16 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



swarming:, I knew that such an easy 

 method could not be depended on, so a 

 careful inspection of each colony was 

 begun. Perhaps 25 per cent, of the 

 colonies were found with preparations 

 for swarming-, and several plans were 

 used on them, and on all of the strong 

 colonies, whether or not preparing to 

 swarm; for with Doolittle and Stachel- 

 hausen, I find that it pays to treat all 

 colonies which have attained a very 

 populous condition. 



MANAGEMENT OF "SHOOK-SWARMING" 



One plan used is simply "shook- 

 swarming.'' The brood-combs were re- 

 moved, a comb of honey, pollen, etc., 

 left on each outside of the hive, a comb 

 with a little brood and the queen put in 

 the middle, and the balance filled with 

 wired frames and full sheets of found- 

 ation or combs. , On this new brood 

 nest an excluder, and above the ex- 

 cluder two full-depth extracting supers, 

 or their equivalent in shallow supers, 

 all full of comb, as nearly as possible, 

 and, of course, only eight combs to a 

 ten-framt- super; or, if some foundation 

 is to be drawn, nine to a ten frame 

 super. 



Of course, all, or nearly all, of the 

 bees are shaken from the removed 

 combs of brood into the new hive, 

 stacking much of the brood on weak 

 colonies. With several colonies we did 

 not shake off the bees, but removed the 

 old brood combs to a new stand, with 



adhering bees, and tiered up the frames 

 on the Alexander plan of queen-mating 

 — some brood, bees, stores and a queen- 

 cell in each body, the bodies separated 

 by excluders, and an entrance to each 

 story through the ventilator, the old 

 queen left on the old stand to catch the 

 returning field force, the adjoining 

 hive moved to a new place in the yard, 

 to further re-inforce her colony. Some 

 of these mating piles were four, five 

 and even six stories high, and at the 

 next trip, we found a fine young laying- 

 queen in nearly ever}' bodj'. 



This plan of queen-rearing is so 

 easy, so successful, that it should be a 

 part of the system of every producer of 

 extracted honey. Be sure that there 

 are enough combs in each body of these 

 mating piles for storage and "expan- 

 sion," for the bees will continue to 

 work and store with full vigor, and 

 after the queens are laying, may be 

 used for increase or the extra queens 

 may be taken, and the colony put in 

 normal condition with one queen below, 

 and supers above. This plan of mating 

 can save bee-keepers thousands of dol- 

 lars, and was first published in the 

 Review. 



Some colonies had all brood, except 

 one frame, removed to the second and 

 third stories, above an excluder, and 

 the brood-nest filled with combs and 

 full sheets of foundation as in shook- 

 swarming. 



Meridian, Idaho.t Dec. 20, 1906. 



THE BEES AMONG THE LINDEN. 



Among- the blooming- linden trees, 

 O, hear the merry sound of bees I 



I love that sound so well. 

 The air is warm and balmy soft. 

 The sound on breezes floats aloft, 



O hear that music swell I 



BY J W SOUTHWOOD. 



To blooming- trees I oft have gone, 

 I oft have w.tndered there alone. 



To hear that merry sound. 

 Where else on woodland's leafy hill 

 Or near the valley's rippling rill, 



Can music such be found ? 



The charm's so great I love it well — 

 Sadness and gloom it doth dispel, 



That lovely sound of bees. 

 Where nectar's taken from the flowers, 

 In morning-'s soft and balmy hours. 



Of blooming linden trees. 



Huntington, Ind., Dec. 30, 1906. 



