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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



'Wltb Replies tbereto. 



[It is quite useless to ask for answers to 

 Queries in this Department in less time 

 than one month. They have to wait their 

 turn, be put in type, and sent in about a 

 dozen at a time to each of those who answer 

 them ; get them returned, and then find 

 apace for them in the Joubnal. If you are 

 In a "hurry" for replies, do not ask for 

 them to be inserted here.— Ed.1 



ContractinE tlie BrooBest. 



ftnery, No. 391.— I use a hiveholdinR 9 



frames about the LaEgstroth capacity. After 

 swarmine 1 wish to reduce the number to 7 

 frames. Would I secure as much honey by using 

 two dummies, one on eacli side of the brood-nest 

 •with a bee-space all around the dummies, or 

 would it be belter to use a close-flttinK board, and 

 Bhut the bees out from passing around them (- 

 Subscriber, 



I do not think that it would make 

 any difference.— A. J. Cook. 



I prefer a close-fitting board.— H. 

 D. Cutting. 



Use close-fltting boards. — C. W. 

 Dayton. 



Either will do, with very little dif- 

 ference in favor of either.— G. M. 

 Doolittle. 



The latter method is not so conven- 

 ient, and possesses no advantages 

 over the former.— W.Z.HuTCHnstsoN. 



I see no objection to the dummies 

 with a bee-space. I have successfully 

 used them.— J. P. H. Brown. 



I think it is better to fasten the 

 bees out from the space occupied by 

 dummies.— G. L. Tinker. 



In hot weather the dummies will 

 probably do as well, but for cold 

 weather the close-fitting board is bet- 

 ter.— C. C. MiLLEK. 



In the summer months I prefer to 

 let the bees pass under and around 

 the "fillers" at the sides of the 

 combs. I prefer common, loose di- 

 vision-boards hung bee-space apart,to 

 any solid dummy.— G. AV. Demaree. 



We do not believe in close-fitting 

 division-boards. We want a bee- 

 space at the bottom, at least. But we 

 would never advise reducing the hive 

 after swarming.— Dadant & Son. 



I do not think it would make much 

 difference which method is adopted. 

 As a matter of convenience, relative 

 to winter packing, I should prefer the 

 tight-fitting boards, as they could be 

 used as a double wall.— J. E. Pond. 



There would be no difference, only 

 the " dummies " with space all around 

 them are much easier to handle. If 

 you contract at all, why not contract 

 to five Langstroth frames? I am 

 sure that better results will thus be 

 realized. 1 have practiced contrac- 

 tion on an extensive scale for 5 or 6 

 years.— James Heddon. 



There is but little choice between 

 these methods.— The Editor. 



Characteristics of Best Bees. 



Qnery, No. 392.— Have we what may 



be called gentle strains of bees that are the equal, 

 as producers of comb honey, of some of the more 

 ill-tempered varieties? In other words, does Hi- 

 temper and extra-worlsing quality exist in bees as 

 inseparable factors?— L. 



2. yes,sometime3.— C. W. Dayton. 



1. Yes, certainly so. 2. Not neces- 

 sarily.— G. M. Doolittle. 



Ill-temper and extra-working quali- 

 ties are not inseparable qualities.— W. 

 Z. Hutchinson. 



To the first question, I answer yes ; 

 to the secoud, no not in all cases.— H. 

 D. Cutting. 



1. Yes. 2. No, but some very cross 

 bees are also very good workers ; for 

 instance, the Cyprians.— Dadant & 

 Son. 



Yes, most assuredly. Ill-temper and 

 business are not necessary compan- 

 ions.— A. J. Cook. 



I am afraid there is too often some 

 connection between the two ; still it 

 is possible that a colony of the best 

 workers may also be very gentle.— C. 

 C. Miller. 



I really think so. What we call 

 well-bred Italians are classed with the 

 gentle varieties of bees, and although 

 I have tried nearly all the races and 

 varieties of bees, I know of none 

 superior, as a rule, to the Italians for 

 comb honey, and for all the purposes 

 that bees can be put to as a source of 

 profit.— G. W. Demaree. 



Ill-temper and extra-working qual- 

 ity need not exist in bees as insepara- 

 ble factors ; but a very great degree 

 of gentleness in bees is usually at- 

 tended with a want of energy. A 

 little " snap " in bees is quite as nec- 

 essary as it is in human beings.— J. P. 

