THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



149 



portiou to get out 200 copies of the Review 

 thau to get out 400? Peiliaps the first 200 

 would pay expeuses and all the profit come 

 ou the second 200. 



When we have invested iu a colony of bees, 

 and built tiiem up to where they are able to 

 send to the fields a reasouablo force of work- 

 ers, (and right here is where man's reason 

 must come in, in opposition to the instinct 

 of the bee; for that instinct does not lead the 

 bee to provide for man's wants, in addition 

 to her own, but leads the colony to swarm 

 and increase. No violence need be done 

 nature, but reason may produce conditions 

 that will change the course of instinct, and 

 make it serve reason), why not, instead of 

 investing in another hive, doubling the lab- 

 or, and keeping a lot of bees at home to care 

 for a new house, send those bees out for 

 honey? For, we have just now neared the 

 point at which the business will pay expen- 

 ses and, instead of making a new colony, just 

 a little extra work, with a slight additional 

 capital invested in surplus fixtures, will 

 will greatly increase the net crop and con- 

 sequently net profits. 



But what of increase? Any experienced 

 apiarist can quite easily make ail the stock 

 he wants. Suppose yon have what stock you 

 care to work, you will want enough increase 

 to make up for winter losses. There need 

 be but little winter loss except from two 

 causes, dysentery and loss of queens. The 

 latter need not be heavy. Estimate your 

 probable loss, and when the honey flow 

 comes, take away queens from every colony 

 strong enough to swarm, putting the best 

 (lueens in other hives, with just enough bees 

 to care for them, and one comb of hatching 

 bees with each queen. In estimating losses 

 don't forget that some of your old colonies 

 will lose their queens at mating time. 



Each of those old colonies should be al- 

 lowed to reqneen itself, either from the 

 brood left when queen is removed, or its 

 equivalent, the giving of a ripe cell or virgin 

 queen at the time of cutting out cells, nine 

 days after removing queens. 



After the flow is over, look at your queen- 

 less colonies, take away all honey and give 

 empty combs. The brood combs taken can 

 be stored for spring feed, or used to fill out 

 the nuclei if nteded. Those old queenlesfi 

 bees can wear themselves out trying to fill 

 the empty combs given tluin. 



Those old queens with tlu- bees given them 

 will build up to full colonics for winter and 



have a lot of young bees. Such colonies will 

 gather almost as much honey and care for as 

 much brood as twice as many bees would do 

 in the same hive. Why? Because they have 

 to. At that time of year the queen will 

 "spread herself" beyond the cluster, and the 

 bees will work hard to keep up with her. 

 Those who have tried it know that a very few 

 bees can be made to rear a large amount of 

 brood during a honey flow and at the same 

 time put lots of honey in the brood cham- 

 ber. This plan leaves nearly all the old bees 

 in the old hive, at work in the supers, just 

 where we want them. 



This removing queens to control swarm- 

 ing, and keeping all the bees in the old hive, 

 I believe will give as much honey, yes more, 

 for the investment of capital and labor, than 

 any other system yet in use. 



I believe it possible to produce from two 

 to four times as much honey per colony as 

 is now produced. 



Two days work will remove queens, cut 

 out all cells from twenty colonies, and eight 

 or nine days later remove all cells but one. 

 Can any man watch for swarms, or divide, 

 and furnish new hives, and do it at the same 

 expense of time and cash? I say no; neither 

 can he get so much honey nor have his bees 

 in so good shape. Let him who doubts this 

 try it. 



This is not all theory with me. By ob- 

 serving Doolittle's teachings to have a hive 

 full of bees during the honey flow, I have not 

 failed, save once, in fifteen years, to get a 

 fair crop of honey. I seldom get less than 

 r>0 lbs. and usually 75 to 100, and one season, 

 227 lbs. average per colony, spring count. 

 That was not done in Colorado either, but in 

 Iowa. Neither did I at that time remove 

 queens; but my crop would have been in- 

 creased by so doing. I did, however, clip 

 cells and return swarmsi 



Thanks to Elwood and France for the plan 

 of removing queens. 



I have tried to briefly point out the princi 

 pies, but all the "hows," etc., would fill a 

 book. Let each apply the principles to suit 

 location and circumstances, then adopt the 

 best trade mark of all, "an honest name," 

 and the adulteration scare will disappear. 



Ft. CollIns, Colo., May .5, 1891. 



1 Whether it will pay a man to prevent 

 increase, or modify it to a certain extent, all 

 depends upon circumstances. I know of a 

 man in this State, who, years ago, was very 



