388 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



REPLIES by Prominent Apiarists. 



Putting on Sections. 



<tiiery, N<». 77.— Wlion is the proper tinio 

 to put surplus lioxes on the hive of a new 

 colony V— li. C W. 



G. W. Dkmauee says : " I put on 

 my section-cases as soon in tlie season 

 as it can lie done witli sal'ely to the 

 brood. I think it is a mistake to pnl 

 itotltill the lioney liai'vesl isiipon tlie 

 bees. They will sonietinies waste lime 

 looking throMKh the snrpliis depart- 

 nieiil before going to work." 



Dn. C. 0. JMiLi.EU answers thus: 

 "As soon as the queen has commenced 

 laying." 



I)K. G. L. TiNKKR remarks as fol- 

 lows : " The proper time is imme- 

 diately, using a i|Ueen-excliider if the 

 cdlony is hived on a few frames. In 

 such a case care should l)e taken to 

 give free upward ventilation for two 

 days, lest the bees become too crowded 

 and desert the hive." 



Pkof. a. J. Cook replies tluis : 

 " As soon as hived on foundation." 



G. M. DooLTri'LE answers thus : 

 " At the time of hiving, using so few 

 combs, or fouiKhitiou below so that 

 tliey will be compelled to go to work 

 in the sections at once." 



James IIkddon replies as follows ; 

 " If the swarm is laige, and you have 

 full sheets of fouiKlation in the brood- 

 frames, you will often do w<'U to place 

 (Hie case of sections (and they sliould 

 also be lilled with foundation) right 

 on Ihe hive when the swarm is run in; 

 ollierwise, about in hours afterward, 

 if you use full sheets of foundation 

 below, and (i to s days after hiving, if 

 you hive them on empty brood-frames, 

 or those with guides only." 



VV. Z. Hutchinson says: "My 

 advice would be to put on the boxes at 

 once." 



Messh.s. Dadant & Son advise 

 thus : " When the liive is nearly full 

 w ilh brood ami lioiiey, and the liouey 

 season is likely to continue." 



Getting Early Swarms. 



<|iior}', IVo. 78.— If an early swarm Is de- 

 sired troni a parent colony, would Ihere bo a 

 gain or loss fiy pull Inif on surplus lio.ves V 

 — L. C. W. 



Dii. C. C. Mil. I. Kit says: "Giving 

 surplus room may retard swarming." 



Dil. (i. L. TiNKi'.H answers thus: 

 "Heat is one of the elements in forcing 

 early swarms. I'nttingon the sections 

 before the hive is crowded with bees 

 retards swarming, as it does also 

 bi-ood-rearing. I/iteron, preparations 

 for swarniing may be begun, when the 

 placing on of the sections would not 

 delay it." 



Prof. A. J. Cook answers as fol- 

 lows : " There would be a loss. Keep 

 them close, and stimulate tliem by 



feeding." 



G. M. DooLlTTLE replies as fol- 

 lows: "There would be a little loss 

 in time of the issuing, of tlu^ swarm, 

 but a gain in honey which will more 

 than overbalauci^ that." 



,1 A MKs II KDDON says: "There would 

 be a. gain, as a rule, if you c<uint the 

 surplus luuiey wiulh anything; in some 

 instances a gain any way." 



W. Z. IIuTiiiiNsoN answers thus : 

 " If the object is a gain of bees, do 

 not luit on the boxes." 



(!. W. l)E.MAi!KE answers as fol- 

 lows : " As a general rule, 1 have 

 found it the best to put on the surplus 

 boxes at the proper time. 1 have 

 sustained more loss by trying to foi'ce 

 swarms, by crowding the bees, than 

 by giving Ihem too much room." 



Utilizing Empty Brood-Combs. 



ifciicry. No. 7!*.— 1 ha\ e h^st nearly' all my 

 bees, and I lia\i' nearly .'lOO l.anystroth 

 br-iKxl-lranies 11 lied willi n lee. si i-aiyhl worker 

 combs built <tn I'ldl sheets of fonndal ion, 

 nuisllv wii-eil. With Id nr f; eolonies to start 

 Willi, iiow shall 1 nnnulfie to use all <tr thest' 

 combs Hull can be used this seasonV-Crcseo, 

 Iowa. 



1)11. G. \j. Tinker says: "The 

 best plan to use so many combs and 

 increas(^ the few colonies, would be to 

 lirst get them strong, then tier up the 

 hives with the empty combs. When 

 more or less lilled with honey, pur- 

 (•hase queens and divide until all the 

 combs are utilized." 



I'uoF. A. J. Cook remarks thus : 

 " With such combs one can, l)y using 

 care, increase very fast, and thus soon 

 make the loss good. Add them to the 

 l)rood-fraines as fast as possible, and 

 get all the brood you can," 



G. M. DooLiTTLE answers thus: 

 "Form small colonies a.s early in the 

 season as you can do so without 

 materially injuring the 1(1 or ]'2 left, 

 by Ihe plan I gave on page 277, giving 

 them the frames of ciunb to care for, 

 and they will builil n)> to full colonies 

 by fall." 



