250 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



put into a hive of the capacity of about 2200 

 cubic inches, inside measure, having ghxss in the 

 rear, its full length, with a blind to intercept the 

 light and darken the chamber. In two weeks 

 from the time this swarm Avas hived, such was 

 the extraordinary rapidity with Avhich it worked, 

 its liive was filled to overflowing with combs and 

 honey, and two boxes, of the capacity of about 

 thirty pounds, placed on the top, were filled like- 

 wise. The boxes when filled were taken off, and 

 an estimate of the honey stored in both hive and 

 boxes, which could be done with some degree of 

 certainty as their weight when empty had been 

 ascertained and marked on their sides. After 

 making the necessary deductions for bees, brood, 

 &c., I estimated the amount of hpney gathered at 

 eighty (80) pounds; apportioning fifty pounds to 

 the brood chamber, which I deemed moderate, as 

 the honey was capped in the combs within two 

 inches of their lower edge. Here is the clever 

 amount of eighty pounds of honey secured by a 

 colony of bees in two weeks, while under the 

 honey gathering impulse excited by swarming, — 

 which impulse, or propensity for gathering honey 

 can be generated in a colony of bees at any time 

 that there is bloom, and maintained throughout 

 the season. 



This extraordinary industry in newly made 

 swarms ("but by no means peculiar to them) has 

 often been remarked by bee-keepers^ and given 

 rise to much speculation as to the true cause of 

 its development. Among many causes assigned 

 in explanation of this seeming mystery, perhaps 

 the most plausible is the theory which supposes 

 the queen's age and fertility to govern the indus- 

 try of the hive. But, admitting the full force of 

 this assumption, with full conviction of the ad- 

 vantages secured to the apiarian by the continued 

 presence of a young and prolific queen in each 

 and every colony, there are times and instances, 

 in which even this fails to furnish the explana- 

 tion required ; as, for instance, the case already 

 cited, in which prior to the issuing of the swarm, 

 a few bees only left for forage, while the much 

 larger portion lounged on the sides of the hiTe 

 for days, feeding on the stores already garnered. 

 If the queen's extra fertility be urged as a proper 

 solution of the extraordinary rapidity with which 

 this swarm filled all its tenements to overflowing, 

 we must imagine her to have suddenly acquired 

 some new capacity for laying, else the difference 

 in the bees, in point of industry, before and after 

 the swarming, cannot be satisfactorily accounted 

 for. 



The point to be gained by the bee-keeper of the 

 present time is to ascertain, if possible, the true 

 cause of the honey gathering impulse in bees ; the 

 conditions necessary to its continuance through- 

 out the season ; and the most efficient means of 

 generating and stimulating it to its fullest capa- 

 city, in order to secure the largest returns. If 

 the product of a swarm of bees incited to labor 

 by causes in accord with their natural habits and 

 instincts, will reach the attractive exhibit of 

 eighty pounds in two weeksj to what amount 

 will this increase if the honey gathering propen- 

 sity is, by judicious treatment, fostered to its 

 fullest capacity, and retained in this condition 

 throughout a long and inviting honey yield ? If, 



through the inventive genius of man, we are ena- 

 bled by means successfully introduced, to rouse 

 the slumbering activity of. our bees, and there- 

 by secure a continuous product of eighty pounds, 

 or more, every two weeks, it will not require a 

 \erj great amount of figuring to show how he 

 can increase the average yield of eveiy good col- 

 ony to 500 pounds of honey. 



In conclusion, I would suggest for the benefit 

 of those bee-keepers who have hitherto fancied 

 themselves the big lights in the business, and 

 those whom Mr. Quinby refers to in one of his 

 communications to the Bee Journal, "as quite 

 likely to imagine they had reached perfection, 

 and with them would be the end of all pro- 

 gress," to withdraw from the field as instructors 

 for a while, and quietly consent to be beat ; for 

 gentlemen, you aie beat — myself included — and 

 badly beaten too ! Even the far-famed Mr. Gal- 

 lup, who, in my opinion, has reached a point in 

 successful bee culture far in advance of many of 

 his contemporaries, is also beaten ; for all who 

 had the good fortune to read Mr. Gallup's arti- 

 cles in the Bee Journal, will recollect that he 

 never claimed the ability to increase a good colony 

 to over twelve or thirteen in one season ! There- 

 fore, gentlemen, let us quietly submit to be beaten, 

 and not like some others get mad about it, and 

 make ourselves extremely ridiculous by record- 

 ing ourselves as antagonistic to "the progressive 

 spirit of the age !" 



John L. McLean. 



BicJimond, Jeff. Co., Ohio. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Bee -cellars should be Ventilated. 



I see, on looking over the Journal, that a 

 large proportion of bee-keepers are undecided 

 about the cellar as a repository for wintering 

 bees. One has tried the cellar, and found it a 

 good place ; another has tried it, and found it a 

 bad place, etc. 



In the first place, a cellar, if slightly damp, 

 should have abundant ventilation ; for I take it 

 for granted that bees mu^t have fresh air in order 

 to be healthy, as well as human beings or every 

 animal tliat breathes. In fact, every repository 

 where a number of stocks are to be kept, whether 

 under ground or above, should have ample pro- 

 vision for ventilation. And, in cold weather, 

 fresh air should be rarified or warmed somewhat, 

 by passing through an outer chamber ; or, where 

 nothing better is practicable, by having it pass 

 in through a trench or pipe under ground. In 

 warm or mild weather, doors or windows can 

 be opened at night and closed in the morning. 

 Also, ventilate each swarm according to the 

 number of bees it contains, and give upward 

 ventilation. Different forms of hives require or 

 will admit of different modes of ventilation. Do 

 not be alarmed about the water-dearth, for if 

 your room or cellar is ventilated right, they 

 ought not to commence breeding until about the 

 time to set them out in the spring. If the cellar 

 or repository is too warm, they will commence 

 breeding earlier, and will then want water ; but 

 I consider it poor policy to start them to breed- 



