16 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



September, the strongest stocks stored consider- 

 able honey in the boxes. Some of this I gaye 

 to the weak ones, -whicli carried them through 

 all right. 



C. T. Smith. 

 Trekton, Clintok Co., Ils., June 3, 18G9. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Does it Pay to Keep Bees? 



Having often been asked the question, does it 

 pay to keep bees, or is it safe to invest money 

 in an apiary ? I have always answered the 

 question by saying it does pay and is a safe iu- 

 vestment, if the party investing thoroughly un- 

 derstands the nature and habits of bees, is wil- 

 ling to give tliem th»^ proper care, and provide 

 them with suitable hives. I now propose giving 

 a short account of my success in bee-keeping. 



aume fifteen years ago, I purchased two colo- 

 nies, not Avith the intention of making money 

 out of them, but for the purpose of providing 

 myself and family with a luxury in the shape 

 of nice, pure, white, honey. But I soon be- 

 came convinced that, by jjroper management, 

 they could be mnde to yield a profit, besides 

 supplying mj^ table with a wholesome luxury. 

 Still, as there were at that time no movable 

 comb hives, I had to labor under considerable 

 disadvantage as well as loss. Very often some 

 of the slocks would refuse to swarm until the 

 season for collecting honey was nearly over. 

 Consequently the young swarms could not 

 gather honey enough to winter on, and not 

 liaving the movable comb hives, these could 

 not be built up from stocks that had plenty of 

 honey and some to spare. Hence I was forced 

 to destroy them in ttie tall, which Avas a loss. 

 Other hives would refuse to swarm altogether, 

 which of course was a loss of all increase from 

 such. Then, again, some colonies would 

 swarm and the young swarm would take a bee- 

 line for the woods and disappi^ar. Other hives 

 would get infested with millers and worms, 

 which would destroy them sooner or later. Yet, 

 after all the losses from every source, I made a 

 fair profit by selling honey, and occasionally a 

 hive of bees. But since the introduction of the 

 movable comb hive and the Italian bees, T have 

 made more than double the profit; for there has 

 been no loss from young swarms going to the 

 woods, or from colonies refusing to swaim, or 

 being destroyed by the miller. For I have 

 practiced artificial swarming, which does away 

 with all loss in that direction ; and if millers get 

 into a colon}"-, I remove the cards and clean 

 them out, therebj'^ saving my stock. I also re- 

 move cards of comb from full stocks that have 

 them to spare, and strengthen weak ones there- 

 Avith, instead of destroying them, as I was 

 forced to do formerly. Then again, the Italian 

 bees defend themselves much belter from mil- 

 lers, and are much better Avorkers, consequently 

 they store more honey in the boxes for their 

 OAVuers. 



I commenced in the spring of 1867 with 

 twelve Italian stocks, worth at that time about 



two hundred dollars. Last week I sold the in- 

 crease of stocks for five hundred dollars, and 

 during the two years I realized four hundred 

 dollars in Avax, honey, and queens sold. Al- 

 lowing two hundred dollars for cost of hives 

 and time in attending to them, (Avhich Avill 

 more than cover it), leaves seven hundred dol- 

 lars, or three hundred and fifty dollars profit 

 each year — not bad interest, for two years. 



A Avord, now, to parties intending to start au 

 apiary. Get, if possible, a location where 

 white clover is plenty ; or, better yet, induce 

 your neighbors to sow alsike clover, which is 

 one of the most profitable crops a farmer can 

 raise, either for seed or for hay, or for both ; 

 and for bees it is ahead of anything I ever saw. 

 Provide yourself also with good movable 

 comb hives, and the Italian bees; and be as at- 

 tentive to Ihem as you Avould be to any other 

 stock from Avhich you expect to derive pleasure 

 and profit. An apiary started Avith such ad- 

 vantages, I am satisfied Avill, with proper care, 

 prove to be a safe and profitable investment. . 

 H. M. Thomas.^ 



Bkooklin, Ontario. 



[Foitlie American Bee Journal ] • 



Artificial Swarming. 



Mr. Editor : — I have a new method of arti- 

 ficial swarming, Avhich I Avill try to explain to 

 you. 



First — I make my hives thirteen inches by 

 nineteen, inside measurement, Avith the frames - 

 running crosswise. I have two entrances, one 

 on the east and one on the south. Part of the 

 bees Avill use one entrance, and part the other. 

 As early as it Avill do to raise queens, place a, 

 partition board in the centre, with six combs on 

 each side ; and give the queenless side a queen 

 cell after once getting a supply. Noav Ave have 

 two swarms of bees \a one hive, and we get an 

 equal number of old and young bees in each 

 side, and they will keep each other Avarm. 



As soon as they need more room, place an 

 empty hive light up against the entrance of the 

 one you wish to change, (the entrance of the 

 new hive to be directly in front of the old en- 

 trance); and take out the frames and bees; 

 put them into the new hive, and give each more 

 room. If the hives are of the same color, the 

 bees will not notice the change; and by moving 

 them a fcAV inches every day, they can be 

 placed Avherever desired. 



'iliis is a new^ idea of my own, and I shall 

 soon put it in practice. I thought I Avould send 

 it to you in season for the June Journal, and 

 give others a chance to try it. 



Hives might be made large enough for six- 

 teen frames. Then give each side tAVo empty 

 frames, and let them remain together till the" 

 bees fill them, and they Avill each be quite good ■ 

 sized sAvarms.* 



J. L. Peabodt. 



ViRDEN, Ills. 



*The Dzierzon " twin ftzfc"— shown in Bee Journal, 

 vol. 1. paae l;i — is constructed .substantially on this plan, 

 and has long been thus used for the multiplication of col- 

 onies. It is a movable bar hive, and Mr. D. claims very 

 positively that It Is "tke best hive yet Introduced."— Ed. 



