1900 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



263 



pieces of comb, even if they cost nothing, un- 

 less it might be by way of laying a stone of 

 economy, as one that might be necessary, in 

 the foundation for the future of any life which 

 would otherwise tend toward extravagance. 

 However this might be, I think that, to melt 

 up fairly good combs, as some do, and buy 

 foundation as some recommend, is very poor 

 policy." 



" Where we allow the bees to build their 

 combs, when should it be done? " 



" Much loss is always sustained by letting 

 our bees build comb in the brood-apartment of 

 the hives during the best of the honey-flow, 

 unless it is new swarms having the hive con- 

 tracted to a few frames. The time to build 

 the comb is when honey is coming in moder- 

 ately, not only as regards the saving of hon- 

 ey, but because more worker comb will be 

 built when honey is coming in slowly." 



" How about the new swarms you hinted at 

 in your last remarks ? ' ' 



" Early in my commencement in bee-keep- 

 ing I was obliged to buy comb, as I told you, 

 as there was no foundation then, nor could I 

 buy combs built in the frames, or get my bees 

 to build enough before the main harvest for 

 them to rear brood in while at work in the 

 boxes ; but later I struck on the plan of giving 

 my new swarms only five frames ; and as soon 

 as these were filled with all-worker comb I 

 spread them apart, putting in each alternate 

 space an empty comb, so that the hive was 

 filled out in time for honey and bees sufficient 

 for successful wintering." 



" Did not five frames make a hive too small 

 for a large swarm of bees ? " 



" If the swarms were too large to work prof- 

 itably building these few combs, sections were 

 placed around and over them, so they could 

 work in these, thus losing no time to the bees. 

 In these experiments I found that I could se- 

 cure a third more honey from a swarm treated 

 in this way than from one building the whole 

 hive full of comb during the height of the hon- 

 ey-harvest, besides securing nearly or quite all 

 straight worker combs in each frame given. 

 There is nothing of more value in the apiary 

 than good straight worker combs, except good 

 prolific queens." 



" From what you say, I judge good worker 

 combs are of more value than I had supposed. ' ' 



" Such combs are oi great value, and should 

 be looked after with care when away from the 

 bees, and the larvEe of the wax-moth should 

 not be allowed to spoil them, as very many of 

 our bee-keepers so often allow." 



" But is not comb foundation just as good 

 or preferable ? " 



" Some seem to have the idea that comb 

 foundation is preferable to frames full of comb. 

 This, I think, is a mistake, for I know of no 

 spot or place where they are as good, for the 

 bees must consume some time in getting the 

 foundation worked out to full combs, saying 

 nothing of the expense of buying it, or the 

 time taken in putting it into wired frames. 

 To my mind, a nice straight worker comb, 

 built true in the frame, from foundation or 

 otherwise, is worth double the same amount 

 of foundation." 



In bee-keeping, as well as in any other busi- 

 ness, prosperity comes only in husbanding 

 what we already have, and being careful of 

 the outgoes. Foundaticm is good in its place; 

 but the sheet-anchor of bee-keeping is all 

 straight worker comb ; and if you have such, 

 use them in place of having the bees build 

 more, or of buying foundation. 



WHY The recent michig.\n foul-brood 



LAW WAS DEFEATED. 



Referring to your recent article about the 

 foul-brood law (and its defeat) in the last leg- 

 islature of our State, I wish to say that I had 

 much to do with defeating it. My reason for 

 doing so is this : In my judgment we now 

 have all the law needed on that matter. All 

 that is needed is its enforcement. The law 

 now provides for an inspector in each of the 

 counties of the State. It seems to me this is 

 much better than simply to have 07ie man for 

 the entire State. Wherever foul brood exists, 

 have your agent appointed on the spot, or wipe 

 it out. I think this anxiety to get the law 

 changed to one persoti is that some fellow at 

 the Capitol may get a job — only this and noth- 

 ing more. I wish you would publish the pres- 

 ent law, of which I think I secured the pass- 

 age, and see if you need any thing else. En- 

 force this, and all will be well. 



Harmon Smith. 



Orleans, Mich., Feb. 20. 



[In our issue for July 15, 1897, page 525, we 

 give the full text of the foul-brood law to 

 which you refer, and which has been on the 

 statute-book since 1881. At the time that Mr. 

 Hilton sent it to us (at our request) he said of 

 it, " I consider it a splendid measure. . . 

 It has never been amended or repealed, and is 

 to-day in full force." I have again read care- 

 fully the whole law, and consider it a very ex- 

 cellent measure for the suppresion of foul 

 brood. This law provides that, upon the pe- 

 tition of five bee-keepers, addressed to the 

 judge of probate, the latter shall be required 

 to appoint a competent commissioner, resi- 

 dent of the county, who shall make the neces- 

 sary investigation, and receive for his services 

 for each full day actually employed the sum of 

 1^2 00, and $1.00 for each half-day. 



There may be, according to this law, a com- 

 missioner appointed for each county, provid- 

 ing, of course, the disease is supposed to ex- 

 ist in such counties. 



There are some advantages in a law^ of this 

 kind. It saves the expense of railway mileage 

 of inspector to distant parts of the State, and, 

 if the disease should be pretty w^ell scattered, 

 it might not be possible for one person to do 

 justice to all sections. On the other hand, it 

 might be said that it would be difficult to find 

 in each count}' a bee keeper who would be 

 thoroughly competent to decide when the dis- 



