AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Feb. 6, 3902 



How One flan, Alone, flanaged 500 Colonies for Comb 

 Honey, in Out-Apiaries. 



I had hoped and expected to be with you at this conven- 

 tion, but, when at the Buffalo meeting, not dreaming of a 

 conflict of dates, I promised to attend the meeting of the Min- 

 nesota State Bee-Keepers" Association, which is now in session. 

 The Chicago convention, which I had hoped to attend, is also 

 in session. Hoping that I may be with you next year, and 

 that you may have a pleasant and profitable meeting this year, 

 I will proceed to tell how'onc man, alone — Mr. Charles Koep- 

 peii — formerly of this place (Genesee Co., Mich.), but now in 

 Virginia, managed 500 colonies for comb honey, in out- 

 apiaries. 



He bought bees and increased them, and built up to 500 

 colonies, under difficulties that would have discouraged an 

 ordinary mortal. Almost his first experience was to buy 30 

 colonies for .S300, and seeing them die of foul brood the next 

 year. He was green at the l)usiness, and did not Icnow enough 

 about the disease to recognize it. The bees were in chaff hives, 

 and. by the way, ho continued to use these hives as long as 

 he was in Michigan. He disinfected them with a strong solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid ; I don't know how strong it was. but he 

 said it ate the splinters off the broom with which it was ap- 

 plied. I presume Mr. McEvoy would say that this precaution 

 was unnecessary. Be that as it may, foul brood never devel- 

 oped in these hives since they were thus treated. 



After getting some experience, and a few crops of honey, 

 his enthusiasm and confidence became such that he bought 

 bees largely, going into debt for some of them. Then poor 

 seasons came on, and not only did the bees that were ex- 

 pected to pay for themselves fail to store any honey, but had 

 to be fed both spring and fall. In one instance he fed the 

 bees in tlie spring to keep them strong, and cared for them 

 all during the summer, only to find Xhey must be fed in the 

 fall, and. rather than do this, he let thera go back to the man 

 of wliom he bought tliem, losing his time and the spring feed. 

 It was under such discouragement that he worked away and 

 built up five out-apiaries of nearly lOO colonies each. Then 

 came good seasons, and he was able to buy houses and lots 

 and put money in the bank. 



The wonderful thing about this is that he did all the work 

 alone, with his own hands. 



Briefly, his methods are as follows: He winters most of 

 his bees out-of-doors, protecting them with chaff. He waits 

 until as late as possible in the fall, sets the hives in a long 

 row with boards at the back and front, and then packs the 

 hives in chaff, putting two inches in front, three or four at 

 the back, and five or six on top, covering all with shade- 

 boards, covers or water-proof building-paper. Some of his 

 colonies are in the chaff hives above mentioned, but he does 

 not like them, as they are too expensive, and too bungling and 

 heavy to handle to the best advantage. 



In the spring the bees are looked over, stores equalized 

 and all extra combs removed, the bees being crowed upon as 

 few combs as possible. When the packing is removed, each 

 alternate hive is moved ahead a little, and then in a few days 

 the distance increased \intil the hives are sufiiciently scattered. 

 As soon as the bees are crowded for room, the combs are 

 spread and empty combs put in the center. This is usually 

 done for the first time just before tlie harvest from white 

 clover. A week or ten days later the colonies are again gone 

 over, and the combs of sealed brood in the center shifted to 

 the outside, the outside combs, that are largely filled with 

 hoiicy, bi'ing moved to the center of the brood-nest. At the 

 opejiing of the basswood How the brood-nests are again over- 

 hauled, and this shifting process gone through with ; but in 

 many instances — in fact, in most instances — that is. if the 

 colony is strong enough, two combs of bees and brood are 

 taken away and used in starting a neucleus ; their places, in 

 the center of thi' brood-nest, being filled with empty combs. 

 Eacli nucleus is furnished with a queen-cell, i)lenty of which 

 will be found in <jverhauling the colonies. The empty comlis 

 that are placed in the center of the brood-nest at the last over- 

 hauling are usually filled, to a great extent, with honey : but, 

 as soon as the flow begins to slack up. the honey will be re- 

 moved and used in finishing up what sections may be on the 

 hives. It is astonishing liow a colony so treated will go on 

 finishing up its sections after the flow from basswood is over. 



With tills managenii-nt there is very little swarming, and, 

 as the queens are clipped, tli(> swarms always return, and 

 usually the iiueens get back into their own hive. If they do 

 not. the fact is shown at the next examination. Mr. Koeppeu 

 says that if he can get around and examine each colony as 

 often as once a week, there is practically no swarming. Upon 

 reaching an apiary, if tlx^re is not time enough to go over the 

 whole number of colonies, the stronger ones are selected for 

 that purpose. 