Jas. IlEnnoNsays: "1. Buy some 

 clieap colonies; 'cheap,' because in 

 wmlhless or box-hives. Drive the 

 bees into your combs by the plan of 

 ' modern transferring.' Aim to yno- 

 duci> only extracted lioney, and use a 

 set of the combs on each hive for that 

 purpose. 2. If you cannot buy any 

 colonies, divide those you have as fast 

 as you can. Make those 12 queens use 

 as many of the combs as they will, 

 and gel more (iiieens reared to lay iu 

 them. MS fast as you can. While thus 

 jiieparing to use them, keep them in 

 a cool, airy place, and so they do not 

 touch each other within at least }4 <^t 

 an inch." 



W. Z. Hutchinson remarks thus : 

 " Hiiy queensand 'make up' colonies." 



Messhs. Daiiant & Son answer as 

 follows: "Divide the lices and feed 

 them up till they are strong, and 



divide again. A good plan would be 

 to buy dollar-queens for the swarras." 



(J. W. Demarke says: "My plan 

 would be to use no more of them than 

 I could employ prolitably, and hang 

 the rest of them up in a light room, 

 and preserve them for future use." 



Dii. C. C. Mii,i,EU rei)lies as fol- 

 lows : " liuild up the 10 or 12 colonies 

 strong, and keej) them strong. Draw 

 from them frames of brood with 

 adhering bees, say 2 frames at a time 

 from each colony, to form nuclei, 

 replacing these with empty combs. 

 Then repeat this as often as the 

 strength of the colonies permits, and 

 build op nuclei into strong colonies, 

 which ill their turn will yield aid for 

 other nuclei," 



CONS'I'ITI'TION OF 



The National Bee-Keepers' Union. 



AiiTiri.K I.— This organ iziitloii shall be 

 known as the " Nalioiial Hee- Keejiers' 

 Union," anil shall meet annually, or a,s 

 ol'teii as neee.ssity may recniire. 



Aitiicl.i'; 11.— Its object shall he to pro- 

 tect the Interests of bee-keepers, ailii to 

 (lerend their rights. 



A UTici.K 1 1 1.— The oflieers of this Union 

 shall consist, of a President, five Viee- 

 I'resicU'nts, iiiid a (Iciieral Manager (who 

 shall also he the .Secri'larv ;iml 'I'll 'a surer), 

 wlutse duties shiill he thosi- usually pcr- 

 lormcd h\ such ollli-ers. They sliall he 

 eh'ctcd by ballot, and hold their several 

 oliices tor (Uie year cu' until their suci'e.ss(U's 

 arc elected aiid installed; hiaiil; ballots 

 lor this iiiirpose to be mailed to every iiieiii- 

 lier by tlie (ieueral Maua,i;er. 



AiiTiii.K IV.— The oflieers shall consti- 

 tute ail Advisiuy lioard, which shall 

 (letcnniiic what action shall be taken by 

 this fluioii, upon the a)iidicalion of any 

 bce-kccpeis lor ili'lcnsc, and causes such 

 cNliii assessnienls to be imule U|ioii all llu^ 

 members as may bectune necessary liu' their 

 defense. 



Aia'ioi.K v.— Any person may become a 

 member by ]iayiiig to the (Jeiieral Manager 

 an Kiitiaiice Fee of oxk ixu.i.ai; to the 

 Del'i'use Kiiiid, anil an annual Ice of 'ii 

 cents, for which he shall receive a brinteil 

 i'eceiiitmakin;;hiiua niembcr of this Union, 

 eulitleil bi all its rif;lits ami benelits. The 

 auiuial !('<■ shall be due on the lirst day of 

 .Inly in each year, and mist be jiaid within 

 liO ("lavs in order to retain membership in 

 this llnioii. 



AnTici.EVI.— noiiatioiis of aiiy amount 

 may be made at any time to the Defense 

 Fund, iu addition to the entranee and 

 membership fees and the regular asse.ss- 

 meiits made upon the members by the 

 Adviscu'y Hoard. 



Aktu-i.k VII.— The Defense Fiiiui shall 

 be used for no oth<'r]uirposelliiin lo delend 

 ami protect bee keepers in (heiriinhls, afb'r 

 such cases are a]i]ii'oved by tin' .Advisory 

 lioard. and shall only be subjected lo Drafts 

 regularly made in writuig by the Advisory 

 Hoard. 



.\UTU'i.F. Vlll.— Theannual fees paid by 

 the mciubcrs shiill become a acneial tiind. 

 tr(Un which shall be ii;ii(l tlu' legitimate 

 cNlieiiscs id' this Uiiion, sn<-h as printing, 

 postage, clerk-hire, etc. 



Aiirici.i-: IX.— Meetings of this tbiion 

 shall be held lit such times and places as 

 shall be designated by the Advisory Hoard, 

 or upon the written requisition of ten 

 members. 



AitTKi.K X.— This constitution may he 

 amended b\ a majority vote of all the 

 memlK'rs atauy time. 



