July 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



98 



For the Western Poraolopiet. 



Swarming of Bees in Jxdy. 



In various parts of the country swarming 

 must be postponefl until July, on account of 

 a delicieiicy in forage during that month, 

 many readers may think this stiitemcnt 

 rather absurd, because during that month 

 white clover is in bloom, aud an abundance 

 of honey; but not so— Tvhite clover is not 

 found everywhere yet, and wliere white 

 clover or cultivated bee forage is not found, 

 natural swarming will not take place uutil 

 the Linden (Basswood) or some other honey 

 crop comes in bloom, and natural swarms 

 should not be made until such a time. 



Further, success depeud.s upon certain 

 conditions, which must be strictly observed, 

 or the attempt of making an artificial swarm 

 may result in failure : — 



1st. A stock should never be divided 

 until it has become strong in population. If 

 the strength of a colony is crippled by a 

 division, before the colony could spare a 

 sufficient number of bees to make a proper 

 swarm, neither portion would be able to 

 generate sufficient heat for breeding and 

 comb-buildiug during a cool night, nor 

 would the amount of bees be sufficient to 

 attend to both of these duties ; while on the 

 other hand, if it is left uutil it can spare a 

 swarm, both divisions would readily fill 

 their hives, lay up a sufficient amount for 

 their winter food, and give a good profit in 

 surplus honey to their owner. Should the 

 season {)rove to be a poor one after swarm- 

 ing, weak swarms will usually be deficient 

 in population aud winter stores, and the loss 

 of both colonies might be the result. Should 

 any stock be too weak to be divided early, it 

 should ouly be divided in the manner here 

 described, or not divided that season. From 

 such non-swarming stocks— if they become 

 strong— a large amount of surplus honey is 

 usually obtained. To be sure that your bees 

 may prosper, even iu the poorest season, 

 keep strong stocks, aud strong stocks ouly. 



2d. The method employed in artificial 

 swarming is of no little consequence, 

 whether in harmony with or in violation of 

 the nature of the bees. Various methods are 

 known, applicable under various circum- 

 stances of time, conditions of hive aud 

 colony. 



Bi fore making artificial swarms, a number 

 of queen-cells should be started, by dividing 

 a strong stock about ten days ^-eviously, so 

 as to furnish each artificial swarm with a 

 capped queen-cell. 



METHOD OF MAKING ARTIFICIAL SWARMS IN 

 JTILT. 



In forming swarms upon this method at 



least five moderately strong swarms are 

 required, four of which must be in movable 

 comb hives, and the operation must be per- 

 formed when most of the bees are abroad. 



Select your stocks, take two combs from 

 each, brushing all the bees back into their 

 hive, or else the queeu might bo removed ; 

 insert two empty I'rames in each hive to fill 

 the vacancy, placing them near the center, 

 with a full frame between. Insert the eight 

 removed frames or combs in a new hive ; 

 remove a fifth stroi:g stock to a new stand, 

 and set the hive containing the comb in its 

 place; the bees returning to their old stand 

 furnish sufficient population to protect the 

 brood. About six hours after insert a capped 

 queen-cell into the new hive. 



By this method, no stock loses more than 

 two combs at one time, and, if the weather 

 is favorable aud forage abundant, the loss is 

 soon regained, so that a new swarm can be 

 made from the same five stocks as soou as 

 the empty frames are filled ; even during the 

 mouth of August, should early frost cut 

 short all pasturage, the new swarm is never 

 too small, or the oKi stock too much reduced, 

 to be in good condition for wintering. 



The comb inserted in the new hive, when 

 making the swarm, should be placed togeth- 

 er, the brood comb in the middle, and the 

 combs containing the least, or no brood, 

 nearest the outside, and next to them the 

 empty frames, if any ; (most of the movable 

 comb hives now have but eight frames). In 

 artificial, as well as in natural swarming, 

 there are liabilities of losing the youug 

 queen whilst out to meet the di-ones, there- 

 fore examinations must be made from time 

 to time. Examine the queeu-ceU in the new 

 swarm in about five days, to ascertain that 

 it is not destroyed ; in such a case, another 

 must be inserted immediately ; if the queen- 

 cell is all right, examine again in about ten 

 or fifteen days, whether or not each swarm 

 has secured a fertile queen. 



