189'; 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER, 



297 



before inverting the skep. Be sure, 

 also, to have an empty skep at hand 

 to place (in the old stand when the 

 full one is removed for driving, to 

 catch the flying bees. Do the driving 

 as far away as possible from where 

 the hive originally stood. My own 

 plan is to place the skep, into which 

 the bees have been driven, on the 

 original stand without throwing them 

 out; removing the one placed there 

 temporarily. I find this answer well 

 after considerable experience in driv- 

 ing bees. 



When the bees are driven, cut out 

 the combs of honey from the old skep 

 yourself, taking care that no bees are 

 left either in the honey or in the de- 

 pleted skep, when the latter is taken 

 indoors. Cottagers who allow their 

 bees to be driven are usually poor 

 folks, and so it is usual to pay a trifle 

 for the bees; this helps matters, makes 

 things pleasant, and is an inducement 

 to skep beekeepers in humble circum- 

 stances not to sulpher the bees — a 

 habit still practised in many parts, 

 even in these days. 



(From American Bee Journal.) 



PRAOTIOAL BEE-KEEPING WITH 

 LEAST ATTENTION. 



BY E. H. COLLINS. 



{A talk to the Indiana State Bee- Keepers' 

 Association ) 



My text implies that bees need 

 some attention. Let us bear in mind, 

 however, that Nature in bee keeping, 

 as in other branches of farming, does 

 the lion's share of the work; that we 

 simply guide her efforts in our chan- 

 nels and aid the bees mechanically. 

 Remember the bees do pretty well 

 without us, and we can give them 



much time or little time, as our other 

 business may dictate. 



If we become familiar with their 

 instincts, we can tell by general ap- 

 pearances what their condition is, 

 and avoid frequent manipulation of 

 the hives. 



A large apiarist in Michigan once 

 said to a visiting bee-keeper, that 

 "those six or eight colonies you see in 

 that corner of the yard have not had 

 their brood-chambers opened for sev- 

 eral years, and they give me lots of 

 surplus." 



If the queen becomes infertile they 

 will supersede her. If she is killed 

 they will rear another. 



When I was a young man I once 

 worked for a man whose wife kept 

 bees, and I ate of the honey just as 

 much as I thought I could eat and 

 not appear ill-bred. And I have often 

 thought that in almost any family 

 group, say of two or three hous:eholds, 

 there is one or more who has both tact 

 and taste enough to care for bees, and 

 to delight in the management of the 

 busy little workers. 



Allow me to give you my first ex- 

 perience. I raised a comb cautiously 

 and slowly, expecting them to be vic- 

 ious and ready for war, but was both 

 surprised and pleased to see every one 

 walk slowly about the comb as though 

 they were not the least disturbed. At 

 that moment I became master of the 

 situation. If you will follow a few 

 simple rules relating to their instinct, 

 they will be easily handled, and will 

 become your pets and your delight. 



Now, suppose it is March, and a 

 balmy day, and you have four colonies 

 of bees. If you lift the back of the 

 hive you can tell if they have plenty 

 of food, and if they seem numerous 



