1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



499 



One moriiinj; I hived a very small after-swarm, and about 

 the time it got settled another swarm of moderate size came 

 and entered the same hive. Then I put the hive with the two 

 swarms on top of a queeniess colony and left the bees to settle 

 things to suit themselves. I recl<on there was a royal battle, 

 and also reckon that the majority of the bees cared no more 

 about what was going on than the majority of the people of 

 England did when the fight waxt hot between York and Lan- 

 caster. Now Ihiugs are going on normally in thatonce queen- 

 less hive. 



One day I hived a swarm, and after remaining a little 

 while the bees began to swarm out. Then I closed the en- 

 trance and placed the hive on top of another queeniess colony. 

 A late examination shows the colony to be queeniess yet. So 

 I reckon the swarm was queeniess. 



Again, I have not had the number of natural swarms that 

 I e.xpected, and I have lost heavily on account of runaway 

 swarms. If swarms would stay after they are hived it would 

 not be so bad, but several of my best ones have struck out 

 soon after hiving, and others after they have staid and workt 

 three or four days. These hived swarms might perhaps have 

 been made to stay if I had known enough to give them a 

 frame of unsealed brood. We have a bee-keeper's word that 

 they will stay under such circumstances, but I did Lot always 

 think of it till it was too late. 



I lost a few swarms by not being on hand when they 

 came out. I am beginning to shake my head a good deal over 

 this natural-swarming business; "commencing to divide," 

 and that queen-clipping device, are not remote possibilities. 



Uaving observed the reluctance with which bees work 

 through bee-zinc, I believe I have no great use for queen- 

 traps and queen-excluders. 



BIG HTVES GIVE BEST RESULTS. 



I think I shall have to chronicle the fact that my bees in 

 10-frame hives, whether of standard or deeper depth, have 

 given me best results in honey this season. No swarming of 

 any account from these hives, but the work of storing honey 

 went steadily forward while there was auy to store. Many 

 colouies in the 8 frame hives have done well, and, on the 

 other hand, too many of them have done nothing, or next to 

 nothing. When I could catch a colony swarming, and hive 

 the swarm on starters of foundation, and place the swarm on 

 the old stand, I have got considerable surplus from the 

 swarms. But in these days of low prices and uncertain honey- 

 flows I will not practice what is called "contraction." There 

 seems to be lots more monkeying with bees in order to secure 

 the last ounce of surplus to place upon an overstockt market 

 than results will justify. 



PBODUCE ONLV EXTRACTED HOSET. 



Somehow, rightfully or wrongfully, extracted honey is a 

 discredited thing, selling in the great markets down with cane 

 sugar, when it owg?it to be more sought after, and sell for 

 nearly or quite as good a price as comb honey. I am going to 

 chronicle my opinion that extracted honey Is the only kind of 

 honey that ought to be produced. I am aware that from this 

 opinion there will be a numerous and loud dissent, but never- 

 theless this will remain my opinion. I am not going to argue 

 the question with anybody, but will just call attention to one 

 point in its favor, viz.: It will keep indefinitely. 



But where am I at? I will tell you about some more 

 foolishness. 



GIVING TOO MUCH STOKAGEROOM. 



One of the things which I did, which may have bad con- 

 sequences, was to give too much room for the storage of sur- 

 plus honey. It did not seem to be too much at the time, but 

 storing having ceast, or nearly so, I am likely to have a great 

 lot of unfinisht sections. I am reducing the number of supers 

 to one on a hive as fast as possible, but it looks now as if these 



will not be filled, and so there is small chance that the sec- 

 tions I am now taking off will get anything more put into 

 them this season. If this condition of things is general, the 

 season may turn out to be an unprofitable one after all the 

 promise of middle and later June. 



SMOKING BEES AT THE HIVE-ENTRANCE.- 



The matter I am about to mention is somewhat foreign to 

 anything I have been saying, but I cannot refrain from ask- 

 ing what is this we hear from Doolitlle? He says that he 

 always smokes the bees a little at the entrance when putting 

 on and taking off supers. Does that have to be done in a 

 yard full of golden beauties ? I do not smoke at the entrance 

 once iu a hundred limes, and hardly ever get stung when put- 

 ting on and taking off supers. 



And now, my bee-keeping friends— if I have any, and, if I 

 may presume to call you such — having " hollered back " all 

 you care to hear, and more, perhaps, I will bid you again good- 

 bye for 20 years. Decatur Co., Iowa, July 26. 



Will of the Workers— Summer Management. 



BY L. A. ASPINWAI-I.. 



Altho it is generally understood that the economy of the 

 hive is under the control of the workers, still, not a few believe 

 that such matters in which the queen performs a part or func- 

 tion, she may exert a positive guiding influence : notably, such 

 instances as' swarming, leaving the hive for mating, and, 

 altho to a less degree, in her individual function — egg-laying. 

 Seemingly the possessor of a sole function should also possess 

 the right to exercise or use it. In considering the matter of 

 egg-laying we have a greater opportunity to ascertain many 

 facts pertaining to the executive or governing power of the 

 workers than in that of swarming, or mating of queens. We 

 can begin the season with a small brood-nest and carefully 

 note ali actions until swarming takes place. 



During the breeding season doubtless many have noticed 

 the queen surrounded by a few workers, apparently paying 

 her tokens of respect, and much has been written in confirma- 

 tion of such theories. However, an examination of the colony 

 previous to or after the breeding season will reveal a fact that 

 the workers pay no more attention to the queen than to each 

 other. Still, if deprived of her presence, they display evident 

 signs of the loss. This, however, simply shows her important 

 relation to the colony, which is recognized by the course of 

 action taken by the bees. 



When the breeding season approaches, the nurse-bees sup- 

 ply the queen with an increast amount of food, stimulating 

 the ovaries to action and bringing about the laying of eggs. 

 This stimulative feeding is increast until the height of the 

 breeding season is reacht, at which time her size and brilliancy 

 are much greater than at any other period of the year. A few 

 days previous to swarming this supply of food is withheld, and 

 with the issuing of the swarm we find her much reduced in 

 size, also greatly inferior as regards color. So this retinue 

 surrounding the egg-layer is not doing obeisance, but utilizing 

 their powers of digestion to the furtherance of brood-rearing, 

 and are servants, not only to the queen, but the colony. 



I sometimes regard the queen as the greater servant, com- 

 paring her to the honey-ant, which is only a living receptacle 

 filled by the worker ants until the abdomen becomes distended 

 to an enormous size. Such is the relation of the queen to the 

 colony— she subserves the will of the workers, and in so doing 

 promotes the general welfare. 



The drones are also brought into existence by the same 

 will, which, when the requirements of the colony are such as 

 to render them useless, not only withhold their accustomed 

 food, but drive them from the hive to perish. 



If this executive or governing power of the workers is dis- 

 played in the general economy of the hive— comb-building, 

 breeding and honey-gathering- involving an immense detail 

 of work, and the display of vario\is functions, we may logi- 

 cally conclude that it is exercised in swarming and mating of 

 queens. As instance. I once had a prime or first swarm issue 

 two or three hours after removing the old queen, the prepara- 

 tions (finisht and unfinisht queen-cells) for swarming being 

 complete. That instance proved beyond a doubt (to my mind) 

 that the queen simply unites with and is subject to the will of 

 the workers in swarming as in egg-laying. 