Look carelull}' for eggs iu the cells, and if 

 no eggs can be seen in twenty days after the 

 queen hatches, it is generally certain that 

 the colony is queenless. All this examina- 

 tion aud delay would be avoided if we have 

 a fertile queen to be introduced into the new 

 swarm at the time of makiug the swarm ; 

 but when we introduce a queeu-cell, and the 

 swarm does not secure a fertile queen in the 

 time named above, we must now furnish 

 them with a fertile queen to furnish them 

 with another queen-cell, and repeat the 

 operation, would rrtiuire too much time, and 

 reduce the colony to be of almost no value 

 against the time this second queen would 

 become fertile. It is an excellent opportu 

 nity to insert an Italian queen, at the time of 

 making the new swarm, the operation of 

 introducing her is perfectly s;ife. F.iigs 

 would be laid without interruption, and a 

 new stock of bees would be raised during 

 the time it would recjuire to raise a queen 

 aiid the time required before she becomes 

 fertile. E. Krbtchmer. 



Ikd Oak Junction, Iowa. 



Do Bees make or simply gather Honey. 



Whether bees inalx or simply gatJier 

 honey, .seems yet to be a disputed point. 

 There are writers who assert that the nectar 

 of the flowers gathered by the bee is simply 

 a portion of its food aud drink, and that the 

 honey deposited in the cells comes from the 

 lioney-secreting glands, which are aualagous 

 to the milk-secreting glands of other ani- 

 mals ; that the honey bag of the bee per- 

 forms the same office as does the udder of 

 the cow. In other words, that bees make 

 their honey. Such writers argue that if it 

 were not so, when a bee gathers molasses it 

 would deposit molasse.s, etc., while the fact 

 is, that the various kinds of materials upon 

 wliich the bee works simply modify the 

 character of the honey, 



There are others who reason quite differ- 

 ently—who assert that the bee simply 

 gathers honey formed by Nature in the 

 fiowers. Such persons attribute the differ- 

 ence which is observed in honey that every 

 kind of flower secretes a melliiie substance 

 peculiar to itself, partaking, to a greater or 

 less extent, of the properties of the plant 

 upon which it is found. Hence, some kinds 

 of honey are very obnoxious — others even 

 poisonous. In some localities, people think 

 it is not safe to eat honey at all until after 

 it has been boiled— a process which is 

 thought to evaporate the poisonous qualities. 

 When "doctors" so disagree, it might be 

 considered presumptuous for even the Sci- 

 entific Press to decide. So we leave this 

 matter still an open question. 



We believe, however, it is generally agreed 

 that bees never mix the different kinds of 



honey when depositing them in the hive 



If they commence to work on white clover 

 (which makes the best honey), so long as 

 that kind of "(feed " can be obtained, they 

 will work on nothing else ; aud all the white 

 clover is deposited iu cells by itself. When 

 they leave that for buckwheat or any other 

 food, they commence depositing in adjoining 

 cells, or on a separate piece of comb. 



Experienced bee-keepers, who are aware 

 of this instinct, often remove the combs 

 which are filled during the continuance of 

 the clover; because after the cells are all 

 filled it is difficult to distinguish this from 

 any other. ExhiljTtors of honey at fairs not 

 tinfrequently take advantage of this to 

 secure a choice white article, with which to 

 secure the highest prize, wheu the balance 

 or average of the stock would be quite in- 

 ferior. — Scientific Press. 



«-»-• 



Bees are always more irascible when their 

 hives are disturbed after it is dark ; and as 

 they cannot see where to fly, they will alight 

 on the person of the bee-keeper, who will 

 be almost sure to be stung. — Langstroth. 

 ♦-♦-* 



Bee Sting. — An exchange says a solution 

 of carbolic acid^one part of acid to sixty of 

 water — is an almost instant remedy for the 

 sting of a bee. 



♦-*-• 



Bee-keepers to Westward — Bees and bee- 

 keepcis are wanted in the mining regions of the 

 Rooky Mounr.aina and the great plains beyond. 

 There the honey-bee in its wild state is unknown 

 and sugar is not produced. A country of suf- 

 ficient extent to form ten great States, invites the 

 intelligent apiarian with his stocks, whilst the 

 Pacific Railway offers the means of speedy trans- 

 portation. 



*—» 



Bees in April —The month of April is fre- 

 quently the mQst critical time for bees during the 

 whole year. Colonies of bees that had baiely 

 enough honey to last them till now are in danger 

 of starving if not fed some. Even after fruit 

 trees blofim a cold snnp may stop the honey sup- 

 ply and prove fatal. All stocks out of honey 

 should be fed. In fact, if you want early swarms, 

 populous stocks and a good yield of honey, all 

 of your colonies should be fed some to induce 

 early breeding, whether they have much or little 

 honey. — Weslern Ruralist. 



