10 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[July, 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



A few E&timates. 



Mr. Editor : — I was much interested in the 

 remarks of Mr. A. Grimm in your issue of Feb- 

 ruary last. The difference in the comparative 

 number of swarms from the two apiaries, 105 

 colonies giving but 68 swarms in his southern 

 apiary, and his northern apiary 43 colonies and 

 increased to 86. I think it is generally supposed 

 that bees rarely swarm unless they have plenty 

 of honey in their field. What would be plenty 

 for 43 colonies would be a comparative scarcity 

 for 105, and would account for the smaller num- 

 ber of swarms. 



If we suppose 60 lbs. of honey required for 

 breeding and wintering eacb hive, we must sup- 

 pose the amount gathered by the new swarms 

 for breeding and wintering the 105 colonies in the 

 southern apiary to be 6300 lbs. Their product 

 in surplus honey was 6800 lbs. The amount of 

 honey gathered by the bees from that field be- 

 sides what was consumed by the young swarms, 

 was 13,100 lbs. 



If we suppose the average of these colonies to 

 be as good as the colonies in the northern apiary, 

 then 73 colonies would have gathered 4380 lbs. 

 for consumption, and yield nearly 8800 lbs. in 

 surplus. Does not this resnlt render it evident 

 that 121 colonies were overstocking the field? 



3. The 103 colonies gave but a little over one- 

 half in surplus, the 43 colonies gave two-thirds. 

 I think it probable that 63 c »lonies would hare 

 given more surplus than 73 colonies. 



Is due attention given to this part of our honey 

 business? No doubt that when the honey is taken 

 from the flowers, more is secreted, but it is not 

 secreted probably in a constant stream so that 

 bees may find a full supply from one flower, and 

 another as soon as the first is sated, and then 

 another. Instead of this we find, when a bee 

 has visited a flower, a second on trial will leave 

 it at once. Sometimes a dozen white clover 

 heads will be visited before one is found unsip- 

 ped of its sweets. I have counted one bee visit- 

 ing up to hundreds before a load was secured 

 for the hive. 



Albany, If. Y. Jasper Hazen. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Transferring Bees. 



Mr. Editor : — In the January number of the 

 American Bee Journal, Mr. J. W. Cramer wishes 

 to know the best plan to work on when trans- 

 ferring a swarm from an old box hive to a mov- 

 able comb. 



I will give my plan. It appears he has trouble 

 in getting the bees out of the old hive. His plan 

 is a troublesome one, at the same time there is 

 danger of losing the queen and a great many 

 young bees. 



I use a box, called a forcing box, which I wiil 

 describe as follows. I make the box 16 by 16 

 inches at the bottom, 16 in. deep, and 8 by 8 in. 

 at the top, making saw cuts in the top to give 



ventilation. Spring in some cross sticks for the 

 bees to cluster upon. When 1 get "all things 

 ready, I go to the hive I wish to drive out, and 

 puff in a little smoke from cotton rags, which 

 starts them to eating honey. I give them a little 

 time to till themselves, at the same time let as 

 many of the bees, as were out at work, in as pos- 

 sible before moving the hive. 1 then carry it off 

 to some suitable place, invert it on the ground, 

 and put on the forcing box, tie a table cloth 

 around the hive and box. 



I hold up one edge of the box, to tap on the 

 hive to start them up ; in fifteen minutes you 

 have all the bees up with the queen, clustered 

 in the box. When you have all the bees out, 

 untie the cloth, spread it on the ground, take 

 off the box that contains the bees set in the 

 cloth, bring up the corners together, tie them 

 fast, and carry them back to the old stand for 

 the bees to cluster on that were out when the 

 hive was moved off; prop up one side to prevent 

 smothering the bees ; keep the hive in the shade. 



Now you have all the bees out of the way, 

 you can transfer the combs without having the 

 bees crawling oyer the combs daubing them- 

 selves with honey. 



Sometimes we have to transfer in the cellar, 

 in order to get out of the way of robbers, if we 

 should undertake this with all the bees in the 

 hive, I think it would be a difficult matter. 

 When I get the bees out and secured, I split the 

 hive open, cut out the combs carefully, place 

 them on a table, cut them to fit the frames, tie 

 them in the frame with cotton twine ; set them 

 in the new hive as fast as filled. When we get 

 all the combs in, we move the box off, set the 

 hive on the old stand, untie the cloth, draw one 

 edge under the hive, spread it out smooth, shake 

 off the bees, and let them crawl in, just as you 

 would a natural swarm. 



I have transferred hundreds of swarms ; over 

 a hundred last season in this way, and never met 

 with any trouble. I have transferred from April 

 to September without any trouble. 



Monroe, Iowa. J. W. Seat. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Beekeepers of Central Illinois. 



A special meeting of the Beekeepers' Associ- 

 ation, of Central Illinois, was held at Hudson, 

 McLean county, May 24th, 1872. 



MORNING SESSION 



called to order by Vice President J. V. Brooks, 

 of Lexington. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and 

 approved. 



On motion, Messrs. J. L. Wolcott, Charles 

 McGrew and A. Ogsbury were appointed a com- 

 mittee to prepare subjects for discussion. While 

 the committee were absent the following ques- 

 tions were answered : 



1st. How to get rid of fertile workers. 



2d. How to successfully introduce a queen. 



J. V. Brooks replied as follows : To get rid of 

 fertile workers, take two frames containing 



