14 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Jan. 4, 19C6 



but good ventilation above. With comb honey all must be 

 closed above, but I don't believe it hinders work in the ex- 

 tracting combs to have abundant ventilation above. If a 

 current of air is allowed to pass through from bottom to 

 top, it is easy to see that the cooling effect will be many 

 times more than to have only the same amount of ventila- 

 tion below, and I think we are all agreed that abundant 

 opportunity to cool off on hot days is a strong factor in the 

 way of preventing swarming. One of the things that gives 

 me confidence in this kind of ventilation comes from my 

 own experience. Every year I have one or several colonies 

 that I call " piles " — combs piled up 3 to 5 stories high, and 

 an opening to each storv, thus giving the air a " through 

 ticket " from bottom to top, with chance for side excursions 

 at each story. Not one of these piles has ever swarmed, 

 and I think it is not so much because of abundant room as 

 because of the through ventilation. And yet I can not be 

 sure that another factor may not have had something to do 

 in the case, for nearly always these " piles " were started 

 from colonies weaker than the average, becoming extra- 

 strong as the season advanced. 



Another thing I would try is the Demaree plan, which, 

 as you probably know, consists in putting an empty story 

 under the full one at the beginning of the harvest, the 

 queen being held in the lower story by an excluder. 



Mating and Laying of Queens 



1. Does the slaughter of drones from a nucleus in which 

 a young queen is contained indicate that the queen is 

 mated ? 



2. How can I prevent the bees from building comb 

 about the queen-cells on the stick in the prepared frame 

 within the brood-nest ? 



3. Will queens lay after being mated while confined 

 nights and days to the dark room, or should they be left out- 

 side when mated (not knowing whether they are mated or 

 not), after they have flown say S or 6 evenings during quiet 

 and sunny weather? I have carried 10 nuclei in and out for 

 12 days after cells have hatched, and I can not find an egg. 



England. 

 Answers. — 1. Yes, it is quite satisfactory proof that 

 drones are no longer needed. 



2. I don't know how to prevent it, and turn the question 

 over to Mr. Doolittle. I'm not sure that I should want to 

 prevent it, for it seems to do no harm, and is proof of pros- 

 perity that encourages such building. 



3. I suppose you refer to the plan of keeping nuclei in 

 the dark and carrying them out late in the day after drones 



have ceased to fly, stimulating the virgins to fly at this late 

 hour by feeding, and also getting the desired drones to fly 

 in the same way. At the proper time after mating the 

 young queens should lay, even if kept in the dark most of 

 the 24 hours. They would probably be sooner about laying 

 if left out all day long, but in that case you could not be 

 sure at all about their mating. It is nothing very strange 

 that your young queens are not laying at 12 days old. 

 Often queens do not lay sooner than that when left out all 

 the time, and slower work may be expected when their days 

 are made so short. Besides, it is hardly to be expected that 

 queens will so promptly be fertilized when allowed to fly 

 only at an abnormal time. Still further, there is the chance 

 of failure in a large proportion of cases. 



Discouraging Honey Se asons— W hat Bees Do with Honey 



1. Compared with last year this year is discouraging. 

 In 190V I averaged about 40 marketable sections to the col- 

 ony, spring count. This year about 4. Does this thing 

 happen often ? 



2. Can you tell me what the bees do with their honey ? 

 Of course they eat it, but something else. 



North Carolina. 



Answers. — 1. Your first question set me to looking 

 over the first pages of " Forty Years Among the Bees " 

 (and I want to thank you heartily for your kind words 

 about that book), and I think if you will look over the same 

 ground you will see that my discouragements would fully 

 match yours. I can't tell you just how often you may ex- 

 pect years of failure, but you may as well be ready to shut 

 your teeth together and meet them when they do come. I 

 suspect there are not many places where there are not occa- 

 sional years of failure. Some years ago the failures came 

 so frequently in this region that it was a serious question 

 whether really good years were not things of the past. 

 There were those who said that the advancing cultivation of 

 the land had killed off some of the sources of honey, and we 

 need never again expect the good old seasons of big har- 

 vests. But they did return. Year before last was the best 

 year I ever had, and I think the last S years were better 

 than any other consecutive 5 years in my experience. So, 

 keep a stiff upper lip, and have your dish right side up 

 when the "shower" comes. 



2. Of course I know what bees do with their honey ; 

 they eat it, just as you say, and they — they — well, now, I 

 don't really know what else they do with it, unless they 

 store it up for such vandals as you and me to steal away 

 from them. If you know anything else they do with it, 

 then tell. 



Investigate 



the 



Poultry 

 Business 



Write for a copy of my book 

 which describes the profit- 

 able combinations of £gg, 

 Broiler, and Roaster Farms. 



It gives the price'? paid forests and poultry 

 week by week for the past three years. It 

 tells how and when a natch taken off each 

 week in the year could be most profltablv 

 marketed. It shows how vou can make $2.00 on 

 a large winter roaster. It tells what profits 

 can be made with each of the popular breeds, 

 and the costs of production. 



I have helped thousands to make money with 

 poultry. My Model Incubators and Brooders 

 are used on the money-making farms. It is my 

 business to teach those who use them to do so 

 profitably. Whether your needs are small or 

 large, I will furnish, without charge, esti- 

 mates and plans for a complete equipment 

 that will insure success without your spend- 

 ing a dollar uselessly. 



Send for my complete literature. 



GHAS. A. CYPHERS 



3926 Henry Street, 



Buffalo, N. V. 



Please mention Bee Journa 

 when writing Advertisers. 



ffii'.rrrf'rr'ri.'.rf'i'r'.rr.rt'rr'i'fTrt'i'f *!*<*)'(")' i*i' r.)'f")'("r("i'f*r("r("i'<*)'(*)'("i'('fii> 



6 Percent Discount 



We will allow you the above Discount on all Orders accompanied by 

 Cash during January. Send for our Catalog. 



PAGE & LYON MFG. CO., New London, Wis. 



Mention Bee Journal when writing. 



We Sell Root's Goods in Michigan 



Let ns quote you prices on Sections, Hives, 

 Foundation, etc., as we can save you time and 

 freight. Beeswax Wanted for Cash. 



M. H. HUNT & SON. 

 Bbll Branch, Waynb Co., Mich 



85c for 15 NAMES 



For names and P. O. 

 of 15 farmers and 15c 

 — stamps taken — we 

 will send for 2 vrs. tbe Farmer's Call— rear. sub. 

 price 50c a year, F. C. is a wklv., 25 vrs. old, 1,300 

 pages a yr. Sample free. Farmer's Call,Quincy, 111. 



Mention Bee Journal when writing. 



Wisconsin Basswood Sections 



And Prompt Shipments 



Is what we are making for our customers. 



— DOVETAILED HIVES AND SHIPPING-CASES — 



We carry a full line of SUPPLIES. Ask for Catalog. 

 3 HARSHFIELD HANUFACTURINQ CO., Harshfield, Wis. 



Mention Bee Journal when writing. 



