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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



39 



Bee-keeping in this part of the State for the last three or 

 four years has been nearly a total failure as far as honey is 

 concerned ; the dry seasons nearly wiped it, out.or rather dried 

 it out. However, the season of IS'.Jti was considerable of an 

 improvement over former seasons, by the way of honey gath- 

 ering. 



In writing on bee-culture, I belong to that class of indi- 

 viduals who can't tell or put on paper just what they know. 

 My experience in this pursuit e.\tends over a period of 25 

 years, and now 1 have come to believe that bee-culture is a 

 trade, to be learned just like any other trade, if success is the 

 object to be attained. Cass Co., Nebr., Jan. 7. 



Making Large Increase in a Poor Season. 



BY DR. E. GALLUP. 



I am requested to tell through the Bee Journal how I 

 manage to make such a large increase in a poor season ; also 

 how I manage doubling up in either fall or spring. Now, if I 

 can make myself understood when I have answered one ques- 

 tion I have answered both. 



When I practiced natural swarming, it was a very rare 

 thing to have light swarms that needed doubling. The old 

 saying was, that a small swarm was worthless. Well, they 

 were, if hived in an ordinary sized hive and allowed to man- 

 age themselves ; but second and third swarms almost inva- 

 riably have a prolific queen. If increase is what I am work- 

 ing for, I consider all swarms worth saving, but if we allow 

 any colonies to swarm more than once, we must not expect a 

 large surplus of honey. 



Now, if you have second and third swarms, hive them in 

 the standard size hive, but use a division-board. The old col- 

 ony will be so reduced in numbers that they want a division- 

 board and contraction of the brood-nest also. Take the sur- 

 plus combs from the old colony and divide with the second and 

 third swarms. Now be sure to contract the brood-nest so the 

 bees will be crowded into as small a space as required, for we 

 want to control the heat and still allow for a large working- 

 force in proportion to the mass of bees. Understand that the 

 queen will not deposit eggs where there is not sufficient 

 warmth to hatch and develop the brood. If we have only 

 bees enough to fully occupy three frames, crowd them onto 

 the three, and if when the bees are all in at night, some of 

 them are crowded outside of the division-board so much the 

 better. As soon as they require more room, enlarge their 

 department by moving the division-board and inserting either 

 an empty frame or a frame of foundation ; and always insert 

 that in the center of the brood-nest, as the queen will the 

 sooner occ\ipy it, for if placed at the outside she would not 

 occupy it so soon, and then be apt to occupy it only sparingly. 



Now you can understand that if we did not crowd the bees 

 into a small space, they would be compelled to build all combs 

 after the first two or three outside of the cluster, and the 

 queen would not occupy it. Then, also, the bees would be 

 compelled — so many of them — to stop at home to keep up the 

 warmth that they could spare but a very small working or 

 ga,thering force outside, consequently they are kept back on 

 all sides. 



Of course, the old colony must be built up in the same 

 manner, and as we have young and prolific queens, every 

 comb they build will be worker-comb. There will be no drone- 

 comb built so long as the queen remains prolific, or the first 

 season, providing the comb is built in the center of the brood- 

 nest. The bees will often build drone-comb if compelled to 

 build outside of the brood-nest, because they build it for 

 storage purposes only. 



I always get a fine lot of nice worker-combs built by the 

 above management ; and by this management they will store 

 the same amount of honey in proportion to the number of 

 bees as would a large, powerful colony; whereas, if we hived 

 them as is usually done, without contracting the size of the 

 hive to suit the number of bees, and managing as recom- 

 mended above, they could only build a small amount of comb, 

 and the queen could only breed enough to just keep up the 

 original number of bees ; and if she even did that, she would 

 do well. There would be comparatively no honey stored, and 

 the result — instead of a good, strong colony there would be a 

 very feeble, worthless one, which in all probability, if we put 

 four together, would not be wortth as much as the one rightly 

 managed. 



