68 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



April 



met us with these words: "Say, boys, 

 you have spoiled one of my best swarms. 

 I haven't seen one single bee fly from 

 that hive in two or three days." We 

 replied, "Just exactly what we expected 

 and intended. But how is that weak 

 one?" "Oh," said he, "they are all 

 right; they are bringing pollen right 

 along." 



Now, our friend was not a professional 

 bee-keeper, but his observations im- 

 pressed him with the idea that we had 

 spoiled one of his best colonies. Was he 

 very far out of the way ? If we have a 

 special object in saving a colony or 

 queen, the plan of exchanging may be 

 all right ; but is it a profitable operation, 

 if surplus honey is our aim, to weaken a 

 strong colony for the sake of saving a 

 weak one, just at a time when the queen 

 should be induced to do her very best in 

 starting the working forces for our 

 clover or basswood honey-flow ? 



Drawing the flying bees from a colony 

 not only robs it of so many bees but it 

 also deprives ii of all farther supplies of 

 new pollen and honey. The result is 

 that the queen discontinues her labors 

 jn depositing eggs until new workers 

 begin to take to the field again. Conse- 

 quently there will be a corresponding 

 shortage of workers at some future 

 time — perliap.* during a honey-flow — 

 when they are needed to take the places 

 of the constantly decreasing numbers of 

 field-workers. It is not according to 

 the "strong colony" theory. All bee- 

 keepers agree that one strong colony is 

 better than a half-dozen weak ones and 

 not only that, but some bee-keepers even 

 advise to make the strong stronger by 

 drawing from the weaker ones. 



But there is another point to this 

 question. Years ago, iu trying to make 

 the whole apiary come up to a more 

 even standard in regard to yield of sur- 

 plus, I imagined that it would be a great 

 scheme to equalize the colonies before 

 the honey-harvest by this exchanging 

 process. I found that the plan does not 

 always work as we expect or wish, as it 



did in Mr. Hirschiser's case. In making 

 the exchange we have to be somewhat 

 cautious or we may lose all the flying 

 bees of the strong colony, or the queen 

 we wish to save, or maybe both. I have 

 been compelled to change back because 

 the weak colony would not accept the 

 now comers, but would kill them as fast 

 as they entered the hive. It depends 

 very much on the disposition of the dif- 

 ferent colonies: if they are both of 

 peaceablf>, good-natured parentage, all 

 will be well, but if they are the opposite, 

 of a cross, fighting disposition, especially 

 the weak one, we may as well leave them 

 to their own fate, for they will fight to 

 the bitter end. 



LaSalle. N.Y., Dec. 30, 1900. 



QUESTION BOX 

 At the New York State Association of 

 Bee-keepers' Societies' Convention, at 

 Geneva, N.Y., January 9, 1901. 



Q. As the honey-crop the past season 

 was a short one, why is not extracted 

 buckwheat honey worth as much as a 

 year ago ? 



A. Cuban honey floods this State and 

 Cincinnati, the duty on which is twenty 

 cents per gallon ; adulteration in New 

 York City and Albany, affected those 

 markets both this year and last. 



Q. I would like a vote of this Conven- 

 tion on what size section it is best to 

 begin with— 4x.5xl3^ or 4^^x41^x1% ? 



A. About two-thirds were in favor of 

 the 4x.5xl>^. 



Q. What is the life of the drone ? 



A. About the same as that of workers. 



Q. Do queens lay eggs in queen-cells? 



A. Probably not. 



Q. Has there ever been a bee-census? 

 If so, where can it be found ? 



A. Yes, a very poor one, and can be 

 obtained from the United States Census 

 Bureau. 



Q. What is the measurem(>nt of the 

 longest tongue of a bee yet obtained ? 



A. :33-100 of an inch. 



