AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



705 



SprinsDwiMling; Its Canse and Cnre. 



EDWIN PIKE. 



This is a subject that extends further, 

 and, I might say, deeper than most au- 

 thors conduct their researches. 



It would be impossible to elaborate 

 this subject at this convention, for the 

 reason that our schedule time will not 

 permit. Therefore, we will choose the 

 most important questions pertaining 

 to it. 



To begin with : Do not think that I, 

 or any other critic, can go to one of your 

 dwindling colonies in April and put them 

 in a healthy and thriving condition in 

 ten minutes, or in a day. I could not 

 attempt it ; neither do I believe I could 

 do anything of the kind. But I hope it 

 will be sufficient, and I trust I shall suc- 

 ceed in giving good advice, how to lessen 

 this evil that troubles us all, by putting 

 into practice a few methods that will 

 give us better rqgults, in future years. 



A colony of bees in April with a vig- 

 orous queen, strong in worker-bees, 

 healthy and thrifty, is essentially a de- 

 sirable colony, and, without doubt, will 

 give good results the following season. 

 But what can we do to have such colo- 

 nies in April ? 



Let us dwell on a few points concern- 

 ing this question. To determine how to 

 proceed in order to bring about such 

 results depends almost entirely on their 

 management. 



Colonies cannot be left unattended to 

 or neglected without endangering their 

 condition. I am a strong believer in a 

 good-sized' brood-chamber, for all of our 

 colonies, so they will have sufficient 

 room for two important purposes — plenty 

 of room for brood-rearing, and for a 

 goodly amount of early honey handy to 

 each cluster. 



In the cool weather of Autumn, Win- 

 ter and Spring, they are very much in- 

 disposed to separate themselves from 

 the cluster to feed on their stores ; some- 

 times starving by reason of this. I am, 

 and have been, a strong advocate of the 

 breeding up of queens. I consider 

 purity, prolificness, and vigorous and 

 thrifty propensities, strong points in a 

 good queen. In fact, only such queens 

 will give good results. Docility is very 

 desirable, as we can always handle them 

 in less time, and with much less annoy- 

 ance. 



To obtain all these qualities requires 

 study, work and perseverance ; and I 

 tell you this additional work pays every 

 time. To have strong and thrifty colo- 



nies in the Spring, is a boon to every 

 bee-keeper. 



The quality of our queens, in a great 

 measure, determines the condition of the 

 colonies the greater part of the year 

 {Spring being the most critical time), 

 and also determines the amount of our 

 honey crop. Such queens can be de- 

 pended on far better for keeping the 

 brood-chamber crowded with brood 

 through the season, and they are a great 

 deal more apt to keep up brood-rearing 

 until late in October. 



Now, it must be remembered that the 

 age of the worker-bee determines the 

 amount of honey it gathers, and also the 

 amount of honey it consumes in the 

 secretion and production of wax scales 

 necessary for comb-building. 



During the honey season they are oc- 

 cupied in this work, and they die off at 

 four to six weeks from the commence- 

 ment of their season's work. Thus it is, 

 that so much brood-rearing is a necessity 

 previous to a.nd during the honey season. 



After October, they get but little 

 honey, and it is thus that all bees 

 hatched out after October live from five 

 to seven months. But some seasons it 

 is so dry in August and September that 

 brood-rearing nearly ceases, and to over- 

 come this difficulty, and keep up brood- 

 rearing until the proper time, I would 

 stimulate them regularly, and often 

 enough so the queens would be content 

 with stores coming in sufficient for the 

 purpose of keeping up brood-rearing the 

 required time. The domestic duties of 

 the queen naturally keep pace with the 

 amount of fresh forage coming "in, so 

 necessary for the brood. 



It should be remembered, that if any 

 colonies have stupid,' unprolific queens 

 that feed, and time is virtually thrown 

 away. Few bee-keepers know how 

 much time is lost and money thrown 

 away by tolerating feeble and impotent 

 queens. 



Such colonies are particularly noticed 

 by their owner in the Spring, and per- 

 haps he may discover many colonies in 

 poor and bad condition ; some few in 

 numbers; some having a sickly appear- 

 ance, and hardly able to crawl over the 

 combs — queen, if any, not able to move 

 about, combs much soiled with their 

 excrement, and perhaps legions of im- 

 perfect and very inferior drones, and no 

 queen, but instead a few cohorts of lay- 

 ing workers. 



Well, what are such colonies good for ? 



Only their combs are of any practical 



use, and if the hive is cleaned, combs 



I washed and brushed up, another swarm 



