THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



115 



water, it will save thousands of work- 

 ers that would go out unfavorable 

 days in search, of water and never 

 return. You are now not far from 

 the first of May. Push them as fast 

 as possible as you only have about 

 fifty days to white clover bloom. No 

 one need have any fear of getting 

 their colonies too populous at this 

 time, and in this latitude with our 

 short springtime. During the fifty 

 days to come, look to each colony 

 weekly, add combs by spreading 

 brood and placing empty comb in 

 the centre, keeping a record of every 

 colony. Up to this, I have not said 

 anything about hives. Good results 

 may be obtained with nearly all of 

 the movable frame hives. I think 

 when we get to the honey season, 

 a rightly arranged top-storing hive 

 is preferable. But during spring 

 management a hive, in which you 

 can extend the brood nest, is of 

 great advantage. A strong colony 

 will use more than eight frames and 

 be crowded, before the honey harv- 

 est begins. Now, if your hive is 

 such that you can add extra frames, 

 they will be quickly filling them with 

 brood. Some would say draw a 

 frame of brood and give to a weaker 

 colony, and replace with an empty 

 frame. This may be done, but ex- 

 perience has taught that, as a rule, 

 better results can be obtained by let- 

 ting the brood remain in the strong 

 colonies until about the time you 

 wish to put on your surplus storage. 

 Then draw your extra frames, taking 

 your oldest brood and give to your 

 lighter colonies, if any still remain. 

 By this time, they are ready to take 

 care of it, and it comes when it will 

 do them much more good than it 

 would earlier. If you are fortunate 

 enough to have your colonies on full 

 frames, these extra combs with a few 

 bees will make you some fine early 

 nuclei, that will build themselves into 

 good colonies if given a young queen 

 or a queen cell. It is better to have 

 a few young queens to give them, 



as you will want them when the 

 swarming season comes. 



Now we come to the honey sea- 

 son. We are all ready with sections 

 filled with light foundation, not less 

 than ten square feet to the pound, 

 placed on racks with separators 

 clamped between. Go to the yard, 

 and as you pass through, and lift up the 

 quilts and find that they are whiten- 

 ing the tops of the combs, we know 

 that they are storing new honey and 

 should be given the sections at once. 

 I think I am safe when I say there 

 is no way in which the sections can 

 be given, that has the advantage of 

 the rack, or clamping case, worked 

 upon the tiering-up system. When 

 nicely started raise them up and 

 place another set under. Continue 

 this until well in basswood time, then 

 be careful not to get more started 

 than the bees will finish on white 

 honey. 



Some of course are prepared to 

 take issue with me, who are joined to 

 their idol, the old wide frame, which, 

 if for no other reason than the saving 

 of time, should have been laid aside 

 long since, and any hive that will not 

 admit of taking the top off to a level 

 with the tops of the brood combs, be 

 placed with them and be kept as 

 reUcs. 



Now our dish is ready to catch the 

 shower of honey. But just here 

 comes the cry the bees are swarming 

 just as they had one set of sections 

 about ready to raise. What shall we 

 do? I would say, with all strong 

 swarms that issue up to within one 

 week of the opening of basswood 

 bloom, remove the old hive to a new 

 stand. Place the new hive upon the 

 old stand, filled with one empty comb, 

 and seven frames of wired founda- 

 tion, with the set of partly filled sec- 

 tions from the old hive placed in 

 position on the new one. Now hive 

 your swarm, and they are ready for 

 business. You have all the working 

 force of the old hive. You will sel- 

 dom have any trouble with the new 



