44 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



the space with new combs. This, in 

 our opinion, will not prevent swarm- 

 ing ; but the fact that a hive is often 

 opened to cut the combs away will 

 have a tendency, in a measure, to 

 break up the swarming fever. 



The idea that the bees will cut a 

 passage way along the bottom-bar 

 when combs are reversed is most 

 absurd. We practised reversing con- 

 siderably last season, and nothing of 

 the kind was seen in any of the hives 

 reversed. Why do not bees, whose 

 combs have been transferred to 

 frames filled solid with combs, cut 

 such passage-ways? Has anyone 

 ever seen anything of the kind? 

 When we transfer combs from one 

 frame to another or from a box-hive to 

 frames, the combs are placed in the 

 new frames without regard to their 

 former position in the old hive, or 

 frames. We beg leave to differ with 

 Mr. Simmins on this as well as on 

 many other points. 



On the matter of feeding dry su- 

 gar, Mr, Simmins' experience differs 

 widely from nearly all who have 

 tested the matter in America. It has 

 been found that a large percentage 

 of sugar fed dry will be removed by 

 the bees. 



One more point we wish to touch 

 upon. Speaking of the queen, Mr. 

 Simmins says : "She actually lays 

 eggs of three kinds, because each is 

 deposited in a cell which is of differ- 

 ent construction to the other and 

 each is destined to become a distinct 

 being." 



Very few persons will agree with 

 Mr. Simmins in this statement. It 

 certainly does not harmonize with our 

 experience. The fact that any 

 worker egg will pi'oduce a queen when 

 the larva is properly nursed, and also 

 the fact that queen cells are built di- 

 rectly upon the side of a comb, 

 rather upsets the distinguished writ- 

 er's theory. During swarming time 

 the combs are loaded with brood, 

 pollen and honey, and the queen is 

 hard pushed for room in which to 



deposit eggs. At such a time, eggs 

 may be found in any part of the comb, 

 where the cells are one-eighth of an 

 inch deep. At this time, when bees 

 have a notion of swarming they will 

 start the small queen cells, or cups, 

 on the edges of the combs. The 

 queen comes along and will drop an 

 egg in them, and a cell queen is soon 

 constructed ; if the colony does not 

 swarm the egg is removed. We may 

 be in error about it, but the above 

 is in accordance with our experience. 

 We have no doubt that the treatise 

 by Mr. Simmins is a valuable one and 

 should be in the hands of every bee- 

 keeper. 



It is good policy to use every ex- 

 pedient to educate the people to 

 know that honey is the most health- 

 ful sweet known, and especially for 

 children it is infinitely preferable to 

 candies and is generally preferred by 

 them. Beekeepers everywhere should 

 hand to the editors of local papers 

 short articles on the use and value 

 of honey as a food and as a medi- 

 cine. They will be glad to publish 

 them. The article just published in 

 these columns entitled " Honey as 

 Food and Medicine," should be 

 widely circulated. 



Do not set bees out of their win- 

 ter quarters for a flight, if an occasion 

 offers, as long as they are doing well 

 until there is something to gather. 

 But if they are found to suffer from 

 accumulations of fasces they had bet- 

 ter be given a flight. One or two 

 colonies may be taken out as a test 

 whenever the weather is suitable. 



About the first of February- 

 bees begin to breed when the tem- 

 perature should be raised by artific- 

 ial means, if necessary, to a point 

 just below 50° to insure the best re- 

 sults. The temperature should range 

 between 45° and 50°. If they be- 

 come very uneasy or noisy, giving 

 water on a sponge at the entrance 