Comparing one location with another, and one year with 

 another, Mr. Koeppen believes thai it is more profitable to 

 keep not more than 50 colonies in a location. None of his 

 apiaries are nearer each other than three miles. His priaeipal 

 honey-resources are white and alsike clovers, and basswood. 

 One of his apiaries was located near a river bottom, and ho 

 often secured 25 pounds of surplus in the fall, from this yard, 

 when nothing was secured from others. 



During the past three years that he was in Michigan, he 

 secured, on an average, each year, 20.000 pounds of comb 

 honey. 



His wife was a Virginia girl and she pursuaded him to 

 move to her old home, else I suppose he would still be piling 

 up comb honey in Michigan. W. Z. Hutchinson. 



Pres. Evans — The subject is now open for discussion. 



Jlr. Hall — I am behind ; I cannot do this. I am behind 

 the times or too lazy. I cannot run 500 colonies alone. The 

 paper is so vast I cannot take it in. Is it a dream ? 



Mr. Frith said he thought Ontario had produced nearly 

 40,000,000 pounds, valued at $2,600,000. 



Pres. Evans did not agree with Mr. Fritli. 



Jlr. Dickinson — It is too much work for one man in On- 

 tario. 



Mr. Hall — I can manage 200 colonies when everything is 

 ready in advance, and I can have a horse when I wish. 



Mr. Jliller — This paper was published four or five years 

 ago in the Review, so it is no dream. 



Mr. Holtermann — It seems to me utterly impractical ; 

 many matters not mentioned require attention. 



A letter was read from Mr. Coggsliall, regretting his inabil- 

 ity to be present. A vote of thanks was tendered Mr. Hutch- 

 inson. 



The convention then adjourned to a banquet of its mem- 

 bers. 



THURSDAY— Morning Ses.sion. 



The secretary then read a letter from the York Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, showing that the following resolution had 

 been passed, asking the Jlinister of Agriculture to secure the 

 passage of an act to compel manufacturers of spraying imple- 

 ments, and druggists or others who sell spraying fixtures and 

 mixtures, to label prominently all such implements and prep- 

 arations with a warning not to spray fruit-trees while in 

 bloom, as specified in the bill passed by the Legislative Assem- 

 bly a few years ago, entitled "'An Act for the I'rotection 

 of Bees." 



Mr. Byer read the following letter from Hon. .fohn Dryden, 

 Member of Agriculture, Ontario : 



De.\k Sir : — I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter 

 of the 11th, drawing my attention to a resolution passed at a 

 meeting of the York County Bee-Keepers' Association, asking 

 for legislation to compel persons who sell implements and 

 material used in spraying to label all such articles with a 

 warning not to use them while fruit-trees are in bloom. 



I think I apjireciate fully the thought and desire of those 

 who passed the resolution. I am not so sure, however, that it 

 would accomplish much in the direction indicated. Tlie 

 present law is clear, and persons can be fined for violating it, 

 yet it would appear from the resolution that, in tlie opinion of 

 the members of your Association, it is not strictly observed. 

 I would suggest that another statute would probably be 

 treated in the same manner. It would be very difficult to 

 reach all the parties who handle such goods, and I fear it 

 would be suggested in the Legislature that the present law is 

 quite clHcient, and quite as likely to be observed as the one 

 you suggest in addition. If in any particular section persons 

 violate the law in the direction named, it would be easy to 

 lay any information against them, when tliey would probably 

 be fined for so doing. This would act as the best warning to 

 all parties in the future in the particular locality. 



My information leads me to say that, generally speaking, 

 the law is pretty well observed, as itis of no practical utility 

 to spray while the trees are in bloom : time and material are 

 both wasted, and, when this is understood, there is no object 

 in doing it at that time. Y'ours very truly, 



John Dryden, Member 0/ Agriculture. 



Air. Byer stated that in his vicinity they had not much 

 trouble. He largely agreed with the views held by Mr. Dryden. 



Pres. Evans thought that education went a long way. In 

 his vicinity they had no trouble, the best fruit-growers recog- 

 nizing that the honey-bee is their friend. 



Mr. liyer related how a man in his vicinity offered to pay 

 a bee-keeper if he would place bees on his farm to help fertil- , 

 ize the blossoms. There was a strong feeling to encourage 

 bee-keeping in every possible way. 



.Mr. Couse told of a man who offered him not onlyj room 



