116 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



with unsealed brood, and put in the up- 

 per box or hive, I am of the opinion his 

 bees will go up more readily, and stay 

 better contented. Then, too, it will be 

 much easier to find the queen if he de- 

 sires to supersede her. 



RESULTS OF THE PAST SEASON. 



From 66 colonies, spring count, some 

 of them nuclei, my crop of section honey 

 was between 400 and 500 pounds. 

 This surplus was stored by a few extra- 

 good colonies — one of them filling 78 

 sections, and not swarming. The queen 

 of this colony was reared in 1892 from 

 an imported Italian mother. 



Another that did well, was a cross be- 

 tween the Italian and Carniolan stock. 

 On the whole, I find the Carniolans 

 much less desirable than the Italians. It 

 may be that my Carniolans were not 

 pure, but they are extra-good fighters, 

 vindictive, and often pounce on me 

 without provocation. So I've been su- 

 perseding the queens for two years. 



Gainesboro, Tenn. 



Brace-Cofflls— Cause aiiJ PreYeullon. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY E. J. CRONKLETON. 



Brace-combs and bees must be studied 

 in connection, in order to arrive at cor- 

 rect conclusions about brace-combs. I 

 think I will be able to convince every 

 well-informed bee-keeper — one who has 

 well learned the nature, habits and in- 

 stincts of the bee — that there is some 

 truth in my theory, or at least it will 

 cause him to do a little thinking, and 

 that is healthful. 



We all know how irritable the bee is, 

 especially by a jar — the least little jar 

 will bring a response from every bee in 

 the hive. Well, suppose it does, what of 

 that? Well, nothing particular, only 

 we learn something by it. Suppose the 

 frames are loose at their bearings, rest- 

 ing on metal bearings for your conven- 

 ience, and a perfect torment to the bees 

 — torment because they cannot glue 

 them down at the ends, and their walk- 

 ing over the combs causes them to trem- 

 ble, and a bee cannot stand that — it is a 

 constant annoyance. What is the re- 

 sult? Why, brace-combs are the in- 

 evitable result ? They go right at it, 

 and brace up and strengthen those 

 combs, just as long as there is the least 

 jar or tremble about them. 



Years ago, when I was taking my 

 first lessons in the art of bee-culture, I 



had but few brace-combs ; but the 

 metal-bearing craze was sprung on me. 

 I had considerable trouble prying the 

 frames loose from their bearings, so I 

 thought this will be nice — I can just 

 pick the combs out — it will be a pleasure 

 indeed. The result was just as fine a 

 lot of brace-combs as any one ever saw. 

 The bees literally filled the spaces be- 

 tween the top-bars up, only leaving here 

 and there a hole to pass through to the 

 section. 



Well, I looked at them as I examined 

 hive after hive, and I thought I was un- 

 done entirely. It looked very much as 

 though my elegant scheme had mis- 

 carried, while the bees had made a per- 

 fect success of theirs, though I, at that 

 time, had not the remotest idea what 

 caused the bees to interlace the combs 

 in that manner. 



I could easily see that I would better 

 fall back on first principles, which I did, 

 and brace-combs have disappeared ever 

 since, with me, in proportion to the 

 pains that I have taken to have the 

 combs well fastened in the hives. I 

 have no scheme for fastening the frames, 

 just so they will not tremble and shake 

 when the bees travel over them. 



Mr. Heddon's thumb-screw business 

 would be just the thing. The Hoffman 

 frame can be used to advantage. Suit 

 yourselves, and use your own judgment, 

 and your own resources. 



I have said nothing about burr-combs, 

 from the fact that I am not certain that 

 I know anything about them. I see a 

 difference, but I think their mission is 

 the same. 



Try this, and I am satisfied you will 

 see that I am right for ouce. 



Dunlap, Iowa. 



CouTeiition IVotices. 



WISCONSIN.— The Wisconsin Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will meet in Madison, Wis., on 

 Feb. 7 and 8, 1894. An kiterestiug- meeting is 

 expected. It is earnestly hoped there may be 

 a full attendance. J. W. Yaxce, Cor. Sec. 



Madison. Wis. 



Kansas.— There will be a meeting of the 

 Southeastern Kansas Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion on March 10, 1894, at the apiaries of 

 Thomas Willett, 5 miles northeast of Bron- 

 son, Bourbon Co.. Kansas. All are invited to 

 come. J. C. Balch, Sec. 



Bronson, Kans. 



A Binder for holding a year's num- 

 bers of the Bee Journal we mail for 

 only 50 cents ; or clubbed witb the 

 Journal for $1.40. 



