344 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



April 19, 1906 



of a box, with a glass at each end. As this was before the 

 invention of comb foundation, or rather before the practical 

 use and manufacture of it, we had to fasten small pieces of 

 comb to each section to secure straight combs, and even with 

 that help the combs were not always straight. In addition to 

 that difficulty, we had a number of inferior seasons in suc- 

 cession, and many of our cases would become stale before 

 they were filled. It was then that we tried a hanging frame 

 in a shallow super for extracting. The difference in results 

 confirmed our previous views on the great difference between 

 allowing the bees to build all the combs, and furnishing to 

 them sets of combs already built from previous years. 



We tried the extracting super-frames side by side with 

 the comb-honey sections; we tried also sections in wide frames 

 side by side with extracting frames, and at once also recog- 

 nized the difference in results between allowing the bees to 

 produce honey in large receptacles, and compelling them to 

 build in small sections. When we gave our bees full super- 

 frames in half-story supers, and placed bv the side of these a 

 number of one-pound sections, all equally supplied with 

 starters, we ascertained that the bees would almost invariably 

 begin work in. the large frames in preference to the sections, 

 even when the sections were placed nearer to the brood- 



combs and in the center of the brood-nest. This fact is ex- 

 plained by Oliver Foster better than by any one else: 



"When we take in consideration that the object on the 

 part of the bees, in storing up honey in summer, is to have it 

 ■i'l>- for winter consumption, and that, in winter, the 

 bees collect in a round ball, as nearly as possible, in a semi- 

 torpid state— with but little if any motion, except that gradual 

 moving of bees from the center'to the surface and from the 

 surface to the center of this ball— we may imagine how 

 unwelcome it is to them to be obliged to divide their stores 

 between 4 separate apartments, each of which is 4 inches 

 square and 12 inches long, with no communication between 

 these apartments." 



The above quotation makes it plain, and in very few 

 words, why bees dislike to build in small receptacles, and why 

 the producers of "chunk" honey produce such large crops. 

 Add to this the great gain secured by extracting the honey and 

 returning the combs to the bees to be filled again, and you 

 will readily understand how it was that, after trying 

 extracting supers, with the hive-bodj in close communication 

 with the supers, we no longer cared for any other method of 

 production. 



We had used a honey-board over the frames We dis- 

 carded it. We tried a skeleton honey-board, to break joints- 

 scarded it. also. An oilcloth laid ovei the brood-combs 

 and placed over the super during the harvest was all the cover 



we used under the hive-cap. Later, we ad ed the sti iw 



mat, winch no om uses but our-. Ivi as Ear as we can learn 



and which yet deserves strong commendation, for it is good 

 to keep the heat in the brood-chamber in winter, and to keep 

 the heat of the sun off in the summer. We keep these mats 

 on the hive at all times with the best of results. Thev are 

 an old European implement, which gardeners use for all sorts 

 of purposes, and of many sizes, for covering hotbeds, shelter- 

 ing early plants in cool nights, and even as a shelter to 

 valuable "espaliers" — fruit-trees trained to a wall or a trellis — - 

 that form an adornment to many a country or cottage garden. 



The super, with its frames hanging right over the brood- 

 frames, and filled with combs from the previous season, gives 

 our bees such ample room, and of so free an access, that they 

 go up into it without hesitancy; and if we carefully calculate 

 the probability of a large crop, and provide them with enough 

 empty comb in good time — the other requirements being also 

 provided for — we need not be afraid of many natural swarms. 

 It is only when the bees desire to change their queen, owing 

 to old age or failing prolificness. or when a strange queen 

 has been unwillingly accepted by them, that we may expect 

 an occasional swarm. Besides, if we keep our surplus combs 

 sufficiently numerous to provide for storing-room, we secure 

 immense results. 



The assertion made by some, that bees are compelled to 

 produce beeswax, whether they will or not, and that this wax 

 is lost when combs are provided already built, is entirely 

 erroneous. The bees do produce a little wax naturally during 

 a heavy Mow. but the quantity thus produced is barely sufficient 

 to repair damaged cells that have been run through the 

 extractor; to lengthen the combs, and seal them as the honey 

 ripens. On the other hand, when no comb is furnished, or 

 not enough to keep the bees at work, they must, in many 

 instances, remain idle until wax enough is produced by diges- 

 tion to build the storing-combs. 



As an instance of what may be achieved during a very 

 heavy flow. I will mention the results secured at one time: 

 We had been extracting the honev in an apiary of 87 colonies. 

 It took 3 days to go through this apiary. The flow of honey- 

 was very heavy, the honey harvested being quite dense and 

 needed less evaporating than usual. At the end of the third 

 day — as I knew that the bees had been working very busily — I 

 examined the first hives from which we had extracted the 

 honey 3 days before, and found all the supers with honey in 

 every cell — the supers probably half filled. Such quick re- 

 sults I have never seen since. It was in 1884. I do not be- 

 lieve that half as much honey could have been secured if the 

 bees had had to build the combs. Hamilton. 111. 



W 



Time a Queenless Swarm Will Remain 

 Clustered 



BY F. L. DAY. 



FROM my own experience I had formerly supposed that a 

 swarm of bees would not remain clustered more than 

 10 or 15 minutes without its queen, or at least a queen 

 of some kind. I had also understood, from the reading of 

 bee-literature, that such was the case. But last season I had 

 a notable exception to this rule. I had a very fine swarm of 

 Golden Italians, which had been the upper story of one of 

 my 4 colonies treated by the Alexander plan. This colony 

 remained 6 days after being placed on a new stand. The 

 colony from which it was taken had itself sent out a swarm 

 on the same day that I removed the upper story. This upper 

 story was removed on the tenth day from the first preparation 

 of the colony, and not on the thirty-ninth day. as Mr. Alex- 

 ander mistakenly states in his scathing criticism of the report 

 of my test of his plan of increase. If Gleanings ever finds 

 room to publish the reply which I sent in 7 months ago, I 

 hope to be set right before the readers of that paper. 



But to return to the swarm question; I got them back 

 in their own hive when they had swarmed 6 days after being 

 separated from the mother colony. They had reared a fine 

 queen from the cells started before separating, and now settled 

 down to business, soon becoming one of my most promising 

 colonies. I em one super for extracting, and soon 



added a second. The queen soon had the 10 frames in the 

 brood-chamber packed full of brood. It was of no avail to 

 give an abundance of room as a preventive of swarming. The 

 first swarm had come out June 7. By July 1 they had a great 

 number of queen-cells, which 1 cut out 1 also removed cells 



agi 'ii July 11. 18, 24 and 30. This was quite often (for a 



non-swarming plan)— five times in one month, after a colony 

 had been divided once, besides. 



On July 31 the swarm came out. While I had been 



