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168 



TE^'TH ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE 



and be a'ble to adapt himself to the 

 varying conditions that may confront 

 him. 



Third, a strong, vigorous colony of 

 bees, with a young queen, bred from 

 a strain that have proven themselves 

 to be comb-honey builders of the 

 highest order. 



Fourth, appliances. 



The second, third and fourth essen- 

 tials depend entirely upon the indi- 

 vidual to perfect, and their product 

 v/ill show how much time, thought and 

 energy the bee-keepers have given to 

 their vocation. 



With a system along the lines which 

 are to form the foundation of success, 

 we plan to have very strong colonies 

 at the opening of the 'honey harvest. 

 The first step to this foundation is 

 the re-queening of apiaries during 

 August previous to the flow, and with 

 the use of a very large hive, equal to 

 15 Langstroth frames. This large hive 

 serves a double purpose, the breeding 

 of a strong family, and the content- 

 ment of the family during the fore- 

 part of the season. I use a divisible 

 hive, wintering in two sections, and 

 give the third section in fruit-bloom. 

 This large hive reduces the swarming 

 impulse, or rather prevents it. 



As the season progresses, and the 

 nectar yields sufficient to store clover 

 honey, we reduce our colonies to a 

 single section of brood, by shaking 

 the bees from the parts taken away, 

 and giving supers to make the original 

 hive capacity. This places the colony 

 in the position of a partly filled hive, 

 and they start in the supers at once, 

 which is much desired. If we get the 

 bees interested in storing honey, and 

 give proper super room there will be 

 but little swarming. 



I usually give a super once in 7 or 

 8 days, these additional supers being 

 placed next to the brood. We raise 

 the supers about the time capping is 

 commenced, and the honey is finished 

 away from the brood where it gets 

 less soil. 



The foundation is put in the sections 

 the same day it is to go on the bees, 

 and is usually drawn out within 24 

 hours. I consider this of much im- 

 portance; while the wax is fresh from 

 its packing it is more pliable, and the 

 bees work it out nearer like the nat- 

 ural comb. Second, when eating it 

 the consumer does not get a tough 



wad of wax that he knows not what 

 to do with. There is no question but 

 that the bees will build on old founda- 

 tion by adding their wax thereto, but 

 they should not be compelled to do it. 

 We usually tier three high, and 

 when the fourth super is given, the 

 upper one is taken away. 



Comb honey should be removed 

 from the bees as soon as finished, 

 thereby preserving that fine appear- 

 ance which is so attractive to the eye 

 — and should be stored in the supers 

 10 to 15 days at a high temperature, 

 when it should be fumigated with bi- 

 sulphide of carbon for the wax-moth. 



I believe the most practical super 

 used in these modern times was in- 

 vented by the late N. N. Betsinger. 

 with its wire-cloth separator, giving 

 the bees free communication between 

 the combs, and past the sections lon- 

 gitudinally. Its hanging broad-frame 

 keeps the sections free from propolis, 

 and gives to a beautiful comb of 

 honey a much nicer appearance. 



I find many bee-keepers who are 

 careless in cleaning sections for the 

 market, and are selfish in grading 

 their honey. When such honey is put 

 upon the market, it not only affects 

 the one who produces it, but every pro- 

 ducer of comb honey, in as much as 

 buyers ^uote the price of such sales 

 which misleads the producer of a bet- 

 ter grade into believing that the 

 price quoted is the market value of 

 No. 1 honey. 



The great need of the bee-keeper to- 

 day is more uniform package, grading 

 and prices. 



I beg to call your attention to our 

 brothers across the Northern border, 

 and to what they have accomplished 

 in advancing prices and the bee-keep- 

 ers through their strong organization. 

 WTiat- they have done we can do. 



S. D. HOUSE. 

 Camillus, N. Y. 



J. E. Crane — Does Mr. House use the 

 Heddon sectional hive? 



'Mr. IKtouse — No, I do not. The Hed- 

 don principle is there, but not the 

 Heddon hive. 'the Heddon hive has 

 a close end frame, and I have a non- 

 spacing frame, 5 inch, with 6 inch 

 body. 



J. E. Crane — 'Don't you get more or 

 less pollen in your sections? 



Mr. House — In producing ten thou- 

 sand sections I might have possibly a 



