STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 117 



two above, you will have better success than if you put the 

 wires within your space in the frame. 



Dr. Miller — I would like to ask Mr. Dadant a question I 

 think germane to the subject. In those, do you suppose that 

 the wires are taut or slack? 



Mr. Dadant — It would be better for the wires to be taut 

 if they are pressed into the foundation. A slack wire is only 

 supposed to follow the wax if it settles. The great trouble is 

 giving it to swarms. When full sheets of foundation are 

 given they sag at once before it is finished; that is the time 

 when it is really more of a strain upon it than is natural 

 with the comb, because bees build their combs entirely at the 

 top before they lengthen them, but when you give them a full 

 sheet they will load it from the bottom, and the top has a 

 greater strain upon it, and I think nearly all the strain takes 

 place from that. I think the wire ought to be taut, but in a 

 great many cases it is not necessary at all if it is carefully 

 done to wire. 



SIZE OF COLONIES OF BEES IN SPRING. 



"How much brood, honey and bees should there be in a 

 hive in the time of fruit-bloom before putting on supers?" 



Mr. Wilcox — I am confident that the answer to that will 

 vary according to the locality somewhat. For my part I never 

 put supers on during fruit-bloom. Then, the quantity of bees 

 cuts no figure. If there is not surplus enough coming in our 

 locality at that time to make a decent start, I always divide 

 them, if they are strong enough to bear dividing without be- 

 ing weak colonies, when clover opens in the middle of June. 

 Fruit-bloom is in the middle of May, and if there are two 

 bushels of bees I would divide them ; if there was one bushel 

 I would divide them; if there were 10 pounds of live bees 

 I would divide them and give the other half a young queen, 

 but I would build them both up for the ho^iey harvest the 

 first of July or the latter part of June. Our best honey-yield 

 comes in August, fronj wild flowers. Consequently I would 

 be sure, ansrway, to have more bees to gather more honey 

 later in the season. 



PREVENTION OF ROBBING DURING A HONEY-FLOW. 



"What can be done to prevent bees from robbing in the 

 honey-flow season?" 



Mr. Hutchinson — You couldn't make them rob them. 



Dr. Miller — ^They can rob. The way to stop them is to 

 take away the fool bee-keeper that gets them to rob. 



Pres. York — He ought to be clipped! 



EXTRACTING FROM COMBS HAVING BROOD. 



"Will extracting from combs containing unsealed brood 

 injure the quality of the honey provided no brood is thrown 

 out?" 