To the beginner : Begin on a small scale, and work up as 

 you learn. I have explained the management so that when 

 you have learned the practical part you will find that you 

 have no colonies to double up. Even a colony thal.is reduced 

 in spring, the hive should be reduced b; the use of thedivision- 



board to suit the number of bees, and If the queen is all right 

 you will be astonisht to see the difference, and how rapidly 

 they can bo built up in comparison to the old method. You 

 spring dwindlers might take a hint from the above. 



"Well," you may say, " your plan makes a great amount 

 of fussing and bother." My reply is: What are wo keeping 

 bees for, if not to manage them in the best possible manner 

 to make the most out of them, and to keep them in the best 

 possible condition ? On the above plan, and with good, pro- 

 lific queens, it is a very easy matter to make increase. Two 

 queens, if rightly managed, will deposit double the number of 

 eggs that one can, is my motto. Orange Co., Calif. 



Bee-Jottings from the Southland. 



BV MRS. L. HARRISON. 



While waiting a week at Mobile, Ala., for a steamer to 

 cross the Gulf of Mexico to my present residence in B'lorida, I 

 saw no honey for sale — comb or extracted. It is a port of 

 considerable importance, claiming 35,000 inhabitants. It 

 would be well for the producers of honey in the South to create 

 a demand for their product in New Orleans, Mobile, Pensa- 

 cola, and from the Mississippi to the Atlantic are strung along 

 numerous towns, the winter resort of northern tourists. If 

 they have any honey, it is shlpt from Chicago, as it is to this 

 towu. 



I have seen comb honey for sale in the stores here that 

 was produced in this locality, but in very bad shape, tho 

 beautifully white honey. It is gathered from the ti-ti. (This 

 word should be spelled with a hyphen ; it is of Indian origin, 

 signifying tangle or thicket.) Scientifically it is known as 

 "Cliftonia ligustrina," and thrives only in living water. Its 

 pretty pinkish-white bloom grows in racemes, and is quite 

 fragrant, being a great favorite with the bees, blooming In 

 early spring. 



I was very much interested in reading an article on 

 "Comb Honey in the South." on page 802 (1896). Ex- 

 perience in handling and caring for honey is what we need ; 

 also the sale of the same. I had always supposed that comb 

 honey could not be kept for any length of time in Florida; 

 that it would gather dampness, and ooze from the comb; but 

 localities may differ greatly in this respect. 



During the past season, in this locality, a severe drouth 

 prevailed, and most of the bees died of starvation. Further 

 inland from the Bay they suffered less with drouth. Newly- 

 transplanted trees that were not constantly watered, died. 

 Washington Co., Fla., Jan. 1. 



Tl?e Weekly Budgets 



Mr. G. M. Doolittle is now one of the editors of the 

 Progressive Bee-Keeper. 



Mr. Sigel Brautigam, of New Mexico, writes : " Every 

 progressive apiarist ought to have the American Bee Journal. 

 It is worth more than is askt for it. I am glad to see it ex- 

 posing frauds, such as some commission-men and others. Suc- 

 cess to the 'Old Reliable.'" 



Mr. Andrew Girard, of Bay Co., Mich., wrote thus ap- 

 preciatively when renewing his subscription: 



" Mr. York : — Enclosed find .$1.00 for the American Bee 

 Journal for 1897, with many thanks to you for your kind iu- 

 formation. Had it not been for your valuable paper, I should 

 have been swindled out of 3,000 pounds of honey ; and now, 

 as soon as the amalgamation is completed, I will send in my 

 dollar to help keep the swindlers down, and also adulteration." 



Madam Mod.ieska, the Polish actress, has often been re- 

 ported in the newspapers as haviug 600 colonies of bees on 

 her ranch in California. But Rambler has been investigat- 

 ing the matter, and reports as follows in Gleanings : 



" Is it not about time for that item charging Madam 

 Modjeska with having 600 colonies of bees be stopt from 

 swinging around among the newspapers ? The following 

 from Dr. Gallup settles the matter right : ' I have known the 

 Madam's apiarist for a number of years. I saw the young 

 man today, Oct. 7. He says she has 12.5 colonius, mostly 

 pure Italians, in bad condition. The bees have been fed quite 

 an amount, and they are soon to be moved to the valley to 

 winter. So you now have the facts from headquarters,' says 

 the Doctor." 



