What to do with Surplus Stocks. 



BEAD BEFORE MICHIGAN CONVENTION. 



The surplus capacity of a liive should cor- 

 respond to the size ot brood chain bt^r. If It 

 far exceeds, in size, tlie brood cliauiber, it 

 will be detrimental to storinj{ honey. First 

 then, tliere will not be bees enough to work 

 in all parts of the surplus case at the same 

 time; yet, we hear hive-venders say: " My 

 liive will jiive the larjjest amount of surplus 

 room of any hive known." Experience has 

 taught us that a brood chamber of 2.000 

 cubic inches will not furnish bees for 

 ilouble that capacity of surplus. iSucli a 

 liive will accommodate about 34 lbs. of 

 surplus, and will crowd it with bees, but if 

 tiouble the size be jiiven them, where are 

 the bees to till it? 1 can get more honey 

 stored where the surplus is too small to 

 acconnnoilate all the bees, than in a surplus 

 chamber that is larjier than the bees can 

 till; and the comb will be brighter. 



NATURAL SWARMING. 



If honey be the object, then I prefer 

 natural swarming. 



1. Because 1 can run my apiary with but 

 a comparatively small increase, no maj,ter 

 how much they are disposed to swarm. 1 

 allow uft after-swarms to issue, conse- 

 quently I make a short job of the swarming 

 season. 



2. Because it pays better to raise honey 

 for sale than it does bees; and if I have but 

 a small increase, then my stocks are all 

 very strong, and it is from such stocks we 

 get <mr surplus. 



Some ask how I keep such strong stocks. 

 I make them strong in May, and when they 

 swarm in early June, I make them strong 

 honey stocks as soon as they are hived, 

 instead of compelling them to till a new 

 hive with brood combs, and let the best part 

 of the season go by before they are strong 

 enough to enter tlie surplus cases. I think 

 it folly to try to prevent swarms from 

 issuing after they once get the fever. No 

 amount of tinkering with tlieni will prevent 

 it, short of division; and then you have two 

 weak stocks in place of a strong one. If I 

 should have a hundred stocks issue, 1 would 

 not make nuire than 33 new stocks, com- 

 pelling the ballance .of the bees to store 

 surplus. I do not pretend to know whether 

 my plan will suit all locations or not, but it 

 suits mine, and as it is to be supposed every 

 practical bee-keeper should know just 

 what his location will do, he should himself 

 be the judge of it. In my location, white 

 clover is abundant, but no basswood. I 

 also have a very good fall pasturage. If I 

 fail to secure a crop of white clover, I shall 

 have but little honey to sell. 



So I have adoi)ted the plan of having 

 large colonies to collect my surplus, as it 

 must be collected inside of 4.5 days, if at all. 



As soon as spring opens, and the weatlier 

 gets warm enough, I go through every hive, 

 and I make my selection for honey stocks. 

 I work 70 to 8.5, according to condition for 

 surplus stocks, leaving a balance of 25 to 30 

 stocks to draw on for brood and combs for 

 new swarms. These new swarms I allow 

 to build 2, or at the most 3 new combs; now 

 the hive below being full, or nearly so, the 

 bees have no place to store honey but in my 

 sections — just where I want it. Besides, I 



get all my new combs built in my reserved 

 stocks, and almost entirely worker-combs 

 in my honey stocks. I clear out all my 

 drone-comb. 



The way I use the surplus swarms for 

 honey stocks, after they are united to some 

 stock that has sent out a swarm, is as 

 follows: I mark day and date on each hive, 

 and just 8 days from the issueof the swarm, 

 I remove all queen cells, that is, providing 

 I intend to return a swarm to this hive; or 

 if not, I leave one cell to hatch. I invaria- 

 bly follow this plan until I have disposed 

 of all my swarms. Such stocks will be 

 Vf'ry strong and will need plenty of room. — 

 We often have to give them two cases of 

 sections, or about 44 or 88 lbs. each. 



We commenced the season of I8()(i witli 70 

 stocks, increased to 93. Receipts for that 

 year was 6831.47. We conunenced the 

 season of 1877 with 74 stocks, increased to 

 109. Receipts $810.00. Total for the two 

 years, $1,^541.47. .Jos. Butler. 



Jackson, Mich., Dec. 10, 1877. 



What Shall We Wear? 



READ BEFORE THE MICH. CONVENTION. 



It is not to be expected that our apiRrian 

 brothers, whose attire is never an obstacle 

 to any occupation, will be interested in the 

 subject under consideration; we will, 

 therefore, beg their indulgence while we 

 engage in a little chat upon a favorite topic; 

 and we will not be offended if they, mean- 

 while, turn a deaf eai", and ponder upon 

 weightier matters. 



What "the very latest" in apiarian fash- 

 ions may be, it would be difficult to tell, but 

 whether or not there should be a special 

 dress for the apiary 1 conclude to be a 

 question of importance, from my own 

 experience, and from the fact that ladies 

 contemplating a trial of apiculture, ask for 

 information upon the subject. 



'* Is the ordinary long dress, with the 

 veil and gloves recomended, sufficient pro- 

 tection from the stings of bees? If not, 

 what shall we wear?" is the inquiry. 



I have never visited a sister apiarist, and 

 therefore can judge only from my own 

 experience. When I began apiarian work, 

 I had but 2 colonies, and it did not occur to 

 me that any change in the dress was neces- 

 sary, but as the number increased, it 

 became apparent that some style, — safer 

 and more convenient than the long dress, 

 was desirable. 



We manage, somehow, to keep house 

 tolerably well under the same incon- 

 venience, and even, in some mysterious 

 way, to carry the baby and lamp uj) stairs 

 at the same time without disaster, but for 

 reasons not apparent, a comfortable and 

 convenient attire for ladies engaged in out- 

 door employments seem to be regarded with 

 general favor. Without stopping to ask 

 why. in this case, and why not, in the other, 

 we will thankfully accept om- liberty and 

 proceed to a consideration of tlie subject. — 

 Besides the inconvenience of the long dress, 

 the certainty of its becoming drabbled is 

 another serious objection. It is often nec- 

 essary to begin work before the dew is off 

 tlie grass, or soon after a shower, and the 

 long skirts becoming drabbled, are not only 

 uncomfortable, but very unsightly; and if. 



