May, ipop. 



American ^ae Journal 



results. We have liberty to do what 

 we please, perhaps, but with that liber- 

 ty we are restricted from doing what is 

 injurious to others. The motive which 

 actuates the older bees to go and start 

 a new home for the young was taken 

 as an illustration of the recognized im- 

 portance of caring for the welfare of 

 the child — that dominant question which 

 concerns all of us and future genera- 

 tions. 



A TALK ON QUEENS. 



After luncheon, A. W. Yates, a queen 

 specialist, gave an interesting and in- 

 structive talk. He said that the bees 

 should be kept warm through the early 

 breeding season. A strong, prolific 

 queen and plenty of stores, in a warm 

 hive, indicate a successful colony. He 

 is opposed to feeding in the spring un- 

 less it is absolutely necessary. Hives 

 should all be examined the first warm 

 day, and a careful record made as to 

 the condition of each, so that a plan for 

 managing each colony may be decided 

 and acted upon. He said that most bee- 

 keepers are behind in queen-rearing, 

 and cited Merino sheep, seedless oran- 

 ges, and hybrid plants, as instances that 

 should cause bee-keepers to aspire for 

 greater results in the realm of apicul- 

 ture. He said that a poor queen should 

 not be tolerated; that color in a queen 

 is secondary, and that if he had but 

 one good queen he would expect the 

 greatest good to come through her use 

 in drone-production. Those who wish 

 fine looking stock should heed Mr. 

 Yates' reminder, that there are beau- 

 tiful golden bees that are worthless as 

 honey-gatherers. 



PREVENTION OF SWARMING. 



Allen Latham, who is a science teach- 

 er and who naturally carries the prin- 

 ciples of science into apiculture, spoke 

 on "Swarm Prevention." He mentioned 

 small hive-entrances as one of the great 

 causes of swarming. A lack of cluster 

 room below the combs is another source. 

 Where there is ample room between the 

 lower line of the brood-frames and the 

 bottom-board, excitement is reduced to 

 a minimum, the crowding of the work- 

 ers by the ventilating bees being over- 

 come. He emphasized the importance 

 of putting on sections too early rather 

 than too late, crowding being one of 

 the sources of swarming. A disconten- 

 ted condition of the colony is another 

 cause. The average frame produces 

 swarming because there is not enough 

 room for the brood-nest. On the other 

 hand, too large a frame is a source of 

 discouragement to the queen because 

 she cannot cover it. Mr. Latham is still 

 experimenting to find the ideal brood- 

 nest. He advises a large hive-entrance, 

 13 inches long by i inch wide, for sum- 

 mer and winter, believing that a lack 

 of ventilation is one of the main causes 

 of loss and trouble with bees. 



At the close of the above talk. Rev. 

 Mr. Marsh arose and stated that he 

 visited Mr. Latham's home and found 

 80 hives, covered with Paroid paper, 

 huddled together in the rear of the 

 house, sweltering in the sun "like a 

 group of Filipinos, where it was hot 

 enough to fry griddle cakes." Upon in- 

 quiry Mr. Marsh was astonished to as- 

 certain that only 2 colonies had swarmed 

 during the season. 



A full description of Mr Latham's 

 "Let Alone Hive" has been issued by 

 request, in pamphlet form, and sells for 

 $1.00. 



During the members' hour, Merrill D. 

 Brooks of Cromwell, said that he had 

 an acre of land, heavy rich loam, and 

 wished to know what kind of clover to 

 sow this spring to secure the best bee- 

 pasturage. Mr. Crane recommended al- 

 sike. 



PREVENTING TRAVEL-STAIN. 



The subject of "Travel-Stain" was dis- 

 cussed, and Mr. Crane exhibited his pat- 

 ent honey-board, which requires the bees 

 to enter the super at two sides only. He 

 said that he welcomed any method that 

 helps to prevent travel-stain, and that 

 the difficulty in remedying this trouble 

 is still great, it being minimized, how- 

 ever, when hives are located where hon- 

 ey is abundant. 



MARKETING HONEY. 



