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AMERICAN BEE JOURJNAi-. 



suits, yet sufficiently so, J think, to 

 warrant us putting some confidence in 

 the general results so far as they go ; I 

 say so far as they go, for the test was 

 for three weeks only, and time appears 

 to be an essential element in the experi- 

 ment. The colonies that are strong in 

 numbers as compared with the weak, 

 and those aided with comb or foundation 

 as compared with those left unaided, 

 are soonest " out of breath " in the race, 

 or, perhaps, the luxury and wealth of 

 numbers and resources prove destructive 

 to energy and ambition ; and, on the 

 other hand, straitened circumstances, 

 whether it be from a lack of numbers or 

 of resources, arouse vigor and persist- 

 ence in a determination to supply the 

 lack. At least, that is what the tables 

 seem to teach, and we can only guess 

 what the result would have been had 

 the tests covered the whole of the honey 

 season instead of the last half. Many 

 and varied experiments must be made 

 in order to arrive at the exact truth in 

 these matters. Let no one fear that 

 apicultural experiment stations may be 

 either too numerous or too well equipped. 

 To one who has entered it, the field 

 looks exceedingly large. 



For the rest I must be content at this 

 time to close with a summary of the re- 

 sults pretty clearly disclosed by the 

 experiments conducted in the manner 

 and for the time stated, but I wish first 

 to invite and urge all who are interested 

 in the matter to make suggestions and 

 criticisms both upon my methods and 

 inferences, and let them not, out of a 

 concern for ray feelings, so refine their 

 strictures that they lose all their point, 

 and with it their effect. That is not the 

 way, as too many bee-keepers seem to 

 think, to get at the truth. At all events, 

 I am not very thin-skinned, and I be- 

 lieve that, at least in these experiments, 

 I am willing to look at the naked truth. 

 I know now that in some respects my 

 methods have been faulty, and no doubt 

 they have been so in other points than 

 those which I have discovered, and what 

 those other points are I am anxious to 

 know. 



In this summary, as elsewhere, when 

 I speak of gain it is not gain per colony, 

 for the colonies vary in strength, 

 but per pound of bees, which seems to 

 be the only just way. 



If, then, we may trust our tables, they 

 show for the last half of the summer 

 season : 



1st. That for profit, foundation in the 

 brood-chamber for swarms has a decided 

 advantage in point of surplus comb 



honey over both drawn comb and 

 frames with starters only ; that drawn 

 comb stands second, and starters third. 



2nd. That in point of total gain in 

 both brood-chamber and surplus, the 

 same order holds, and to nearly the same 

 extent. 



3rd. That fairly strong colonies show 

 a very decided advantage over light 

 ones in point of comb honey surplus, 

 and also to a small extent in the total 

 gain. 



4th. That light colonies sustain their 

 rate of gain in all cases better than fairly 

 strong ones. 



5th. That swarms on starters only 

 sustain their rate of gain decidedly bet- 

 ter than do those on comb or on founda- 

 tion. 



6th. That of the light colonies those 

 on starters are decidedly more profitable 

 than those on either comb or foundation. 



I ought to explain here that each 

 swarm was hived on a brood-chamber 

 equal to that required to hold five Lang- 

 stroth combs. 



Lapeer, Mich., Sept. 22, 1893. 



COSJVENTIOW DIRECTORY. 



Time and place of meeting. 



Dec.r2, 13.— Illinois State, at Springfield, Ills. 

 Jas. A. Stone, Sec, Bradfordton, Ills. 



Dec. 13, 14. — Eastern Iowa, at Delmar, Iowa. 

 Frank Coverdale, Sec, Walton, Iowa. 



Dec, 19,20.— Northern Illinois, at Rockford.lll. 

 B. Kennedy, Sec, New Milford, 111. 



In order to have this table complete. 

 Secretaries are requested to forward full 

 particulars of the time and the place of 

 each future meeting. — The Editor. 



North American Bee-Keepers' Association 



Pres.— Emerson T. Abbott St. Joseph. Mo. 



Vice-Pres.— O. L. Hershiser Buffalo. N. Y. 



Secretary— Frank Benton. Washington, D. C. 

 Treasurer— George W. York.. .Chicago, Ills. 



National Bee-Keepers' Union. 



President— Hon. R. L. Taylor. .Lapeer, Mich. 

 Gen'l Manager— T. G. Newman. Chicago. 111. 

 147 South Western Avenue. 



When Renewing Your Subscription, 



why not send along one or more new sub- 

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 premium offers on the 5th page of this copy 

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