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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Dec. 4, 1902. 



the right to give notice of any amendment he sees tit to 

 propose, and it would not be his notice if a committee 

 changed it ; if the committee has an amendment to propose, 

 and gives notice of it, that is another thing — 



Mr. Van Colder — I rise to a point of order. 



Pres. Hutchinson — The question is, Shall we adjourn ? 



Pres. Hutchinson then put the motion to adjourn, 

 which, on a vote having been taken, was declared carried, 

 and the convention adjourned until 1:30 p.m. 

 (Continued next week.) 



i Contributed Articles. 



Brushed Swarms— Locality 

 Made Easy. 



Bee-Keeping 



BY F. GREINER. 



THE brushing or shaking off of bees to place colonies in 

 the condition of a young swarm is being more and more 

 recognized as //le method to handle the bees in out- 

 apiaries. The idea of the original inventor (Gravenhorst, 

 of Germany) was to make the strong colonies as strong as 

 possible at the expense of the weaker ones, and when they 

 had arrived at the danger-line (swarming-point), then to 

 shake the bees off their combs and let them build combs in 

 an empty hive. The brood-combs gained were utilized to 

 bring the nest strongest to the same state of populousness, 

 and then shake these off and put them into empty hives. 

 This was continued to the end, or till the season came to an 

 end, or the yard had been gone over. 



The conditions must have been different with Graven- 

 horst than they are with us. We don't find it advisable to 

 " brush " bees till the honey season is at hand ; then we 

 would like to shake or brush all colonies if they were all 

 good and strong. It may be necessary to hold back some of 

 our best or most populons colonies, either by taking a frame 

 of brood from them occasionally and substituting empty 

 comb, or by giving more combs by enlarging the brood- 

 nest. A colony brushed or shaken off in May cannot be 

 expected to be in the best condition for storing by June 20. 

 The colony shaken oft' on the last-named date will be in ex- 

 cellent condition for work then. 



Our object is not the rearing of the bees, but to produce 

 honey, and our management much be in accordance there- 

 with. He who can so manage as to exchange all surplus 

 bees, grown during the season, for honey, and come out 

 with the same number of colonies he started out with, has 

 solved the problem best. Many are the inventors who hit 

 on the plan of shaking swarms simultaneously, or without 

 any previous knowledge — it is to their credit; but Graven- 

 horst undoubtedly was the first who made it known to the 

 world. 



In practicing the method locality plays an important 

 part, as it does in many other manipulations. The shaken- 

 off bees absconding is, for instance, unknown to some, whilst 

 with others precautionary measures have to be taken or else 

 20 percent of the brushed colonies leave the bee-keeper. 

 There is really too much at stake to run any chances. One 

 single swarm held from going to the woods will pay in 

 honey for all the entrance-guards needed in a large apiary, 

 or pay for the trouble of keeping a brood-comb in each pre- 

 pared hive for a few days. The brood-comb, or rather comb 

 of brood, does not always hold the bees from absconding in 

 my own locality, and the entrance-guard has failed once 

 with me. This, however, does not hinder me from apply- 

 ing these means. It is the best we can do, as far as I know. 



In some localities a hive full of brushed-off brood-combs 

 may be set up on a new stand — the hatching bees will take 

 care of things. I learn this from the writings of others, for 

 I have never tested it myself, not being of that venturesome 

 nature. I prefer to make a sure thing of it, by placing one 

 or more sets of brushed combs upon some colony, leaving 

 them there from 6 to 9 days. Then they can be separated 

 without the slightest risk of losing brood or starting a case 

 of robbing. If the weather is very warm, and there is not 

 much open brood in a hive, it may do to leave things to the 

 emerging bees. 



I believe more disagreements and disputes arise among 



bee-keepers on account of differences in localities than from 

 any other one cause. This is more apparent the more 

 I see of different localities and the bee-keepers residing 

 therein. 



