THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



233 



A wag-on could not get around in time 

 to give room for the bees. But these 

 heavy flows, of late years, are few and 

 far between. In fact, we have not had 

 a heavy flow for manj' years. It was 

 slow enough to keep up with the bees, 

 but how about flows I have seen here 

 when bees have filled up a two and 

 three story 10-frame hive in three days, 

 and it has been common to fill up in 

 five to six days, and crowd all the 

 brood out. I have lost enoug-h in such 

 flows to pay for many complete outfits. 

 An extracting from owe' apiary, amount- 

 ing to six tons, was lost, throug-h such 

 a flow. That was in the 80's. I 

 should mention that this extracting- 

 wagon is intended to haul bees, too, 

 for it is thoroughly screened, and 

 should any carelessness occur, not any 

 bees could reach the horses. 



A good two-horse, 2,500 to two-ton, 

 market wag-on is required for hauling 

 hives, utensils, cans, cases, honey, 

 etc., in visiting- apiaries; one with a 

 side rack and end gates. This is a 

 great convenience as it prevents the 

 racking- and marring of hives, as well 

 as a saving of time from binding up 

 loads. Economy in labor and time is 

 money made, providing- it is properly 

 applied by honest helpers. 



In the near future I shall connect my 

 largest apiaries by telephone, so as to 

 economize in time from needless visits, 

 and otherwise. I have had part of the 

 wire on hand for two years. All large 

 apiaries should have (during the 

 honey harvest) a man at each, and 

 more if the flow requires them. The 

 number of swarms lost here from the 

 lack of a man to care for them has 

 been great. Also, these same lost 

 swarms occupy your territory to your 

 detriment, for they increase every good 

 year. 



It has paid me to have my hives made 

 at the mill. It is cheaper than buying 

 expensive machinery, as there is a 

 limit to the number of hives needed. 

 What I pay out for sawing andplaning- 



would not pay for the machinery, let 

 alone the time consumed in sawing-, 

 and running chances of having fingers 

 and hands amputated. 



I have better results from natural 

 swarming-, providing- I have competent 

 assistance. Swarms work with a 

 g-reater vig-or, but I try to avoid swarm- 

 ing- if possible. 



For the past few years, extracted 

 honey has paid much the best, for the 

 reason of slow honey flows and short 

 seasons; and, also, so much unsightly 

 comb honev put on the market, badly 

 graded, that prices of comb honey are 

 too low for profit. Extracted sage 

 honey, by the car, has been sold for 

 6;/2 cts. and, later, would have brought 

 7c In good honey years comb in car 

 lots, has sold for only 6c, although 

 this was not up to the best quality, 

 yet it effected quotations. Small pro- 

 ducers have also affected prices. 

 Bees were run by let alone methods. 

 They had no bee journals to post them 

 on market prices, and took what they 

 could get. Very inferior, bad flavored 

 grades of honey are put into sections. 

 These low grades help lessen consump- 

 tion. This should be in the extracted 

 form for manufacturing purposes, and 

 would net the producer more in 

 quantity and better and more profitable 

 results. 



Extracted honey tanks, properly 

 made, are of importance. They should 

 be of galvanized iron and cone top 

 with man-hole, good lid, and venti- 

 lated, and the capacity should be (in 

 California) from three to seven tons to 

 the hundred colonies, spring count. 



So much room g-ives time for honey 

 to settle and clear from bubbles and 

 small particles of capping-s; although I 

 believe and practice ripening my hone3' 

 before extracting-. It will still increase 

 in body and flavor, when standing in 

 these tanks, with the tanks exposed to 

 the sun. Well ripened, and good 

 flavored honey is hard to imitate hy 

 adulteration. Extra tankage room is a 



