THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST. 



35 



Natural swarming varies as in most 

 locations according to the condition 

 of 3'our stocks and the amount of 

 spring honey flow, cold and wet 

 weather, etc. ; sa_y alternate years, 

 this being the off year, next will 

 probably be one for swarms during 

 March and April. The first honey 

 flow ceases about April 1, for a- 

 bout, say to May 1 to 10, continu- 

 ing about two or three weeks to 

 June 1, ceasing again to June 15 

 to 20 and continuing until about 

 July 25 to August 10 ceasing again 

 until Oct., then a light flow until 

 Dec. 1. Artificial increase may be 

 safely practised during the second 

 and third honey flow in any j^ear ; 

 hazarded in the first, and extra 

 hazardous in the fourth. Few large 

 apiaries are without drones any 

 month in the year except Dec. and 

 January. The large red ant is the 

 "unknown quantity" during the 

 times noted : I have succeeded then 

 onl}^ by eternal vigilance, and 

 having my hives placed on benches 

 standing in water with a film of 

 kerosene on its surface ; then again, 

 for mating early queens, the mos- 

 quito hawk often gets five out 

 of six, which occurs during last of 

 March and through April ; last of 

 Feb. and first of March being bet- 

 ter than the former for queen-rear- 

 ing. No surplus to any amount is 

 taken only from the second and 

 third flow, although in some seasons 

 and localities it might be taken 

 from the first and the last flow, but 

 you cannot depend upon it. Rob- 

 bing is also another factor to be 

 taken into account as there is hard- 

 ly a day in the year that bees can- 

 not fly, and woe be to the orphans 

 where mother is gone ! for then they 

 will fight neither robbers nor moths 

 which are always with us, but to 

 him or her that will do as I have, 

 success will come at last and it will 

 consist in close attention to all the 

 little details; and their sum, when 

 from one hundred or more stocks, 



is then considerable. This waj'', my 

 friend ! We'll get up and wash our- 

 selves before the sun, the dew drip- 

 ping from the live oaks covering 

 the apiary. The red and mocking 

 birds are singing. We will walk 

 out. I will take this stick with a bit 

 of wire cloth on the end. What for? 

 To rake down all cobwebs built over 

 night, and this brush with which, 

 after first examining any rubbish 

 on the alighting board, we will brush 

 aw\ay all dirt, or the small oak 

 leaves that may have fallen on the 

 hives, for all must be clean. Look 

 sharp after wings ! Wings? Yes, my 

 dear sir, bees' wings. They show 

 that the ants gave them a tilt last 

 night and will be back tonight in 

 full force and finish up the job, when 

 you must be on hand with your 

 lantern, kerosene and matches, or 

 5'our stock is annihilated before 

 the sun rises ! By the time we have 

 looked at everyone carefully, there's 

 the breakfast call, and often I have 

 waited in the apiar}^ for all to etit 

 before I could leave until one of 

 the boys or my wife could take my 

 place. Then just before retiring 

 walk around through them without 

 a light, and listen for the cry of 

 distress, which if present you will 

 surely detect after losing fifteen or 

 twenty colonies ; and so on day by 

 day through the year and with close 

 attention and the downright per- 

 severance and hard work needed 

 to keep 100 or more stocks in the 

 best shape, with a heavy crop of 

 surplus to care for, and low prices 

 to cheer 3"ou, then only can j'ou be- 

 gin to comprehend the life of a 

 successful apiarist. His time for 

 visiting and attending conventions 

 etc., do not begin to equal yours of 

 the north. You can lock yours up 

 in the earth and then crawl in be- 

 tween the buffalo robes and after 

 the cold jingle of bells hie off to 

 the convention and there coolly dis- 

 cuss them, while we in our shirt 

 sleeves are busy with smoker and 



