1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



151 



The best time for moving stocks is in 

 March, the month in which the bees are be- 

 coming very active. This removal stirs up 

 the bees, and acts as a stimulus to breeding, 

 after which the increased rate of egg- laying 

 should be kept up by feeding or by the un- 

 capping of sealed honey-cells, should there 

 be a good supply of their natural food in the 

 combs. 



Beginners and others with a limited expe- 

 rience of work among bees require guidance 

 on the important question of choosing hives. 

 Wherever fairly extensive crops of flowers 

 —acres in extent— of mustard, turnip, clo- 

 ver, and sainfoin are to be found, a ten- 

 frame standard- sized hive is too small— that 

 is, if large returns are to be secured, such 

 as those of 100 lbs. more or less per hive— 

 which is frequently at hand. 



There is one great advantage in a hive of 

 twelve frames. There will be plenty of 

 cells for the use of the queen, with very lit- 

 tle manipulating of the frames by the bee- 

 keeper. In smaller hives the room for the 

 eggs of the queen is greatly reduced by the 

 cells being used for the storage of honey, 

 and consequently swarming is almost sure 

 to be induced. 



Although twelve frames may be too many 

 in some seasons, that does not matter; for, 

 by the aid of a dummy, the size of the 

 brood- chamber can quickly be reduced to 

 ten or less, according to what is deemed 

 best under the circumstances. ' 



In deciding upon the size of the hive we 

 must be guided by the size of the frame 

 used; but if a large frame is chosen, a less 

 number will give the capacity required in 

 the brood-chamber by a strong stock. 



The standard frame is the best to use if 

 interchangt ability is desired; in fact, what- 

 ever size of frame is adopted must be used 

 in every hive throughout the apiary. 



Their natural food, honey, if in a liquid 

 form, is the best food for bees; but syrup 

 is greatly preferable to candied honey, be- 

 cause, on the latter, bees often starve in 

 the winter and early spring. Whenever it 

 is advisable to feed bees for the purpose of 

 keeping them alive during a time when their 

 natural food is scarce, or for encouraging 

 breeding, sugar in the form of syrup or 

 candy must be given. The latter should al- 

 ways be used when the bees are confined to 

 their hives, and syrup when they take their 

 daily flights abroad. 



Medicine Hat, B. C. 



[The advice given by our correspondent is 

 good; and especially do I approve of the 

 suggestion to buy bees in the height of the 

 breeding season, for then it will be possible 

 to determine whether there is foul brood in 

 the colony or not. Colonies bought late in 

 the fall, early in the spring, or during win- 

 ter, will not show evidence of disease, prob- 

 ably — at least not to a person unfamiliar 

 with foul or black brood. 



Instead of using a twelve-frame hive I 

 would use a ten- frame, but two inches deep- 

 er than the regular standard Langstroth. 

 This has the same capacity as a twelve-frame 



standard Lansgtroth. Then it would be pos- 

 sible to use standard bottom-boards and su- 

 pers — in fact, any thing and every thing 

 that goes with the regular equipment ex 

 cept the frames. The twelve-frame hive 

 does not fit any thing except the frame. 

 The ten- frame Jumbo or Quinby can be used 

 with any standard equipment in the yard of 

 ten-frame width. Then, too, ten large or 

 deep frames are better for brood- rearing; 

 and take less time to handle than twelves- 

 frame L. of equivalent comb surface.— Ed.J 



ALEXANDER AND HIS CRITICS. 



Extracting Uncapped Honey; a Reminiscence 

 of the Good Old Days of Father Quinby. 



BY E. W. ALEXANDER. 



It is with a feeling of pity that I read 

 the criticism of several of my brother bee- 

 keepers on some of the articles I have writ- 

 ten for publication during the past year, 

 especially from those who have sent their 

 letters to you, warning you to beware of 

 what articles you published from me. 



Then there is another class of critics con- 

 sisting of a few bee-keepers who are well 

 up in their business, and are making money 

 from their bees, but are so selfish that they 

 don't want any one else to engage in the 

 business. I receive some letters from them, 

 asking me if it is not about time to stop en- 

 couraging beginners, and telling the honey- 

 producers of the whole country how to 

 increase their surplus. Now to this class I 

 wish to say you are undoubtedly honest in 

 your opinion in wishing you could prohibit 

 any other parties from producing honey, 

 except your particular friends. But I am 

 also honest in wishing it were in my power 

 to lend a helping hand to every bee-keeper 

 in our whole land. You see it is only a case 

 of a little difference of opinion; and from 

 the numerous letters I receive from prom- 

 inent bee-keepers all over the United States 

 —yes, and some from different parts of 

 Europe, endorsing my ideas, I am led to 

 believe that my friends are becoming quite 

 interested in my writings. I hope it will 

 not be necessary for me to allude to myself 

 again in this way. 



The accompanying photo is a snap-shot 

 taken while P. H, Elwood, whom I have 

 known for many years as one of the broad- 

 est-minded and most impartial men I ever 

 met, and myself were examining the mark- 

 ings of a colony of bees that were doing re- 

 markably well in drawing out foundation 

 into nice extracting- comljs. This colony had 

 at that time its fifth set of nine frames each 

 of foundation drawn out into good combs; 

 and after friend Elwood's visit they com- 

 pleted two more sets, making 63 combs in 

 all. These combs were extracted about ev- 

 ery six or seven days, when another set of 

 foundation was given them. 



Yes, we extract our honey about every 

 six or seven days when the harvest is good, 

 never using more than one hive of empty 



