114 



THK l;l-:iMCEIiPERS' REVIEW. 



When a colony is fairly populous, the 

 weather warm, and honey coming in, it 

 is going ahead so rapidly that the re- 

 moval of a frame or two of bees and 

 brood see ms to scarcely check it in its 

 onward and upward course — especially is 

 this true if empty comb or foundation is 

 used to fill the vacancy. 



A colony made up of combs of brood 

 covered with bees, and given a laying 

 queen, is soon the equal of the colonies 

 that furnished the bees and brood, and it 

 was only a few days before each of the 

 four colonies could spare two combs of 

 bees and brood for the formation of the 

 fifth colony, to which was given a laying 

 queen. 



This plan was continued throughout 

 the season. As often as the colonies al- 

 ready formed could spare enough combs 

 in the aggregate to make up a new colony 

 one was made, and given a laying queen. 



The only objection that I found to this 

 plan was the necessity of finding the 

 queen in each hive before removing the 

 frames of bees and brood; but, with the 

 gentle, well behaved Italians, I did not 

 find this a serious drawback. 



■•»»"»»u»u»^^ 



KEEP MORE BEES. 

 One time, when I was attending the 

 convention of the Wisconsin State Bee- 

 Keepers, some one put into the question- 

 box, the following; "Why don't you 

 keep more bees ?" A sarcastic smile was 

 passed around the room, and the only re- 

 marks were of a facetious character. 

 The convention did not take it seriously. 

 Evidently, it was looked upon as a sort 

 of "freak" question. Finally, President 

 France arose, and to his everlasting cred- 

 it, said: "Gentlemen, you may smile, 

 but that is really the most important 

 question that has been brought before the 

 convention." He then went on to show- 

 how foolish it was for a man to fritter 

 awa}- his time, not only with a. fezv bees, 

 but with what some people would call 

 good Diatiy — an apiary of loo colonies. 

 If a man is any kind of a man at all, and 

 wishes and expects to make a com- 



mercial success of bee-keeping, to 

 supply his family with comforts, and 

 lay up a little monej' with which 

 to take care of himself in his old 

 age, or help his children to make a start 

 in life, he must have more than one 

 apiary. In my travels about the country, 

 I have noticed that the men who have 

 made money in bee-keeping have kept 

 bees in large numbers — had several api- 

 aries. When there comes a good season, 

 they pile up honey by the ton. 



No greater fallacy has ever been pro- 

 mulgated in this countrj' than that bee- 

 keeping must be bolstered up with some 

 other pursuit. If bee-keeping is such a 

 poor business that it needs bolstering up, 

 better throw it away and keep the bol- 

 ster. Bee-keeping is a good business if 

 it is managed in a business-like manner. 

 No one would expect to make a living 

 raising wheat on ten acres of land, yet 

 that is about the principle upon which 

 many of us keep bees. There is no use 

 to say that winter losses prevent the 

 keeping of large numbers. They don't 

 prevent the keeping of 600 colonies, anv 

 more than they prevent the keeping of 50 

 colonies. The losses are the same in 

 proportion to the numbers. The point is 

 right here: If a man has gotten into the 

 habit of keeping about 75 colonies, he 

 will keep about that many. If some of 

 them die off, he will increase up to that 

 point, then he will keep down increase 

 and work for honey. He has no am- 

 bition to go beyond that point. If he 

 thinks anj'thing about it all, he thinks 

 that "sometime, "/>^r//rt'/»5, he will keep 

 more. "Sometime" does not come un- 

 less he )>takes it cotne. I have shown in 

 this issue of the Review how I once in- 

 creased three colonies to thirty in one 

 season, and wintered them all right. Ten 

 colonies set aside and worked in that 

 way for increase, would give 100 colonies 

 with which to start an out-apiary the 

 next year. Perhaps that particular plan 

 of increase may not be best for every one. 

 I am not supposed to plan out every lit- 

 tle detail. As I have said elsewhere, a 



