1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



157 



crowd the frames up snug- and tight. 

 When the bees have fastened the combs you 

 may draw out the cornstalks, tip the hive 

 back, and take out the comb-rest. 



I see you often fasten combs with twine. 

 Dr. Miller prefers tine wire. If I wanted 

 to be contrarj' I'd use cornstalks. 



Chambersville, Pa. J. P. Lytlk. 



[As I understand your method, you sim- 

 ply use cornstalks set down between the 

 frames to keep the combs from tumbling- 

 against each other. Somehow this seems a 

 little crude to me, j'et I have no doubt it 

 answers the purpose. Cornstalks vary in 

 size, and uniformity of diameter would be 

 an important requisite to hold the combs 

 exactly in the center of the frames. Ordi- 

 naril}- it does not pay to transfer any comb 

 into a frame unless it can be in one solid 

 piece, and cut large enough to make a snug 

 tit against the top and bottom bar and end- 

 bars. Such a comb does not need staying 

 up. In these day^s of foundation, and a de- 

 sire to avoid drone comb, it does not pay to 

 use little bits of comb, and fit them against 

 other pieces to make one solid comb. One 

 had far better use a comb-starter fastened 

 against the top-bar, and have them built 

 out into worker comb during the season of 

 brood-rearing. — Ed. ] 



THE NEVER SWARM COLONY BETTER THAN 



tHE FORCED swarm; three good 



RULES. 



The subject of prevention of swarming, 

 as discussed in Gleanings, has been in- 

 teresting. The methods of forcing or shak- 

 ing swarms have all been practiced here 

 with various success; but wejagree with 

 Dr. Miller that the colonies kept at home 

 with no notion of swarming are best for 

 honey-producing. I have several colonies, 

 with live years' record, in that line. If 

 swarming could not be prevented I would 

 quit bee-keeping, as high trees and other 

 necessary work prevent close watching of 

 bees. My methods of work have been 

 gleaned from the workers reported in 

 Gleanings, and I am still getting new 

 hints to make the work easier each year. 



I have three good rules to offer: 1. Mr. 

 Boardman's rule, "Keep all colonies 

 5//'07/c'. '" 2. Allow no sealed honej^ or drone 

 comb in the brood-nest during June (from 

 Mr. Doolittle). 3. Careful spacing and 

 arrangement of brood during fruit-bloom, 

 giving room for queen-supers as needed. 



These apply to Ohio. In Florida seasons 

 are different. Nellie Adams. 



Perry sburg, O., Nov. 24. 



BKOOD IN THE BROOD-NEST EOR FORCED 

 SWARMS. 



In J. E. Crane's article on made swarms 

 I notice the words in italics against giving 

 any brood lest they swarm out or start 

 queen-cells, and then swarm. He must have a 

 Carniolan cross in his stock. I know they 

 may swarm with a brood-chamber only 



partly filled ; but I never had a colony with a 

 year-old queen start cells or swarm when I 

 have left them two or three frames of honey, 

 eggs, and brood. If it is liable to happen 

 it could be cured by giving frames of seal- 

 ed and hatching brood to give the queen 

 laying space at the start to keep her out of 

 the super without using an excluder. 



F. Danzenbaker. 

 Washington, D. C. 



CAUSE OF early SWARMING. 



What do j'ou think was the cause of so 

 much early swarming in this vicinit}-? Be- 

 fore they would go up into the supers and 

 go to work they would swarm again just 

 as soon as they could get ready. This was 

 a general thing all over our section of the 

 country. 



The forced swarms did not act that way. 

 They^ all filled their cases in fine shape 

 so far as tried. S. F. Miller.' 



North Manchester, Ind., Dec. 22. 



[A light honey-flow, continued day after 

 day, is more productive of swarming than a 

 heavy honey- flow. It seems to be the rule 

 in Texas, when a small amount of honey is 

 coming in every day, that swarming will 

 be the rule of the daj'; but just as soon as 

 the nectar comes in with a rush, swa'ming 

 eases up; and that is true to some extent in 

 almost all parts of the United States. 



You have given a good testimonial in fa- 

 vor of forced swarms. If your hone3'-flow 

 starts off very lightly% I would hy all means 

 treat all your colonies according to the 

 forced-swarm plan. — Ed.] 



A GLUCOSE dealer FINED $25 AND COSTS. 



I hand you a clipping from the Evenin_^ 

 News, of Tacoma, regarding prosecution 

 under food act. R. W. Tavnton. 



Tacoma, Wash., Sept. 11. 



The monthly report of Food and Dairy Commission- 

 er E. A. McDonald for August, shows but one prose- 

 cution, as follows: Simple, Honey: brand. Wild Rose; 

 manufacturer. Pacific Coast Syrup Co., San Francisco; 

 tned before Judge George, King County; dealer. Star 

 Grocery Co., Seattle ; fine, yio and costs; analysis — 

 ash, 7 per cent; sucrose, 9 27 per cent; reducing sugar, 

 (U.OS per cent; direct polarization plus H.2 degrees; 

 direct polarization at 24 degrees minus 1 degree. 



[This is good. A few more prosecutions 

 of like nature would stop the nefarious 

 business. — Ed.] 



IS IT pickled brood ? 

 Last spring I had a hive in which near- 

 ly all the other brood died, and the bees 

 would remove it from time to time. It seem- 

 ed to die just before being ready to seal up, 

 to the young bee gnawing out of the cell. 

 First it was white; later it would turn 

 brown. There was no odor, neither was it 

 ropy. Later on in the summer I transfer- 

 red them to foundation, but I guess I was 

 not careful enough, and it did not stop it, 

 although not as bad. I think it will be the 

 same in the spring. After the bees in the 

 old hive had all hatched that would, I put 



