450 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



We have been taught by bee-books 

 that the right time to put on surplus 

 arrangements is when the bees began to 

 build small burr-combs — little bits of 

 white comb about the top of the frames. 



My experience has taught me that 

 that is a little too late here in our Sunny 

 South. Do not wait until the bees begin 

 to build these bits of comb, but just as 

 soon as you find that they are building 

 up rapidly, and the queen is filling the 

 brood-chamber, put on the sections, or 

 whatever surplus arrangements you in- 

 tend to use. Do not wait until the 

 queen has the brood-chamber full, for if 

 you do the bees will swarm instead of 

 going into the sections. 



If your hives are good ones, and well 

 protected, there is not much danger of 

 getting the surplus arrangements on too 

 early — better two weeks too early than 

 one week too late. 



Bees make preparations to swarm here 

 in the South very early — a great deal 

 sooner than most bee-men and farmers 

 that keep bees think they do. Hence, 

 we hear such a large per cent, of them 

 say they get no honey, that their bees do 

 not pay, etc. 



Some say their bees will do nothing 

 but swarm. If you get the surplus ar- 

 range'ments ready, sections all put up, 

 and foundation starters in the sections 

 before the bees think about swarming 

 (by all means keep ahead of your bees), 

 then, as stated above, when the bees be- 

 gin to build up fast in numbers, put on 

 the surplus arrangements, tuck them 

 down tight, cover up well, leave no 

 cracks for the heat to escape, or the 

 wind to blow in, nine cases out of ten 

 you will get the bees to work in the 

 supers, and secure a nice lot honey. To 

 make it more sure, fill two or three sec- 

 tions in the center with nice white 

 comb. 



If, after the surplus arrangements 

 have been on the hive two or three 

 weeks, you find that the bees have not 

 gone to work in the sections, take a 

 frame that has brood in it, cut out 

 enough to fill two or three sections, then 

 put them in the center of the surplus 

 arrangement, and the bees will go right 

 up and work. 



Do not let the bees get the start of 

 you, and swarm ; if you do, the honey 

 crop will be short. The only hope will 

 be in prime swarms. 



Should the bees get the start of you 

 and go to swarming — what then ? Why, 

 have the hives in readiness, also supers 

 to go on the hives. Hive the prime 

 swarm, remove the old stand, put the 

 swarm where the old hive stood, put on 



the sections at once, and you will get 

 honey, if there is any for the bees to 

 gather. 



Mr. Caleb Canupp first called my at- 

 tention to the fact that we let our bees 

 get the start of us in the Spring, and 

 that we did not put on our supers early 

 enough. I have found that he was cor- 

 rect. 



Woodside, N. C. 



Geman or BM Bees VS. Italians. 



H. C. FAENUM. 



Since Mr. Ellingwood first took up 

 what he calls the " cudgel " in defense 

 of the German or black bees, it has ex- 

 cited quite a number, and caused them 

 to give their opinions also. 



Although I am in favor of the black 

 race of bees, and decidedly so, I must 

 say that some writers go to extremes 

 trying to defend their sides of the story. 

 On page 253 is John H. Blanken's de- 

 fense of the black race of bees, in which 

 he says : They are tough, and can 

 stand the cold weather better than any 

 other race ; need no double-walled hives, 

 or cellar wintering ; will gather more 

 surplus honey, are busier, and are not 

 as cross as the other races. 



I am afraid Mr. Blanken would have 

 bee-keepers think that no other race 

 except the blacks are good for anything; 

 and also would make us think that if we 

 had black bees we would need no double- 

 walled hives, or cellar wintering. But 

 I am sure that my black bees need as 

 much protection in Winter as do the 

 Italians, and the Italians certainly are 

 not as cross as the blacks. 



It is quite evident that Mr. B. has 

 never had much direct experience with 

 the Italians, or he certainly would not 

 class them as an inferior race of bees. 

 Even Mr. Ellingwood does not class the 

 Italians with the inferior races of bees, 

 but says: "I am thoroughly convinced 

 that the black race of bees is a very 

 valuable one, and that with the same 

 care and attention that is given the 

 Italians, they will give good results." 



In my experience with Italians, I find 

 they are not an inferior race of bees — 

 far from it ; but I do say that the blacks 

 are ahead in honey-gathering in my 

 location, especially when honey is scarce; 

 as last season my Italian bees did 

 scarcely anything. . Also a neighbor bee- 

 keeper, who had nothing else but Ital- 

 ians, did not get any honey, and had to 

 feed some of his bees ; while my black 



