'^■mm mTm.mmicnn ^hm jowmf^^m.. 



27 



has usually been as much enjoyed l>y those 

 introducing it, as those indulging in it; and 

 the amount of ignorance shown has been 

 marked by its absence.— Com/iiittcc, A. B. 

 Mason, Oeo. E. Hilton, W. D. Super. 



The convention then iiiljourned to 

 meet in Detroit, Mich., on Jan. 1 and 

 2, 1891. H. D. Cutting, Sec. 



SWARM-HIVER. 



Novel Self-Hiving Arrang;enieiil 

 for Bees. 



Written for the American Bee Jowmal 



BY HENKY ALLEY. 



Some few weeks since I saw a notice 

 in the American Bee Journal that 

 some one had devised an arrangement 

 by which a swarm of bees, when they 

 issued, would hive themselves ; but the 

 inventor, before he could describe and 

 illustrate it, first wanted the bee-keep- 

 ers to raise $1,000 to pay for the illus- 

 tration. 



Well, I was then not quite ready to 

 bring before the bee-keeping public 



need confirming ? Let me see if I can- 

 not show that bees will do just as rep- 

 resented in tin? foregoing statement : 



How many of us have known bees to 

 swarm, and, losing their rjueen on the 

 ground, return to the home hive ? 

 After awhile tlie queen would crawl 

 up under the bottom-board of the hive, 

 when the bees would join her, and at 

 once commence to build comb there. I 

 saw this very tlung in May, 1889, in 

 the apiary of Mr. L. E. Burnham, of 

 Essex, Mass. 



When the bees have found the 

 queen, not one of them will enter tlie 

 the old home again. 



I believe that this invention com- 

 pletes the last thing needed to make 

 bee-keeping a success under nearly all 

 conditions. The small bee-keeper,and 

 all those who have business to take 

 tliem awaj' from home during the day, 

 need not fear of losing their swarms, 

 as each one when it issues will hive it- 

 self without the aid of any person. 



The cost of the arrangement is 

 about the same as one drone-trap. A 

 patent has been applied for on it. 



Tlie Self-Eaing Arrangemtnl. 



the device which, is liere illustrated 

 and described. The arrangement is 

 shown at the entrance of two bee- 

 hives ; if the upper-chamber of the 

 drone-trap is removed from two traps, 

 and one each placed at the entrance of 

 two bee-hives, and the two traps are 

 connected by a passage-way formed bj' 

 a tube made of perforted metal, one 

 may get a good idea of this new de- 

 vice for hiving bees when they swarm. 



The empty hive is placed at the side 

 of the hive whose colony is expected 

 to swarm, and the "swarraer" fixed 

 in position as shown in the accompanj'- 

 ing illustration. When once in place, 

 the bee-master can go about his busi- 

 ness, whether fifty miles away or near 

 the apiary ; and he can rest assured 

 that, should the bees swarm during 

 his absence, they will be self-hived, 

 and all settled to work upon his re- 

 turn. 



When a swarm issues, the queen will 

 be conducted to the new hive ; the bees 

 miss her, and, as is perfectly natural, 

 will find her in the new hive, and 

 readily join her. Should any bees, on 

 their return, enter the home hive, they 

 would gradually join the swarm in the 

 new home. Does this last statement 



INCREASE. 



Trying the methods for the Pre- 

 vention of Increase. 



Written tor the Amerityn Bee Journal 

 BY J. C. STEWART. 



As I have all the bees I want, I 

 hailed with expectation a method that 

 would give larger colonies, and ef- 

 fectually control increase. This was 

 claimed for one plan, by Eastern men, 

 namely, to take away the queen, and 

 in ten days cut oil" the cells ; then do 

 the same in six days more, and release 

 the queen, or introduce a virgin queen. 



I had 14 colonies in one row, and 

 when swarming began, I took queen- 

 cages and caught the 14 queens and 

 caged them, hanging the cages be- 

 tween two frames. What was ni}' sur- 

 prise, on opening the hives ten days 

 later, to find six of these queens dead. 

