JULY 15, 1914 



553 



in mind that such a character as special 

 ability at the gathering of nectar must 

 depend on many points which m.ay each be 

 represented by one or more units in the 

 germ. Tongue, honey-sac, wings, antennae, 

 the various ganglia which govern the use of 

 these parts of tlie anatomy, as well as 

 longevity, may all play a part in pushing 

 a stock to the front. Color may be due to 

 factors which control the disposal of waste 

 and the hardening of the chitin. Twelve 

 pairs of characters will give over 4000 per- 

 manent combinations. 



An interesting example of the class of 

 work that is now being done is that on 

 the combs of fowls. Both the pea-comb 

 and the rose-comb are found to be dominant 

 to the single conib. But when the pea-comb 

 is crossed with the rose-comb we get in the 

 first generation a type of comb known as 

 the " walnut " comb. In the next genei'a- 

 tion we get, in a series of sixteen individ- 

 uals, 9 walnuts, 3 rose-combs, 3 pea-combs, 



and one single comb. To explain this re- 

 sult, it is assumed that each dominant car- 

 ries a recessive, so that the walnuts of the 

 first generation actually consist of AaBb 

 individuals. When these are inbred we get 

 offspring in accordance with the formula 

 AB+Ab+aB+ab-4-2AaB-f 2ABb + 2Aab 

 -|-2aBb4-4AaBb. Then the nine individuals 

 containing the dominants AB Avill have wal- 

 nut combs; the three containing dominant 

 A will have rose-combs, and the three con- 

 taining dominant B will be pea-combed. 

 The remaining chick containing the reees- 

 sives a b will be single-combed. 



There can be no doubt that heredity in 

 bees is also subject to fixed laws; but up to 

 the present very little is known as to prob- 

 able results, in mathematical terms, of any 

 cross. Perhaps some of the breeders who 

 have had great experience in hybridization 

 may be able to enlighten us. 



Atbury, Herts, England. 



A PLAN FOR SECURING THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF SURPLUS 



BY J. H. FISBECK 



When the colony becomes strong, put on 

 supers of empty combs. When the queen 

 gets well started laying in these supers, 

 and new honey starts coming in, put this 

 super or supers with queen on a bottom- 

 board on the same stand, adding as many 

 supers of empty combs to give the queen 

 and bees an abundance of room, letting her 

 ^o wherever she pleases. The old brood- 

 chamber wiih frames of brood and honey is 

 ] 'laced over a colony that was used to fur- 

 nish mature brood for those colonies worked 

 for surplus. Two or three sets of brood can 

 be given to a weak colony. When the honey- 

 flow is over, or nearly so, jDlaee these old 

 brood-chambers (those that were removed 

 previous to the honey-flow) back on their 

 original stands, putting the queen below an 

 excluder until the brood above is hatched, 

 and honey ripened, when it can be extract- 

 ed. 



The advantages of this plan are : 



1. Colonies to be worked for surplus are 

 made powerful by adding frames of sealed 

 brood early enough before the flow to sup- 

 ply bees of the proper age for gathering 

 when the white honey begins to come in. 



2. Colonies are prevented from swarming 

 early in the season by putting on a super 

 of empty combs, and, later, removing all 

 brood except that which is in the upper 

 super, at the same time giving all the empty 



combs you wish. Surplus nurse-bees are 

 removed this way. 



3. Bees devote all their energy to gather- 

 ing honey, having very little brood to take 

 care of. 



4. All the honey is new in the present 

 brood-chamber and supers, and all is ex- 

 tracted after the flow. 



5. These weak colonies become strong- 

 enough for surplus and eell-building, etc. 



6. Good for locations where there is not a 

 long heavy flow and you want every drop of 

 new honey that comes in, for surplus. 



St. Louis, Mo. 



Dr. Miller replies : 



The first factor in the case, although not 

 first named, is that you take brood from one 

 set of colonies to give another set. Not only 

 do very strong colonies yield more honey 

 than weak ones, but they yield more propor- 

 tionally to numbers. So your management 

 will very greatly increase the output of the 

 strengthened colonies. Whether it will in- 

 crease the total output of the entire apiary 

 depends upon circumstances. If it be possi- 

 ble, by equalizing, to bring all colonies up 

 to strong working condition, then more 

 honey will be obtained from the entire api- 

 ary, even though the average be less per 

 colony than by the former plan. If all van 

 not be brought up to strong woi'king condi- 



