A MONTHLY JOURNAL 



Devoted to the Interests of Honey Producers. 

 $L00 A YEAR, 

 w. z. HDTCHDISON. Editor and Proprietor. 



VOL. XVII. FLINT, MICHIGAN, APRIL 15, 1904. NO. 4. 



^qmali^ini 



BY E. W. ALEXANDER. 



rr/HIS is the time of all the year when 

 i- your bees require the closest at- ^ 

 tention. Look after tliem every day, 

 and see if there is not something- j^ou 

 can do^to make them a little more com- 

 fortable. I am sure it has always 

 paid me to know the exact condition 

 of every colony at all times of the year. 



HOW STRONG COLONIES ARE MADE TO 

 HELP THE WEAK. 



After the bees have been taken from 

 the cellar, and had a good flight, we 

 commence at one side of the yard and 

 examine every colony carefully. Those 

 that are weak in bees, yet have a g-ood 

 queen, we mark; and, as soon as they 

 have some larvae in their combs, which 

 is usually in about five days after set- 

 ting- out, each is taken to a good, 

 strong colony, and set on top, with a 

 queen excluding honey board between. 

 If there is no larvae at this time in the 

 weak colony I give it a frame from the 

 strong colony, so as to keep the bees 



from leaving their queen, and all go- 

 ing below. I close up all entrances 

 except that of the strong colony. The 

 bees will divide themselves about 

 equally between the two queens; and 

 in about four or five weeks I can sepa- 

 rate them, and, in nine times out of 

 ten, I have two good, strong colonies. 

 For twenty years I have treated all 

 my weak colonies in this way in early 

 spring. Sometimes I have had 100 

 weak ones on top of strong colonies, 

 and I don't lose five per cent. I think 

 it a much better way than to try to 

 build them up alone, as there is no 

 trouble from robbers, and they don't 

 require any attention until it is time 

 to separate them. Don't keep them 

 together too long, as the young bees, 

 when over two weeks old, are liable 

 to sting one of the queens. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF WARMTH IN 

 SPRING. 



Do all you can at all times in the 

 spring to keep your bees warm, con- 



