162 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



late E. W. Alexander, which is gaining much favor. This is virtually 

 a modification of the " shook " swarming method, but without the 

 shaking.^ 



Spring Management. 



The honey harvest depends upon correct management of your 

 colonies in the spring. Spring conditions depend upon success in 

 wintering, and it is said wintering depends upon preparation the 

 previous season. But with the first flight of the bees, when trees are 

 beginning to swell their buds, the beekeeper's season commences. 



Each colony should be thoroughly overhauled, provided, of course, 

 that spring has really come. Opening colonies when bees are not 

 flying should be avoided. A great deal of labor for the bees can be 

 saved by scraping from the bottom boards the winter's accumulation 

 of debris. At this season the beekeeper should scrape the top bars 

 of the frames, remove surplus bee glue (propolis), that the parts may 

 handle more freely during the rest of the summer. Also look for 

 your queens, which sometimes fail to survive the hardships of winter. 

 The presence of brood or eggs should be a guide. If there seems to 

 be a failure of the queen, or if she is lost, a new one should be pro- 

 vided immediately, or else the rapidity with which the colony may 

 dwindle will be surprising. 



The honey stores, as the colony expands brood rearing, vanish 

 almost mysteriously. Consequently it is imperative that provisions 

 be constantly available. Remember, too, that very little nectar can 

 be gathered in the field, since perhaps maple and skunk cabbage 

 are the only flowers yet open. It is frequently desirable and neces- 

 sary to feed. (See "Feeding.") 



To know what to do with small or weak colonies is often a 

 problem. They had better be united, a queenless one with a queen- 

 wright, some advise. To nurse along a weak colony means care, 

 which is not always repaid by a surplus of honey. 



E. W. Alexander has given a method of building up weak colonies 

 in the spring. Those who have tried it do not all report it a success, 

 but the writer's experience is favorable. Beekeepers should imder- 

 take it with caution, but nevertheless surprising results have been 

 obtained. 



Accoi'ding to Alexander, the apiary should be divided into an 

 equal number of strong and weak colonies. Again, mark each of 

 the weak colonies which has brood. Placing queen-excluding zinc 

 over the strong colonies without disturbance, and, preferably, with- 

 out smoke, set the Aveak colonies having brood over strong ones. 

 It will be necessary to give a frame of brood to each of the weak 



» " A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture," Root, 1910, pp. 284, 285. " Gleanings in Bee 

 Culture," 1906, p. 423, or in "Alexander's Writings," published by the A. I. Root Com- 

 pany. 



