78 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW, 



</est, I would hive thoin upon the old stand 

 to catch tlie force of workers. 1 would also 

 say that I would hive them upon empty 

 frames, and then deiiend entirely upon the 

 new colony for surplus, depleting tlie old 

 colony of bees to such an extent that swarm- 

 ing would be out of tlu^ (piestion. This may 

 be done by removing it to a new stand after 

 six or sn-vii days, or the youny bees may be 

 shaken off the combs in front of the new 

 colony and then the hive chaut^ed over to the 

 other side of the old stand from where it 

 stood before. There are some reasons why 

 I like this plan better than depending entire- 

 ly ui)on removing' to a new stand. I can see 

 and know just the condition the old colony is 

 left in by handling: over the combs : there is 

 no f^'uess work, and I can jud^-'e very nearly 

 in regard to its future possibilities. Ihen, 

 if no increase is desired, or if these colonies, 

 one or both, are, at tlie close of tlie lioney 

 season, below the standard desired for win- 

 tering', they are conveniently situated to be 

 united. . 



I have sometimes found it convenient to 

 forestall swarming' by shaking or drumming 

 out the bees, and afterwards treating' the 

 same as a natural swarm. I have in this 

 way anticii)ated the action of a colony that 

 would soon send out a swarm, thus doin^ the 

 work at a time of comparative leisure, at 

 niorniny: or late in the day, thereby making 

 my work easier and avoidin<f the confusion 

 of an additional swarm at a time when my 

 hands would pi-obably bi? full. 



A^'aiii, for instance", if I have a small out- 

 apiary where 1 deem it too expensive to em- 

 ploy an assistant to watch for issuing; 

 swarms, and the colonies are all strong;, this 

 method may be adopted and the uncertainty 

 of swarming' scuttled for the season. Of 

 course, if a ipieen is superseded in one ot 

 the new colonies a swarm mifxht issue. 

 East Townsend, ( )nio, April 2tl, 1S8!). 



colony upon this plan, and no swarm has 

 issued from it. Everyone knows how busy a 

 new swarm is the first week after hiving, 

 well, the colony in this hive works just like 

 that all the time. I have noticed that the 

 busiest colonies are those buildint: comb m 

 the brood chamber. This se. ms to say, allow 

 your bees to indulge in comb buildiuu. 

 Sykaouse, N. Y. Aug. 17, 1S88. 



Simmins Non-Swarming System a Success. 



F. A. SALISBUin. 



^^^AST YEAR Mr. Salisbury reported 

 pjs most excellent success with the Sim- 

 ^^ mins lion- swarming system. He 

 again makes a similar report which we give 

 below. We regret that our friend has not 

 experimented upon a larger scale; one hive is 

 all he has tried. 



After another season's experience with the 

 Simmins non-swurining hive, I can unhesi- 

 tatingly say that it is an entire success: I 

 having this year secured from this colony, 

 whiciC by the way, was weak at the begin- 

 ning of the season, sixty p->unds of (-onib 

 honey, ten of extracted, and one pound ot 

 beeswax. No foundation was used in the 

 sections; all the comb being built below, cut 

 out, and fastened into the sections. I know 

 that bees worked after this plan have more 

 ambition to work and store iioney, than 

 those furnished foundation m the sections. 

 This is the third season I have managetl this 



The Simmins System— The Comb Building 

 Space Must be Underneath. 



W. A. HAlllilS. 



'on MAY recollect that, when I sent 

 -^T you a statement of my e^perlment 

 ■ Sfc' with the Simmins non-swarming sys- 

 tem, during the season of 18F(), that 1 

 stated that I had wiittento Mr. Simmins on 

 the subject. Ijater I received from him a 

 letter giving full directions, and a diagram 

 of the hive as arranged, so that everything 

 was made very clear. He also showed nie 

 why I failed. . , • x 



Accordingly, 1 changed six of my hives to 

 meet the case, and watched them careluUy 

 the past season. The result has satisfied me 

 that the method is a failure in my locality 

 with hives arranged with the frames all on 

 one llooi: The l)ees in every instance built 

 combs and filled them with honey, in prefer- 

 ence to placing it in the sections, crossing 

 the combs from one frame to the other, thus 

 tying them together and causing a great deal 

 of trouble. The bees also swarmed, some ot 

 them before all the comb was built out. In 

 one case, after the combs were filled, 1 re- 

 moved them and replaced them with another 

 set, when the same result followed. 



In another case, where I placed a hive with 

 starters Hiiih'r the brood-nest, very liltle 

 comb was built tliere. It seems to me that 

 the only thing worth trying, is to follow out 

 the idea of placing a brood-nest with starters 

 uiKlcnii'dlli. 



New Yokk. N. Y. Jan. 14, 1881). 



How to Prevent Increase, Get the Most 



Surplus, and Leave the Bees in Good 



Condition for Winter. 



HENUY HASTINGS. 



•^ HAVE kept bees thirty years, and I will 

 dl) tell how I manage them to prevent in- 

 JL crease, secure the most comb honey 

 from clover and basswood, and leave the 

 bef'S in the best )>ossible condition for winter. 



I pick my bees, with forest leaves, upon 

 their summer stands, r.efore packing them, 

 I see to it that they have abundant stores to 

 last them until apple bloom, and I don t dis- 

 turb them until that time. I then examine 

 them and clip the (lueons that are not 

 clipped. . ^ 1, 11 i e 



t)ur honey lii'rvest begins about the first ot 

 June, and lasts six weeks. Swarming com- 

 mences abt)ut ten days after the onening of 

 the honey How. When a colony swarms, I, 



