596 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1 



less and greater. When I bought this out- 

 apiary it had only 22 colonies in it, and as 

 I thought at that time that I did not care 

 to increase the number to more than 30 col- 



USE OF HIVE AS TEMPORARY STAND; HIVE 2 ABOUT TO BE 

 TRANSFERRED THERETO. 



onies, it was laid out and planned for that 

 number. And as, later on, I was overwork- 

 ed to an extent that retrenchment was con- 

 sidered rather than en- 

 larging it has remained 

 the same as when first 

 laid out. My first object 

 when buying this apiary 

 was, the forming of nu- 

 clei for queen-rearing at 

 the home yard, as bees, 

 no matter what their age, 

 brought four or five miles 

 from home, do not return 

 so as nearly or quite to 

 spoil a nucleus newly 

 made, as do the bees tak- 

 en from the same apiary. 

 My experience, based 

 upon the time taken to 

 work this 30-colony apia- 

 ry by the plan here given 

 is, that from 60 to 75 col- 

 onies would be the right number for each out- 

 apiary to be worked by one energetic man, 

 in a fairly good locality, without any help 

 from others, except in setting in and out 

 from the cellar. One man can do this, but 



I consider it money well spent when paid 

 for help to do this carrying part. 



I always begin any work with bees, where 

 I can work in rotation, at hive No. 1, 

 row 1, for this reason: If 

 any colony becomes un- 

 duly disturbed at any time 

 during any manipulation 

 or work about it, I am 

 soon behind and away from 

 their range of flight, so 

 am less liable to be tor- 

 mented by angry bees; for 

 if the object of their an- 

 ger is out of sight of the 

 entrance of their hive, 

 they soon forsake the fol- 

 lowing of that object. 

 Any colony after being 

 worked at, or after hav- 

 ing work done about its 

 hive, is much more liable 

 to resent having a moving 

 object in front of them, 

 and in line with their 

 flight, than they are be- 

 fore being disturbed Here is also " anoth- 

 er something " which is well worth "past- 

 ing in the hat." 



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CENTER FRAME IS TAKEN OUT AND A FRAME 

 OF BROOD PUT IN ITS PLAC E. 



Lunch over, I take an empty hive and go 

 to hive No. 1, this being one of the 13 hav- 

 ing an upper story put on during the third 

 visit. The empty hive is put down on the 

 ground, close by the side of the colony, as a 

 temporary stand, so that by a lifting, swing- 

 ing motion, the upper story can be easily 

 set on it with scarcely bending the back, 

 which is now done, after prying it up at the 

 back side and sending a few puffs of smoke 

 under it to quiet the bees. From the 

 strength it takes to "swing" this upper 

 hive, I judge there is some 50 or more 

 pounds of honey in it, which is more than I 

 expected from the poor season we have had 

 so far. The lower hive, bottom- board and 

 all, is now set off the stand, and a reserved 

 bottom-board placed thereon, when the up- 

 per story of 50 pounds or more of honey is 

 set on this new bottom-board and a center 

 frame of honey taken out, which is taken to 

 one of the weaker colonies and exchanged 

 for a frame one-fourth to two-thirds full of 



