THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



147 



5t read in praise of a beo-hlve that it was 

 inteiulod to c-oudeuiii, I am of the opinion 

 that ho ratlior overdoes the tliinu, and 

 uses iiis correspondents not exactly as 

 the}' should l)e treated. 



The Season.— Up to May 27, bees had 

 a very hard tiiiK-, and it was only by tlie 

 most careful and persistent nursiny that 

 the coh)nies in the Bay State Apiary were 

 preserved. Since the above date, we have 

 liad fine vveatiier most of the time. Now, 

 the hives and many sections are lilled with 

 honey. Swarminir commenced June 4, 

 and the outlook is most promisiu'*-. Not 

 only have the bees done extra well as 

 regards gatherinii- honey ; so, also, have 

 the colonies in the matter of queen-rear- 

 ing. At this date, June 11, the outlook 

 for "good luck" in rearing queens never 

 was better in the Bay State Apiary. Gen- 

 erally bees are very loath to construct 

 queen-cells early in the season, but this 

 year seems to be an exception to that 

 rule, as success in that line at this time is 

 all I could wish. 



Before any queens were ready to be sent 

 out, no less than two Imndred orders had 

 been booked for them ; and, at the rate or- 

 ders come in, the year 1S88 will prove to 

 be one of the best for queen breeders. 



Our strain of Italians, that have win- 

 tered so well for two hard winters, are in 

 great demand. Orders for about loOO 

 queens can be fdled befoi'e October 1. 



The month of April was a most disas- 

 trous one for bees in New England. Tiiere 

 were but three days during the entire 

 month when it was warm enough for 

 them to gather pollen. In trying to do so 

 the colonies were reduced in numbers 

 about one-half. 



The bees would start off to the fields 

 and t)efore they could return many became 

 chilled and fell to the earth. Hundreds 

 of bees, loaded with pollen could be seen 

 on the ground. Thousands of colonies 

 were reduced beyond recovery. 



Hiving Swarms.— In hiving swarms, 

 where the queen-trap is not used, it is best 

 not to trouble the bees until all have set- 

 tled. Then wet them with the force pump, 

 and in the course of ten minutes shake 

 the bees fi'oni the bough into a basket, 

 and dump them in front of the hive the 

 swarm is to occupy. Protect the hive 

 from the hot sun or the bees may take a 



notion to desert it. Remember that the 

 second swarm usually issues in eight days 

 after the first. If after-swarms are not 

 desired, the queen cells may be removed, 

 and a fertile (pieen given the old colony in 

 three days after the tlrst swarm issues. 

 When introducing the queens, do so just 

 at night and smoke the bees well, and 

 above all introduce the queen at tiie same 

 time the cells are removed. If done later 

 there is more danger of losing tlie queen. 

 Kead on another page of this issue wiiat 

 Mr. Demaree says of "direct introduc- 

 tion" of queens. I agree with Mr. Dema- 

 ree exactly. A few queens might be safely 

 introiluced by letting them run in at the 

 time a queen is removed. It should not be 

 forgotten that a virgin queen can be re- 

 moved and a fertile one introduced safely 

 at the same time. Some smoke should be 

 used, say about the same amount that is 

 required to open a full colony of bees. 



Patented Bee-fixtures.— Mr. A. I. 



Root owes his success in beekeeping to a 

 patent hive, and so do most other success- 

 ful beekeepers. Yet, Mr Root never 

 forgets to give patents a rub, whether the 

 occasion seems to demand it or not; or, 

 in other words, Mr. Root will go out of 

 his way for the sake of saying something 

 against patented articles. Why this incon- 

 sistency is more than I can understand. 

 Mr. Root has always used the Langstroth 

 hive, and every beekeeper knows tiiere was 

 a patent on that hive for twenty-one years. 

 It strikes me that I would not condemn 

 a bridge that had cariied me safely over. 

 "Never purcha>;e any patentable article," 

 is Mr. Root's atlviee to his readers. If Mr. 

 Root does not desire to purchase or use a 

 patent article, let it alone, and let other 

 people alone so far as such matters are con- 

 cerned. Either stop using patented goods 

 and those that have been patented, or else 

 stop continual harping about such things. 

 Throw away movable-frames, and go 

 back to the old box-hive system of man- 

 aging bees; or, if possible, be more 

 consistent in dealing out advice to your 

 friends. Mr. Root, of course, will not no- 

 tice this. 'Tis so cunning, you know, to 

 "pass it by silently." It is the only way 

 some people have of getting around cer- 

 tun things. 



Do not allow the drones from a mismat- 

 ed queen to fertilize pure Italian queens, 

 as not one of the young queens so mated 

 will produce pure progeny. 



I 



