THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



115 



iiaturiil or otherwise having a virgin 

 queen, shouhl have their hives ar- 

 ranged in this manner. If tlie hive 

 for any swarm is raised olf tlie bot- 

 tom-board two incliesor more the ma- 

 jority of the combs will be attached 

 to the bottom bars and many will be 

 firmly built to them the entire length ; 

 then wiring will be unnecessary. 



After a swarm has been hived a 

 few days look the comb over to see 

 when they are liable to build drone and 

 comb and jump them to the centre 

 bring one of the completed combs to 

 its place. By following a swarm up 

 closely you can prevent the building 

 of drone-comb entirely. 



If a patch is started cut it out and 

 jump it to the centre. It will always 

 be found at the sides. If they still 

 persist in building drone-comb take 

 the frame away entirely and give a 

 full sheet of foundation. 



Some of our nicest and straightest 

 combs were built from starters by 

 swarms. Full sheets should always 

 be given bees in established colonies. 



An experiment. 



During a heavy flow of honey this 

 spring we took the drone-trap away 

 from one of our strongest colonies to 

 ascertain whether or not it was a hin- 

 drance to the bees. We are pleased 

 to go on record as saying "It is not." 

 The one we matched with puts in a 

 little more honey through the trap 

 than the one without. Bees can slide 

 through perforated metal "as slick as 

 a mitten" after a little practice. We 

 had one colony that spent three days 

 practising on the zinc but now they 

 do not mind it in the least. Bees are 

 creatures of habit like men. 



A blizzard of orders. 



" Oh pity, pity me !" for I am a 

 supply dealer and a queen-breeder and 

 with orders piled so high and still 

 coming. All beekeepers should learn 

 a lesson by this season's experience. 

 I feel like saying, " I told you so, I 

 knew the cow would eat the grind- 



stone" and next season will be still 

 worse, so it will behoove us all to en- 

 large onr facilities for there is a good 

 time coming for the bee business. 

 We never had such a spi'ing for 

 honey. Clover is doing finely on the 

 start. The tide is turning andevei'v- 

 thing is pointing toward a successful 

 .season all around. Now, a word to 

 the beekeepers in a small way : have 

 your orders, whatever they may be, 

 large or small, in the hands of your 

 dealer two months before they are 

 needed. This is a thing that cannot 

 be i)ut off'. 



Of course the burning out of G. B. 

 Lewis & Co.'s factory cuts down the 

 supply of sections just at a time when 

 they vvei'e most needed, and a short- 

 age in one article delays tin order un- 

 less two shipments are made. We 

 feel like saying that we are glad to 

 get onr orders filled by hook or by 

 crook this season. 



Mr. C. W. Costellow has proposed 

 a meeting of the New England sup- 

 ply dealers which we lliink a good 

 plan. If any have suggestions to 

 make, put them down (m a card and 

 direct to Waterborough, Me. 



A fine bee. 



We have seen a sample of the bees 

 Mr. Alley run out last season. Tiiey 

 are finely colored and possess all the 

 desirable points of Carniolans. 



Marlboro^ M((ss. 



€luen) Pepavtnunt. 



Diseased Bees. 

 Mk. Allky : 



A few colonies in my tipiary arc dis- 

 eased. Bees turu black and die. Do you 

 know uiiylhing about this disease? 



Wm. Stevenson. 



Yes, we know something about it. 

 Should say it is what is called the 

 nameless disease. The remed}' is 

 simple, cheai) and easily a[)plied. 

 Make a strong brine, about an ounce 



