300 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



But such legislation would be a most serious 

 handicap on the industry. 



The National Beekeepers' Association 

 would do well to make recommendations 

 thru a resolution sent to all the state and 

 local beekeepers' societies, urging against 

 going- too far. It is these local associations 

 that, in some eases, are responsible for 

 putting thru a law that is both a help and 

 a handicap. But why have the handicap? 



Our Florida Department and its Genial 

 Editor 



We ave glad to introduce Prof. E. G. 

 Baldwin, of Deland University, Deland, 

 Fla. While he is professor of Latin, he is 

 an ardent student of beekeeiDing. He has 

 something over one hundred colonies of bees 

 with a modern equipment for taking hon- 

 ey. He has traveled quite extensively over 

 Florida, and in Gleanings for 1911 he 

 wrote a series of articles on Florida bee- 

 keeping continuing thru the year. He also 

 furnished some matter for the last edition 

 of the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture. 

 He is not only one whom it is a pleasure 

 to know, but his geniality shines forth in 

 almost every line of his printed matter. 



PROP\ K. G. BALDWIN 



For some time back there has been a 

 demand for more matter on the subject of 

 Florida beekeeping, and numerous have 

 l)een the requests for a department. We 

 have finally made arrangements with our 

 friend to edit it, and now the land of sun- 



shine and of " eternal youth," balmy cli- 

 mate, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, and 

 last, but not least, honey, will be represent- 

 ed. Prof. Baldwin needs no further in- 

 troduction, either to the readers of Glean- 

 IGS nor to the readers of the Beekeepers' 

 Review, of which he is one of the associate 

 editors. 



Building up Colonies for the Harvest ; 

 To Him that Hath Shall be Given 



There is no more important matter in 

 beekeeping than having colonies ready for 

 the harvest- — not only, strong, but bees of 

 the right flying age to secure a crop. Colo- 

 nies of only half strength, or below par, 

 will come far short of the strongest colonies 

 in honey production. A beginner would 

 naturally suppose that a half or two-thirds 

 strength stock would gather propoi'tionally 

 as much honey as one of full strength. But 

 this is far from being the case. In the 

 production of comb honey, at least, the half 

 and medium sized colonies possibly might 

 not go up into the supers at all, wliile the 

 full colonies might store 50, 100, or even 

 200 pounds each. In the production of 

 extracted honey the relative difference be- 

 tween the different sizes of colonies is not 

 so marked, but great enough to make it very 

 important that all colonies should be regu- 

 lar boomers in size, full to overflowing with 

 bees. 



The average novice? would readily sup- 

 pose that the proper thing would be to 

 equalize the strength of tlie various colonies 

 by the interchange of brood a month or six 

 weeks before the main harvest ; but if the 

 weak colonies are strengthened at the ex- 

 pense of the strong, the danger is that all 

 the colonies will be below par, and that the 

 yield of honey will be light. 



Our best beekeepers of the country are 

 unanimous in the opinion that the process 

 should be reversed. If the colony is strong, 

 it is only necessaiy to see that it has plenty 

 of stores. Of the two, four, and six frame 

 colonies, the strongest should be selected, 

 and built up by taking brood and bees from 

 the weaker. By this process the nuclei will 

 be absorbed, and all colonies be biougiit to 

 honey-gathering strength. 



In uniting it is best not to take too much 

 brood at a time, as the reinforced colony 

 may have more than it can take care of 

 properly. If that is the case, some of the 

 brood would be chilled or neglected if un- 

 sealed. So far as possible it is advisable to 

 use hatching brood, or near hatching brood, 

 in the early part of the season. Later on, 

 when the weather is settled and warm, the 



