1894. 



THE I VERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



L57 



rule with the writer has always been 

 to run the bees with as few traps as 

 possible, The simpler the method 

 with the Leasl handling of bees at 

 any season of the year, will bring the 

 besl results. 



From the valuable. articles that are 

 appearing from time to time, I think 

 it possible that something may be 

 gleaned that will solve the problem 

 of Don-swarming, It is something 

 like the introducing of queens — no 

 definite rule can be laid down, 

 governing the question. As far as 

 my experience goes, swarming gives 

 me no trouble, and has not in the 

 last 15 years, being quite within the 

 mark when I say that 15 swarms 

 would he the limit in that number of 

 years. Many are the bee keepers who 

 ask the question, " How on earth do 

 you prevent them ? " 



No doubt many reading the above 

 statement will ask the same question, 

 and look for an answer, which will be 

 given in a few words. 



If it will be of any service to my 

 fellow bee-keepers, the observations 

 and experiences id' the writer will be 

 freely given : the dimensions of hives 

 in use, and the rules that govern pro- 

 ceedings. 



In considering the question of non- 

 swarming, T would say that after 15 

 years of close observation and prac- 

 tice, there is no reason why any bee- 

 keeper should not be able to control 

 swarming without the aid of non- 

 swarming devices, or cutting out 

 queen-cells, or quarrying in the brood- 

 chamber. Simply a brood-chamber 

 of proper capacity, studying the flora 

 of the locality, observing closely the 

 working forces of each colony, and 

 being able to read your apiary from ex- 

 ternal observation, as you would a book. 



The hive or brood chamber — what 

 shall the dimensions be? There is no 

 given rule, and cannot be, because 

 localities are so varied. Also the pro- 

 ductiveness of queens, like a farmer 

 building a barn, or a artisan a house — 

 the barn is built according to the size 



of the farm and products thereof, and 

 the house according to the size of lot 

 and the mean- to build and maintain 

 it. Every bee-keeper must therefore be 

 a rule unto himself, according to con- 

 ditions and surrounding-. 



The hive I use for extracted honey 

 is the old Jones hive, inside dimen- 

 sions measuring 3,240 cubic inches. 

 For my locality and surroundings it is 

 non-swarming, also labor saving, be- 

 cause it contains sufficient stores in 

 the brood-chamber to winter any col- 

 ony at all times, which is considerable 

 if the apiary is extensive. What a 

 comfort to know your bees won't 

 swarm! And when the season closes, 

 feel assured your bees have sufficient 

 to winter! These are two great items 

 in bee-keeping. 



Many of these hives in the heat of 

 the honey-flow will have four and five 

 supers on top of the brood chamber, 

 the super being the same as the brood- 

 chamber of the hive in use for comb 

 honey, measuring 2,592 cubic inches, 

 and now report the same success with 

 comb honey — no swarms, with an aver- 

 age of 84 pounds per colony for sev- 

 eral seasons. 



Considering the productiveness of 

 queens, some cannot do more than 

 keep an 8-frame Langstroth hive filled 

 with eggs and brood. A poor locality 

 or season is sometimes the cause of 

 this, while some queens will fill two 

 8-frame hives. Then study the queen's 

 egg-capacity, and accomodate her ac- 

 cordingly. Weed out all bad queens. 

 Sometimes a queen dosen't come to 

 her best until the second season. Hav- 

 ing on several occasions determined 

 to destroy such, I repented, and found 

 them extra the second year. 



Have drones flying from colonies 

 that do the best, selecting such colo- 

 nies for queen-rearing, and you will 

 soon breed them up to the standard 

 of excellence. 



In many localities, after fruit- 

 bloom there is a period often or more 

 days that there is no secretion of nec- 

 tar or bloom of anv kind to be found. 



