100 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



is more particularly described in 

 " Gravenhorst's Praktiscber Im- 

 ker." 



In the preceding remarks I called 

 the attention to the point, that 

 such swarms should be furnished 

 with neither empty combs nor foun- 

 dation. It would not be economical 

 to do so, and it is a mistake to 

 believe that we assist a swarm 

 t)y giving it a completely finished 

 hive. The swarms ought to be 

 formed by no means later than two 

 weeks before the main season of 

 gathering honey by the bees be- 

 gins. If, however, this season has 

 already commenced, we may make 

 an exception from the above rule 

 and give the swarm empty combs 

 which are about half-finished. Af- 

 terwards, when the swarms have 

 completed the few combs given to 

 them and they begin to build cells 

 for drones, we must give them 

 foundation. Now we may give 

 the swarms empty brood-frames, 

 which perhaps ought to be removed 

 from other hives, to considerable 

 advantage, in order to enlarge 

 their brood-nest, whereby they are 

 not only reinforced but likewise 

 prevented from swarming again. 



I must mention here that we 

 have gone too far in preventing 

 bees from comb-building. In 



every season. 



in which the bees 



are able to build at all, it will 

 stimulate their industrious energy 

 very much, when they are allowed 

 to satisfy this impulse in the brood- 

 chamber. Whenever it be advised 

 not to permit them to build in 

 order to prevent the building of 

 cells for the drones, let the bees 



finish at least the foundation ; this 

 applies especially to spring-time, 

 and nobody will repent of having 

 paid attention to these indeed very 

 condensed hints. 



Selma, Texas, Feb. 28, 1884. 



OUR 



APICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



FOR WHAT PURPOSE 



ARE THEY ORGANIZED? 



By G. W. Dp:maree. 



Aside from the social features of 

 our apicultural societies, they are 

 of no value if they fail to advance 

 the science of apiculture ; to popu- 

 larize the pursuits of beekeeping, 

 raising it on a level with other pop- 

 ular industries ; to educate the 

 public as consumers of the products 

 of the apiary ; to " create " and 

 control the honey market, and by 

 concert of action to prevent tlie 

 frauds and impositions of those 

 persons whose nefarious business it 

 is, to prey upon the industry of 

 others, — if our bee conventions 

 could accomplish all this, what a 

 power for good they would be ! In 

 my opinion many persons have 

 erred when finding fault with the 

 utter failures of our great national 

 convention. In its present make 

 up, it is simply an irresponsible 

 body, and when it convenes it has 

 no purpose in view, and hence may 

 do one thing as well as another. 



