THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



151 



slightly downwards. In some cases 

 sealed cells were torn down and 

 otiiers pointing in the opposite 

 direction were started instead. 

 While I was engaged in making 

 these examinations a swarm issued 

 from a hive which had been invert- 

 ed a second time only the day be- 

 fore. On opening the hive I fonnd 

 that the bees swarmed leaving only 

 queen cells containing eggs. I 

 said to m3^self " that settles the 

 question. Inverting brood nests 

 won't prevent swarming in my own 

 bee-yard and I don't believe it ever 

 did prevent it to any considerable 

 extent in the yard of any one else." 



A few years ago I lost Si 00 

 worth of bees by following Prof. 

 Cook's theory that while in winter 

 quarters bees require little or no 

 air. In 1885 I lost, I do not know 

 how much, by hiving swarms run for 

 comb honey on em|)ty frames hav- 

 ing starters only, as recommended 

 by Mr. Hutchinson. The results 

 were that I had brood and pollen 

 in my sections and one-third drone 

 comb in my brood-nests, which con- 

 sisted of only four frames of 160 

 square inches each, besides being 

 annoyed by the swarms repeatedly 

 swarming out. Last season, I in- 

 verted the brood-nests to prevent 

 swarming and not only failed, but 

 the comb in my beautiful sections, 

 intended for exhibition in England, 

 was darkened by being placed so 

 near the blackened combs, after the 

 brood-nests were inverted. I have 

 resolved, for the hundredth time 

 that in the future I shall stick to 

 the methods which have been 

 proved reliable and allow others to 

 follow the new-fangled " innova- 

 tions." 



Lindsay, April 25, 1887. 



[While Mr. Corneil has selected Prof. Cook 

 as a target to shoot at. I I'eel like taking a 

 large shaie of the above remarks myself, as 

 J'rof. Cook's experience and my own regard- 

 ing inverting the hrood-nest has been the 

 same, and I have said as much as any one in 

 favor of inverting the combs as a prevent- 

 ive of swarming. 



Instead of inverting the combs once a week 



12 



to prevent swarming, the operation should be 

 performed as often as once in each four days. 

 However, I have but little to say in favor of 

 such apian; as, like all other methods for pre- 

 venting swarming, inverting the brood-nest is 

 not tlioroughly pi'actical, as only the e.xperi- 

 enced beekeeiier would i;are to practise it, un- 

 le-<s the meiliod given by me last year in 

 "Gleanings" and the "Api" is used.] 



For the American AiJlruUurist. 



A FEW COMMENTS. 

 Z. T. Hawk. 



BROWN BEES. 



In the March number of the 

 Am. Apicultdkist, in reply to 

 query No. 11, Mr. C. W. Dayton 

 speaks of "brown bees in this 

 country that are not Germans ; 

 perhaps they came here when the 

 Indians came. They are natives 

 of this country as the Italians are 

 natives of Italy," etc. Is Mr. 

 Dayton correct in this statement? 

 Years ago I read somewhere that 

 in the westward march of set- 

 tlement the honey bee preceded 

 the white man as the advance 

 guard of the civilization that fol- 

 lowed close behind ; that, like the 

 white man, it was new to them 

 and on account of its steady march 

 toward the interior, heralding with 

 absolute certainty the near ap- 

 proach of white settlements, it was 

 known among the Indians as the 

 ''white man's tly." I have long- 

 been under the impression that 

 none of the domestic races of the 

 honey bee were indigenous to this 

 continent. Perhaps the editor of 

 the AprcuLTUKisT, who resides so 

 near the locality from which the 

 strongest current of civilization 

 has flown, can give us something 

 delinite. 



REVERSING FRAMES. 



I have read with interest Mr. 

 Siminins' account of results from 

 inverting combs. I do not call to 

 mind that an}' American writer 

 has complained of the bees cutting 



