1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



be DO loss of brood. The comb, with 

 whatever honey it contains, as remov- 

 ed from above may be fastened into 

 Simplicity racks that may ultimately 

 replace any remaining empty in the 

 lower story when the upper one has 

 been removed. And throughout the 

 entire process there need be do vio- 

 lent disturbance of the bees or their 

 arrangements. I believe one of the 

 great secrets in bee management con- 

 sists in performing all work with the 

 least possible disturbance to the bees, 

 and I don't believe the above method 

 of transferring will disturb them to 

 any great extent. After the box hive 

 is empty of bees, or so nearly so that 

 they may easily be driven down, I will 

 remove it, and, taking off the rim on 

 which it set, replace with a Simplicity 

 story. In this I will feed them liber- 

 ally for a while and endeavor to have 

 them fairly well stocked up by the 

 time the real honey flow begins. 



Is there anything radically wrong 

 in my plans and theory ? 



Is there not reason enough for ex- 

 pecting it to succeed to warrant its 

 trial ? 



Will it do any harm to try, beyond 

 the loss of time and labor ? 



If it succeeds is it not an improve- 

 ment over the old method ? 



Such are the questions one should 

 ask himself and study upon before 

 trying an experiment and there is no 

 time for deliberative study like the 

 winter season. Talk it over with 

 neighboring bee men. Submit it to 

 your favorite journal for discussion 

 among more distant apiarists, not for- 

 getting to put a little study on the 

 plans that others submit, too. (Please 

 remember mine, just outlined, in your 

 comments), and if this, with the work 



outlined by brother Doolittle, does 

 not keep you occupied during the 

 " idle months " it will at least lighten 

 your labors and make them more ef- 

 fective during the " busy season," 



^» ■■■ ^ 



A Bit off Experience. 



BY MRS. L. HARRISON. 



By reason of so many poor seasons 

 following each other in succession, 

 many bee-keepers are neglecting their 

 apiaries. Is this wisdom, after much 

 time and labor has been expended in 

 acquiring the knowledge of how to 

 manage these industrious little in- 

 sects? It is questionable whether 

 manufacturers who shut down rather 

 than run their works at a loss, do not 

 lose more in the end by the deteriora- 

 tion of their machinery, than if they 

 had continued in operation. And 

 when the demand for their goods 

 came, they would be in condition to 

 supply it. 



There are fewer colonies of bees in 

 the country now, than there was pre- 

 vious to the seasons of drouth, and 

 great care should be exercised to pre- 

 serve as many colonies as possible 

 during the winter. Many persons 

 commence bee-keeping with a brass 

 band and a grand flourish of trum- 

 pets, and close with the sheriff. I 

 have such a one in remembrance: he 

 purchased the apiary of a first-class 

 bee-keeper who was about to emigrate 

 to the far West; it was Spring, and 

 the colonies were ready for business. 

 A good season followed, and the ap- 

 iary stored a large amount of honey; 

 the owner boasted that he was going 

 to show us all how to keep bees, and 

 that his bees had already paid all ex- 

 penses, and he now had all his bees 

 and hives beside. Did he invest in 



