66 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



contact with it for too great a length of time 

 during its withdrawal. 



This lengthy description might lead one to 

 suppose that fastening in foundation upon 

 this plan would be slow and tedious ; such is 

 not tiie case, however, it being very quickly, 

 neatly and securely fastened. Mr. Taylor 

 assures us, and showed us, that he could do 

 the work more rapidly than with any other 

 method he had tried ; while the foundation is 

 fastened most securely, with great exactness, 

 and but little waste of wax." 



In all probability, before another number 

 of the Review appears, spring will be upon 

 us and the charm of the glad hum of the bees 

 as they eagerly gather in the new pollen will 

 again thrill us. I must therefore say a word 

 with regard to the course to be pursued with 

 the bees prior to that time. I aim to get my 

 bees out of the cellar early, although I know 

 I run counter to the generally received opin- 

 ion in so doing. By " early " I do not mean 

 before winter is gone, but only that I should 

 not be careful to wait for the blooming of 

 the soft maple and the willows. By that 

 time some of the days when bees would 

 likely be carried out become very warm 

 about midday causing the bees to become 

 too much excited so that often they come out 

 with a rush and many failing to mark their 

 location are lost. Robbing is apt to become 

 rife and is hard to detect ; and swarming out 

 and general disorganization become alto- 

 gether too imminent. Taking them out in 

 the cool of the day — at night or in the morn- 

 ing is not always a prevention. Any one of 

 an observing turn can forsee as the time ap- 

 proaches about when the willows will blos- 

 som: — get the bees outlive or six days before 

 this when the temperature is likely to be be- 

 tween .50° and (30° and if it is cloudy, all the 

 better, then they will settle down, retain 

 their self-possession and be less liable to 

 disorganization. There is then no brood to 

 be chilled, so I think the chance of harm is 

 very small. I take out a part of them at a 

 time and scatter them over the yard as far 

 apart as possible and allow them to become 

 settled before another lot is taken out. Then 

 when more are taken out I distribute them 

 in the vacant places, still observing to place 

 those taken out contemporaneously as far 

 apart as may be. 



After trying different methods of carrying 

 hives of bees, they have all been discarded 

 except the primitive one of placing the hands 

 under the bottom board and the back end of 

 the hive against the central front of the car- 

 rier's " anatomy " and moving on. On the 



whole this way is the easiest, quickest and 

 least disturbing to the bees. 



If any spring protection is to be given it 

 should be got ready beforehand and applied 

 as soon as possible after the bees are on their 

 stands. 



While carrying out the bees I am careful 

 to learn all I can of the condition of each 

 colony in so far as that can be done without 

 opening the hives, and this is generally with 

 reference to two points : lack of stores and 

 queeulessness. Most persons with a little 

 experience can readily say on lifting the hive 

 whethet there is a short supply or plenty. 

 Where there appears to be danger from want 

 the hive is marked and further attended to 

 as soon as circumstances permit. At this 

 time the signs of queenlessness to be ob- 

 served are the presence of the remains of 

 immature drones among the dead bees which 

 have dropped from the cluster and a contin- 

 ued humming kept up in the hive after it is 

 placed on its stand when removed colonies 

 have become quiet, which may be readily ob- 

 served at the approach of evening. The for- 

 mer is a sure, the latter a useful indication. 

 Such colonies are also marked and as soon 

 as the indications can be verified and the 

 weather permits, they are united with the 

 weaker colonies having queens. 



Lapeee, Mich. 



Feb. 23, 1893. 



Prominent Points Can^ht in a California 

 Convention. 



"eambleb." 



mHE Cali- 

 T'fornia bee- 

 keepers held 

 their second 

 annual c o n - 

 ventiou Feb. 

 7th and 8th, 

 in Los Ange- 

 les. "Ramb- 

 ler" was there 

 and had the 

 kindness to 

 send the Review a nice long report, but there 

 are so many things demanding attention 

 this month that I am compelled to pick out 

 what seem to me the most important points 

 and give them as they appear below. — Ed. 



