2G8 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



Doctor is an experienced apiarist, 

 before abandoning the Gallup he 

 must liave discovered some flaw in it 

 which I fail to discover. I would 

 therefore beg ask him to give us 

 through the columns of the "Apicul- 

 turist" his reasons for making tlie 

 change and state also if he finds any 

 special advantages in his new size 

 that would warrant its adoption as 

 the "coming frame." 



Apis Canadensis. 



jottings from entf.rprisk apiary. 



Messrs. Editors : 



Among my bee papers and 

 books, I find but little said about the 

 use of "(^ueen cells," as an aid in 

 controlling a colony of bees. Not 

 doubting that the older, or if you 

 please, the "XYZ" class know all 

 about it, I give my experience for 

 the benefit of the " A B C " class. 

 Some years ago, when I commenced 

 keeping bees, I stayed home from 

 church for five or six Sundays each 

 season to watch my bees, but not 

 feeling it to be right to do this, I 

 tried all non- swarming plans I could 

 hear of, artificial swarming, etc., etc., 

 but none seemed to give as good 

 results as natural swarming. How 

 was I going to have natural swarm- 

 ing, and yet not have it occur on 

 Sunday ? Five years ( or nearly ) ago, 

 I found an answer to the question 

 in the proper use of queen cells. 

 During the swarming season, I start 

 cells from my breeding ([ueens twice 

 each week, always dating them. 

 These cells are designed for my nu- 

 clei, but may be used to control 

 swarming as might any other cell 

 after it was capped, but I prefer to 

 know when it will hatch and from 

 what stock it was reared. 



In looking my bees over on Mon- 

 day, every stock that I think will 

 be apt to get in condition to swarm 

 on Sunday following, I mark the hive 

 on closing it, by laying a stone on 



it. On Thursday, I insert a capped 

 cell into each one of these stocks, 

 just letting it rest lightly between 

 the top bars of a couple of frames. 

 There is no necessity for taking out 

 any frames or anything of the kind, 

 just get the cell in the hive, right end 

 up without bruising, and the next 

 day, if fine, look out for a swarm ; if 

 cloudy or cold, the swarm will not 

 come out until Saturday or the sec- 

 ond day. 



This cell answers another purpose 

 also. 



Hatching, as it should, not more 

 than two or three days after swarm- 

 ing, before there is sufficient young 

 bees hatched to cast a second swarm, 

 the remainder of the cells will be 

 destroyed ; you have a fine, young, 

 Italian queen from your best stock, 

 and in my experience all after-swarm- 

 ing effectually stopped, not having 

 had one in the last four years. Of 

 course, to do this and succeed every 

 time, one must have a fiiir knowledge 

 of the habits of bees. 



Bees have increased wonderfully 

 this season. Last spring, I set aside 

 five colonies for increase, and by the 

 use of empty combs, I have reached 

 twenty-five now all ready for winter, 

 except two. I have fed them noth- 

 ing, and let them rear their own 

 (jueens. 



No dark honey as yet has been 

 secured. The yield of white honey 

 with specialists, is about loo lbs. per 

 colony, spring count. 



P. S. Impress on your readers that 

 " late and heavy working" of bees is 

 the prime cause of loss in wintering. 



C. M. GoODSPEED. 



Thorn Hill, N. Y. 



news from california. 

 Eds. Apiculturist : 



The spirit moves me to write 

 you a letter, not that I exi)ect you 

 to print it, for I never could properly 

 prepare an article for publicadon, 



