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AMERICAN EEE JOURNAL, 



Feb. 2, 1899. 



in tfie prior work, as to how each manipulation must be per- 

 formed, etc, but having- pointed out what is necessary to 

 accomplish I leave the rest to the experimenter. Make sure 

 that each colony has an equal chance ; if they become un- 

 equal make them equal in bees, brood, stores, size of hive, 

 and opportunities for work. Be sure to keep a record of all 

 that happens to the colony — brood or bees added or taken, 

 whether queen failed or lackt vig-or, day and date of every- 

 thing- affecting individual colonies. 



At swarming-time comes the greatest difficulty of all. 

 Oh, for absolute control of swarming '. We can equalize 

 bees, brood and stores, but we cannot so well control the 

 swarming matter, yet this is important to do else we lose in 

 a large measure the previous work so far as accuracy in re- 

 sults is concerned. If one colony swarms, all the others 

 should do so. and do it at the same time. I see no way out 

 of this difficult^' save to simply forestall all swarming, or, 

 instead, cause all to swarm, and on or near even date. A 

 part run for comb and a part for extracted makes it harder 

 to manage. The comb-honey colonies will be almost sure 

 to swarm, while few, or possibly not any, of those run for 

 extracted would do so. 



As for my.self, I think I would unqueen and control 

 swarming that way ; but for those who may have a fall flow 

 it would not do to unqueen in the early flow if the colony 

 was expected to do good work in the late season. I think I 

 should recommend unqueening for those who have but one 

 comparatively short flow, and those having two flows, or 

 one very long one of eight weeks or more, to introduce cells 

 into each of the colonies, doing so just as they are likely to 

 begin cell-building in anj' of the colonies, and give all alike 

 and at the same time. The cells introduced should be un- 

 sealed, and perhaps two or three to each colon)-, for if given 

 sealed some might not be willing to accept. I think un- 

 sealed cells — especially three or four- days before sealing 

 age — would be almost certain of acceptance, and al.so almost 

 sUFe to cause swarming. 



The fact that swarming makes a difference in the hone v- 

 gathering work, first bv time lost at swartning-tituc, and, 

 second, by causing the swarm to build comb where ready- 

 made combs are not supplied, would make comparative re- 

 sults very unsatisfactory indeed as a basis upon which to 

 build. It is imperative that in every single test the colonies 

 musl be alike in every way, or nearly so. Better that many 

 apiarists simultaneously perform these experiments, each 

 upon a few colonies more or less as he may be able, and 

 each do a thorough job. Ten apiarists in as many loca- 

 tions, and each using 10 colonies, 5 to each side, would give 

 us 100 colonies in the test, and in varied conditions. I hope 

 that 20 or 30 at least will take up the work and join me in 

 experimenting. 



In my next article I will continue detailing other experi- 

 ments. Meanwhile I would be glad to receive postal cards 

 from any apiarists willing to help. I expect each to keep a 

 record o-f the work showing in detail how it was done and 

 the results, and a copy of the record sent to me. After re- 

 ceiving these reports I will compile the whole and place the 

 same before the readers of this journal. It will help all bee- 

 keepers, and, most of all, we who do the work. 



Loveland, Colo. 



Value of Bees to Fruit— Other Items. 



BY H. S. PRICE. 



I HAVE noticed the Editor's kind invitation for sub- 

 scribers to write their experience with bees, the way thev 

 have them packt for winter, etc., and I thought ere this 

 I would have written my experience. I rather expect, tho, 

 next winter I will be better able to give an account of my- 

 self (or rather the bees), as last season was a very poor one 

 for bees, and for fruit, too. Poor for fruit because we had 

 so much rain that the bees could not get to the orchards to 

 fertilize the blossoms. There was plenty of bloom, but it 

 requires something besides just the mere bloom to make 

 fruit — it must be fertilized. 



We had one or two nice days during pear and cherry 

 bloom, and the bees got to work on them, so we had a nice 

 crop of each, but the apple crop was a failure. This is 

 quite a fruit country, apples being the main crop, and when 

 we have a failure in apples it means almost a failure in 

 everything else. 



