THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



swarming, this opening of the surplus 

 chamber, and the honey in the new 

 comb fresh from bee-fingers, prevents 

 it. There is something to do beside 

 swarming. The bees appear to loose 

 their heads for a time, but soon fall 

 to work with great vigor. 



And the effect on the auxiliary 

 colony, given sheets of wax and a 

 few full combs in which to store in- 

 coming honey, is similar. They appear 

 to work with renewed energy. Indeed, 

 in some cases continued robbing ap- 

 pears to stimulate. 



Some keepers claim that this — the 

 auxiliary hive method — is contrary to 

 nature, that every colony should build 

 its own comb, that wax is a natural 

 product, and that it is lost if not used 

 in comb building. The science of 

 bee-keeping as practiced now is con- 

 trary to nature in many features. 

 Processes generally are artificial. As 

 to lost wax, there is some doubt. 

 Perhaps by losing wax, if it be lost, 

 there is a gain in honey. If the 

 apiary produce only extracted honey, 

 and the same store combs be used 

 year after year, as they may be, then 

 it is better to lose wax than to pay 

 the bees twenty pounds of honey for 

 one of wax. 



It is claimed, also, that the bees 

 work better, in better spirits and 

 more advantageously if they be 

 allowed to build their own comb. 

 Experience disproves this conclusive- 

 ly. Season after season, colonies have 

 made no comb except to brace and 

 to repair, and the product was greater 

 than that of colonies that built comb. 



The progressive keeper does not 

 consider preparations for spring com- 

 plete unless he has on hand empty 



combs enough, made the previous 

 season, to hold all the comb, or 

 extracted honey, likely to be gathered 

 during the early [tart of the season, 

 or till the auxiliary, at work, can 

 supply the demand. 

 Providence, R. I. 



Unprotected Hives. 



BY R. F. HOLTERMAN. 



A trip through thirty miles of 

 country in December would bring 

 anyone to realize that bee-keeping is 

 not the business it ought to be ; by 

 that is meant, it has not reached that 

 state of perfection which it might if 

 the knowledge at our disposal were 

 utilized. Driving through the country 

 with excellent sleighing and a fair 

 winter temperature it does seem out of 

 place that bee hives and bees should 

 stand exposed to all the changes of 

 temperature, and just as they did in 

 mid-summer. It is even not an un- 

 usual occurence that the upper stories 

 are still on them. Would a man leave 

 his cattle or horses so exposed ? If he 

 did, every good farmer would at once 

 condem him. Why then should it be 

 almost the exception that the bee- 

 keeper protects his hives? Every one 

 knows that when men or cattle are 

 exposed to cold they will require more 

 food to keep them in condition, and if 

 the cold is extreme they will wear out 

 quicker. With bees we have every 

 reason to believe that the same holds 

 good. If exposed to cold they require 

 more honey to keep them warm, and 

 in keeping themselves warm with an 

 effort, they exhaust and wear them- 

 selves out. 



It is not difficult to see why more 

 than the usual number of bees are 



