1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



375 



been planned for in the first place, the pillars could have been 

 set in milk-pans, then you could keep cheap oil in the pans. 



3. One way is to proceed much on the ordinary plan, tak- 

 ing pains to prevent all swarms after the first, then uniting 

 in the following spring or early summer down to the desired 

 number. To prevent after-swarms, put the swarm on the old 

 stand, placing the old hive close up to it, then remove the old 

 hive to a new location about a week later. If you want to 

 limit the number still more, put two old hives together, one on 

 top of the other, at the time of setting on a now location. In 

 this case you would have in many cases to remove the hives at 

 a different time from what you otherwise would. It might be 

 that two swarms would be a week apart. Put the old hive of 

 the first on its new stand not later than a week from the time 

 of the swarm, then three or four days later put the other old 

 hive on it. If you want to carry the limitation still farther, 

 you can pile three or four hives together, and extract some 

 honey from the pile. The third or fourth hive added to the 

 pile might have all its bees brusht off. 



4. I work for comb honey, and have S-frame hives. If I 

 had 10-frame hives I should do a lot of thinking before chang- 

 ing to S-framers, especially if I didn't mind lifting heavy 

 hives. Some of my colonies now have brood in frames lO or 

 more (sometimes they have brood in 14 frames), but of course 

 they have a second story for that. 



5. Yes, sections are usually put on about 10 days after 

 the first white clover blossom is seen. Last year was remark- 

 ably early, the first clover blossom being seen May 6. This 

 year is earlier than usual, the first clover being seen in bloom 

 May 24, making the time to put on sections not much after 

 the first of June. 



'■>. A plain board cover of single thickness is now much 

 used, and in the fall the bees will fill all cracks with bee-glue, 

 fastening the cover to the hive with glue, and such a cover 

 thus sealed down is called a "sealed cover." 



7. As yet I've found nothing that suits me so well as the 

 T super, but I'm not wedded to that, and when I find some- 

 thing enough better I'll change. 



8. Some of them four years, and some of them not four 

 months. Perhaps in general two or three years. 



ii. That depends altogether on circumstances. Sometimes 

 honey is worth more, sometimes less, and in some places it 

 may be worth more than in others. 



10. Neither. I want a frame that is held rigidly in posi- 

 tion, but as free as possible from propolis. On account of 

 their wintering qualities, however, I have a liking for closed- 

 end frames. 



Foiiiidaliou Roller —Dividing. 



1. How can I keep the foundation roller from smashing 

 through the foundation below the — well, the place where it is 

 fastened ? 



2. I divided my bees this evening, and as I have only one 

 colony, I am a little an.^ious as to the result. I put five frames 

 of foundation, one of honey, two of brood, and the old queen 

 In the new hive, and put it on the old stand, and left the rest 

 in the old hive and put it on a new stand. Did I do what was 

 right 1 They were not building queen-cells, but were getting 

 quite crowded. Oregon. 



Answers. — 1. I've had no experience in making founda- 

 tion, and don't really understand the question. Perhaps some 

 of the friends can answer. 



2. Very likely all will come out right, altho it is possible 

 you might better have waited a little later. 



Transrcrrlns Bcc$ and Combs. 



How can I transfer my bees from \OiiilOli frame into a 

 Langstroth frame hive? N. Y. 



Answer. — It ought not to be a difficult matter. Cut a 

 comb out of the frame ; cut off just enough to let the comb fit 

 snug in the new frame, then from another comb cut a piece 

 large enough to fill up the rest of the frame. The pieces that 

 are left can be cut off a little shorter, and be used in filling 

 up the next frame. That will leave some little pieces, which 

 It may be as well not to try to use. Take pains to throw out 

 the drone-comb. If you have no other means of fastening the 

 combs in the frame, common wrapping-twine will answer ; 

 and if you don't get to it in time the bees will gnaw out the 

 strings. First, lay the strings out straight on a board a little 

 larger than the frame, lay the frame on the strings, fill in the 

 comb, tie, raise board and all so the frame will be In the same 

 position as when hanging In hive, then take board away. 



