1905. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



117 



11 look at the entrance and iu the 

 Sections we can tell from an outside 

 fiagnosis very closely in these matters, 

 (forever afterward. Thfe knowledge 

 !his enabled me to tell at a glance in 

 tlese matters, by passing in front of 

 the hives along about the dates named, 

 whether colonies have laying ((uecns 

 or not. 



When you find a colony that does 

 not have a laying queen the twenty- 

 fifth day after the prime swarm is- 

 sued, just watch the bees in their 

 lictiiCius at the entrance, and compare 

 , cheir actions with one you know has a 

 jueen which has been laying two or 

 :hree days. Then look at the work or 

 'non-work," going on in the sections 

 if the two hives; and if you are a 

 •areful observer you will ever after- 

 vard be prettj- sure regarding this 

 oatter without ever opening a hive. 



Just why so many queens should be 

 ost from these old colonies having 

 ast a swarm or swarms, is something 

 could never account for, unless the 

 ueens are caught by king birds, 

 rhich are on the alert at this time of 

 be year, more than at lOfther times, on 

 ccount of their feeding their young at 

 bis time. Some seasons, and in some 

 x-alities the loss is from one-fourth 

 5 one-half in the apiary. 

 Borodino, N. Y. April 10,1905. 



onies are well started in brood rear- 

 ing. 



If such colonies that are nott 

 streng'thened do not perish they gen- 

 erally make breeding places for moths. 

 My method with such colonies is to 

 shake bees from the frames of 

 strong colonies, that have been 

 hatched only a few hours piid 

 run them in at the entrance of the 

 weak colonies. Care must be taken 

 not to remove a queen. Cover a broad, 

 shallow dish with a cloth to prevent 

 injury to the bees when shaking them 

 from the frames. Use a little smoke 

 when uniting. Twice over six or eight 

 colonies Avith a week's difference in 

 time, taking a half pint of bees from 

 each, will make a colony strong enough 

 to care for a frame of brood. The 

 strongest colony should have no bees 

 taken from it except, the frame of 

 brood. 



Waverly, N. Y., Dec. 24, 1904. 



JUILDING UP W^EAK COLONIES. 



By J. H. ANDRE. 



"XITRING the first three or four 

 J years I kept bees I lost some 

 colonies that were weak in the 

 pring. 



It used to be the general practice 

 ath the most of bee-keepers to keep 

 •eak colonies well protected from cold 

 nd trust to luck to pull them through 

 ntil warm weather, when they were 

 iven brood to build them up. This 

 Ian will work well with a healthy 

 3lony, with good stores and having 

 iree quarts or more of bees. It pays 

 est in some seasons to allow such 

 )lonies to work their own stren^Ti 

 ad get all the white honey possible 

 •om strong colonies instead of using 

 lem to strengthen weak colonies, and 

 ive all of the early homey a few days 

 10 late and sealed dark from sumac, 

 5 often is the case in this locality. I 

 'fer to weak colonies with a quart or 

 v^o of bees at the time the strong col- 



The Call o' the Fields. 



Want to get off where the daisies are 



growin' — 

 Winds wavin' blossoms, an' sweet 



sti'eams a-flowin'; 

 Where the meadow-bells ring, an' the 



cattle are loiwin' — 

 Want to get off for a day! 



Want to get off, in a green world of 



clover — 

 Bees huntin' , honey, an' doves flyln' 



over; 

 Let loose my soul, with the joy of a 



rover — 

 Want to get off for a day! 



Want to get off where the south winds 



are creepin' 

 Over the brook where the speckled 



trout's leapin' — 

 Away with the so win! Away with the 

 reepin' — 

 Want to get off for a day! 



—-Atlanta Constitution. 



"What are the bees doing?" 



"They are working hard to make 



honey." 



"And what is the man doing?" 

 "He is loafing around till the honey 



is made." 



"And what will he do then?" 

 "Bless your innocence — he'll rob tEe 



bees!"— Atlanta Constitution. 



