Publisht Weekly at US Michigan St. 



George W. York, Editor. 



fl.OO a Year— Sample Copy Free. 



38th Year, 



CHICAGO, ILL., JUNE 30, 1898. 



No. 26. 



Divider and Wedges in Houey-Production. 



BY S. T. PETTIT. 



On page 321 appears an article from Mr. G. M. Doolittle, 

 which seems to aim a huge stroke at my system of taking 

 comb honey. Some of the article is based upon fact, some 

 upon theory, and some of it upon nothing at all. He says : 



"Of one thing all the advocates of this plan seem to be 

 sure, which is, that unless the bees are forced to go from the 

 fields to the sections with their loads of nectar, the same will 

 of necessity be deposited by the bees in the comb-cells of the 

 brood-chamber." 



That assertion is based upon nothing at all. Respectfully, 

 Mr. Doolittle, but you are mistaken. I never said so, nor 

 even insinuate so much. I am not arguing the point whether 

 the field-bees go direct to the cells with their loads, or whether 

 they hand it over to young bees. The fact that the field-bees 

 do pass over to the young bees a good deal, if not all, the nec- 

 tar, is a very Important factor in the success of my system. 

 All who have made careful experimentations in that line know 

 that where the field-bees go up the young bees will meet them. 

 Now, if the field-bees go up at the center, the young bees will 

 draw away from the outside and congregate at the center; 

 but if the field bees go up at the sides and rear end of the 

 hive, the young bees will distribute themselves to meet the 

 field-bees where they go up, and thus the bees are placed just 

 where wanted with their loads ; and now, with a good divider 

 placed at each side of the super to hold a lot of bees at the 

 sides, the work will progress pretty evenly from side to side 

 of the super. 



All right, Mr. Doolittle, just in proportion as you press 

 the point that the field-bees pass over their loads of nectar to 

 young bees, you help my system of taking comb honey. I 

 want something to induce the young bees to go to the outside 

 of the outside sections and remain there, and your contention 

 throws light upon and helps to understand the reason of the 

 success of the system. I see that point more clearly than I 

 did a year ago. I thank you for that article, as it helps to 

 bring out and emphasize a very important point. 



And now, Mr. Doolittle, if you will try the large entrance 

 recommended, I believe your condemnation will be turned 

 into praise. Yesterday many hives had large quantities of 

 bees hanging out. I went around and slipt the wedges under, 

 thus giving large entrances, and to-day, tho warm as yester- 

 day, there are no bees hanging out. Before I raised them 

 their entrances were %xl7 inches. 



Since the beginning I believe nearly every step in the ad- 

 vance of the arts and sciences has been opposed by some one, 

 and I feel flattered to have so able an opponent as Mr. Doolit- 

 tle. I have no anxiety about the future of my system — its 

 success is certain. Ontario, Canada, June 4. 



Profitable Bee-Keeping:, with Hints to Begin- 

 ners" — a series of nine articles by Mr. C. W. White, of Eng- 

 land, will begin in the Bee Journal next week. See offers on 

 page 410. 



After-Swarming — How to Prevent It. 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Probably there is nothing so perplexing to the farmer who 

 keeps a few colonies of bees, or the novice with his decade or 

 score of hives, nor. In fact, to the apiarist with his hundreds 

 of colonies, as after-swarms. They are rarely wanted by any 

 one, but are generally ever present to annoy, unless they are 

 prevented from issuing by the apiarist. With box-hives and 

 log-gums, coupled with the knowledge of 30 or 40 years ago, 

 very few could do little else than let them issue at will. They 

 were often returned, only to issue the next day, and often 

 again on the same day. where they came out during the fore- 

 noon. The cry of "Bees swarming !" about as soon as we 

 would get into the hayfield on some hot July morning during 

 the fifties, and " Bees swarming " all through the day, decided 

 my father to let this branch of agriculture alone, and as four- 



O. M.,DoolUUe. 



fifths of these bees were after-swarms, and not being wanted, 

 they were the ones which gave the verdict, or caused it to be 

 given. 



But since the frame hives came into general use, this 

 after-swarming nuisance can be prevented, but in order to do 

 this we must know the conditions causing their issue, and 

 when they are to be expected. One of our oldest bee-keepers, 

 and one who has had years of experience, was heard not long 

 ago to give expression to these words : 



" A queen usually hatches on the eighth day after the 

 first swarm Issues, and it is on that day that the second swarm 

 will come off." This I consider a mistake, and I am led to 

 reason that if our oldest bee-keepers do not fully understand 

 under what circumstances after-swarms issue, a few words to 

 the novice, and those not professing to be informed on this 

 subject, might not be amiss. 



After years of study on this point and most careful watch- 



