8 
EXPERIMENTS IN APIARY. 
REPORT ON APIARY. 
1887. 
(Note. —The following report of the Apiary Section of the Horticult¬ 
ural Department was an experiment, only in the sense that every line of 
work on which accurate and full notes are taken, is an experiment. The 
Board of Agriculture, deeming the history of the work, and development 
in the Apiary that year, of prime importance and interest, desired to place 
it before the people in a bulletin. The report was prepared by C. Max 
Brose, Assistant Horticulturist, in charge, and read before the Board 
December 14, 1887.) 
Took charge of the bees April 10, 1887, and found two 
swarms, out of eight stands, alive; one was fair, and the 
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other a very weak swarm. The weather being backward, the 
willows did not bloom until the latter part of the month, 
when the bees commenced to gather pollen; then, as the 
maple began to open here on the grounds, the bees were very 
active, and the queens commenced laying. The strongest 
swarm was doing fairly well, but the weak one dwindled 
badly. Being in hives of two different patterns, we had no 
chance to strengthen the weak one by giving it a frame of 
brood from the stronger one. 
May 10, we adopted the Simplicity hive, and ordered 
stuff for new hives, and also comb foundation for brood 
chamber. The bees commenced working on apple bloom, 
but there being several frosty nights, destroyed the same, and 
gave the bees a severe check in consequence. By some mis¬ 
take in the shipping, the hives ordered were delayed on the 
road, and did not arrive here until June 5. 
June 6, united the two swarms, and transferred the 
same to a new hive, finding some drone brood. The trans¬ 
ferring gave the bees another check, but they soon com- 