A Bceliincr'§ <tiic-»lions. 



1. Is the young queen that goes with a second swarm 

 mated before she goes out with the swarm ? I have a second 

 swarm that came 12 days after the first swarm. 



2. There are two capt queen-cells left In the old colony 

 which we transferred on the same day the second swarm came 

 —May 26. How long will it be before the young queen will 

 hatch, be mated, bo laying ? 



3. If a swarm has three frames of comb partly filled with 

 honey when hived, how soon mus'j I put on a super '? 



4. Will a swarm that has all the frames filled with brood- 

 foundation be ready for a super in the same number of days 

 as the swarm that has three frames of comb ? 



Kansas. 



Answers. — 1. It is possible that a young queen may be 

 fecundated in the act of swarming, but I think not before. It 

 is nothing unusual for second swarms to vary as to the time of 

 issue, being as late as 16 days after, and when the weather 

 has delayed the first swarm, the second may come perhaps 

 five days after ; but the usual rule is about eight days after 

 the first. 



2. Very likely the young queens in those capt cells were 

 just about ready to emerge, and the successful incumbent 

 ought to be laying somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 or 

 12 days later. 



3. The only objection to putting on a super at the time of 

 hiving the swarm is the danger of the queen going up and 

 laying in the super. Those combs partly filled with honey 

 will be a more attractive place to lay than the super, so you 

 may as well put on the super at once. 



4. Of course there can be no difference, if both are ready 

 for supers as soon as the bees are hived, but if the swarm is 

 hived on foundation it is better to wait until a start is made 

 in the brood-nest before putting on supers, unless a queen- 

 excluder is put under the super. 



Will Tliey Swarm this Season? 



1. I have a small colony of bees that lost their queen dur- 

 ing the winter. May 4 I introduced an Italian queen, and on 

 the 11th I found that she was laying all right. Will this col- 

 ony be likely to swarm during the summer ? 



2. I had a very strong colony in a box-Live, and on May 

 11 I drummed out the queen and a few of the bees, putting 

 them into a new hive (with foundation in all the frames) on 

 the old stand, and placing the box-hive in another part of the 

 yard, intending to transfer them after 2 L days to a- movable- 

 frame hive. If they rear a queen will they be likely to swarm 

 this summer ? 



3. Will those on the old stand be likely to swarm ? There 

 are a good many bees working from both hives. W. L. 



Answers. — 1. Yes, if they're strong enough. The chang- 

 ing of the queen makes no difference, in and of itself, only the 

 colony is no doubt much weaker than it would have been if 

 they had had a queen laying right along all spring. 



2. They are almost certain not to swarm this summer. 



3. No, it is not at all likely that either one will swarm. 



New Union and tlie Bee Journal.— In order 

 to help our subscribers, and also the United States Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Union at the same time, we have decided to offer a year's 

 subscription to the American Bee Journal and a year's mem- 

 bership dues in the New Union, both together, for .SI. 75. 

 But it must be understood that in order to get this rate, all 

 arrearages of subscriptions must be paid, and the .$1.7.5 rate 

 to apply on advance subscription. 



Now send us your orders, and we will attend to turning 

 over the SI. 00 membership fee to the New Union, on each 

 subscription to the Bee Journal as per the above offer. This 

 ought to add .500 members to the New Union by June 1. If 

 it does, our contribution will be just .S125. 



Now, if you want to see the New Union succeed in its 



grand work, in the interest of nil the bee-keepers, come on 



with your cash. General Manager Secor is just aching to do 



his part whenever he sees sufficient funds in the treasury to 



pay the bills. 



.*-* ♦ 



The ItlcEvoy Foul Brood Treatment Is 



given in Dr. Howard's pamphlet on " Foul Brood ; Its Natural 

 History and Rational Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be in the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the Bee Journal for one year 

 —both for SI. 10. 