I do not want to leave the impression that apples are 

 all that is raised here, where everything grows in abun- 

 dance, but we feel a failure in apples, I think, worse than 

 anything else. 



I have the management of the Plunkett Hill Fruit Farm 



at this place, and I sold, last season, $16.25 worth of fruit. 

 It should have been that many hundred dollars, but the rain 

 kept the bees in so they could not fertilize the blossoms, so 

 we had only '• a drop in the bucket." 



I was the only one that had any fruit to sell in this sec- 

 tion of the country, and if it were not for my bees I don't 

 think I would have had 16 cents worth of fruit. I am, as 

 you will see, a firm believer in my bees. 



I have two reasons for keeping bees — pleasure and 

 profit. Pleasure is derived from working with them, and 

 watching them work ; profit from the honey and the pol- 

 lenization of the fruit. I have 24 colonies, all in modern 

 hives. I expect to increase to SO ne.xt season. Last season 

 was mj- first in this section of the State. I know of no rea- 

 son whj- bees will not pay, and pay big, for the extra work 

 they may cause any one here. 



We had bees at home (southeastern Missouri), and they 

 paid there, and I think this a much better country' for honej' 

 than that. The main things here for honey are fruits, lin- 

 den, white clover, smartweed and Spanish-needle (commonly 

 called " yellow blossom ■'). The latter is the most produc- 

 tive of all. In the fall there are thousands of acres of it 

 here — it just looks like fields of gold. It lasts about four 

 weeks, and the flow is surely great. It brings to mind the 

 poet who wrote — 



" Full many a g-em of purest ray serene. 



The dariv unfathnmed caves of ocean bear; 



Full many a flower is born to blush unseen. 

 And waste its sweetness on the desert air." 



There are acres and acres of it that bees never get to sip 

 the nectar from a single blossom, there being no neces- 

 sity for them going far from home — they have all thej' can 

 do right at their door. 



I have the 5-banded Italians to gather honey for me. I 

 think they are by far the best bees. All tho.se who want 

 hybrids can have thera, but I want the pure Italians. I 

 think they are better workers, easily handled, and so much 

 prettier than the hybrid or black bees. 



I will sometime in the future write an article on the 

 hive I use. and whv. Livingston Co., Mo. 



Proceedings of the Colorado State Bee-Keepers' 

 Convention. 



(CONTRIBUTED BY THE SECRET.\RV.) 

 [Continued f rem ptfg-e 55.] 



The President's Annual Address. 



Another year has past, and we are again in annual ses- 

 sion of our Association. I am glad to meet you, and rejoice 

 that we have had a reasonably prosperous year. True, we 

 cannot boast of large crops, yet there ha.s been a decided 

 improvement over the past few seasons. So far as I have 

 had reports from the various parts of the State, our general 

 crop has been a fair olie, and when compared with the aver- 

 age of the States we have no reason to complain. The fail- 

 ure in other States has redounded to our advantage by mak- 

 ing a market for what crop we have. 



We have reason to rejoice in the fact that our Associa- 

 tion now numbers a membership of some 150, the largest 

 membership ever attained. This growth is very encourag- 

 ing-, for it betokens a better condition of bee-culture in all 

 parts of the State. 



What has caused this increase of membership and gen- 

 eral interest ? Let me saj' to you, work. I do not want to 

 seem personal nor a flatterer, but I do want the members of 

 this Association to know that our very worthy Secretary, 

 Mr. Frank Rauchfuss, has performed a labor of love. He 

 has been untiring and unselfish in his labors in g-uarding 

 and furthering the intere.sts of this Association and the 

 whole apicultural interests of this State. Your Executive 

 Board and the general committees have workt together to 

 make our Association second to none — not even the National. 



Editor York, of the American Bee Journal, has very 

 materially assisted in our work, and this Association is un- 

 der obligation to him, which obligation I hope will be faith- 



