1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



1575 



a beai'ing on that subject of overstockiug. 

 These nuclei have three combs each, size 

 5X9 inches, and about a pint of bees: still 

 they till their combs so full, like the one you 

 see in Frank's hands, that it was necessary 

 to extract them frequently in order to give 

 the young ([ueeus a chance to lay after they 

 have liecome fertilized, and this was done 

 some time before our August harvest. 



Now, when little nuclei of less than one 

 pint of bees can till up their combs with hon- 

 ey in this way when there is no special har- 

 vest on, and that in an apiary of 750 strong 

 colonies like those ycm see in the accompany- 

 ing picture, it does seem to me that this fear 

 of overstocking was only imaginary. A few 

 years ago when we thought our bees went 

 only a mile or so from home to gather nec- 

 tai', we had some excuse for believing it was 

 easy to overstock a location: but as it is now, 

 when we have an abundance of good pnxif 

 that our bees will work to a good advantage 



actual cost of these queens was not ten cents 

 apiece. 



We have tried many ditferent sizes of 

 combs for nuclei; but. all things considered, 

 we prefer small combs, of which three will till 

 one of our standard frames: then when we put 

 them in our nucleus-boxes we slide on a piece 

 of folded tin so it makes a shoulder for the 

 little frame to hang on. When we wish we 

 can put a frame of these little frames in any 

 standard hive, and have them tilled with 

 brood or honey; then the little frames can be 

 put into weak nuclei if we wish, and at the 

 close of the season these small combs with 

 their bees, ]?rood, and honey, can all be util- 

 ized in uniting with other coU)nies. 1 am 

 sure that, if you will try this way of rearing 

 surplus queens another season, you will be 

 surprised to see how easy it is to have choice 

 young queens on hand at a small expense, 

 ever ready to use where occasion may I'e- 

 quire. If you expect to make a success of 



*'lG. 0. — GENERAL VIEW OF ALEXANDER'S APIARY OF 750 COLONIES; TAKEN KKO:\I THE 



NORTHWEST. 



on flowers five or six miles from home, and 

 sometimes still further, it changes ihe whole 

 subjei't. Just think of the millions of hon- 

 ey producing Hcnvers, when the weather is 

 favorable, within a cii'cle of ten ( r twelve 

 miles in diameter. This is the turning-point 

 of the whole subject — 'When the weather 

 is favorable." And when the weather is un- 

 favoraljle for the secretion of nectar, it 

 makes no difference how much liloom there 

 is or how few colonies there are in the api- 

 ary. 



in regard to these nuclei I spoke of above, 

 we find them very useful. My son fixed up 

 fifteen alxmt the 1st of July l-ast season, and 

 by Sept. 10 we had taken out 08 choice lay- 

 ing queens from them to use in large colo- 

 nies, besides some extracted honey, and the 



bee-keeping you must be on the watch to 

 take advantage of all these little things. 

 Delansou, N. Y. 



[So far as I know, the pictures here show 

 the largest bee-yard and equipment (ill in 

 one spot of any in the United States if not 

 in the world. Every thing is done on a big 

 scale from start to finish: then at the final 

 windup the honey is sold by the carload. 



It would be very interesting and instruc- 

 tive if every one of our readers could visit 

 this yai'd; but I am afraiil our friend Alex- 

 ander would sutTer immediate nervous pros- 

 tration. As it is impossible to take our 

 readers to this interesting spot, and physi- 

 cally impossilile for him to entertain them, 

 it is' with no little pleasure that we are able 



