1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



639 



" Then the giving of the brood is to find 

 out for certain whether they are queen- 

 less?" 



" Yes, mainly. And then it strengthens 

 the colony later on also." 



" Yes. I see. But why do you give the 

 three frames of brood if you can not give a 

 laying queen as soon as you find out the 

 colony is queenless?" 



" Because the bees now in the hive will 

 dwindle to where they will be of little value 

 before any young bees will emerge from the 

 eggs from a queen they may raise from the 

 one frame of brood given to test the matter; 

 for it will take them 12 to 14 days before 

 the j'OUDg queen wculd emerge, 10 days to 

 the time of her laying, and 21 days before 

 her bees would emerge. In other words, it 

 would be frcm 42 to 45 days from the time 

 the brood was given, or about 70 days after 

 the old queen left the hive with the first 

 swarm before any young bees would come 

 from a queen raised from the brood given, 

 and by that time the colony would be very 

 nearlj' in the condition you and others find 

 them when you pay no attention to these 

 things." 



"Yes, I see now. You are making this 

 very plain. But be patient just a little 

 longer with me. Suppose after-swarming 

 is not allowed — what then? " 



"Then we have 7 days to the time the 

 first young queen emerges from her cell, 7 

 days to the time she flies to meet the drone, 

 and 3 days to the time she begins to lay, 

 this making 17 da} s as the shortest time 

 any young queen is likely to be found lay- 

 ing from the time any prime swarm issues. 

 Then I wculd wait three or four days more 

 till eggs and larvse might become abundant 

 in the combs, so I could expect to ascertain 

 what I wish on lifting only one or two 

 combs. My practice is to look for eggs and 

 larvae on the 23d day from time of swarm- 

 ing, when no after-swarms are allowed, or 

 on the 27th day when such swarming is al- 

 lowed." 



" Do you always look thus? " 



" Not of late years, as years of looking 

 at the way bees act at the entrance and in 

 the sections has enabled me to tell at a 

 glance, along about the dates named, 

 whether the colonies have a laying queen or 

 not. But you will need the knowledge 

 which looking gives at first, to guide you." 



" Please explain a little more fully." 



" When by looking you find a colony that 

 does not have a laying queen the 25th day 

 after the first swarm issued, close the hive 

 without giving any brood; just watch the 

 bees in their actions at the entrance for a 

 day or two, and compare their actions with 

 one you know has a queen that has been 

 laying about three days. Then look at the 

 work or non-work going on in the sections 

 of the two hives; and if you are a careful 

 observer you will ever afterward be pretty 

 sure regarding this matter without opening 

 a hive, and can, to your satisfaction, diag- 

 nose what is going on with any colony from 

 outside appearances." 



Bee-keepers who produce clover and 

 basswood should not forget that, the earlier 

 they can get their crop on the market, the 

 better prices they will probably secure. 



GLYCERINE NOT A PREVENTIVE OF CANDY- 

 ING. 



Our readers will remember that we have 

 been conducting some experiments, putting 

 in 1, 2, and 5 per cent proportions of gly- 

 cerine in order to prevent candying. The 

 one per cent failed to accomplish its object; 

 but during the first two months the 2 and 5 

 per cent seemed to keep the honey clear. 

 Within the last few days I find that all the 

 glycerine samples have candied, proving 

 that glycerine does not begin to compare 

 with the plan of heating honey and sealing 

 while hot. If our experiments prove any 

 thing I think we may conclude that glycer- 

 ine for the prevention of candying is not 

 to be relied upon. 



THE HONEY CROP IN THE CLOVER AND BASS- 

 WOOD BELT FOR 1904. 



At present it is impossible to offer any 

 sort of prediction. The season is late, and 

 the weather has been cool — too cool for the 

 proper flow of nectar. Reports received up 

 to this time have been somewhat discourag- 

 ing so far as the amount of nectar secreted 

 is concerned, but encouraging as to the 

 amount of white clover in bloom, and more 

 encouraging still that there will probably 

 be a yield as soon as the weather warms 

 up. We have had two or three days of 

 warm weather, and our own bees are be- 

 ginning to go to the fields. During the 

 past few days they have been working from 

 hand to mouth. The ground is moist in 

 most localities near the lakes, and the fre- 

 quent rains have made a good lot of vigor- 

 ous plants of clover. 



We request our subscribers everywhere, 

 outside of and in the clover belt, to send in 

 postal- card reports of two or three sen- 

 tences — don't make them longer — relative 

 to the condition of the honey-flow, and the 

 prospects of a crop of clover or basswood. 

 Don't — don't — send long letters about the 

 season, as we can't wade through them. 

 Those received will be set aside for the 

 postals. We will summarize the reports, 

 and give our readers the benefit. It is very 

 important 1o know what the crop will be, 

 in order to determine something about 

 prices; for clover and basswood are the 

 most important factors in determining the 

 price of comb honey in the great centers. 

 Therefore, dear readers, it means dollars 



