176 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



August 



has the advantage of supplying the 

 air space and consequent protection 

 to the hive, with the additional ad- 

 vantage of being someAvhat less cum- 

 bersome to handle. Our own hive 

 (mentioned elsewhere in this number), 

 affords a circulation of fresh air con- 

 stantly over the hive, and is exceed- 

 ing light to handle, ^\e all have our 

 personal preferences in these matters, 

 of course. Mr. T. K. Massie de- 

 nounces the flat lid most emphatically 

 — wouldn't tolerate them under any 

 circumstances, while, after an experi- 

 ence of twenty years with very many 

 kinds of hive-cover, in combination 

 with a cleated honey-board, we de- 

 cidedly prefer them to any other style 

 of lid. 



i 



COMB VS. FOUNDATION. 



In tlie same journal Adrian Getaz 

 discusses several questions, during 

 which this observation is presented: 

 "A plan that will prevent swarming 

 and secure a moderate mcrease con- 

 sists in taking one comb of brood out 

 of each colony every few days and 

 replacing it with a frame of founda- 

 tion. If the object is merely the pre- 

 vention of swarming, the operation 

 should be repeated as often as neces- 

 sary, so as to furnish the queen 

 enough room to lay. That may be as 

 often as every fifth day, or perhaps 

 only every tenth day, according to 

 the size of the brood chamber, the 

 prolitieness of the queen, the honey- 

 flow, and other conditions. As long 

 as the queen has enough empty comb 

 to lay in, there will be no swarming 

 unless the queen is failing, or unless 

 the lack of shade and ventilation ren- 

 ders the situation intolerable. It will 

 not do to put in an already built comb; 

 the bees Avould often flll it with honey 

 before the queen could lay in it. The 

 reverse takes place when the founda- 

 tion is given. But it is necessary even 

 then to replace but one comb at a 

 time, otherwise a portion of them 

 would be filled with honey, as the 

 queen could not lay in them fast 

 enough to occupy the cells before they 

 would be long enough to hold honey. 

 I suppose that an already built comb 

 shaved down Avould do as Avell as 

 foundation, but I have not tried it." 



It Avill be noted that .Mr. Getaz ad- 

 A'ocates the use of foundation in pref- 

 erence to a brood comb bei-ause of the 



additional advantage thus secured by 

 the queen. Here is where Mr. Getaz 

 and Mr. Toppleton collide. According 

 to the experience of tlie latter gentle- 

 man, either a sheet of foundation or 

 a comb which had never been used for 

 breeding- purposes, are effectual bar- 

 riers to the queen's progress — acting, 

 in fact, someAvhat as a division board 

 would do in dividing or restraining the 

 brood-nest, according to the position 

 occupied by the said new combs or 

 foundation: whereas, if given a brood 

 comb Avhieh has been formerly used 

 for breeding purposes, she is quick to 

 avail herself of the opportunity to ex- 

 tend her egg-iayiug operations.. It is 

 understood that dtiring the height of 

 the season when brood-rearing is be- 

 ing- pursued strenuously, the queen 

 Avill quite readily take to "any old 

 thing'' in the Avay of combs, whether 

 old or new, or Avhether full sheets or 

 starters are used; but the point is, the 

 queen's individual interests are greatly 

 assisted by the use of old brood combs, 

 under all circumstances. 



SPREADING BROOD. 



Under the heading, "Spreading 

 Brood," in the July number of the Bee- 

 Keepers" Record (British) Mr. L. S. 

 CraAvshaAA' notes this unmistakable 

 preference of the queen for old brood 

 combs, and also corroborates what we 

 have so often observed in these col- 

 umns in regard to the subject men- 

 tioned — spreading brood — and the ne- 

 cessity of experienced hands in carry- 

 ing the practice into execution. Mr. 

 Foppleton considers the article one of 

 the best that has ever been published 

 upon tlie subject, and recommends its 

 reproduction AA'ithout a Avord" of 

 change. We. therefore, giA'e the article 

 below : 



HoAv much may have been written 

 upon this subject I cannot conjecture, 

 yet the matter periodi<'all}- crops up 

 for advice in the columns of this jour- 

 nal, OAving no doubt to the ' 'dilfering of 

 tlie doctors." I have before me as I 

 write a A-ariety of text-books Avhich re- 

 fer to the subject in terms ranging 

 from those of an eminent authority 

 Avho builds up in this Avay the Avhole of 

 his colonies, to those of one Avho de- 

 sires to see this manipulation banished 

 from the pages of all journals. 



Between these two some truth must 

 lie. or it would even seem that both 

 mav be right, as what is meat to one 



