728 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Oct. 19, 1905 



two want them at quite a distance in order to have the chance 

 of catching a crop at some one or other place. 



5. The number of colonies at each yard, without over- 

 stocking, is estimated at about 100 in the East, to 200 or 300 

 in California. One exception is Mr. Alexander, of New Tork 

 State, who claims that almost any locality could support SOO 

 colonies as well as 50 or even less. 



6. The summary of all is what the Dadants told us long 

 ago: Plenty of empty combs both for brood and honey. 

 With that condition the number of swarms will be insignifi- 

 cant. 



7. Very few extensive bee-keepers work for comb honey. 

 The swarming can not be entirely avoided, and recourse must 

 be had either to removing queens or "shook " swarming, as 

 it is now called. In a small apiary it is best to treat the colo- 

 nies that do swarm, and not bother the others ; but with hun- 

 dreds or thousands of colonies such discrimination is impos- 

 sible. 



The "shook" swarming will be considered in another 

 article. Knox Co., Tenn. 



Bee-Keeping as a Specialty 



BY GRANT STANLEY 



THERE has never been a time in the history of this coun- 

 try in which the service of the specialist was in such 

 great demand as it is at the present time. We see it on 

 every hand ; the cry goes out all over the land for specialists ; 

 it goes out from all manufacturing establishments ; it goes 

 out from railroad compaties, for men specially fitted for vari- 

 ous lines of work ; it goes out from every branch of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, at Washington ; it even goes out 

 from patients seeking treatment for various diseases. The 

 cry to-day is for the specialist. We fairly seem to be passing 

 through a reconstruction period. The reason for all this is 

 not far to seek ; surrounding conditions have become remark- 

 ably changed, and along with it various questions of a com- 

 plicated nature, as well as of extreme importance, have pre- 

 sented themselves ; questions of such a nature that only the 

 specialist, or one who has been specially trained, can bring 

 the result of his efforts into practical use — men of ordinary 

 intelligence and ability will not do. 



That bee-keeping has received a wonderful impetus with- 

 in the last year or two there can be little doubt. This too 

 long neglected pursuit is at this time receiving special atten- 

 tion. The Department of Agriculture, at Washington, has 

 been awakened to its possibilities ; the various State experi- 

 ment stations are offering short courses in bee-culture, and 

 some have even arranged correspondence courses for those un- 

 able to attend the school. There is certainly plenty of room 

 for specialists in the bee-keeping ranks, and, as in any busi- 

 ness, his sfiforts, properly directed, will result in great benelit 

 to himself as well as to others ; in fact, no well-directed effort 

 is spent in vain. The bee-keeper who will specialize will soon 

 find that his word has become authority, and, furthermore, 

 his service will quite likely be in demand. 



The bee-keeper who will specialize will have studied the 

 various bee-diseases, and will be in position to eradicate any 

 disease the minute it becomes manifest in his apiary ; yes, he 

 will quite likely go a step further, and apply such preventive 

 measures that his bees will not become diseased ; he will have 

 mastered the question of disposing of his honey crop at the 

 highest possible price obtainable; in fact, he will so direct his 

 efforts that his product will be in demand ; he will be able to 

 reduce winter losses to a minimum, as a result of his thor- 

 oughly studying the essential features of successful winter- 

 ing; the blooming of all nectar-producing plants will receive 

 like consideration ; in fact, the whole subject will be held up 

 and studied on every side. It is the men who have become 

 thoroughly acquainted with the elements underlying success 

 at every point, to whom we must look to carry this work for- 

 ward. 



There are too many people who look on bee-culture as a 

 business of little importance; in fact, enough would laugh at 

 the idea of making bee-keeping a specialty. Others have not 

 sufficient confidence in themselves to " keep all eggs in one 

 basket," but is it not true that the men making a specialty of 

 their business are the most successful ? Is it not true that 

 with a combination of pursuits a man must direct his thought 

 and energy in several places at the same time, not being able 

 to bring the best out of any of them, while in the making a 

 specialty of one pursuit his whole thought and effort is cen- 

 tered to one point ? And is it not true that only in this man- 

 ner will the highest success be achieved ? 



Let us remember that what is worth doing at all is 



worth doing well ; it is worthy our best efforts, and I assure 

 you that if proper remedies are applied bee-culture will be 

 brought to a very high degree in the near future. 



Lycoming Co., Pa. 



A Tree Colony— Two Queens in One Hive- 

 Bees and Dark vs. Light Colors 



BY W. W. m'NEAL 



I WISH to relate a little incioent which happened in my 

 apiary the past summer, that may be of interest to some. 



On or about August 1, one of the Italian colonies cast a 

 swarm. The queen that went with the swarm was a virgin, 

 and they settled on a limb of a cherry-tree about 12 feet from 

 the ground. The limb was not over 3 inches thick where the 

 swarm was clustered, but a smaller one branched off from 

 there, affording, seemingly, a satisfactory lodging place. 

 From that location the bees could fly out and in among the 

 branches with few obstructions ; but the sun could shine full 

 on the cluster during a portion of the afternoon. The floral 

 conditions were very bad at the time, and I did not regard the 

 swarm as beinfj of sufficient value to pay for the trouble of 

 hiving it, so I left it to its own sweet will, and discovered, 

 several days later, it had decided to stay. I left it there till 

 Sept. 1, then I hived it. 



Now the bees built 5 small combs, the center ones bt-ing 

 about twice as large as a man's hand. Brood was being reared 

 successfully, the queen having mated all right. Considering 

 the state of the weather, there being frequent rains while the 

 swarm was keeping house outdoors, it makes the case a re- 

 markably singular one. I don't think I ever witnessed a 

 similar case in my 20 years' experience with bees. 



At another time the past summer, when I was looking for 

 the queen in a certain colony, I found what was presumably 

 mother and daughter reigning jointly, seemingly, in perfect 

 accord. Both queens appeared to be in good condition, and 

 there was more than the average amount of brood in the hive. 

 I have met with this experience several times before ; but it 

 shows how far bees will at times depart from their customary 

 habits. 



Let me relate just this one more — an experience with bees 

 and chickens. Having observed that bees were influenced 

 to some extent by certain colors, I thought to test the matter 

 in this way : 



I would fence in the apiary with poultry-netting, and 

 then turn in several broods of little chickens. Well, I did so, 

 and found that the little white chickens could run about with- 

 out being molested, rarely, if ever, by the bees. Brown leg- 

 horns were not taken much notice of, but coal-black chicks 

 were often stung to death. 



If any of the readers of the American Bee Journal have 

 witnessed anything that leads them to believe that bees are 

 angered by the sight of dark-colored objects, I would be 

 pleased to hear from them through its columns. 



I have noticed boys in knee-pants and black stockings 

 were more often stung on the legs when walking through the 

 apiary than were bare-footed boys, or when shoes were worn 

 without stockings to protect the legs. Scioto Co , Ohio. 



I 



=^ 



(EonDcntion 

 Proccebings 



rJ 



Report of the Chicago-Northwestern Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Conventioti. held at Chicago, 111., 

 Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 1904 



(Coatinued from page 714. J 

 DETECTING FOtJL BROOD. 



Mr. France— There is one thing of vital importance to 

 Illinois, that the State Association and the Chicago-North- 

 western, now made a part of it, hand in hand together work 

 for the needed legislation this winter, and not wrangle so 

 much over other things. I am on my way to Washington to 

 help Prof. Benton get out a bulletin, of which there will be 

 published 50,000 copies for free distribution to the bee-keepers 

 of the United States, on the diseases of bees. I find that edu- 



