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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL AND GAZETTE. 



quiries is to awaken thonglit, and to call out a 

 variety of responses from practical bee-keepers. 

 I hope, therefore, that no one who feels impres- 

 sed to answer these questions will postpone 

 doing so, thinking that some one else will at- 

 tend to them, and that his response will not be 

 needed. Send along your views, gentlemen, 

 on such questions as you tind in our Bee Jour- 

 nal that you feel qiialilied to answer. If the 

 Editor cannot find room for all your responses, 

 he will doubtless make the e'^ovito con dense Vaem 

 so as to give us the cream, of what may be writ- 

 ten. By this means we shall keep the Jouknal 

 readers awake, and draw out new ideas on sub- 

 iects that many old fogies may think are in a 

 threadbare condition. Now for some more 

 questions. 



No. 1. — Straight Combs. 



What is the best plan for securing straight 

 combs and of uniform thickness ? It is claimed 

 by some writers that elevating the rear end of 

 the Langstroth hive to an angle of about 45*^ 

 will ahoays cause the bees to build the combs 

 straight and within the frames — Is this true in 

 practice ? 



Why were the guide-frames discarded ? Do 

 the bees refuse to stay in hives provided with 

 them? or, are they too expensive ? If not, what 

 is the trouble with them ? 



No. 2. — R3M0VING Eggs and Brood. 



Is there a way to destroy eggs and uyisealed 

 brood and not injure the combs ? If so, give us 

 the best plan. The sealed brood is easily de- 

 stroyed by breaking the lids of the cells so as to 

 disturb the contents. Bat it is sometimes ne- 

 cessary or advantageous to remove the eggs and 

 unsealed brood from native colonies "to give 

 place for an Italian progeny. We often wish 

 particu'arly to destroy the native drone eggs 

 and drone-larva; when raising Italian queens. 

 No. 3. — Dividing Bees. 



Who can give a plan for dividing bees that 

 ill bee-keepers can practice? We want some 

 plan that will not fail in the hands of the no- 

 vice. It should be such a plan as will be easily 

 understood by any one of ordinary intelligence, 

 and will not compel a search for the queen. 

 No. 4.— Raising Queens. 



Some bee-keepers use nuclei for raising queens, 

 but others prefer full hives. Now which is the 

 better plan ? Is there a way to cause bees to 

 raise a largernumber of queens than they would 

 by simply removing the queen ? 



No 5. — BsE Pasturage. 



Why has not some one answered questions 

 No. 1, on page 165 of the Journal ? Cannot 

 the question be answered satisfactorily V It 

 seems as though somebody ought to be able to 

 answer it, for it is one of vital importance to 

 every one interested in bee cultivation. 



Querist. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Stir up tlie Bees. 



stores of surplus. At least this has been my 

 experience. Nearly all bee writers say that 

 bees should not be disturbed when working in 

 boxes; that if then disturbed they will refuse to 

 work in them. This is an assertion that needs 

 proof. 



The best returns I have had from bees have 

 been from those that have been torn in pieces, 

 as it were, and then " put to rights" not less 

 than twenty-five times in the course of six 

 weeks ! These frequent manipulations were 

 necessary to show visitors the workings of my 

 little favorites, and the value of frame hives. 

 For the past eight years it has been my custom 

 to set apart one or more hives for visiting com- 

 mittees — not wishing to disturb the main apiary; 

 and these families have invariably given me 

 better returns, in both swarms and honey, than 

 those not thus disturbed. 



Some of our popular writers advise us not to 

 disturb bees unless it is absolutely necessary. 

 It would be better to advise us to handle them 

 often, but to do so properly. Very few bee- 

 keepers handle their bees properly, but it is in 

 their power to do so. A family of bees operated 

 upon properly will not be irascible after the 

 operation, but will remain in good humor 

 during the season, even though manipulated 

 with twenty-five or fifty times. 



Caution — Unlessnecessity demands it avoid 

 disturbing bees when the consumption of honey 

 and an increase of brood are not desirable. I 

 handle mj' bees but very little after the honey 

 season closes. M. M. Baldridgk. 



St. Charles, Illinois. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



How to Multiply Bees. 



With me it is a rule of practice to handle 

 bees often, as often as I have time to do so. The 

 oftener bees are stirred up by proper handling 

 the better they will labor. They will breed 

 faster, gather more honey, and lay up larger 



Some bee-keepers are afraid to disturb their 

 bees, thinking the bees will get discouraged at 

 the interference of man. 



I have managed a box hive, with glass set in 

 the four sides of it, so as to make the bees breed 

 fast and store a large amount of box honey, 

 without discouragement by disturbing them. 

 The four side doors covering the glass were 

 thrown open, and rapping lightly on the glass 

 late in the day, caused the bees to fill their sacs, 

 and store the honey in the boxes that were on 

 top covers, and not disturbed. The bees would 

 carry all the honey in sight up above, and filled 

 the cells with young bees in the hive below. 

 Consequentlj' more bees were hatched and more 

 honey stored. Box* hives can be raised to let in 

 light, and blow smoke in the bottom and upon 

 the hive at the same time will have the same 

 effect. ■ 



They should be disturbed or handled at any 

 time you want more brood raised. They should 

 not, be disturbed or handled when there is likely 

 to be a scarcity of forage after as you increase 

 the consumers. 



All stocks that have a large quantity of honey 

 in the spring should be handled often, even to 

 the taking out the combs and cutting off the 

 caps of honey cells. But the case is different in 

 the latter part of the season. Then you want 

 no increase of consumers. By handling the 

 combs often the bees will retain their drones if 