When I was with Mr. W. F. Marks two weeks ago, I 

 viewed his section honey with a great deal of — well, I could 

 almost say, envy. Although it was produced in section- 

 holders minus tops, the sections were free from propolis, 

 and stain. My own honey is principally stored in wide 

 frames which protect the section on all four sides, but it 

 could not compare with Mr. Marks'. There is no use ii> 

 talking, a super that does not protect the sections all around 

 is of no good here ; it is all right with Mr. Marks, 



BEE-KEEPING MADE EASY. 



At the Chicago Bee-Keepers' Convention last winter one 

 good friend gave his management of bees. It consisted, in 

 short, of giving plenty of room — two extra 10-frame brood- 

 chambers full of comb added below the hive containing the 

 bees. It prevented all swarming. 



Another friend remarked that he had just learned how- 

 he could go a-fishing. 



If there are any lazy bee-keepers anywhere, or some 

 others that would rather go a-fishing than work in the bee- 

 yard, let them heed what Dr. Gandy said in Gleanings a 

 short time ago. In substance it is : " Invest $60.00 in cat- 

 nip and sweet clover seed, and sow it around your neighbor- 

 hood. The bee-pasture will be so much improved_that colo- 

 nies will store 400 pounds of honey. Dr. Gandy also con- 

 trolls the honey market, so that he obtains 15 cents per 

 pounds for any kind of honey he produces." 



Now the lazy bee-keeper must " get on to " this scheme ; 

 then keep 15 colonies of bees only, because the proceeds 

 from them will be enough to furnish him with all the neces- 

 saries of life. It should certainly not take more than one 

 day's work each week to attend to these IS colonies, and he 

 would have five days for fishing and one day for rest. Don't 

 you see what an easy time the bee-keeper could have ? 

 Fifteen colonies of bees, each producing 400 pounds of 

 honey would give a total of 6000 pounds. Sold at 15 cents 

 per pound — proceeds, S900. 



I would like to be in it. Ontario Co., N. Y. 



Prolific Queen-Bees and Large Hives. 



Rtmil at l/ic J/i/t/ttsula >Slalt' Jjet^-Ket'ix'i'i^^ Co/weittwii^ 

 BY W. J. STAHMANN. 



MUCH attention has been paid by queen-breeders to color 

 and beauty of queens, and too little to the prolific- 

 ness, comb-building and honey-gathering capacity of 

 their progeny. When a practical bee-man wishes to im- 

 prove his bees he does not as a rule look for beauty, but he 

 does want to know something about their ability to yield 

 dollars and cents. 



Breeders of live stock have some wonderful improve- 

 ments in their stock by careful breeding. Why should not 

 bee-keepers do the same ? It is certainly as easy, if not 

 easier. I do not wish to give the impression that I think 

 bee-keepers have not made much advancement along this 

 line, they certainly have, and especially in color. But I do 

 want to mention two very important points that I believe 

 have been neglected, viz.: Prolificness of queens, and comb- 

 building qualities of their progeny. 



We cannot very well have a prolific queen without a 

 large hive — the two, as a rule, go together. My experience 

 is that a queen reared and allowed to lay eggs for the space 

 of a week or more in a small hive, or having a small amount 

 of bees, will seldom make a prolific queen, regardless of 

 the stock she comes from. 



Hence two things are essential in rearing prolific queens 

 — a strong colony, and a large hive when she is about to be- 

 gin laying. I also find that a prolific queen is injured by 

 putting her in a hive too small for her capacity, or by con- 

 fining her through a honey-flow. A prolific queen that has 

 her brood-nest reduced to 4 or 5 combs through a honey sea- 

 son will seldom be the egg-layer that she was, and I am in- 

 clined to believe that where large hives are used and care is 

 taken, when the young queens are about to lay, that they 

 have a strong force of bees. In several generations the 

 egg-laying capacity of queens can be increased, and on the 

 other hand if kept in small hives the tendency is to degen- 

 erate and lessen the capacity of a prolific strain of queens. 



Years ago I used quite a number of 8-frame hives — at 

 one time 1 had 150 of them— and I also used the 10-frame 



