THE BEE-KEEPERS- REVIEW 7 



saw queen cells started to let me know, for i was working- at the 

 shop and what I had done up to this time was at times when I was 

 off duty there. Soon the helper reported that he saw a good number 

 of queen cells started in the strongest colonies in each yard. 1 got 

 oft" a day from the shop, half of which was spent at each 3^ard, work- 

 ing them over thoroughly, ventilating the hives one inch from the 

 bottom boards by means of two one-inch strips placed on either side 

 the length of hives. Our previous season's experience transferring 

 had taught us that ventilation was beneficial. Storing room was 

 added and the brood nest enlarged where it was needed by setting 

 one or more combs in the center of them, also between 40 and 50 

 increase made from the very strongest colonies, mostly from those 

 which had contracted the swarming fever and were building cells. 

 This was done by dividing the bees, combs, brood and honey into 

 two equal parts and giving the queen to the half set on the new stand. 

 Some frames of combs and full sheets of foundation were placed in 

 these divided swarms so they might soon finish them up. Complete 

 sets of comb and more frames were added as they needed them. 



I went back to work and the helper finished the job, except at the 

 home yard, where I kept close watch on conditions. This about 

 cured the bees of swarming, along with the amount of storing room 

 we gave them, which was always placed next to the brood nest. 



The increase was a success and it built up rapid to full colonies, 

 many of which went into the supers storing surplus. June 1st the 

 spring flow was over and considerable honey had already been taken 

 off and marketed. The remainder was soon taken off and prepared 

 for market, and the honey at the outer yard hauled home. This crop 

 of honey consisted of about equal parts comb honey in sections and 

 extracted honey, about 9,000 pounds in all, and netted me $800. 



On July 1st I let my helper go, for I could look after the bees 

 at odd times during the remainder of the year, and during the time 

 between the spring and fall honey flow I had prepared 30 more one- 

 story hives for increase to be made at the approach of the fall flow. 

 When the time came the strongest and heaviest colonies were divided, 

 as was done in the spring, and some of the divisions were allowed 

 to raise their own queens, but during the season I had decided to 

 try some Italian bees, and bought of one breeder 17 queens, which 

 were used successfully in this last lot of increase. 



The fall flow that season was light and 1 did not take oft' any 

 surplus, but I managed to get full sets of combs built for all colonies 

 that did not have them in the brood nest, and all the bees were in 

 good shape for winter. The ventilating sticks were all removed 

 from under the hives and the bees left for winter, a total of 250 

 colonies. Also, the transferred colonies were treated as in the prev- 

 ious season. 



T did not produce as much honey as I should that season, but I 



