1906 



GLEAN INCrS IN BEE CULTURE. 



95 



To gain information ts to the best method 

 of overcoming this difficulty the following 

 experiment has been tried with six strong 

 colonies of bees. 



Four frames of sealed honey were taken 

 from each of the six colonies, leaving the 

 cluster on the four remaining frames. The 

 four frames were left in the center of the 

 hive with a division-board at each side, and 

 some light packing was placed between the 

 division- boards and the sides of the hive. 

 The wooden covers were removed, and a 

 large propolis quilt made of heavy canvas 

 was placed over the top of each hive. Over 

 the top of the propolis quilt, extra packing 

 was placed to keep in the heat, absorb 

 moisture, and prevent drafts or upward ven- 

 tilation. The bottom- boards were left on 

 as they came from the bee-yard, leaving the 

 entrance wide open. 



The experiment was as follows: 



1. Two colonies received maple sugar of 

 the best quality. 



2. Two colonies received a candy made of 

 honey and sugar. 



3. Two colonies received partly filled sec- 

 tions of honey. 



Each colony, when put on this test, weigh- 

 ed 31 lbs., and each was given 3 lbs. of its 

 particular food to start with. The experi- 

 ment lasted four months. The two colonies 

 fed on maple sugar consumed 11 J lbs. each; 

 they were examined every two weeks, and 

 water added to the sugar through holes in 

 the tops of the cakes, keeping it soft and 

 moist. 



The tv/o colonies fed on partly filled sec- 

 tions of honey consumed during the same 

 time 14| lbs. each. There was, for several 

 reasons, considerable waste in this test; 

 and if partly filled sections could be sold at 

 even a reduced price it would be advisable 

 to sell instead of feeding back. 



The two colonies that were given candied 

 honey consumed lOf lbs. each. The honey 

 was moistened at intervals, which made it 

 easier for the bees to suck up. 



My honey candy is made as follows: 



Take good thick clover honey, and heat 

 (not boil) it until it becomes very thin; then 

 stir in fine granulated sugar. After stir- 

 ring in all the sugar the honey will absorb, 

 take it out of the utensil in which it has 

 been mixed, and knead it thoroughly with 

 the hands. The kneading makes it more 

 pliable and soft, so that it absorbs or takes 

 up more sugar. The kneading operation, 

 with the adding of fine sugar, should be 

 continued till the dough is so stiff as to be 

 quite hard to work. It should then be al- 

 lowed to stand a day or two; and if at the 

 end of that time it is so soft as to run or be 

 sticky, a little more sugar should be knead- 

 ed in. It should be cut into cakes of con- 

 venient size, and placed on top of the frames 

 in such a way that the bees can get at it 

 easily. 



The colonies in all three tests came out 

 in excellent condition. Anyone of the three 

 methods may be safely followed ; but I 

 would strongly recommend examining and 



weighing all bees the first week in Septem- 

 ber. At that time every colony should have 

 a good laying queen, and should weigh over 

 50 lbs. In seasons when there is no fall 

 flow of honey, all colonies weighing less 

 than 50 lbs. in September should be fed up 

 to that weight at least. The best method 

 for getting colonies up to the required weight 

 is, when extracting, to have several full 

 well- sealed combs, then remove some of the 

 light ones out of the hives and replace them 

 with the heavier full frames. If no honey 

 is available, feed sugar syrup. This latter 

 plan is a rather tedious one, and great care 

 must be taken not to daub the hives or ap- 

 pliances, as robbing at this season of the 

 year is very easily started and hard to stop. 

 Sugar syrup may be made as follows: 

 Use the best grade of granulated sugar, 

 two parts to one of water by weight. The 

 water should first be brought to a boil, then 

 the pan or vessel set back on the stove so 

 that the boiling will not continue, but the 

 water kept sufficiently hot to dissolve all the 

 sugar. The sugar should be poured in slow- 

 ly, and thoroughly stirred until all is dis- 

 solved. The syrup should then be fed in a 

 lukewarm condition. 



THE ALEXANDER METHOD OF CURING BLACK 



BROOD; HOW TO GET THE LARGEST 



NUMBER OF LAYING QUEENS 



NECESSARY. 



In reading Gleanings I am interested in 

 Alexander's plan of curing black brood, and 

 its discussion. I have practiced the same 

 for three years, and know it is a success 

 when properly handled; but the thing that 

 puzzles me most is to get the laying queens 

 at that time of the season. Last spring 

 three-fourths of mj"^ first queens were not 

 fertilized. I should like to have you state 

 through Gleanings how such an extensive 

 bee-keeper as Mr. Alexander handles this 

 part of his business. He says, "Requeen 

 the other half with laying queens," etc., 

 and that is just what I want to know about. 



Fridley, Minn., Nov. 21. L. H. Hoyt. 



[You do not make it clear whether this 

 method of cure was applied to foul brood or 

 black brood. In the absence of any state- 

 ment, I should have assumed that you refer 

 to black brood except for the fact that there 

 was little or none of that disease in your 

 State. If this treatment will work with 

 foul brood as well as black, then we may be 

 on the threshold of a new era in the treat- 

 ment of brood diseases. 



In an article that was published in a 



