154 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
sold about a ton. Altogether I feel satisfied 
that a year or two will see Victoria well to the 
fore in the matter of honey production. Gipps- 
lard is yielding well this year. — Yours truly, 
L. T. Chambers. 
Evtracts from foreign Journals. 
THE PREVENTION OF OVER- INCREASE 
BY SWARMING. 
In many parts of Victoria this last season’s 
bees swarmed so persistently, and so fre- 
quently, that as many as eight swarms have 
issued from one stock in the season, where no 
steps for controlling the swarming fever have 
been taken. Many apiaries have been quad- 
rupled, and most have been so taken up with 
swarming that the honey-flow of a good sea- 
son has been absorbed in raising these swarms. 
As success in bee culture depends in a great 
measure on our ability to control swarming, 
for the benefit of our readers, we give below 
three essays on the “ Prevention of Increase” 
from the American Apiculturist. 
(number one.) 
E A. Morgan. 
Prevention of increase of colonies of bees, 
does not mean to prevent the increase of bees 
by any means, as this would be exactly oppo- 
site what we do to gain the best results, for 
no beemaster ever had too many bees in a 
hive. 
Its object is to prevent swarming in a 
measure, but more especially increase in num- 
bers of his colonies, which is always done at a 
loss of surplus honey and expense of new 
hives, combs, and reducing the season’s profit. 
My plan is no theory, but the result of five 
years’ experience with one hundred colonies 
of bees. 
It is as follows : As the preparation begins 
when bees are set out, I will begin with April 
1. In the first place I will say I use the L. 
give 161 inches wide, allowing 11 inches from 
centre to centre of combs ; brood-frames, 9 
inches deep, thus it will be seen that I have a 
broad, shallow hive which I find the best, all 
things considered, for profitable beekeeping, 
and as I am a specialist at beekeeping, have 
been obliged to make it pay. I strive to keep 
queens that will fill ten combs with brood; 
this hive will certainly give room for the most 
prolific queens which, if crowded in a small 
hive are too willing to swarm out. Then 
again, if we contract too much, we shall crowd 
pollen into the sections. This size of hive 
obviated these troubles. 
My belief is that'the bees control swarming, 
and that the queen is always opposed to 
swarming. 
It is, therefore, the bees we must please. 
Knowing just what they require we may 
proceed to manipulate them to the host possi- 
ble advantage. 
First, then, in early Spring, when set out, 
allow one day’s flight for them to mark their 
location, then examine every colony, taking 
away all combs not densely covered with bees" 
then crowd with division-board, being snre 
they have abundant stores ; cover up warm 
above and pack warm at sides of hives to hold 
the heat of cluster and hasten brood-rearing ; 
leave entirely alone twenty-one days when 
young bees will begin to hatch ; then examine 
once a week, adding the combs as fast as 
young bees emerge to cover them. 
The combs should he added to outside of 
brood-nest, one at a time, as warm weather 
advances, until all are in. Young bees will 
now hatch as fast as the queen can fill the 
empty cells with eggs, the swarm is now a 
rousing one and the hive packed full of bees, 
brood in all stages, and honey (the. old stores) 
mostly consumed. 
It is now June 1 ; clover begins to yield and 
we see the combs begin to whiten. This is 
the proper time to place on a super filled with 
sections, having starters in them which will 
be taken possession of immediately, and honey 
will be stored rapidly, and if left in this con- 
dition swarming would be the result. We 
watch the super, however, and before it is 
quite full we raise it up and place au empty 
one under it, always adding extra room before 
quite needed, and if the hive is standing in 
the sun a shade-board is placed upon it. 
Managed in this way throughout the season 
swarming is scarcely ever thought of, and not 
one colony in twenty-five will cast a swarm, 
as all the energy of the bees is bent upon 
honey gathering. The strength of swarm is 
, kept up by the queen having all the room she 
can fill j consequently, the white honey all 
goes into sections. 
But should a swarm issue we proceed at 
once to profit by it and hive them so that no 
time is lost for work in the sections. This we 
accomplish as follows : As soon as all the Bees 
are in the air, we turn the hive clear around 
so that it faces the opposite direction from 
what it did ; setting it just off the stand. 
We now place a new hive on the same stand 
as the old one occupied and put seven combs 
or frames with foundation in it. Take three 
combs of brood from old hive and put in also ; 
then place the super, or supers, as the ease 
may he, on the new hive, and hive the 3iviirm 
hack in it, letting the old hive remain until 
towards evening. At that time all the flying 
force will be back in the new hive on the old 
stand. Now open old hive and shake and 
brush all remaining bees down in front of new 
hive, when they will all run in. We now 
have all the bees of the swarm and all left in 
old hive on new stand. That colony i3 now 
done with swarming for the season. There is 
a strong field force, no combs to build ^oi 
supers of unfinished sections to fill up. Th® 
bees have gained a new impetus by swarming 
and the work goes on rapidly ; no loss ot time, 
no increase and a double surplus will o® 
taken. 