Mr. Crane, in opening a discussion on 

 "Shipping Honey," enlivened the occa- 

 sion with the story of a little schoolboy 

 who wrote on the blackboard, "Johnny 

 can kiss more girls than any boy in 

 school." The teacher ordered him to re- 

 main after the session. Upon being 

 urged by the other pupils to state the 

 form of punishment inflicted, he said, "I 

 shall never tell, but it pays to advertise !" 



Mr. Crane said he had been shipping 

 for 40 years, and had lost $1000 through 

 broken honey. He exhibited a case of 

 his own invention, somewhat larger than 

 those ordinarily used, which a leading 

 manufacturer has said will drive all 

 other shipping-cases out of the market 

 in 3 years. It is made of strawboard 

 and holds twenty-four sections, each in 

 its own compartment. Mr. Crane, who 



weighs 175 pounds, placed the case on 

 the floor and stood on it, raising him- 

 self on the sole of one foot. It will 

 cost no more than wood, and weighs but 

 half as much, thereby saving expressage. 

 The body and cover telescope, and four 

 medium-sized seals hold them firmly to- 

 gether. It is practically twist-proof. 

 The walls are padded with corrugated 

 paper, which takes up the drip. Mr. 

 Crane said that one of these cases, filled, 

 was accidentally dropped from a table, 

 without breaking a comb. 



BEES IN WINTER. 



In regard to "Wintering Bees," Mr. 

 Crane surprised many by advocating a 

 reduced size of the brood-chamber, on 

 the same principle that a small stove, 

 which cannot heat a large room, is just 

 right for half that room. In case of 

 an 8-frame hive he would insert a divi- 

 sion-board and winter- two 4- frame col- 

 onies. Some favored large entrances, 

 but more wanted them contracted. Mr. 

 Crane mentioned an instance where en- 

 trances were reduced to the size of from 

 I inch to iJ4 inches, and the bees were 

 brought through the winter in fine shape. 



The Association voted to accept the 

 offer of the Connecticut Fair Associa- 

 tion to hold a honey exhibit in connec- 

 tion with the State Fair in Hartford, 

 next September. Ample space on the 

 fair grounds is to be allowed the bee- 

 keepers, and $200 at least is assured 

 them for premiums. Hartford will eas- 

 ily take the lead with respect to agricul- 

 tural fairs, judging from the successful 

 one held last fall, when the State Fair 

 was revived after an interval of more 

 than 30 years. A State Fair Committee 

 was chosen, composed of A. W. Yates, 

 Rev. D. D. Marsh, and Rev. E. A. Dent. 

 James A. Smith, Sec. 



H®»- 





i 



The Swarming Impulse and 

 Its Control in the Apiary 



BY RALPH BENTON. 



Assistant Entomologist, University of Cali- 

 fornia, 



The swarming impulse among bees 

 may be defined as the inherent natural 

 method for the extension of the num- 

 ber of colonies, and so of the race. As 

 such we find it an instinct deeply root- 

 ed in the race yet varying somewhat 

 in the existing varieties and strains 

 of bees. The degree of variation of 

 the manifest swarming impulse we are 

 inclined to believe is largely augmented 

 by an attempt at uniform methods of 

 practice. Accordingly there are some 

 underlying features of natural swarm- 

 ing that must be kept steadily in mind 

 in settling upon any given method of 



practice. There are five conditions that 

 tend to induce swarming: An over 

 populous colony ; a lack of room for 

 the storage of incoming honey; an in- 

 hibited tendency to wax-secretion ; a 

 restricted queen in ovipositing, either 

 due to an excess of brood in the col- 

 ony, or a clogging of the brood-nest 

 with honey or pollen, or both ; and the 

 presence in the colony of a queen of a 

 previous years rearing. 



If a colony in a restricted or circum- 

 scribed hive dimension be headed by 

 a queen of one of the more prolific 

 varieties of bees, as the Cyprian or the 

 Carniolan varieties, one or more of the 

 conditions liable to induce swarming 

 are likely to result speedily, leading 

 inevitably to preparations for swarm- 

 ing and the final casting of the swarm ; 

 and I say the final casting of the swarm, 

 for when once a given colony has be- 



