1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



587 



its object the doing' away with all increase; 

 but I have another plan which allows of a 

 half increase, or one that g-ives one new 

 colony from two full colonies at swarming- 

 time, with no desire to swarm thereafter." 



"That is just what I should like, as it 

 would g^ive me about the n amber of colonies 

 I should like in the fall." 



"Take a hive having^ seven of those emp- 

 ty combs you have on hand, and place it 

 upon the stand of any populous colony 

 which you have reason to think may swarm 

 in a few days. Now select a frame from the 

 brood-chamber which is nearly filled with 

 honey, but having a very little brood in it, 

 and set this comb (bees and all) in the cen- 

 ter of the hive, thus making eight frames. 

 Now set the sections, which were on the re- 

 moved hive, on the new hive now on the old 

 stand, and shake and brush all the bees off 

 their combs down in front of the prepared 

 hive, into which they will run as fast as 

 shaken. Get the bees all out of the hive al- 

 so, when you will put the frames of brood 

 now beeless, back in the hive and set it 

 down near another populous colony. Now 

 take one of the combs of brood and carry it 

 to one of your nuc ei, which you have pre- 

 viously prepared, so you would have queens 

 to use when you wished them, and exchange 

 it for a comb of brood from the nucleus, 

 having the queen and all the bees that may 

 happen to be on it, taking this latter and 

 placing it, queen, bees, and all, in the hive 

 standing by the populous colony. Now fill 

 out the hive with empty combs till the full 

 number are in; and as soon as the hive is 

 as you desire it to be for the next two days, 

 set the populous colony to one side a little, 

 and put this prepared hive in its place, and, 

 later, remove this set-off colony to a new 

 stand where you wish it to stay for the rest 

 of the season. A day or two later, take the 

 sec' ions from the removed colony and place 

 them on the hive having the frame from the 

 nucleus in it; and in about a week put sec- 

 tions on the removed colony again. In this 

 way you have on the stand of the first popu- 

 lous colony all of its bees and one frame 

 from the old hive with a little brood to hold 

 the bees in a contented condition, the queen 

 in a prolific state, ready to take advantage 

 of the empty combs you have given, and the 

 sections they had commenced work on, all 

 ready for their use, and all in condition for 

 a large yield of honey, with no desire to 

 swarm. Next you have nearly all the 

 brood from the first colony, a young prolif- 

 ic queen and her attendant bees from the 

 nucleus, together with all the field-bees 

 and sections from the removed colony on the 

 stand of the same, and that in a condition 

 to carry forward the work already begun 

 in the sections, and with swarming all done 

 with for the season; while the removed colo- 

 ny is in perfect condition, lest the field bees 

 which have been r rawn off by its removal, 

 in just the right time to stop all idea of 

 swarming for the season. And this colony 

 will also be ready to go to work in the sec- 

 tions that are to be put on in a week or so 



after the manipulation. All three are in 

 the best possible condition to take advan- 

 tage of the honey harvest, which will be at 

 its commencement now, if you have timed 

 your labor so as to have all done about three 

 to eight days before your expected honey- 

 flow." 



"Well, now, that is worth knowing. 

 How long have you used this plan?" 



"For over 25 years, and it has always 

 proved successful." 



INTRODUCTORY. 



In assuming the management of this de- 

 partment, I wish to solicit earnestly the 

 personal co-operation of every reader of 

 Gleanings residing in the western half of 

 the United States, and more especially in 

 those po;tions where arid and semi arid 

 conditions prevail. I wish to receive corres- 

 pondence relative to all matters of interest 

 to bee-keepers. This should embrace win- 

 tering reports, crop reports, prices, and, in 

 fact, any information regarding the condi- 

 tion and welfare of the industry. These 

 w'll be carefully digested, and presented in 

 condensed form. If the western patrons ^f 

 Gleanings will take hold with vim and en- 

 thusiasm, they can make this department, 

 which has been instituted for their benefit, 

 of great value to themselves — a sort of in- 

 telligence bureau, through which they may 

 keep in touch with each other. 



The beginner class mav send me their 

 questions or a statement of their troubles, 

 and I will assist them to the best of my 

 knowledge. 



About July 1 I should like to begin re- 

 ceiving crop reports. I shall pay especial 

 attention to crop matters, and I want my de- 

 ductions to be as reliable as possible. 

 \ti 



Bees began swarming May 20 — too early 

 for best results in Colorado. Better hold 

 them back by judicious equalizing until a 

 few days before the opening of the flow. 

 \\» 



The bee-inspector of Fremont Co., Colora- 

 do, reports 75 per cent of the bees "rotten 

 with foul brood." In 1902 this county was 

 credited with 2000 colonies. By the way, I 

 am informed that some good locations for 

 apiaries are still open in that county. 

 ««< 

 In my opinion, the development of the 

 "shook-swarm" system is the most impor- 

 tant advance in apiculture in the past twen- 

 ty-five years. It not only gives practical 



