52 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



paid him much more than to have 

 done as I did. I did not subscribe for 

 a*bee-joumal, for I thought I could 

 find out how to keep bees alone. After 

 I had lost a great deal of money I 

 commenced studying journals and 

 books, and here theories captivated 

 me to such an extent that I was not 

 much better off. Some bee writers, 

 like patent medicine venders, seem to 

 think the more wonderful and compli- 

 cated they make things appear the 

 sooner they are swallowed by most 

 people. The mysterious is generally 

 thought to be the proper thing, espec- 

 ially by the beginner, hence the "hum- 

 bug " is nourished and becomes a 

 thrifty insect. 



The very best way to learn the trade 

 of bee-keeping is to work one season 

 with a practical bee-keeper. If you 

 can't do that, then buy standard works 

 on bee-keeping, and subscribe for a 

 bee-journal or two, and study them 

 well, but don't try to follow all you 

 read in them. .Let' your eyes and 

 common sense guide you. Visit some 

 practical bee-keeper often, consult 

 him, and don't be afraid to pay him 

 for his time and trouble in setting you 

 to rights. Don't occupy his time in 

 telling him what you know. Tell him 

 what you don't know, but want to find 

 out. 



Ovid, Erie Co., Pa. 



^ llll ^ 



Spring Treatment off Weak 

 Stocks. 



BY ARTHUR C. MILLER. 



"What shall be done with weak 

 stocks in the spring ? " is a question 

 that annually puzzles the bee-keepgr. 

 On a proper solution of this question 

 largely depends the success of the 

 honey harvest, and to help others to 



such a solution is the object of this 

 article. 



I have found the method described 

 herein to be a simple and profitable 

 way to use weak stocks. 



As early in the spring as it is safe, — 

 generally about April 1st here, — I ex- 

 amine all ray stock. The very weak, 

 (say two "L" frames of bees,) I unite 

 with one of the stronger stocks, first 

 destroying the queen of the weak one. 



From the next stronger of the weak 

 class, (from 3 to 5 " L " frames of 

 bees), I take all but two combs of bees 

 and brood and distribute them among 

 the strong stocks. The two frames of 

 brood and bees with the queen I leave 

 on the old stand and as they increase 

 in strength I exchange an empty 

 comb for one of brood, giving the lat- 

 ter to the strong. 



And so on through the whole apiary 

 continually making the weak weaker, 

 and the strong stronger. 



By thus doing I get a lot of very 

 strong stocks and a few nuclei, instead 

 of an apiary of all sizes of .-warms 

 from strong down. 



This result is obtained by a small 

 amount of manipulation and by prop- 

 erly timeing my efforts I can get the 

 stocks to their maximum strength just 

 at the opening of the heavy flow. 



The value of any plan that will ac- 

 complish this is apparent. The many 

 uses to which the nuclei, obtained by 

 this system, may be put, make them 

 far from a losing investment. 



In closing I Avish to call attention to 

 the fact that the foregoing system is 

 quite different from that of uniting 

 several weak stocks to make one strong 

 one. The latter is often a failure, the 

 former is not. 



Providence, R. I. 



