BEES ON THE FARM 



391 



he prevents the bees from dividing their gathering force by 

 swarming before or during the honey flow. 



To accomplish the first purpose, he protects the bees well 

 during the winter wherever the temperature often falls to the 

 freezing point, gives them an abundance of honey for this sea- 

 son and for early spring, and provides each colony with a good 

 young queen. If the bees are not cramped for room in the 

 spring they will then reach their maximum population- in time 

 even for an early honey-flow. Beekeepers who have a few colo- 

 nies as a side-line rarely have full colonies soon enough, and 

 even many specialist beekeepers 

 fail in this regard. Wintering is 

 the most important problem in 

 beekeeping in most parts of the 

 United States. It is fully dis- 

 cussed in bulletins of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



To prevent the bees from swarm- 

 ing involves more details than can 

 be discussed here, but bees must 

 have plenty of room in the brood- 

 chamber, ventilation, adequate 

 space for incoming honey and 

 every other condition ideal for 

 gathering. Directions will be 

 found in the literature for making 

 the most of a swarm if one should 

 issue, but the beekeeper's ideal is to keep them even from 

 making an effort in this direction. 



The honey-flow. — With tlie care indicated the colonies will 

 come to the beginning of the honey-flow with full strength. It 

 is poor beekeeping to alloAV colonies to increase in strength at 

 the expense of the crop. The next problem is to see that they 

 have the proper space in which to store the honey. Most bee- 

 keepers with a few colonies now give each colony a single super, 

 perhaps going back to put on another when the first is entirely 

 filled. This may result in a loss of from half to three-fourths 

 of the crop, for room must always be given before it is needed 

 or the bees will decrease their gathering. As soon as they have 

 begun to fill the first super, another should be placed underneath 

 the first and this should be repeated as often as necessary. A 

 good beekeeper often has four or five supers filled before the 

 negligent beekeeper has the first one full. In comb-honey pro- 



FlG. 



202. — " Pepper-box " feeder for 

 use on top of frames. 



