1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



651 



could refer to hundreds of instances to prove 

 the stand taken in the matter. There is no 

 end of positive proof; but for the benefit of 

 our friend Weaver, and I hope others, I will 

 say something in the way of production of 

 extracted honey. All that friend Townsend 

 tells us is true. He has learned from expe- 

 rience. He says we must have a good sup- 

 ply of surplus combs; and /will say the best 

 investment I ever made was to get stocked 

 up with plenty of combs. Without them I 

 could not get quantity or quality. I have 

 my own way of manipulation that came to 

 me as circumstances demanded, and I do not 

 feel satisfied unless I think I am working my 

 bees for every ounce of honey possible. 



My first work in the spring, before bees 

 are too numerous, is to see every queen and 

 clip her wings; and as the season advances 

 I make the strong help up the weak by 

 stealing, I call it— hatching brood- combs 

 from the strong ones, and giving empty 

 combs in place of them. In this way I have 

 my colonies well evened up and all strong 

 ready for business through the honey-flow. 

 Honey is what I want, and not swarms; and 

 I am quite successful so far as swarms are 

 concerned. As soon as surplus commences 

 to come in I begin to put in my surplus 

 combs, using a division- board, and from day 

 to day I put in combs until my chaff-hive 

 chambers are filled with 12 or 13 combs. 

 If honey is coming in rapidly, the critical 

 time is at hand; and if I could not look back 

 and see plenty of empty combs I should say 

 the time is both serious and critical. The 

 critical time is at hand because swarms are 

 liable to issue— no room for honey in the 

 hives. It would be serious to commence 

 extracting, you know. I won't do that, so 

 in this case I commence to get my increase 

 by simply taking a few combs of best brood 

 from No. 1, with enough bees to care for 

 them, putting my empty dark brood-combs 

 in place of those removed; then pass on to 

 No. 2 and do the same. 



I actually like to have swarms commence 

 to issue. I can then simply cage the queen, 

 and can go on as before; and the swarming 

 tells me the ones that need my attention 

 first, and I have the queen and a flood of 

 bees out of my way while doing the work. 

 Now, I don't make a new hive of bees from 

 each old swarm, but put them in from differ- 

 ent hives, until I get the required number of 

 combs. I try to use good judgment in just 

 how little and just how much to take away 

 from each colony, and leave them in the 

 best possible shape to store lots of honey. 



I now think you can understand so far. 

 You see, I have made quite a number of 

 new colonies by the time I get over my 

 apiary. With the hatching brood I gave 

 them they will be strong with bees in a few 

 days. With our usually short honey-flows I 

 can't expect them to carry in much, so I 

 call them my honey-ripeners by going from 

 hive to hive as I am called, and taking 

 combs first filled from the old hives and put- 

 ting them over the new hives, using judg- 

 ment as to how few and how many to take 



from each, putting in place enough empties 

 to give them ample room. I should say I 

 brush bees off all combs of honey before 

 carrying to new colonies. In case I have 

 any colonies that, for any reason, they never 

 call for. their surplus room quite filled with 

 combs, I use the room for combs filled by 

 other bees for them to cure or ripen. This 

 manner of manipulation has been very sat- 

 isfactory. It has almost stopped all swarm- 

 ing after I got to taking away honey and 

 putting empties in their places. I have fixed 

 it so I can have nothing but perfectly rip- 

 ened honey to extract any time after the 

 season is over. 



I am not claiming my manner or way of 

 manipulation is the only one. I have no 

 dictations to make on this line. If any one 

 has Simplicity hives they can be tiered up 

 according to the strength of each colony. 

 If you have the combs at hand, that is all 

 that is needed. If you have not the combs, 

 get full sheets of foundation on wired 

 frames, and set your bees to comb-building. 

 If you are one of the many who extract 

 from the brood-nest, stop it; get the extra 

 combs, and your wife will not ring the bell 

 or send the children to the field to come and 

 hive the b 3es once where she now has to a 

 dozen times. Let the extractor rest until 

 the honey is thoroughly ripened; then take 

 out some »nd you can always be proud to 

 mention the quality of your honey to your 

 neighbors and friends. Tell them they can 

 always depend on getting this good quality 

 of honey from you. Then never disappoint 

 them. It will take time and patience to get 

 their confidence fully. You see it is hard to 

 forget that they at some time had paid their 

 money for poor thin honey— some, may be, 

 that actually soured. Take my advice, and 

 you will see the people asking for your 

 honey. You will eventually have a good 

 home market and get a lasting reputation 

 all over the country. Your ancestors and 

 the coming generation will remember you as 

 one not only interested in the welfare of the 

 bee and honey industry during your life, but 

 as one who had done all in his power to edu- 

 cate everybody in the right direction. 



New London, Ohio. 



[While it is possible that our friend Mr. 

 White may get a little free advertising for 

 his good honey, we are willing to give ad- 

 vertising of this kind to any one who is willing 

 to make a hobby of letting honey ripen on 

 the hives, and ripen thoroughly, instead of 

 extracting it before it is ripe. Our readers 

 will remember that, some years ago, I came 

 to the conclusion that honey that was left on 

 the hives a month after being capped over 

 had a richness in flavor, and a body, that 

 honey just capped did not have. It may be 

 that, in some localities, honey can be ex- 

 tracted the minute it is capped over; but in 

 most of the Northern States, I will venture 

 to say, there will be an added flavor if the 

 honey is left on a while longer. The first- 

 gathered honey can be extracted to supply 

 first orders, of course; and it should be un- 



