THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



143 



latter in boxes the next time he buys. 

 But who shall estimate the loss when 

 beekeepers themselves shall adulterate 

 what has heretofore beeu thought to 

 be pure beyond the power of the adulte- 

 rant? 



2. Better on top usually, and better 

 in brood combs always. 



3. Yes. 



4. Examine them, to be sure. 



Starkville, N. Y. 



ANSWERS BY J. E. POND, JU. 



1. This question opens up a most 

 important matter, and one that needs 

 mature judgment to answer in detail, 

 my present opinion in regard to the 

 subject, wiiicli however may be some- 

 what modified after deeper reflection, 

 is, that the national and state asso- 

 ciations should be made representative 

 bodies in order to bring about the best 

 results. The beekeepers in adjacent 

 localities siiould form themselves into 

 associations, for the purpose of becom- 

 ing better acquainted, and for the pro- 

 motion of social and fraternal relations. 

 These local associations should select 

 delegates with which to form the state 

 associations, and the national associa- 

 tion should in turn be formed of 

 delegates elected from the state asso- 

 ciations. In this way, unanimity of 

 purpose will be gained, and the great- 

 est good to the greatest number must 

 necessarily result. I have merely out- 

 lined my ideas, without going into de- 

 tails, and wliether they are consideied 

 of any value or not, I trust some means 

 will ere long be devised, by which the 

 business of apiculture will occupy the 

 position it ought, as one of the impor- 

 tant industries of the world. 



2. In my own experience, I have 

 always found a great disinclination 

 with my bees to store honey in sec- 

 tions in the brood chamber, at any 

 season. This I presume is owing to 

 the honey flow itself. I have never 

 yet been fortunate enough to see those 

 times when it fairly rained honey, 

 that have been described by the more 

 fortunate. The honey flow with me is 

 gradual, and covers the whole time 

 with short intermissions from fruit 

 bloom to fall flowers. In working for 

 comb honey, I contract brood chamber 

 to smallest possible dimensions, and 

 force the brood up to the top bar, and 

 find little difliculty in getting honey 

 deposited in sections over the frames. 



3. I usually remove sections as soon 

 as they are filled, and am troubled 

 very little with moth worms. I have 

 about concluded that worms will not 

 trouble comb, in which there is no pol- 

 len. Last season I was not obliged to 

 take any measure to get rid of worms, 

 and I carried over a large number of 

 brood combs and partially filled sec- 

 tions. 



4. For the last eight or nine years 

 I have not been able to care for a large 

 number of colonies, consequently am 

 unable to give an answer based on real 

 practical experience, and as theoretic 

 answers are of little value, I will not 

 take space in theorizing here. 



Foxboro, Mass. 



ANSWERS BY G. W. t»EMAREE. 



1. Will answer this question soon. 



2. The honey bee is preeminently a 

 creature of habit. In the early spring 

 when the first new honey is gathered it 

 is invariably stored near the brood, 

 whenever it is located in the hive. And 

 I have found that this beginning to 

 store the new honey nearlhe bix)od, 

 becomes a habit with the bees, and 

 they persist in cramming every avail- 

 able cell near the brood, rather than to 

 break for new grounds. 



But if the brood department is con- 

 tracted, so as to contain but little else 

 than brood, the bees will readily enter 

 the surplus cases, and once started 

 there, it becomes a custom or habit 

 with them to carry their stores above 

 and they will follow up the habit to the 

 neglect of the necessary stores for 

 winter, in the brood nest, in case the 

 fall flowers are cut ofl' by drought or 

 other causes. My experience is, that 

 the intelligent apinrist may habituate 

 the bees to store the honey just where 

 he wants them to store it. The dif- 

 ference is simply a matter of habit or 

 custom with the bees. They work just 

 as well in one place as another when the 

 habit is formed, and all this is in the 

 hands of the skilled manipulator. 

 _ 3. Yes. The safest place for sec- 

 tion or comb honey in any shape is in 

 the honey storeroom, and the sooner 

 it is put there the better. 



4. My surplus cases are made open 

 at top and bottom, and contrary to the 

 advice of some, I use a bee quilt be- 

 tween the tops of the cases and the 



