1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



515 



bees thus far, I would be just as unwise to become filled with 

 the sanguine idea that they are vastly superior to the latter in 

 all cases, as I think Mr. Bavins is, in condemning them so 

 strongly because just one colony died. Mr. B. admits that 

 they built up well from a 2-pound nucleus. Some claim that 

 they don't build up well. In fact, all sorts of sins are laid 

 upon them ; and I think that with very many (I am not charg- 

 ing Mr. Bavins, however) condemnation of 5-banders is be- 

 coming as much of a fad as the fault-finders claim that breed- 

 ing them is. For my part, I would not expect them to be so 

 very much better in point of profit; but mine have proved 

 fully as good, or better, in every pont, not excepting gantle- 

 nass, which is truly remarkable. 



Now, if the golden Italians are as good as the 3-banders 

 in practical results, I shall continue to prefer them on account 

 of looks. For they actually are ''golden bemilies ;" and I 

 arise to explain that the reason why this terra is never like- 

 wise applied to a yellow dog, is precisely the same as why it 

 may be applied to a gold watch, but never to a brass monkey. 

 Give me " Wall Street" Italians ! Monterey, Calif. 



Value of Drawn Combs for Surplus Honey Pro- 

 duction and Controlling Swarming. 



BY EBNEST R. ROOT. 



I am becoming more and more convinced of the great 

 value of drawn combs. Supers containing sections with full 

 sheets of foundation do vary well ; but it is plainly evident 

 that those supers containing drawn combs are entered more 

 quickly, and filled with honey, and capped over. My atten- 

 tion was especially called to this by noting how much more 

 readily the bees would fill and cap over supers containing 

 half-depth drawn combs for extracting. In the case of colo- 

 nies of equal strength, the extracting-combs will be filled and 

 capped over before the bees have begun to draw out a full 

 sheet of foundation in the comb-honey supers — at least, that 

 is our experience. For experiment, where some of the colo- 

 nies were holding off and didn't seem to draw out the starters, 

 I put on a super containing drawn combs, and, presto ! the 

 bees went into them immediately, and in a few days they were 

 filled with honey and capped over. 



I feel hopeful — yes, almost confident — that we can, to a 

 very great extent at least, control swarming, even in the pro- 

 duction of comb honey, providing that the drawn combs are 

 used in the sections. So far, at least at our out-yard, we have 

 had no swarms that have had plenty of drawn comb. But we 

 have plenty of swarming from colonies having supers on them 

 of foundation not yet even touched. 



You see, the point is right here : Such a colony — that is, 

 one having a super containing full sheets of foundation on 

 top, and which the bees have not yet touched, is, in one sense 

 of the word, a colony cramped for room— that is, it takes pres- 

 sure to get the bees once started to drawing out the founda- 

 tion. The brood-nest must be literally crammed full of honey; 

 and even then this condition may exist for several days, and 

 the probabilities are that queen-cells will be started, and that 

 the bees will begin to loaf and make ready to swarm ; and by 

 the time sections are beginning to be drawn out a little, these 

 same loafing bees have got into the habit of loafing, and the 

 consequence is, that the colony does not begin to do what it 

 might have done had it had drawn combs. In the production 

 of comb honey under our present method, it takes press^ire to 

 force the bees out of the brood-nest into the sections. 



It takes a great deal of their strength and honey, and the 

 pressure must be great enough to excite swarming before they 

 will actually commence. In a wild state, except in the case 

 of swarms, bees have to build comparatively little new comb 

 every year; and as soon as honey comes they simply store it 

 away in space already provided. Now, it is not true that, in 



the production of comb honey, we are asking the bees to do 

 very much more than Nature asks them to do in their natural 

 environments I 



The Dadants run for extracted honey, and, of course, give 

 the bees combs already drawn. It is well known that they 

 have little or no swarming. While their large hives in a 

 measure check natural increase, I believe that the drawn 

 combs, empty and all ready for the incoming surplus, have 

 more to do with it. 



" But," you say, " how are we going to have drawn combs 

 in sections ?" Well, I would save all that are unfinished, and 

 level them down by the B. Taylor method. But, then, you 

 urge those unfinished sections left over would not begin to be 

 enough. Perhaps not. Well, what then? I believe that, iu 

 the near future, from present indications, a foundation will be 

 made having cell-walls and bases, natural thickness, the walls 

 being %, 14 inch, or deeper. But for the present I will not 

 say anything more. 



Later. — After writing the foregoing on the value of 

 drawn combs, I find the following in the American Bee-Keeper 

 from the pen of G. M. Doolittle : 



" Some have the idea that foundation is preferable to 

 frames full of comb. This I think a mistaken idea, for the 

 bees must consume some time in getting the foundation 

 worked out to full combs, to say nothing of the expense of 

 buying it, or the work of putting it into the frames. Founda- 

 tion is good in its place, and I use very much of it, but I have 

 it all fitted in frames, and drawn into combs by the bees, or 

 have frames filled with nice worker combs by the bees build- 

 ing the same. I cannot see any sense in melting it up, or 

 allowing the moth to consume it." 



Mr. Doolittle expresses what hundreds of other practical 

 bee-keepers believe. If drawn combs are valuable in extracted 

 honey, why may they not be equally valuable in the production 

 of com?) honey ? But, of course, such combs should be thin, 

 and as perfect as natural combs. 



[The foregoing is taken from Gleanings, and in the fol- 

 lowing number we find this letter from Mr. L. A. Ressler, of 

 Indiana, who thus comments on what Mr. Root wrote above: 

 — Editor.] 



When reading what you have to say of " drawn combs for 

 the production of surplus honey," I was moiJed to write a few 

 lines. I have in former years read articles wherein the writer 

 claimed that foundation was better than drawn combs. This 

 statement surprised me, as my experience was quite to the 

 contrary. I think if I could have all drawn combs for the 

 sections, to supply all ray bees, it would add at least 100 per 

 cent, to my honey crop. I use a Given press to raake founda- 

 tion, and have been longing for one with which I could make 

 foundation with cells H inch deep. I hope (as you say) that 

 the time may not be far distant when such foundation can be 

 made. Give me drawn combs for brood-frames or sections, 

 every time. Of course, for sections they must be clean and 

 white ; but for brood I care not if they are 20 years old. 



L. A. Ressler. 



[Mr. Root then follows with this in further reference to 

 the subject of the value of drawn combs in honey-production : 

 — Editor.] 



A good deal was said in the last July Review, indorsing 

 drawn combs also. The editor, in commenting on what I said, 

 gives this substantial indorsement : 



"Full sheets of foundation are accepted more readily 

 than starters ; and partly drawn corabs, leveled down o la 

 Taylor, more quickly still. So says Gleanings, and Gleanings 

 is right." 



Mr. Ressler thinks he could add 100 percent, to his comb- 

 honey crop providing his bees did not have to draw-out foun- 

 dation. When I said I thought we could add a half to the 

 honey crop, I thought I was putting it strong enough so that 

 some would challenge the stateraent; but I am not sure that 

 Mr. Ressler's estimate is very far out of the way. 



For some time I have known that the Germans were using 

 a much deeper foundation than we do here in America. One 

 of our customers in that country particularly specifies that his 



