382 THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



frames of foundation among those colonies that were working 

 freely above. 1 went my way about other business for about three 

 weeks, when I examined them again and found that 1 could extract 

 about a thousand pounds more, which was done. By this time most 

 of the queens had about quit laying and nearly ail had ignored the 

 top stories. 



My desire and idea was to transfer those bees anr! sustain no 

 loss. 1 had learned long ago when robbing box hives that if large 

 openings were left about the covers, bees would not store much 

 honey next these openings and if openings were made where honey 

 was already stored, the bees would remcxe it. So with a hammer 

 and chisel I effected all the small openings about the lower part of 

 the old hive I could, then in a few^ days 1 opened them just a little 

 more. This I kept up during the summer and soon found out it 

 was having the desired efifect, for the combs were being emptied 

 farther and farther back from these openings. Soon the honey began 

 to show in the top story, and so did the queens. 1 kept opening the 

 old jiives near their bottom and by the first of fall they were opened 

 to such an extent that they would hardly support the body above. 

 At this time most of the combs were visible and dry, for the greater 

 share of the ends of the old hives had been removed. The queens 

 had during this transferring period established themselves in the 

 top story, or what was from now on to be their new hive. At the 

 close of the season it was an easy job to smoke what l:)ees there 

 were left in the old hive up into their new quarters above, when the 

 old hive was removed, and the new one set in its place, thus finishing 

 the job of transferring as far as the swarm was concerned. The old 

 hives were carried to one side of the apiary and the bees soon car- 

 ried home what little honey they contained, when the combs were 

 removed and rendered into wax. 



At the close of the season tlie bees were examined and found 

 heavy with stores for the winter. From this experience 1 got an 

 idea how to transfer bees froni any kind of box hive with ver\^ little 

 trouble and loss, at the same time securing a crop of honey. With 

 this plan in view, I set out the next season buying up l)ees in any 

 kind of hives, wherever they could be obtained. The 'Illustration 

 clearly shows how this simple plan is carried out. By way of ex- 

 planation will say: prepare one-story hives as explained above, also 

 a super for each colony to be transferred, with full sheets of founda- 

 tion in the frames. 



As soon as springtime is at hand, and the first honey plants 

 yielding surplus begin blooming, the work of transferring should 

 begin. The bees are smoked well at the entrance, then the hive 

 turned down on its back or side, so the combs will stand perpen- 

 dicular, thus not be so liable to break down. With a hatchet, split 



*NOTE — Cut not received in time for this issue. 



