138 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 15. 



I shall think this plan worthy of further and 

 more extensive trial; and if, when I come here 

 next week, I find no queen-cells I shall put the 

 queen below and give them another tier of 

 sections— providing I think it necessary— and I 

 shall feel quite sure there will be no swarming 

 fever in this colony. Well, there, Mr. Daggett, 

 it is nearly one o'clock, and you remember I 

 promised my wife we would lie back home by 

 half-past 12 to help pick strawberries, as she 

 said some of her pickers had disappointed her 

 to-day." 



On our way home Mr. Daggett asked: 



" Manum, do you know any thing about a 

 young man who lives in our county, by the 

 name of Langdon, who has invented a new ar- 

 rangement to prevent swarming?" 



" Yes, I have seen him: in fact, I visited him 

 last winter, where I had a very enjoyable time. 

 I found him to be a live young bee-keeper who 

 is very enthusiastic, as also is his father. 

 When I went there I found them both busily 

 at work in their little factory, where they have 

 all needed machinery for making their own 

 supplies. This machinery is run by steam- 

 power; and when the young man, Mr. H. P. 

 Langdon, showed me his new device for pre- 

 venting swarming I was not so much surprised, 

 inasmuch as nearly all the machinery in his 

 shop was of his own make, showing thai he is 

 a genius and a natural mechanic." 



" Then you saw his new device ?" 



" Oh, yes ! he explained it all out to me, as 

 well as his house-apiary. But here we are at 

 home again, and I will tell you all about it 

 some other time, with my experience with 

 something similar to his device." 



Bristol, Vt. 



^ I ^ 



EXTRACTED VERSUS COMB HONEY. 



KP:PLY to E. FRANCE; WIIvL, A COTTONY YIELD 

 MOKE COMB THAN EXTRACTED? 



By R. C. A ikiri. 



For upward of l.^> years I have produced both 

 comb and extracted honey in the same apiary. 

 I used to think my yield of extracted, one third 

 more than of comb. I did get more extracted 

 than of comb ; but closer observation finally 

 led me to believe that it was at a sacrifice of 

 winter stores, at least in part. 



In Oct. 1.5th Glkanin(js, page 776. Mr. E. 

 France says: '"■Well, it just happened that we 

 used up one set of combs more than we counted 

 on in making new colonies, and one hive was 

 left empty of combs. Th(i bees were there. 

 Now, when we came again all the hives were 

 filled with honey— that is, the combs were. 

 The yard averaged 2.') lbs. of extracted honey 

 to the colony. That empty hive had to build 

 comb for their honey. They did not have .'> lbs. 

 of combs, all told— honey, bees, and all— making 

 a difference of 5 to 1. It was as good a colony 



as the average — I think better. How is that, 

 R. C. Aikin?" 



Now, friend F., why did you stop there? 

 Your argument is very lame. You fell into the 

 same trap that many others have fallen into. 

 I must ask you some questions. How much 

 more honey had they in their brood-chamber 

 than the other colonies? How long was it after 

 you robbed them of their combs before you 

 went back again? Also, how much time was 

 lost by them before they could get ready to 

 build comb after being so unceremoniously rob- 

 bed? You must see that these are pertinent 

 questions. With an abundance of combs on 

 hand in which to store, surely that colony 

 would not be secreting wax so as to go to build- 

 ing comb at once. 



This involves to some extent the question of 

 wax secretion— whether voluntary or involun- 

 tary. I believe it is voluntary, but that they 

 require time both to start or stop it. We know 

 they will not build comb ahead of their needs. 



Four years ago we had a sudden and very 

 rapid flow of honey. We were feeding to keep 

 up brooding, and they would have starved but 

 for the feed given. In four days they had all 

 available comb full, and were at work on foun- 

 dation. Many colonies used enough old wax in 

 huUding new comb to have held 5 lbs. of honey. 

 They did not get under full headway secreting, 

 for about five or six days at least. I admit that, 

 under such circumstances, we may at times lose 

 some honey; but on the other hand we may 

 lose wax when a sudden stop comes in the flow. 



During the season of 1890 I managed Km colo- 

 nies in three apiaries — one apiary located at 

 home, two seven miles out and two miles apart. 

 As a whole, the home apiary was run for ex- 

 tracted, and the out for comb honey. The total 

 crop was twelve tons. About the same per col- 

 ony \vas yielded in each yard, but theextracted- 

 honey colonies had less in the brood-chamber 

 than the others. A few colonies in the home 

 yard were run for comb— the strongest— and in 

 the out yards a few of the weakest for extract- 

 ed. The average yield per colony was 150 lbs. 

 The greatest yield from any one colony was 350 

 lbs., the least 25 lbs., both comb. Colonies of 

 apparently equal strength showed little differ- 

 ence in yield, whether comb or extracted. 



In 1891 all were run for comb, save a few of 

 the weakest colonies. The latter did not give 

 as much surplus per colony as those run for 

 comb, yet, according to the theory of " double," 

 yes, "and more than double," these weak colo- 

 nies should have at least equaled the average 

 yield of those run for comb, but they did not. 



The seasons of 18'.)3 and 1893 showed about 

 the same n^sults as to proportion, but the crop 

 was very light. 



Now, friend F., if you have produced both 

 comb and extracted at the same time and place, 

 you must have observed this: That the comb- 

 honey colonies, by all odds, store more honey in 



