. will li-t-w it down. 



Pbes. W. T. Richardson, of the California Bee-Keepers' 

 Exchange, " has so far recovered as to return to his home in 

 Simi country," says Rambler in Gleanings. "His accident 

 detained him at Bro. Touchton's five weeks." 



Mr. Chas. a. Holmes, of Somerville, Mass., expresses 

 himself thus about the Bee Journal: "I have been a sub- 

 scriber to the American Bee Journal a little over a year, and 

 I can't tell how much I enjoy it. It is bright, newsy, and full 

 of useful hints to the bee-keeper. I couldn't carry on my 

 business without it ; it keeps in touch with the whole bee- 

 keeping country." 



Mr. Geo. R. McCartney, of Rockford, 111., called on us 

 last week, bringing with him two sections of white honey, 

 gathered from sweet clover, white clover, and basswood. This 

 will help to sweeten " ye editor," for which due thanks are 

 tendered the giver. Mr. McCartney is an inventive genius, 

 and has turned his attention toward the subject of foundation 

 fasteners. He will soon be ready to present the result of his 

 efforts before the bee-keeping fraternity. 



Mr. B. Taylor, of Forestville, Minn., has had a long and 

 serious illness. To the Farm, Stock and Home for July 15 

 (of which he is the apiarian editor) Mr. B. sent these dictated 

 words : 



" I am yet too weak to write a line, but hope for better 

 things soon. The bees are booming. When I am able to 

 write I will have a most interesting and instructive story to 

 tell. I am receiving dozens of letters from readers, to which 

 I can at this time make no reply." 



All readers of the Bee Journal will rejoice in Mr. Taylor's 

 speedy and complete recovery. 



See " Bee-Keeper's Guide" offer on page 49l2. 



Mr. C. E. Moody, of Asheville, N. C, called on us last 

 Thursday. He had been visiting friends in Milwaukee. Wis. 

 He has an apiary of about 30 colonies, and runs for both 

 comb and extracted honey. Mr. M. kindly brought us a sec- 

 tion of honey gathered from the sou-wood, which in the South 

 is considered very fine. While it has a rather pleasant flavor, 

 to our taste it hardly compares with honey from white or 

 sweet clover, or alfalfa. We doubt very much if there Is any 

 honey that can compete with what is gathered from any of 

 the clovers. 



The Names and Addresses of all your bee- 

 friends, who are not now taking the Bee Journal, are wanted 

 at this ofKce. Send them in, please, when sample copies will 

 be mailed to them. Then you can secure their subscriptions, 

 and earn some of the premiums we have offered. The 

 next few months will be just the time to easily get new sub- 

 scribers. Try it earnestly, at least. 



