1903 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



IIS 



some other method must be found. 

 The first step is to go over all the 

 colonies, note those that are really 

 strong, those that might advanta- 

 geously be a little stronger, and the 

 moderate to weak stocks. For the, 

 purpose of honey we should class the 

 only-fair stocks with the weak, while 

 if looking for increase we would do 

 differently. The first class need no 

 present attention; to the second, those 

 nearly strong enough, give frames full 

 of brood from the moderate stocks, 

 those of the third class. If the stocks 

 to receive this brood have brood in 

 nearly everj' comb, take away the least 

 filled combs and replace with combs 

 full of sealed brood. Follow this until 

 every stock of the second grade is as 

 strong in brood as the strongest. 

 This can be done very safely in May 

 if the stocks are really fairly strong 

 and sealed brood is given. Of course 

 the combs may have a little unsealed 

 brood in them, but the more fully 

 sealed the better. This puts the second 

 grade of colonies nearly on a par with 

 the first. 



Next, proceed to the now weakened 

 colonies of the third grade and by a 

 judicious uniting of brood and bees 

 make as many strong stocks as possi- 

 ble. Previously we have only trans- 

 posed combs of brood, now we use bees 

 and brood. In this last work strive 

 to get the combs having the most un- 

 sealed brood in the center of the hive, 

 and those having the most sealed, at 

 the sides. It may take the best part 

 of three or more colonies to make one 

 fairly good one from the stocks in the 

 third class and even they will not equal 

 stocks of the first or second class in 

 piling in the surplus unless the har- 

 vest is exceptionally late. 



The balance of the brood and bees 

 left in the third class must be gathered 

 together as well as possible and later 

 they may be strong enough to break 

 up for nuclei or to brace up some 

 other stock. 



In all this work an eye should be kept 

 on the supply of stores. Really this 

 part should have been seen to last fall 

 and then there would have been more 

 strong colonies and the stores would be 

 in the right part of the brood nest. 



May is perhaps the hardest month 

 of all for most bees in southern New 

 England. Strong stocks have drawn 



heavily on their stores for brood food 

 and unless they have a good reserve 

 a cold storm often brings disaster. If 

 any stocks are found short of food or 

 are likely to run short ' before the 

 clover flow, they should be supplied at 

 once, that is, given all they are likely 

 to need just as quickly as it can be 

 done. 



The Quinby plan, for the keeping 

 alive of which we are indebted to Dr. 

 Miller who always most carefully takes 

 pains to give the credit to Quinby, 

 is the easiest and I think one of the 

 best for use at this season. It con- 

 sists of filling combs with hot syrup 

 and hanging one or more of them in 

 the colony to be fed. 



A little later in the season, say at 

 the opening of the harvest, I would 

 not advise the novice to do much 

 uniting. Sometimes it pays and some- 

 times it does not. It seems impossible 

 for man to then unite bees of the vari- 

 ous ages in proper proportions for 

 uniformly favorable results. 



The foregoing is an intensive form of 

 bee-keeping and one which I now 

 seldom use, preferring to so prepare 

 my stocks the previous fall that such 

 methods are not necessary, and when I 

 do think it wise to do some such com- 

 bining I do it by the wholesale, tak- 

 ing a whole shallow brood chamber in- 

 stead of one or two combs. But know- 

 ing that few beginners have such hives 

 I have described the methods I used 

 with L hives. 



Intensive bee-keeping may be very 

 pleasant to the bee enthusiast but it 

 is very costly in human labor. 



Providence, R. I., April 7, 1903. 



ARTIFICIAL POLLEN. 



(John M. Hooker.) 



MR. HAROLD HORNOR in his 

 article on page 100, of this pa- 

 per, advocates the setting out of 

 "very fine cornmeal in a warm sunny 

 place, the latter part of February, 

 when the bees commence flying." 



This feeding of artificial pollen, if 

 done at all, must be done with great 

 care. The bees will work "with a will 

 and carry it into the hives" and store- 

 it solidly in the cells in great quanti- 

 ties. If this is not required for imme- 

 diate use, it becomes very hard. The 



