186 



THE BrE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



use, and some in the hands of those who do 

 or have owned Dunham mills, and I ask for 

 a report from some of these parties who 

 speak more from experience than prejudice. 

 I have many one pound sections of honey 

 marked ' G,' ' V,' and ' D,' and we are eating 

 them on our own table, as we need them, 

 and the G's are the only combs that you can- 

 not detect that foundation was used in." 



Positive Prevention of After - Swarming. 



The scheme and the schemer so often will shirk. 

 Hurrah for the plau and the man that will work ! 



I consider the following article written by 

 Frank Coverdale and published in the Amer- 

 ican Bee Journal as one of unusual, practi- 

 cal value. It is true that the Heddon method 

 of preventing after-swarming usually works 

 satisfactorily, and it is equally true that it 

 does sometimes fail, and the application of 

 the bee escape in the manner described gives 

 the finishing touch needed for perfection. 

 —Ed. 



" James Heddon. I believe, was the first to 

 give us a practical method for the control of 

 after-swarming ; however, the method could 

 not be absolutely depended upon to do the 

 work, but was a grand step in the right di- 

 rection. Who knows, to a certainty, just 

 when the first queen-cell will hatch in the 

 old hive — whether it be five or fifteen days ? 

 A second swarm might issue before the old 

 hive was ever moved to its permanent stand, 

 and again after it had been moved, on ac- 

 count of the first cell hatching so late. 



It was when I was busy making hay, when 

 an occasional swarm would leave me, caus- 

 ing much vexation in my mind, and many 

 hours of deep study, how I should overcome 

 this difficulty ; and it came to my mind that 

 a bee escape might do the work, so I attached 

 one to a hive, at the first opportunity. A \}4 

 inch hole was bored in the center of one side 

 near the bottom edge, and a wire-screen 

 cone fitted in the hole, and the entrance en- 

 tirely closed ; the newly- hived swarm was 

 placed close by its side, with the entrance 

 just under the above prepared cone, and 

 every bee that left the old hive became an 

 occupant of the new hive. 



In three days an examination was made in 

 the old hive, for I was afraid that too many 

 bees would leave the brood, and destruction 

 be the result. But, oh, how I was delighted ! 

 All was lovely still. In three days more 

 another examination was made, with like re- 

 sults, and still another three days later, 

 making nine days. Then I began boring 

 holes in other hives, and treating them as 

 above, with the same results, until all (GO 

 colonies) that swarmed were in the same 

 condition. 



Some of the old hives were moved to their 

 new stands in 12, others in 13, 14 and 16 days, 

 the last being rather too long a time — 14 

 days is about right in my location. Then 

 these old colonies can be given a ripe queen 

 cell, or a queen, or the entrance be opened 



and left so until all the young bees are 

 hatched, when the entrance can be again 

 closed, and it will unite with the new swarm 

 and the combs will be empty. In fact, you 

 may have full control of the matter, as to 

 managing against second swarms. 



The first two years I used the bored holes, 

 covering them over when through, with a 

 piece of section tacked over them ; but since 

 then an escape has been used at the entrance; 

 however, at times the latter would get clog- 

 ged, causing some annoyance, and I now 

 think the bored hole at the side is best. 



If the reader will carefully look over the 

 back numbers of the Bee Journal, it will be 

 seen that I have touched upon this point be- 

 fore, but dare not recommend it as being 

 entirely practicable. But I hesitate no long- 

 er, but advise all who stand in need, to try 

 and be convinced how this plan lessens labor, 

 cost and vexation of after-swarms ; and in 

 my location greatly increases a crop of comb 

 honey, and of finer quality than it otherwise 

 would have been. 



Fear not that the new swarms will be over- 

 crowded in numbers, and swarm again, but 

 furnish each new hive with starters below 

 and full sheets of comb foundation ia all the 

 sections above, and you will soon begin to 

 wonder whether it is best to ' prevent swarm - 

 ing ' or not. It is nice to have wood-zinc 

 queen-excluders, then all can be arranged at 

 the time of hiving — such as moving the part- 

 ly finished sections from the parent colony 

 immediately to the newly hived swarm, and 

 not have to wait two or three days for the 

 queen to establish her brood-nest below." 



Welton, Iowa. 



Why Mr. Heddon was Not Prosecuted. 



Last month I said that as the Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Union did not consider that there was 

 sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Heddon, 

 it ought not to have been considered suf- 

 ficient to warrant an " exposure." In com- 

 menting upon this the editor of the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal said that the case was now 

 a great deal stronger than it was a year ago. 

 In this week's Bee Journal Mr. Newman de- 

 fends the course taken by the Union. Among 

 other things he says :— 



" With due deference, I must say that I 

 cannot see wherein the case is stronger now 

 than it was a year ago. Certainly the analy- 

 sis of the ' Willard honey ' is no more reli- 

 able than that made by the United States 

 Chemist, Prof Wiley, who stands at the head 

 of the profession. To show that it is in 

 reality weaker, I have only to state that the 

 same chemist analyzed the ' Jankovsky hon- 

 ey ' and pronounced it adulterated with 

 sugar, when another equally good chemist 

 made an analysis of the same honey, and 

 pronounced it pure ! This is but confusion 

 worse confounded ! To rely upon such evi- 

 dence in court, to convict, would be ex- 

 tremely hazardous ! 



As General Manager of the Union I placed 

 all the facts before the Advisory Board, ask- 



