568 



GIvEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 15. 



marked diminution of the swarming impulse 

 at any time observable would be encouraging. 

 This " forgetting" plan is the one (scientific 

 men assure us) by which nature works great 

 changes by evolution. Mr. Crane's plan of se- 

 lection has also a scientific basis as an aid to 

 the first. 



We have no faith in the idea that a strain of 

 bees may be produced in which the honey- 

 gathering instinct shall develop to such an ex- 

 tent as to overshadow and absorb the swarm- 

 ing instinct ; because one primary object the 

 bee has in gathering honey is to rear br .od, 

 to "multiply, and fill the earth," to "bring 

 forth its kind ; " and how increasing its hon- 

 ey-gathering ability or disposition would ope- 

 rate to overshadow or dwarf the disposition to 

 swarm, we can not make out. W • should look 

 for no such effect. In our vitrw, as wt-11 ex- 

 pect to produce a strain so intent on honty- 

 gathering that they would curtail eating. The 

 honey-gathering ability and disposition should 

 and may be increased ; but does this also, of 

 itself, decrease the disposition to swarm ? We 

 fear not. Our own observation is all against 

 the idea. We say again, we are rrady and 

 willing to co-operate in efforts to produce non- 

 swarm ing, but it will be a case of works with- 

 out faith. By the way, can there not be some 

 plan devised to aid in the carrying out of such 

 protracted and expensive experimental work 

 as an effort to breed out the swarnung im- 

 pulse, as by governmental or State aid, or aid 

 from the National Association ? Such work is 

 rather protracted and onerous for individual 

 effort and investment, and the rtward is un- 

 certain. Furthermore, an individual might 

 devote years of time, and tht-n thr. ugh sick- 

 ne-^s or death all gain, if any, be 1-sl. 



We leave to the editor the task of investi- 

 gating Mr. Crane's fish story — that one about 

 Prof. Loeb producing fish-spawn by chemical 

 means. We are interestd in the outcome, 

 however, and hope the editor w 11 use all <lili- 

 gence in ascertaining the exact facts It this 

 professor can produce fish bv puixly chemical 

 means, let us urge him to devise a method of 

 producing bees without the use of qutens or 

 drones. Then we can produce our l^ees as we 

 wish, and dispense with swarming on the re- 

 qu ening plan. 



In the July or August Gleanings. 1899, 

 Dr. Miller told of an experiment he made by 

 filling one half of some supers with plain sec- 

 tions and fences, and the other half with bee 

 wav sections and o d fashioned separators, and 

 against the fence separator. Tiie doctor ex- 

 pressed surprise that freer passage should do 

 harm, as he had better finish with the o d- 

 fashioned waj'. In a late issue of the Pro- 

 gressive Bee keeper he gives the same experi- 

 ence. We think we can explain that. Dr. 

 Miller's locality had a poor season, little or no 

 flow from white clover, a m} sterious slow fl >w 

 afterward, according to his own testimony in 

 Straws. This unusual season explains the 

 matter, in our opinion. The old-fashioned 

 separators make each section virtually a com- 

 partment in itself, while the freer communica- 

 tion of the fence makes one c impartment of 

 the whole super. During a slow flow these 



small compartments will be occupied a few at 

 a time as needed, the solid separators tending 

 to confine the bees till each occupied com- 

 partment is properly filled and finished, while 

 the freer communication afforded by the fence 

 (during a slow flow, mind you) causes the 

 bees to occupy more space than the flow justi- 

 fies — hence poor finish. Did Dr. Miller ever 

 have a colony working nicely in one super, 

 raise it, and add one btlow, and have the bees 

 abandon both instead of occupying the added 

 one ? We have, and it is the same principle 

 of too nmch room, scattered bees, and dissi- 

 pated forces, that operated to produce the re- 

 sult of which Dr. M. speaks. We ao not re- 

 gard this as a point against the fence separat- 

 ors and plain sections under usual and normal 

 conditions. With bees to occupy the super, or 

 a good portion of it, and an average flow, ihe 

 freer communication is a big advantage with 

 most colonies, we think ; but weak colonies 

 during a slow flow will do better-finished work 

 with solid separators, because they concen- 

 trate in a part of the compartments instead of 

 spreading out through the super. 



Higginsville, Mo., April 25. 



[Your explanation regarding the doctor's 

 experience with plain and old-style sections is 

 one that I advanced nearly a year ago, and 

 also at the Colorado convention in November 

 1 ist ; and later facts have proven it over and 

 over again, that in a slow or moderate flow, 

 and in the case of a colony not overly strong, 

 the old style sections with separators would 

 have the advantage ; but when there is a good 

 flow, and colonies are strong, plain sections 

 with fences will hi filled sooner and better. 

 But if there is any advantage in the old-style 

 separators they can be used just as well with 

 plain sections, onlj^ the separator would have 

 to be cleated. 



With regard to the fish story, that matter 

 has been already covered and answered by 

 Prof. Cook on page 434. 



As to the non-swarming idea, in the article 

 just following from the pen of W. W. Somer- 

 f 'rd, of Cuba, is something which may throw 

 a little light on the matter. Something has 

 already been accomplished as will appear from 

 what he says, although I su-pect that the com- 

 mon run of Italians would have shown a 

 ma. ked superiority over the common blacks in 

 Cuba, in just the very respects named ; it 

 would not be surprising, therefore, if queens 

 of selected stock would develop a progeny that 

 wou'd do exactly what Mr. Somerford's Ital- 

 ians did for him. While I can hardly believe 

 that the breeding-out of theswaiming instinct 

 would also breed out good hone3--grithering 

 qualities, jet we may have to admit that many 

 liii es a newly hived swarm will show energy 

 suffici<-nt to gather as much as or more honey 

 than would have been taken from the parent 

 colony and swarm had no natural increase 

 taken p'ace. 



In the matter of saliva-stains, I believe you 

 are right ; for I have noticed that sections are 

 often stained in the way you speak of. I have 

 also noticed the cappings of honey with the 

 same discoloration. This saliva-stain can be 

 removed by bleaching, a la Walker, as I have 



