1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



ir 



Successful Beekeeping. 



BY .INO. F. GATES. 



This article will be devoted as nearly 

 as possible to the method of handling 

 or working bees in box hives through 

 the four seasons of the year. But 

 first I will say that I would not advise 

 any one to abandon any plan of their 

 own which has proven to be success- 

 ful, but they could try my plan in ad- 

 dition to their own and see which is 

 best. I am talking more especially 

 to those who are in hard luck aud 

 have failed in all their plans. 



Now we will commence in the 

 spring, and supposing yo i have a few 

 colonies left aud believe my plan to 

 be best, and you wish to adopt it. 

 Perhaps your idea at first will be to 

 rush your bees all into box hives, but 

 •don't do it that way. You must go 

 slower. There is very much in this 

 world that is done entirely too quick- 

 ly and hastily. Don't always do a 

 thing the first time you think of it, 

 but think of it a number of times be- 

 fore you do it, and if it suits you then 

 do a little of it. 



You could make a few box hives 12 

 or 13 inches square by 24 inches high, 

 or any size within an inch or two of 

 those figures just as your lumber hap- 

 pens to come, for there is nothing 

 particular about a few inches in the 

 5ize of hives for breeding as no cases 

 are used on them. Nail the top on, 

 and bore a couple of half inch holes 

 in the top, which if dug open every 

 fall will give ventilation enough per- 

 haps. Put in old fashioned cross 

 sticks about one inch square mid-way 

 in the hive, and nail them in. Leave 

 the front board g of an inch shorter 

 than the sides and back for an en- 

 trance clear across the hive. Lay 



some blocks over the holes in the top 

 of the hive, and make a loose box 

 about 6 or 8 inches high that will 

 cover the top of the hive, and place it 

 on it and your hive is done. 



You see there is no frame, no comb 

 guides, nothing in the hive but two 

 cross sticks, aud right there is where 

 success is commenced, for the bees are 

 not compelled to follow out any unnat- 

 ural method as they are obliged to do 

 when on frames and starters ; but they 

 are at liberty to build their combs in 

 their own natural way, and will richly 

 repay you for giving them the privi- 

 lege. Now 1 would put the first 

 swarms in these box hives, and as 

 each one is hived move the old colony 

 to a new stand as far away from where 

 it stood as convenient, and place the 

 box hive where the old one stood. 



Now, here is where you will begin 

 to squeal, as some perhaps will, for 

 they at once see that this plan has put 

 an end to surplus honey for that sea- 

 son. Well, most certainly it has; but 

 can't you see that a little present gain 

 given over to its just owners will bring 

 large profits in the future? "As ye 

 sow, so shall ye reap." "Cast thy 

 bread upon the waters, and after many 

 days it shall return." "Such meas- 

 ure as ye give to others shall be meas- 

 ured to you again." 



My plan is a little slow, but sure. 

 If you growl about one year given to 

 set you right so you can go ahead and 

 keep ahead, why don't you growl about 

 the many years that you have lost 

 without any profit or practical results 

 for good at all ? Why don't you growl 

 because you can't pick ten bushels of 

 apples off of each of your trees which 

 are a year old? Oh, yes ! I see ; if 

 you could you would and you would 



