234 



bees will enter Mve A, thus bringing about in liive B the same con- 

 ditions as were previously induced in hive A by closing the latter. 

 At the same time the field-bees of both hives are working continuously 

 in the supers on the hive A, the entrance of which is open, and the 

 flight bees in hive B are escapiug through the cone exit, ex'^ and join- 

 ing those of hiA^e A. 



In about a week the supers are again placed upon hive B the en- 

 trance to which is then opened while that of hive A is closed. In an- 

 other week another transfer is made, and so on alternately during the 

 flow of honey. 



This alternate running of the field-bees from one hive to another and 

 back again, and the simultaneous transfer of the suiters, so disturbs the 

 plans of the nurse-bees and temporarily depopulates the hives succes- 

 sively closed, that organization for swarming is not efl'ected, hence, no 

 sicarms issue, and the Jield-hees of both hives icorlc unitedly and without 

 interrujHion throughout the entire gathering season. 



ADVANTAGES OF THIS SYSTEM. 



The experienced bee-master will not only readily see that this meets 

 the requirements mentioned in the first x)art of this article as advan- 

 tageous to secure, but also that in many other ways it is likely to prove 

 a system of great value in the apiary. Mr. Langdon has mentioned 

 some of these and I will therefore quote from his letter : 



(1) Two light colonies that -would not do much, in sections if working separately 

 make one good one by running the field force of both into the same set of supers. 



(2) No bait sections are needed, as the bees can be crowded into the sections with- 

 out swarming. 



(3) The honey will be finished in better condition, that is, with less travel-stain, 

 because the union of the field forces enables them to complete the work in less time. 



(4) There will be fewer unfinished sections at the close of the honey harvest, for 

 the reason just mentioned. 



(5) Also for the same reason honey can be taken oft" by the full case instead of by 

 the section or holder full. 



(6) Drones will be fewer in number, as a double handful will often be killed oft' in 

 the closed hive while the other is storing honey rapidly. 



(7) Artificial swarms and nuclei can be more easily made, as combs of brood and 

 bees can be taken from the closed hive in which the queen can be found very 

 quickly. 



As there is in carrying out this system of swarm x^revention no caging 

 of queens, cutting out of queen cells, uianipulation of brood combs or 

 even opening of the brood chambers at all during the honey season, 

 and all the vexatious watching for swarms and the labor and time 

 involved in securing these are done away with, and instead of this a 

 simple manipulation attended to not oftener than once a week is substi- 

 tuted, it is plain that very many more colonies can be managed by one 

 person, and, indeed, Mr. Langdon informs me that he '' can care for 200 

 colonies with one day's work in a week with no help, instead of working 



