THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVtt^W, 



21? 



shall disooVer thein makiu^^ tlieir next at- 

 tempt, or, if Iliad no such expectation, I 

 would shake out enough bees to make a good 

 swarm and hive them with the queen in the 

 ordinary way. A trap full of bees at the 

 entrance of a hive from which the prime 

 swarm or at least the old queen 

 has been taken, indicates that the young 

 queen has attempted to issue, if the trap 

 has but few bees it shows that the 

 young queen has attempted to take 

 her mating flight or perhaps some- 

 times that she has got into the trap in en- 

 deavoring to escape from a rival. In either 

 case swarming is over and the trap should 

 be removed and the queen returned unless 

 it is certain the coloijy still has one. 



It is best tlien, I think, to keep traps on 

 all colonies likely to swarm, removing them 

 as soon as the danger is ove , being particu- 

 larly careful on this point in the case of 

 those having virgin queens. When a swarm 

 is discovered issuing, remove the trap thus 

 allowing the queen to go with the swarm 

 which induces speedy and perfect cluster- 

 ing, when it may be secured in a moment in 

 a basket. A light pole to which a basket is 

 attached near the farther end serves both 

 to shake out and secure most swarms that 

 cluster out of reach of the hand. For the 

 highest success in the production of comb 

 honey strong swarms are desirable, and 

 hiving swaiHis on the ('Id tlai d Let only 

 conduces to their strength but has also a 

 strong tendency, often almost prohibitive to 

 prevent after-swarms. However, with the 

 methods I use there is a limit to the profitable 

 strength of swarms. If they exceed seven or 

 eight pounds in weight there is apt to be 

 discontei t and an eaily preparation to 

 swarm again even if tht y do not persist in 

 attempting to abscond. Tliis determination 

 to abscond is a difficulty which I have had to 

 encounter very frequently during swarming 

 seasons, owing principally no doubt to the 

 small size of* the brood chamber which I 

 feel compelled to give swarms. After test- 

 ing different plans I have at last been al- 

 most entirely successful in meeting this 

 difficulty by giving the swarm at first a 

 double brood chamber and removing the 

 lower section in two days. This plan has 

 proved a decided relief in the management 

 of swarms. 



Little need be said in addition to meet 

 the objection made against swarming on 

 account of the time required for attending 



to it. Most prime swarms issue between 

 i) o'clock A. M. and 12 o'clock M. so that, 

 with the traps, three hours a day answers 

 very well. In case of necessity even less 

 time may be made to serve without serious 

 loss, even to so little as three hours every 

 third day. 



It is possible that tliere may a little dan- 

 ger of swarms going away with virgin queens 

 on their mating flight but it is not great, 

 for such queens are distasteful to prime 

 swarms though any laying queen is accept- 

 able. 



If a prime swarm and an after swarm 

 with their queens unite, the young queen 

 will usually be found balled and it is seldom 

 worth while to separate them because there 

 will almost certainly be sufficient of the 

 prime swarm with the joung queen to des- 

 troy her or break up the colony. 



Some complaint is made that queens es- 

 cape through the perforated zinc of the 

 queen trap. The perforations in my traps 

 are .5-32 in. and no queens escape. 



Lapeek; Mich. July 7, 1896. 



A Reply to Mr, Pringle's Article. 



H. T. PETTIT. 



■TF Mr. Pringle had manifested a better 

 X spirit, and kept somewhat nearer the truth 

 in his article on page 112 I should just let the 

 matter pass. However, I shall try to be 

 brief, but it takes more space to catch 

 errors than to start them. 



Mr. Pringle says " There have been per- 

 sonal differences and unpleasantness. " 

 Well, I have always tried to avoid personali- 

 ties in public matters, but I shall show, 

 later, that Mr. McKnight has offended 

 grievously in that direction. Mr. Pringle 

 accused the promoters of the bill of " in- 

 tolerance. " Now I am sure nothing could 

 be wider of the facts than that. Mr. Mc- 

 Knight, whose case Mr. Pringle is pleading, 

 has always had all the time he wished for to 

 fight the bill. Atour last meeting he occu- 

 pied half an hour in one speech against the 

 bill, and without interruption — and he was 

 alone in his opposition to the bill. 



Mr. Pringle complains of the "inordinate 

 ambition for office and place of the Editor 

 of the C. B. -J." W'ell, we all agree that 

 that's a useless commodity in any association, 

 but I reckon that Mr. Pringle will compare 

 favorably with any one in the society in 



