colonies, and formed one new colony, 

 the increase would even then have been 

 too great for such a season, and the 

 labor and expense would have been 

 much less. Had the season proved 

 good the larger number could have 

 Been made at intervals more practically. 

 I say, then, adopt the nucleus plan, and 

 build up as many as is desired and the 

 season will permit. 



Thirdly. How can swarming best be 

 prevented ? Swarms might be pre- 

 vented from issuing, and yet the system 

 by which it is accomplished be very 

 impracticable. The q uestion should be, 

 how can the desire to swarm be con- 

 trolled ? There are many things which 

 tend to prevent the desire to swarm. I 

 have known seasons when the introduc- 

 tion of young queens to the old colonies 

 would prevent swarming in nearly every 

 case. In other seasons this would 

 hardly accomplish it in a single instance. 

 Some have advocated making the origi- 

 nal colonies queenless during swarming 

 season. This is practiced satisfactorily 

 by some, but I cannot recommend it. I 

 advise the following : 



First. I consider it absolutely es- 

 sential to have one wing of each laying 

 queen clipped. This prevents any 

 swarm leaving for parts unknown if 

 from any cause such are allowed to issue. 

 When it is desired to secure extracted 

 honey, little trouble will be experienced 

 in preventing swarming. The process 

 of removing the honey from the combs 

 gives both queen and workers ample 

 room, which prevents all desire to 

 swarm. But in securing box-honey it 

 will be found much more difficult. The 

 conditions above mentioned must be 

 observed, and empty comb be at all 

 times afforded which the queen may 

 occupy, as well as boxes with immedi- 

 ate access furnished to employ the 

 working bees. Many allow their "hives 

 to become too much crowded with 

 brood and honey before arranging their 

 surplus boxes. Thus the desire to 

 swarm is produced, and many times it 

 will be found hard to subdue it. Boxes 

 should be supplied as early as the bees 

 will occupy them. The colonies should 

 be examined once or twice each week 

 during the swarming season, and combs 

 tilled with brood and honey removed 

 and their places supplied with empty 

 combs or frames filled with foundation. 

 I prefer the latter. 



Combs that are removed from time to 

 time may be used in building up 

 nuclei to full colonies as before sug- 

 gested, or they may be used to 

 strengthen lightest colonies which are 

 being extracted. Occasionally a colony 

 will be reluctant to occupy the boxes, 



consequently the comb or foundation* 

 supplied will be at once completed and 

 tilled with honey, and the desire to 

 swarm be produced. While I do not 

 claim that any system of management 

 has yet been devised that will prevent 

 the desire to swarm in every instance, 

 I tind that when properly carried out 

 this plan has proved the most satis- 

 factory of any 1 have as yet become ac- 

 quainted with. A perfect system of 

 handling bees by which the desire to 

 swarm shall be controlled in every in- 

 stance is yet to be discovered, and when 

 it comes will be welcomed with satis- 

 faction by appreciative bee-keepers 

 everywhere. 



Read before the Indiana State Convention. 



Causes of Failures in Bee-keeping. 



G. W. NEIHARDT. 



" Of all who engage in mercantile 

 pursuits, 97 per cent, fail." It js not 

 our province to discuss the cause of 

 their failure. It would seem that others, 

 learning the causes of ill success, would 

 soon be able to avoid a like disaster, or 

 deter them from engaging in such an 

 uncertain business. Large as the per 

 cent, of failures in that business is, 

 failures in the pursuit of apiculture 

 counts its scores for each one of the 

 former. The disaster is not so great, 

 because the amount invested is not 

 so very large, yet the failure is just as 

 complete. More than one-half of the far- 

 mers in the country, who have farmed 

 a dozen years, have at sometime tried 

 to keep bees. Not one in twenty keeps 

 any now. Like experiments are tried 

 year after year by others, and as quickly 

 abandoned. 



Failures multiply as the number at- 

 tempting this business increase, so that 

 scarcely a farm can be found but that 

 in some old lumber-room may be found 

 bee-hives and bee-fixtures of all kinds, 

 from the most nondescript, moth-proof, 

 self-dividing, non-swarming box-hives, 

 to the most complicated two-story, 

 twenty-framed, movable-comb, tele- 

 scope, latest patent concern. Not a sin- 

 gle bee is left to excite the appetite with 

 promised sweets, or frighten the timid 

 with its terrible sting. Everything tells 

 of failure— total failure. 



" Large profits and quick returns," is 

 ever a tempting prize to lure, men into 

 untried fields, regardless of any special 

 fitness for the business. Our agricul- 

 tural as well as religious and political 

 papers contain articles concerning 

 enormous yields of honey and increase 

 of bees. Of " two to five hundred per 

 cent, realized in the bee business." 



