350 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1. 



style or patent of the hive used. This is not 

 so." 



" Don't the hives used have any thing to do 

 with a large yield of honey ? " 



" Hives have something to do with the yield 

 of honey, of course ; but nothing as compared 

 with a th >rough knowledge of the location 

 we are in, and an understanding of how to ap- 

 ply that knowledge so as to have the maxi- 

 mum number of bees at the right time, that 

 they may secure the yield of honey when it 

 comes." 



" But will not the hives that are fixed in ac- 

 cord with the wants of the bees give this max- 

 imum number at the right time? " 



"The manipulation of hives has more to do 

 with our surplus crop than the hives them- 

 selves ; for, no matter how good the hive is, if 

 the combs are never touched, or the surplus 

 room not put on at the right time, all may 

 count for naught to the would-be bee-keeper, 

 and the flowers bloom in vain as far as any 

 profit to the user is concerned — a user who 

 trusts simply to the merits of any hive, no 

 matter how high-sounding a name it may 

 have." 



" Now, look here ! Don't the hives used by 

 Dr. Miller, Elwood, Golden, Root, Hutchin- 

 son, etc., give them the yields of honey they 

 secure and report? " 



" In order that no one should get the idea 

 that the hives used and recommended by our 

 best and most successful apiarists would give 

 them thousands of pounds of honey without 

 work, I have said, in concluding several of 

 my articles in the bee-paper?, that, if any one 

 could not spend the time on bees which they 

 require he had better keep out of the busi- 

 ness." 



" Is there nothing in what I have heard, 

 that ' bees work for nothing and board them- 

 selves, where given a -good hive for their 

 home ' ? " 



" I know of no hive with which a man can 

 secure large results by simply folding his hands 

 and letting the bees ' work for nothing. ' Such 

 is not the economy of nature ; and in order to 

 succeed in any calling in life we must put en- 

 ergy, industry, and perseverance into our 

 work, if we would reap a harvest worth the 

 gathering." 



"Then must the bee-keeper work from 

 twelve to sixteen hours a day, as does the 

 farmer, to be a successful apiarist? " 



" To work hard from twelve to sixteen hours 

 each day, at mere physical labor, is not all 

 that is required, as many assert by their ac- 

 tions, if not by words ; but there must be an 

 energy and push, mentally, sufficient to grap- 

 ple with all of the unsolved problems which 

 are in the way of our success. If these are all 

 combined to the same extent that they are in 

 other callings in life, there is no reason why 

 bee-keeping will not give as good results for 

 what is expended upon it as any other voca- 

 tion which is honestly and economically pur- 

 sued, even though it is not supposed to be thus 

 by the majority of the world " 



" Is it ' energy and push,' more than hives, 

 which gives the large yields of honey report- 

 ed?" 



"I wish it might be understood that large 

 yields of honey come not from hives, but can 

 be secured only through an energy and push 

 sufficient to bring large numbers of bees in a 

 hive, and secure said large number of bees in 

 time for the honey-harvest. In this lies the 

 great secret of successful honey production." 



"Then I am to understand that the hive 

 has nothing to do with the matter of success- 

 ful honey-production ? " 



" No, not just that. The hive whose every 

 manipulation may be made with ease, and 

 which is also perfectly simple, and well adapt- 

 ed to the wants of the bees and apiarist, may 

 be made a great power in the hands of a man 

 of energy and push toward rolling up tons of 

 honey. But there are plenty of such hives 

 now in use not covered by a patent." 



" I suppose you would name the Langstroth 

 as among that number." 



"The Langstroth hive is certainly a good 

 hive, and the frame principle in it is one of the 

 best things that was ever given to bee-keepers 

 — the same frame principle being that used in 

 by far the larger share of the practical bee- 

 keepers throughout the whole world. Did I 

 have twenty or more colonies in the Lang- 

 stroth hive, or in any of the many good hives 

 of the present day, using that frame principle, 

 I should rest content that I had as good hives, 

 all things considered, as there were to be had." 



" But would you try nothing else? " 



"Only in a very limited way, till I had 

 proven them superior. It is barely possible 

 that, in the future, a better principle may be 

 invented, but so far there never has." 



" Then you would not invest in any patent 

 hive so as to secure and hold certain territory 

 in this State?" 



" Well, no ; not till I knew more about the 

 matter than I now do. But here comes neigh- 

 bor Brown. Undoubtedly he has some ques- 

 tions to ask. How do you do, Mr. Brown ? " 



" Fairly well to-day. I come over to have a 

 little talk on queen-rearing. I read your arti- 

 cle in Gleanings, page 175, with interest. 

 But I wish to know further in the matter. 

 Will you please tell me how to care for ripe 

 queen-cells, and the virgin queens, after they 

 are hatched, until they are wanted for the nu- 

 clei? " 



" After trying all plans given, I have settled 

 down to the conclusion that the best way for 

 caring for ripe queen-cells is to make cal- 

 culations to have nuclei ready to care for them 

 just when they are ripe, so that the ripe cells 

 are taken from the colony raising them and 

 given to the nuclei at the same time." 



" But suppose your nuclei are not ready for 

 them." 



" But I don't suppose any such thing The 

 person who looks ahead and plans accordingly 

 will not start the queen-cells till he or she sees 

 in the near future the nuclei to put them in, 

 just when they are ripe. Thus we have sys- 

 tem about our work, and work with a definite 

 object in view." 



" Do you not keep queen-cells away from 

 the bees till they hatch, at times ? " 



" I used to do this, and very many do it still; 

 but if we wish the best of queens we will en- 



