The American Apiculturist. 



% loitrnal b^hot^b to Srrnttifit aitb ^ratlkal g^tkecphtg. 



ENTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, SALEil, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER. 



Published Monthly. S. M. Locke, Publisher & Prop'r 



VOL. I. 



SALEM, MASS., JUNE, 1883. 



No. 2. 



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PLAIN 

 TALK ON BEE-CULTURE. 



By .T. E. Pond. 



IL 



INCREASE IN APIARY. 



How can I best increase my 

 apiary, wliile working for surplus 

 comb hone}'? is a question tliat is 

 often asked, and one vvliicli it is 

 exceedingly difficult to answer. 

 Jt is generally understood that in 

 order to obtain the largest yield 

 of surplus, no increase whatever 

 should be allowed ; for the rule is, 

 that one strong colony, if not 

 allowed to swarm, will gather more 

 stores, than the same colony and 

 its increase would if a swarm were 

 allowed to issue. If an apiary is 

 run for surplus comb honey, it is a 

 matter of great difficulty to prevent 

 swarming ; andattimestheapiarist, 

 who allows his bees to swann 

 naturally, becomes almost if not 

 quite discouraged, at seeing swarm 



after swarm issue, and thus destroy 

 his chance of obtaining even a 

 fair crop, while he is powerless to 

 prevent it. If, on the other hand, 

 the apiary is being worked for 

 extracted honey, it becomes com- 

 paratively easy to control, if not 

 entirely to prevent natural swarm- 

 ing, and thus to obtain a large 

 crop of surplus ; and this by keeping 

 the whole force of the colony con- 

 stantly at work. 



In order to understand fully the 

 difficulties I have just hinted at, 

 and learn how to overcome them, 

 it is necessary to know something 

 of the nature and habits of the 

 honey-bee. It is generally under- 

 stood, I think, that swarming is 

 caused by the hive becoming over- 

 crowded with bees, brood and 

 stores ; and that a portion of the 

 colony, in consequence thereof, is 

 forced to leave in search of a new 

 home, in order that comfort may be 

 maintained in the home they leave. 

 Swarming, too, is the natural means 

 of perpetuating the species, and to 

 a certain extent must be allowed, 

 else the race will become extinct. 

 There are other reasons why swarms 

 issue, such as giving the queen a 

 brief period of rest, and giving us 

 a larger yield of comb for wax, 

 but the above are sufficient for the 

 -purposes of the present article; 

 (25) 



