^1861 



40th YEAR, 



CHICAGO, ILL, SEPTEMBER 27, 1900, 



No, 39. 



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^ Editorial Comments. 



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Uniting Weak Colonies should not be delayed too long:. 

 While they may be united almost any time, it is better that 

 the uniting be done so the united colony can be settled 

 down comfortably in its winter quarters long before freez- 

 ing- weather, with plenty of time to have its winter stores 

 arranged to its entire satisfaction. 



One of the troubles in uniting colonies is that the bees 

 of the colony removed to the new location are likely to re- 

 turn to the old location on their first flight. To avoid this, 

 some practice putting a broad board in front of the new en- 

 trance, so that when a bee bumps its nose against the board 

 in coming out it turns about to see what is the trouble, and 

 is thus induced to mark its new location and return to it. 

 It is also well to remove the stand from the old location, 

 and to make it look as unlike home as possible. 



Oueenless bees take up with a new location better than 

 those having a queen. So it is a good plan to remove the 

 queen from the colony to be removed, so that it may be 

 queenless two or three days before uniting. 



Bees are somewhat like people, more inclined to be good- 

 natured after a full meal. So to encourage their uniting 

 peaceably, induce them to fill up on honey by pounding on 

 the hive of one colony a minute or more, then on the other 

 hive the same way, and then allowing two or three minutes 

 more for the bees to fill their honey-sacs. The pounding 

 should be heavy, so as to iar the hive rather than to make a 

 noise. The fist makes a good hammer for the pur- 

 pose. Then take the colony made queenless to the place of 

 the other colony, and put into the hive standing there the 

 best filled combs from each hive, alternating the frames so 

 the bees will be all mixt up, not knowing where to begin 

 fighting. 



It takes a good deal of resolution for a beginner who is 

 anxious to increase the size of his apiary to decide to unite 

 two weak colonies and go into winter quarters with only 

 four colonies, when by keeping them separate he could 

 make his winter debut with five. But as he increases in ex- 

 perience he learns that it is of less importance to go into 

 winter quarters with a given number than it is to come out 

 of winter with that number. Having three fairly strong 

 colonies and two weak ones, if he unites the two weaklings 

 he stands a good chance of coming out in the spring with 

 four good colonies, whereas if he tries to winter the whole 

 five the chances are that the weaklings will succumb, leav- 

 ing him with only three. In other words, the fall uniting 

 is likely to increase his spring number by one. 



Even if the two weak colonies are sure to winter over, 

 it is policy to unite them. A very weak colony makes very 

 slow work increasing in strength in spring. A colony hav- 

 ing brood in four combs well covered with bees will increase 



right along, while one with bees on one or two combs will 

 stand still or decrease in numbers till quite warm weather. 

 So if the two weaklings are united in the fall, the united 

 colony will build up in spring,, and a new colony can be 

 be formed from it early in the season, so that the owner 

 will have two better colonies than if he had tried to keep 

 the original weaklings separate. 



The sooner you unite weak colonies after reading this 

 the better. 



Bees and Peaches. — We have received the following 

 from General Manager Secor, of the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, which will be of interest to our readers : 



Forest City, Iowa, Sept. 17, 1900. 



Wide notoriety has been given thru the daily and weekly 

 press to a lawsuit between two brothers by the name of 

 Utter, near Amity, N. Y., one a bee-keeper and the other a 

 peach-grower. 



The fruit-grower alleged that the bees belonging to his 

 brother, the bee-keeper, destroyed or lessened his crop of 

 peaches. 



The case seems to have been one growing out of former 

 family feuds and was therefore fought bitterly, but not 

 thoroly. 



While the public has no interest in familj' or neighbor- 

 hood quarrels, the bee-keeping fraternity does have an in- 

 terest in truth and justice. 



The case was tried before a justice of the peace, and 

 from reports of the evidence presented by the defendant 

 the bees were fairly exonerated, but the court decided 

 against the bee-keeper and rendered judgment for $25 and 

 costs. 



Notice of this suit came to me. as General Manager, but 

 too late to get in the proper evidence to rebut the allega- 

 tions of the plaintiff. Therefore I have authorized an ap- 

 peal to the county court, and have pledged $100 toward 

 fighting it. 



The defendant is a poor man, which may have had 

 something to do with the failure in the lower court, as he 

 could not afford to employ the best legal counsel, or procure 

 the attendance''of expert witnesses from any distance. 



I am assisting the a»ttorneys in obtaining evidence, and 

 hope to get a reversal of the lower court. 



I merely want to let the bee-keepers know that the 

 National Bee-Keepers' Association is not dead or asleep. 



The Association can not afford to let such a decision 

 stand, and will fight it to the bitter end, if I have any 

 authority in the matter. 



Eugene Secor, Geyieral Manager. 



Moving Bees a Short Distance. — Where only one or 

 two colonies are to be moved. Editor Hill, of the American 

 Bee-Keeper, gives the following plan, which certainly has 

 a " good look " to it : 



"Set all frames containing unsealed brood, queen and 

 nearl)- all the bees into another hive-body and place it upon 

 the stand where it is desired to have it remain, leaving but 

 a few frames of comb with honey and sealed brood upon the 

 old stand. In the evening of the second day carefullj' trans- 

 fer the old hive also to the new location, and, having its 

 bottom-board removed, set it upon the hive first removed. 

 If a board or other object is set against the front of the 

 hive, causing the bees to note their new location upon first 

 starting out in the morning, but few bees will be lost." 



