260 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



September 



same held true. Hive a swarm in a 

 large hive and the harvest was past, 

 unless the swarm was very early in 

 the season, before the brood-nest 

 would be filled. If the brood-nest 

 were contracted when the swarm was 

 hived, and the supers transferred from 

 the old to the new hive, work would 

 at once be resumed in the supers. In 

 Mr. Dadant's locality, there was a fall 

 flow, 1 don't know as it was of 

 greater importance than the early flow, 

 but it was important. Besides this, 

 the season was longer, there was more 

 time for a colony to get into condition 

 to take advantage of the harvest. 

 With such conditions it was possible 

 for large hives to have an advantage. 

 At the time that I was having those 

 discussions I did not know that there 

 was such a difference in our localities 

 — I was arguing wholly from my own 

 standpoint, and greatly wondered why 

 Mr. Dadant could not see the matter 

 as I did, or how his experience could 

 so vary from my own. I can see it 

 now. 



Then there is the question of feed- 

 ing back extracted honey to secure 

 the completion of unfinished sections. 

 This must be done in hot weather and 

 at a time when but little honey is 

 coming in, that is, if it is to be followed 

 with profit. In my locality there is a 

 dearth after basswood closes in July. 

 The last half of July and all of Au- 

 gust furnishes plenty of heat but no 

 honey, and feeding back can be re- 

 sorted to with profit; unfinished sec- 

 tions of white honey being completed 

 before any from fall flowers comes in, 

 if the locality is where there is a fall 

 flow. If some other honey flow comes 

 in right after basswood there would 

 be no use of thinking of feeding back 



extracted honey to complete unfinished 

 sections. 



Then there is the question of con- 

 traction of the brood-nest, upon which 

 1 have just briefly touched. If 

 there is to be a continued flow all 

 of the season until frost comes, there 

 is no value in brood-nest contraction, 

 unless it might be to force white honey 

 into the sections, where it will be of 

 more value, and allow the bees to fill 

 the brood nest later with less expen- 

 sive stores for winter. Where the 

 harvest closes with clover or basswood, 

 there is no profit in raising bees that 

 will never become gatherers of honey 

 and this can be largely prevented by 

 the proper contraction of the brood- 

 nest. 



Then there is the management for 

 spring. If the flow is to come early 

 and soon be over, then no stone should 

 be left unturned to forward breeding 

 early in the season and get the colo- 

 nies into condition to be ready for the 

 harvest when it comes. 



These are only a few of the many 

 points that should be considered in the 

 management of the apiary. When 

 advice is given, the one to whom it is 

 given should consider well the locality 

 from whence it comes. Know your 

 own locality ■perfectly, and before put- 

 ting in practice any new plan of man- 

 agement, if is is possible that locality 

 may have a bearing, then venture 

 cautiously. 



Flint, Mich. 



Wm Gerrish, East Nottingham, N. 

 H., keeps a complete supply of our 

 goods and Eastern customers will 

 save freight by ordering from him. 



