1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



493 



placing beneath it one containing- empty 

 sections, according- to orthodox teaching. 

 Bv practicing- the orthodox method, much of 

 the working force will be withdrawn from 

 the upper super, and work will be distrib- 

 uted through that and the lower one in un- 

 desirable and unprofitable proportion, oft- 

 times resulting in none of the sections being 

 properly tilled. 



The system of management we have at- 

 tempted to outline, and which we have 

 found to produce profitable results, requires 

 that there be no separating of the working 

 and storing force of bees from the brood 

 more than is necessary by the outward and 

 upward extension of work in the supers; 

 that there be not more than two supers in 

 use on the hive at any one time; that the 

 .supers be removed as fast as completed ; 

 that there be no enforced idleness by leav- 

 ing the super on till finished before giving 

 additional storage room; and. as far as 

 possible, to have the bees complete each su- 

 per while it is next to the brood chamber to 

 insure perfect work. By keeping the colony 

 compact its heat is conserved, which pro- 

 motes brood- rearing, keeps the hive well 

 slocked with bees, resulting in rapid, per- 

 fect, and uniform building of combs in the 

 super. The bees will complete each super 

 separateU', using only the upper one as op- 

 portunity for work in the lower diminishes 

 and finalU' ceases. 



As the end of the season draws near, the 

 bees will finish the last super, next to the 

 brood-chamber, with honey from the unfin- 

 ished combs in the last upper super. The 

 apiarist will thus approach the end of the 

 season with practicall}- all the unfinished 

 sections in the last upper super, and all 

 other sections, filled and finished fanc3^ 



General adoption of improved methods of 

 comb-honej' production would exert a far- 

 reaching influence on apiculture. There 

 would result increased consumption, fol- 

 lowed by better demand, and satisfactory 

 prices for honej' in the comb. It can not 

 be denied that beautiful appearance is the 

 most potent factor in marketing. To please 

 the eye will accomplish more, in a pecuni- 

 ary waj', than to please the sense of taste. 

 The Ben Davis apple obtained its almost 

 universal popularit}' with horticulturists, 

 who grow apples for mirket, because of its 

 appearance — a beautiful red, the most de- 

 sirable color for apples — and not on ac- 

 count of its (]ualit3-, which is actually infe- 

 rior. While honey is just as good in sec- 

 tions which have an unoccupied space be- 

 tween the comb and the wood, decidedly 

 the best demand is for those which are 

 filled and capped as nearly solid as it is 

 possible to produce them. 



The fancy and attractive appearance in- 

 creases the value of comb hone}', and adds 

 dollars to the net profits of the apiarist 

 without decreasing the quantity which the 

 bees will make; but, rather, would there 

 result an increased production. There 

 would also result a decrease of the relative 

 proportion of extracted honey as compared 



with that in the comb which bee-keepers 

 would produce because of the better price 

 and demiind for the latter. This would 

 tend to improve the demand and price of 

 honey in the extracted form. It is to the 

 financial advantage of the apiarist, from 

 every view- point, to make a special efl'ort 

 to produce fancy comb honey. 



[The illustration herewith shows the ex- 

 hibit that manj' admired at the Pan-Amer- 

 ican. It was produced by Mr. Hershiser, 

 on the grounds of the exposition, in the Ag- 

 ricultural Building, where many of the 

 bees would be lost, on the very plan he out- 

 lines in these three articles, especially in 

 the one we have before us. This honey, 102 

 lbs. all told, came from one colony of black 

 bees in a Danzenbaker hive. When it is 

 remembered that the locality around the 

 Pan-American was not of the best, because 

 the lawns were kept mown closely every 

 day, the results were all the more surpris- 

 ing. 



It is not claimed by Mr. Hershiser that 

 the hive is responsible for this good result, 

 because any hive could be manipulated to 

 a great extent on this principle. But the 

 Danzenbaker or any sectional brood-cham- 

 ber is especially adapted to the treatment. 



The particular feature of the plan is that, 

 instead of getting a large per cent of sec- 

 tions No. 1 and 2, almost the entire product 

 of the hive is No. i and ^^ Fancy.'''' As will 

 be seen by the illustration, a very large 

 part if not the entire lot of honey would 

 grade as " Fanc}^" Under a diiYerent (or 

 the usual) plan of manipulation, putting an 

 empty super under a filled super, there 

 might have been more boxes of hone}'; but 

 there would not have begun to be as many 

 that would grade as No. 1 and " Fancj'. " 



Years ago there used to be a good many 

 articles telling what to do with unfinished 

 sections. Some recommended extracting ; 

 others, cutting out and selling for chunk 

 honey; others, putting it back on the hives 

 and feeding it back. It will be remembered 

 that, when these articles were being pub- 

 lished, it was during the very time that the 

 plan of putting an empty super under part- 

 ly finished ones was being exploited and 

 recommended. In other words, if I under- 

 stand Mr. Hershiser, tiering up results in too 

 many unfinished sections, while tiering 

 under increases the No. 1 and "Fancy." 

 Mr. Hershiser"s articles will bear careful 

 reading, and the proof of the pudding is 

 right before 3-ou. — Ed.] 



VENTILATION OF BEE-CELLARS VIEWED FROM 

 A SCIENTIFIC STANDPOINT. 



Contrary Experiences Possitiy tfarmoaized. 



BY ARTHUR C. MILLER. 



In a recent number of Gleanings jou 

 commented on the different practices in re- 

 gard to the ventilation of bee-cellars, and 

 were at a loss to account for bees wintering 



