644 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1 



brood-chamber in the section hive do not 

 count. This is fully explained in my article 

 on page 180; and the brood is in a compact 

 form in the top part of the hive where the 

 heat of the cluster is best conserved. It is 

 not the placing of weak colonies of bees 

 above sti'ong ones that is of doubtful expedi- 

 ency, for the plan is a most excellent one; 

 but the uniting of weak colonies with strong 

 ones, by adding another full-depth hive with 

 only a very small cluster of bees as soon as 

 they are removed from the cellar is quite 

 another thing, and should not be practiced 

 until settled warm weather. For further 

 proofs of this statement, please read Mr. A. 

 J. Snowden's report in Gleanings, Sept. 

 15, page 1189; also a report from Henry 

 Stewart on the same page. I think, with 

 this explanation, and a careful reading of 

 my article on page 180, Mr. Hann will then 

 see that my statements on page 565, 1906, 

 and page 180, 1907, are not in the least con- 

 tlicting. 

 Birmingham, Ohio. 



SWARMING. 



How to Prevent and at the Same Time 

 Keep Down all Increase; a Modifica- 

 tion of tlie Alexander Plan on 

 Page 423, Vol. 34. 



BY GEORGE W. RICH. 



I believe the best method ever advanced 

 through Gleanings is the Alexander plan 

 in April 1st Gleanings, 1906. I have tried 

 this plan, and it works to perfection, but it 

 increases to one more colony; but, thanks to 

 Mr. Alexander for this plan, for by trying 

 this I have su(^ceeded in controlling swarm- 

 ing, and also preventing all increase. 



fiicfi'5 Plaa of co ntrolling Swam iny 

 and Vrevenfiny 



mcre^jse. 



3 /vew fyive i 



3 OLD HIVE c 



/Vf W HIVE. 



QyeEn 



OLD HIVE. 



Queen. 



\ NEWM/VE. 1 



Queen. 



3»o CHANGE 

 16 DAYS I ATE ft. 



Here is the plan: You are to proceed at 

 first exactly as Mr Alexander said, by re- 

 moving the old hive-body, and place on its 

 bottom a new body filled with frames of 

 foundation or empty combs. Remove the 

 middle frame, and from the old hive take 

 out a frame with brood. Be sure you have 

 the queen on this, and place it in the new 

 body (put the frame removed fr6m the new 

 hive into the old); put a queen-excluding 

 board over, and set the old hive on. In six 

 days examine the old hive above the exclud- 

 er, and I'emove all queen-cells. On the 16th 

 day almost all the brood will be hatched; so 



place this hive at the bottom again, but take 

 the queen from the new body and place her 

 in the old body. Put on the queen-excluder, 

 and then a super with full sheets of founda- 

 tion (as the bees are used to storing honey 

 above they will go to work in the super); 

 place the new hive on top of the super. In 

 six days examine this new hive on top and 

 remove all queen-cells, and on the 16th day 

 again remove the top hive to the bottom and 

 place the queen in it; and now the old body, 

 which has been on the bottom, place on top 

 of the one you put the queen in; but leave 

 off the queen-excluder. Put on the super 

 and add as many more as needed. 



Watch your bees in early spring; and when 

 they begin to prepare to swarm, then make 

 the first change, and by the time the last 

 change is made they will have no desire to 

 swarm. By this plan the queen has been 

 kept laying all the time. You have increas- 

 ed to more bees than if they had swarmed, 

 and all in one colony. No increase. 



Atwood, Tenn. 



[The diagram furnished by our correspond- 

 ent makes the whole method of procedure 

 plain at a glance. We suggest that our 

 writers, in referring to methods like this, 

 sketch off diagrams to show how they pro- 

 ceed. This will save a good deal of time on 

 the part of the reader, and make the method 

 perfectly understood. — Ed.] 



MOVING BEES. 



Much Smoke Not Necessary ; Propolis and 

 "Locality." 



BY H. E. CROWTHER. 



I had always considered it necessary, in 

 moving bees even a short distance, to be 

 very thorough; to use smoke liberally; to jar 

 them up well, and to put an obstruction in 

 front of the new location; but I find that this 

 is, to a great extent, unnecessary. 



The method of wintering preferred by Mr. 

 Atwater and others for this part of the country 

 requires the moving together of the bees in 

 the fall, and placing under low sheds facing 

 south, or in position to be covered with tar 

 paper. 



1 have been surprised at the orderly return 

 of the bees; and if there is any mixing it is 

 peaceable and makes no trouble. 



I have just moved a load of bees 35 miles, 

 Nov. 28 and 29, on a dead-axle wagon, with 

 a quantity of straw underneath to break the 

 jar. About half of the bees were shut in 

 with wire screen over the entrances, and the 

 rest of the hives were closed by a stick held 

 up i^p inch from the bottom to allow a little 

 ventilation. 



I can see no difference in the condition of 

 the bees. Both ways were entirely successful ; 

 bvit there was considerable jar and jolt, and 

 I should rather use a spring wagon and be 

 able to travel faster. The bees were on 

 Hoffman frames, so there was no trouble 

 with swing combs. 



