110 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



things the bee-keeper will find that in nine 

 cases out of ten, the colonies that are starv- 

 ing in the spring swarmed at the wrong time, 

 while "X" and "Z" swarmed at the right 

 time. If swarming at the wrong time is the 

 cause of a small crop, then the bee-keeper 

 will not doubt a moment as to what he ought 

 to do. The only point is hotv it shall be 

 done. Of course, we want early swarms, not 

 simply individual swarms, but we want the 

 whole apiary to swarm early. To accom- 

 plish this, that is, have the whole apiary 

 swarm early and within a period of a week 

 or ten days, those colonies that are in the 

 rear must be helped at the expense of those 

 that are too far advanced. This is done by 

 the exchange of combs. From the time the 

 bees are wintered until the opening of the 

 main harvest, I work with this end in view, 

 that of having them all enter the field equally 

 strong. During this preparatory period, 

 many of them build combs. Of course, if 

 colonies are too far in the rear it may be best 

 to leave them to themselves or unite them. 

 There are other means than exchanging 

 combs for equalizing colonies but they must 

 be practiced with great caution. If some of 

 the colonies do not swarm when it seems 

 they ought to, they can be divided. An arti- 

 ficial swarm that is made like a natural 

 swarm and at the right time, will work with 

 the same energy as a natural swarm, and in 

 some conditions is to be preferred. To get 

 early swarms, the bees must have protection 

 and an abundance of stores. In the prov- 

 ince of Hanover, where bee-keeping has been 

 made a specialty for a few hundred years, 

 stimulative feeding is practiced, and it is 

 only by this plan that an early and short 

 swarming season can be secured. I use a 

 swarm catcher and would not think of doing 

 without one. 



To remove the trouble from over-popu- 

 lousness we have only to have a hive that is 

 large enough, or that can be made large 

 enough, and see that it is enlarged before it 

 really becomes too populous. If we have a 

 hive that cannot be enlarged, then we must 

 remove some of the sealed brood and give it 

 to some colony that is not so populous. Man- 

 aged in this way, the whole apiary will be in 

 the best condition to take advantage of the 

 honey flow when it comes, instead of having 

 in it a few giants surrounded by dwarfs. 



Lastly, is the point of having too much 

 unsealed brood in proportion to the number 

 of workers. To remedy this some of the un- 

 sealed brood is taken away and given to 

 some coloiiy having more bees in proportion 

 to its unsealed brood. Empty combs are 

 given in place of the brood removed. The 

 empty combs are placed at the side of the 

 brood nest. If there is danger of weaken- 

 ing the colony too much, capped brood may 

 be given in place of the unsealed that is re- 

 moved." 



I believe that Mr. (iravenhorst is correct 

 in his views as to the conditions under which 

 bees gather the most honey, and that by fol- 

 lowing his instructions those conditions may 

 tie secured, but I doubt whether such a course 

 is always profital>le. It might be in some 



conditions. If a man has a few colonies, and 

 plenty of time in which to make the manip- 

 ulations, well and good, but instead of this, 

 if a man has the capital I believe it will pay 

 him better to have more bees and do less 

 manipulation. It is really a question of 

 " Bees Versus Manipulation." I don't know 

 but that would be a good topic for special 

 discussion. I say don't fuss with weak col- 

 onies. Have enough bees so tliat you will 

 have enough if some of them do die. Don't 

 fuss with changing combs so that every col- 

 ony will step across the swarming line like a 

 platoon of soldiers on dress parade. Many 

 of our most successful bee-keepers do not 

 see the inside of the brood nests of their col- 

 onies from one year's end to the other. It is 

 well to know the conditions so well laid 

 down by Mr. Gravenhorst in regard to 

 when bees store the most honey, and to take 

 advantage of them when it can be done in 

 some wholesale, short-cut manner, but ever- 

 lasting puttering makes costly honey. 



A Condensed View of Current 

 Bee Writings 



E. E. HASTY. 



"It seems like n story from tlie world of spirits 

 When anyone obtains tliat which he merits. 

 Or merits that which he obtains." 



I felt pretty sober over the proposition 

 that I should include the Review and its 

 writers in my criticisms. It is not usually 

 thought desirable that a child should wield 

 the rod over his fellow children, much less 

 over his " dad." I'll try and remember that 

 criticising those who have equal or superior 

 right to be criticising me is rather peculiar 

 business. If I forget then my brothers must 

 privately remind me. But, on the other 

 hand, if I make these papers a mere whole- 

 sale distribution of taffy the reading public 

 will spew me out of their mouths, 



THE REVIEW. 



The Review's theory of what a bee journal 

 should be is vnncent ration. Concentrate the 

 really valuable things scattered through 

 many pages in many papers, and let the resi- 

 due go. Apply the same principle to the 

 collection of original matter : focus things 

 by taking up one topic at a time ; call out 

 the writers wlio know most about that topic : 

 let them feel tliat facts and actual experi- 

 ences are what is wanted : and so serve up 



