BEE-KEEPING IN WAR-TIME 27 



almost entirely on having good stock. Before the advent 

 of the " Isle of Wight Disease " the best stock to use was 

 undoubtedly British. It has been found that they do not 

 resist the disease so well as hybrids. The Dutch bee which 

 has been boomed by some papers should be shunned as a 

 ■plague. They are not, as is repeatedly claimed for them, 

 immune from I. of W. Even if they were, the advantage 

 would be far outweighed by their great swarming proclivi- 

 ties. It is no unusual thing for a person to commence the 

 season with one stock of Dutch bees and finish up the season 

 with twelve stocks in the garden. The bee-keeper has a 

 great deal of excitement in hunting after and hiving these 

 swarms, but the return in honey is nil. 



Even in the smallest apiary queens should be reared. It is 

 not necessary to adopt the elaborate methods followed by 

 the queen breeders on a large scale. 



The best variety of bees to keep at the present time are 

 Italians or Italians crossed with British drones, called Italian 

 hybrids. 



The stocks from which the queens and drones are to be 

 obtained should be chosen the year previous to that in which 

 they are required. The selection should take place with the 

 following facts in mind. Working qualities and constitution 

 come from the mother, while disposition is transmitted by 

 the father. Stocks which are vicious in temperament should 

 not be allowed to rear drones. This is avoided by close 

 spacing the frames in the brood chamber, by withdrawing 

 to the extreme end each alternate metal end, then pushing 

 all the combs close together ; if drones are being reared in the 

 cells it is impossible for them to get out. 



Early in the year, say about the first week in April, both 

 the stocks from which drones and queens are to be obtained 

 should be stimulated to get them as strong as possible by the 

 end of the month. When that period arrives the stock set 

 aside for the production of drones can be left alone, beyond 

 putting on the supers at the proper time. The one from which 

 the queens are to be procured should be teeming with bees. 

 From it a nucleus is made as follows : 



On the morning of a fine warm day have ready an empty 

 hive ; it should contain a division board ; this is a board made 

 to fit inside the brood chamber, but not too tightly, and is 

 used to contract the size of the brood chamber to keep the 

 inhabitants warmer when the full complement of ten combs 