 In eight more hives I took a frame of 

 brood and bees with the queen and 

 placed them in a nucleus hive beside 

 the old one ; then in six days I re- 

 turned the frame, queen and all. This 

 last plan I liked best. 



It produced powerful colonies, and 

 all were storing in the sections, but in 

 a few days one-half of them were 

 hanging outside the hive, and refused 

 to work ; and they kei)t loafing worse, 

 utterly stopping work in the surplus 

 sections. But I tried every way that I 

 knew. I gave some, virgin queens 

 after 10 or 15 days, and a few were 

 retained, but most of them were killed 

 after awhile, when I would look, ex- 

 pecting to find a laying queen and 

 fonnd none. Such a colony, with no 

 brood or queen, did no work in the 

 sections. 



I found it hard to introduce any 

 kind of a queen in some hives. Those 

 that received a queen did well in the 

 sections, and perhaps if I had taken 

 more pains in introducing, all would 

 have worked well. Some colonies 

 treated in the same way last year, did 

 splendidl}-. If it was not for the expense 

 of new hives, I should sa}', better let 

 them swarm. There is three times the 

 work about it that there is in hiving 

 swarms. I am uncertain about the 

 plan ! 



Hopkins, Mo. 



ConTention l^otices. 



B^*" The spring meeting of the Northern Illinois 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, will meet at the residence 

 of D. A. Fuller, in Cherry Vallev, Ills., on May 19th, 

 189(X D. A. Fuller, Sec. 



B^~ The Indiana State Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 will hold its tenth annual 'meeting at Indianapolis, 

 Ind., on Wednesday. Jan. 15, 189(.i, at 1 p.m. AH bee- 

 keepers are cordiaflv invited. 



Geo. C. Thompson, Sec, Southport, Ind. 



t^~ The twelfth annual meeting of the Nebraska 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association, will be hel'l in the 

 Lecture Room of Nebraska Hall of the State Uni- 

 versity, at Lincoln. Neb., on Jan. 1.",. 16 and 17, 1890. 

 Every bee-keeper and lover of honey is invited to 

 meet with us. Tlie Horticultural Association meets 

 at I^inctfln at the same time, and arrangements are 

 now being perfected to hold joint sessi^tns. 



J. N. Heatek, Sec. Columbus. Neb . 



BS^ The annual meeting of the Colorado State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, will be held in the Cham- 

 ber of Commerce building, in Denver, Colo., on the 

 third Monday in January, is9u. for the election of 

 officers and other business. Everybody is invited to 

 attend. E. Millkson, Pres. 



B^^~ The Eastern New York Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion, will meet in Convention. Jan. 20 and 21, 1S90, in 

 Agricultural Hall, Albany. N. Y.. at lo a.m. All in- 

 terested in bee-keeping are cordially invited to 

 attend. The Farmers' Institute is held at the same 

 place on Jan. -22 and 23, 1890. 



W. S. Ward, Sec. I'uller's Station, N. Y. 



B^W The 21st annual meeting of the New York 

 State Bee-Keepers' Aseocialion will he held in the 

 Court House at Rochester, N. V.. on Feb. 5. 6, and 7, 

 189ii. Reduced rates will be given at hotels and on 

 all principal railroads. The programme and full 

 particulars will appear in due time. Each county 

 association is requested to send two or more dele- 

 gates. G. a. Knickerbocker. Sec. 



I^" The annual meeting of the Vermont State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, will be held at Burling- 

 ton. Vt , on Jan. 21 and 22, 1390. Excellent ball ac- 

 commodations have been secured at the VanNess 

 house. Tlie Central Vermont Railroad has granted 

 round-trip tickets from the following places: Rut- 

 land. White River Junction, Cambridge Junction, 

 Richford via St. Albans, Ticonderoga, and all inter- 

 mediate points, to Burlington and return for fare 

 oneway. A good meeting is expected, and all are 

 invited. For further information and programmes, 

 apply to the Secretary, 



J. H. Larrabee, Larrahee's Point Vt. 



Any of the Political Dollar Weekly 

 Newspapers will be clubbed with our JouB- 

 NAi at $1.85 for the two ; or with both our 

 Home Jouknal and Bee JotJBNAL for $2.50 

 for all three papers. 



