Jan. 23, 1902 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



37 



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colony can be produced with it as with any other separator 

 made. 



Veneer or solid wood separators are too frail. The fence 

 has not only the same objectionable feature, but with it' 

 another fully as objectionable, viz., often ribby comb in 

 sections. Not only this, but as the fence is made for use 

 with plain sections only, I find it difficult in many instances 

 to case plain sections when filled, without marring the yap- 

 pings. 



My favorite section is the 4'^^x4 '4 xl Js, and so-termed 

 two-way, and the use of tin separators; and my reason is, 

 no danger of marring cappings when cleaning. The same 

 can be said when casing. 



In regard to hives, Golden 's combination comb-honey 

 hive has again proven best in the production of honey. 

 And just here I would like to in<}uire why it was that not 

 one of the gentlemen named in my article (published Nov. 

 22, 1900), accepted the proposition I made regarding their 

 testing the Golden hive in 1901. But I am fearful — yes, 

 confident — Prejudice is the enthroned power, and, if by 

 trial forced in honor to acknowledge its supremacy, might 

 injure our influence 1 If any of the gentlemen I named have 

 anything to offer on the same terms to me, I am ready to 

 accept, and will, to the best of my ability, give it a fair, 

 impartial trial in 1902. 



I have this to say regarding the Golden plan or system: 

 I feel confident that if fairly tested there will be no cause 

 of regret for having put it in practice, for had it proven an 

 error on the part of Mr. Golden, long ere this I would have 

 cast it to the four winds, and advised the fraternity of its 

 failure. 



LOSS OF QUSBNS. 



Yes, indeed, I lost 10 colonies out of a total of 93 the 

 past fall. Queens were lost by being superseded, and young 

 queens failing to return safely, after which robbing set in 

 and the doubling-up with other colonies adopted. 



Who of the vast number of bee-keepers can tell when a 

 queen will be superseded, without examining the internal 

 condition of the hive ? If such there be, will he please in- 

 form the fraternity on the subject ? However, it is well 

 known that more queens are superseded in the late summer 

 and fall than at any other time. 



The remedy : Now I expect swords will be drawn, and 

 objections filed. Kill all queens in the apiary at the close 

 of the honey-flow, save those of that season's progeny, 

 and see that all colonies are supplied with young queens. 

 Thus the bee-keeper will be ever watchful until he knows 

 all colonies are requeened. This was formerly, and here- 

 after will be, the plan adopted by me, and I am confident 

 better results can be obtained from an apiary stocked with 

 young queens than from old ones, or from young and old 

 mixed. 



HIVK-MARKKRS. 



Yes, I have used slates, etc. Last summer I ran short 

 of slates, and an idea presented itself to me as follows : 

 Take a piece of solid wood six inches long and half an inch 



square ; taper two sides so as to be three-eighths of an inch 

 at one end; with hand-saw rip a kerf half the length of the 

 piece. At the largeror »(iuareciid <1rivc in the center a two- 

 inch nail, having first cut the head o(T, leaving five eighth* 

 of an inch exposed. The part ot the nail exposed file taper- 

 ing until sharp, then stick in the topof the hive. Take a 

 piece of broken section, write on or letter, or use any motto 

 you may have adopted, place it in the saw-kerf and a glance 

 in passing through an apiary nveals in plain view the condi- 

 tion of the colony. Try it. To prevent washing off by 

 rain, use indelible pencil, and an extra piece of section 

 tacked flat-wise on the edge of the piece written on. 



The last was an unfavorable season for the production 

 of honey where my apriary is now located, being extremely 

 wet. Kain, rain, rain, was almost of daily occurrence, 

 and that, too, right at and I hrough the basswood flow ; 

 not only then, but prior to and after. My honey crop was 

 3JHI) pounds — 2993 pounds of merchantable sections, and 

 the balance uncompleted sections, and of which I extracted 

 those having the least honey, taking ISO poundsof extracted 

 honey, keeping the remainder for my own use and for sale 

 on the home market. 



During the season I increased 10 colonies, but, as stated, 

 I lost 10; thus, when returning homeward my apiary con- 

 tained the same number at the close as at the opening of 

 the season. 



Fourteen colonies worked on the (iolden plan yielded 

 three supers each of completed hone)-, whilst only one col- 

 ony on the general plan yielded the same amount. 



Whether or not the bees were of the so-niuch-advertised 

 long-tongue variety I do not know. I do know I have not 

 made any purchases of that kind of stock, but if such there 

 be, each and every apiary of 25 or more colonies has 

 them. We know the human family has them, and 

 great sensations and disturbances in neighborhoods 

 are caused by them, ofttimes. Then, we have the long-fin- 

 gered variety, too ; both are very bad elements, requiring 

 close and diligent watching. 



Now, if the long tongued bees can create as much of a 

 sensation in the apiary as long-tongued people can in a 

 neighborhood, I would then want them. 



Who of the many breeders of long-tongued queens will 

 guarantee their progeny to store more honey than bees 

 from our ordinary queens? If such breeder is known, I 

 would like to contract with him for queens for half the 

 number of colonies in my apiary next season, on the follow- 

 ing terms : 



Tests to be made in 1903. Should the so-termed long- 

 tongue variety store, on an average, five pounds more per 

 colony than the others in the yard I will pay double the 

 price regularly sold at ; failing to do so, the breeder is to 

 have no pay. I will, if desired, place an amount necessary 

 to cover the cost of the queens in hands of. the editor, on 

 terms stated. 



The above expresses indirectly my faith in the so- 

 termed long-tongue variety. 



Are all thoroughbred Jersey or Alderney cows good ? 

 Are all Norman and Clydesdale horses good ? Do we find 

 the greater number bringing fancy prices? Verily, no. 

 It is only the few selected ones, and very often they prove 

 no better than those considered inferior ; and in breeding' 

 from the very select, the same results will evidently follow. 



Finally, give me young queens ; yes, queens of the past 

 season's rearing for the season of 1902, and at the close of 

 the harvest of 1902 see that all colonies are supplied with 

 young queens for 1903, continuing the rearing or stocking 

 each year with the close of the harvest. It will be the 

 means of a live and healthy apiary. Young, vigorous queens 

 means vigorous and healthy bees, able to withstand the 

 storms of winter, and undoubtedly not so liable to disease. 

 At stated intervals infuse some new blood, by requeening 

 at least a few colonies by purchasing queens from some 

 reliable breeder. 



I herewith present a picture of 10 sections of a super of 

 basswood honey produced by the use of the two-way sec- 

 tions and tin separators, on Golden's combination comb- 

 honey hive. No selection was made to secure the best, my 

 purpose being at first to have the entire super taken, but I 

 found it would reduce the apparent size of sections too 

 much. 



The hive-marker spokea of appears at the left in the 

 picture. Somerset Co., Pa. 



The Premiums offered this week are well worth working 

 for. Look at them. 