 H. Brown. 



Yes ; most undoubtedly. The best 

 honey-gatherers I ever had were the 

 progeny of a gentle queen ; these 

 workers were beautiful in color, and 

 so gentle that smoke was seldom re- 

 quired in manipulating them. 1 have 

 a number of colonies of very gentle 

 bees that were fine workers, so I can 

 say in answer to the second part of 

 the query— not by any means.— J. E. 

 Pond. 



I think we have, but I have seen no 

 very valuable bees that were exceed- 

 ingly gentle. A little crossness seems 

 desirable, but not so cross that they 

 cannot be handled without smoke 

 when storing honey. The Syrio- 

 Albino bees are fairly gentle, and 

 ttiere are no better workers as comb- 

 builders. My conclusion is that ex- 

 tra-working quality in bees is some- 

 what like the go-ahead and resolute 

 working traits of some men— it is 

 always accompanied by a combative 

 and fiery spirit.— G. L. Tiniusr. 



Yes, we have them in judicious 

 crosses of the best strains of German 

 and Italian bees. This answers your 

 last question in the negative.— James 

 Heddon. 



Bees from fine, " gentle " queens 

 are in may cases superior to any cross, 

 ill-tempered or irascible bees in the 

 world.— The Editor. 



Transferrin Bees Early. 



Query, No. 393.— Having 6 colonies of 



bees, 4 ot which are in box-hives, and all in the 

 cellar (here we put them out in the latter part of 

 April), and wishing to stimulate them for rapid 

 increase, will it be wise or prudent to transfer 

 them when first put out of the cellar, as I do not 

 want them in box-hives ?— A. G., Vt. 



Do not transfer them until the 

 weather is warm, and honey being 

 gathered.— W. Z. Hutchinson. 



Transfer in fruit-bloom time. Do 

 not transfer until they begin to get 

 honey from some source. — C. W. 

 Dayton. 



I should prefer to wait until fruit 

 bloom.— G. M. Doolittle. 



I would not advise transferring so 

 soon ; wait until the first fruit bloom. 

 — H. D. Cutting. 



You can transfer them when put 

 out, if you will perform the operation 

 in a close, warm room ; use precau- 

 tion against robbing ; and. feed regu- 

 larly, so that they may not want for 

 sufficient stores.— J. P. H. Brown. 



Transfer them during fruit bloom. 

 You may transfer them earlier, if you 

 feed them and keep them warm, but 

 we would not do it, for there is more 

 danger of robbing— Dadant & Son. 



In my locality I would not transfer 

 bees before fruit-bloom, and I sup- 

 pose it is the same in your locality.— 

 C. C. Miller. 



I would do it at the time of fruit 

 bloom, or in time of fruit bloom, if by 

 the old method; or at the time of 

 swarming, just before they swarm, if 

 by the better " Heddon method."— A. 

 J. Cook. 



There are both advantages and dis- 

 advantages connected with so early 

 transferring, and which you will re- 

 ceive the most of depends upon the 

 season, and your skill and manage- 

 ment.— James Heddon. 



If they have plenty of stores I 

 would not transfer them until they 

 begin to work on the fruit-bloom. 

 Bees that have plenty of stores do 

 not need stimulating. When bees 

 are transferred when working in the 

 fields, they right things up in better 

 style than if transferred in the fall or 

 too early in the spring. The weather 

 should be warm enough for the bees 

 to spread themselves all over the 

 combs, or they are apt to patch up 

 clubbed - shaped combs. — G. W. 

 Demaree. 



I would either transfer them when 

 first put out of the cellar, or wait until 

 after swarming, and then pursue the 

 Heddon plan of transferring. I re- 

 gard it a mistake to transfer bees 

 from box-hives during fruit bloom. 

 It gives them a great back-set from 

 which they do not recover for weeks 

 after. Transfer before they have any 

 brood to speak of, or else wait until 

 you get a full stock of bees, is my 

 advice.— G. L. Tinker. 



No, wait until fruit-bloom. Then 

 the weather will be warm enough so 

 that you can " do the job " safely, and 

 the incoming honey will cause the 

 colonies to build up and repair rap- 

 idly, and also prevent any tendency 



