168 
JOURNAL  OR  NORTIGULTUrR  AND  COTTAOR  GARDENRR. 
February  1?,  1898. 
'  KBIhe  '  bee-kebperHS 
.  l^j  - 1  ■  I  ■  I  -  i-T- 1  -  i  - .  ■  i  - 1  - 1  ■  1 .1.1  -  T-i  -  I .  I  -  i-i  -  IV  r;.  1 
How  TO  Procure  a  Surplus. 
The  chief  aim  of  bee-keepers  is  to  obtain  ^as  much  honey  as 
possible  from  their  bees.  But  how  this  is  to  be  done  is  a  question 
that  should  be  satisfactorily  answered  by  all  who  have  studied  the 
various  sy'stems  of  bee  management  and  have  made  the  business  a 
success.  Others  there  are  who  are  beginners  and  are  anxious  to  obtain 
superior  samples  of  both  comb  and  run  honey,  but  who  have  their 
doubt  as  to  which  system  is  the  best. 
One  of  the  greatest  mistakes  is  to  confine  the  bees  in  small  hives 
and  allow  them  to  swarm  during  the  best  part  of  the  honey  flow  and 
then  expect  a  surplus.  How  often  one  hears  of  bee-keepers  who, 
after  a  limited  experience  with  bees  in  unsuitable  hives,  or  through 
careh'ss  management,  fail  to  obtain  a  surplus,  give  up  the  business  in 
disgusq  instead  of  it  proving  a  remunerative  pastime,  which  it  invari- 
.ably  does  if  worked  on  the  right  lines.  It  is,  however,  not  surprising 
that  such  is  the  case  when  one  takes  into  consideration  the  difference 
of  opinfon  still  existing  among  practical  bee-keepers. 
For  instance,  one  bee-keeper  may  advocate  large  frames  of  greater 
length  and  depth  than  those  favoured  by  an  equally  successful  apiarist. 
Both  may  obtain  a  large  and  satisfactory  surplus.  It  does  not  prove 
that  either  is  wrong,  but  may  be  summed  up  in  one  word — manage¬ 
ment.  Therein  lies  the  whole  secret  of  success.  It  is  immaterial  to 
those  who  pay  close  attention  to  their  bees  and  know  when  extra  room 
is  required,  and  who  provide  them  with  it  at  the  right  time,  whether 
the  hives  are  large  or  small.  In  the  former  case  the  space  may  be 
restricted  by  removing  all  frames  not  covered  by  the  bees,  and  in  the 
latter  by  giving  more  room.  In  each  instance  the  surplus  will  be 
satisfactory,  if  that  all-important  factor,  the  weather,  is  favourable. 
In  our  recent  notes  on  doubling  we  fully  explained  this  system  of 
obtaining  a  surplus  of  run  honey,  and  also  gave  the  dimensions  of  the 
hive,  super,  and  frames  most  favoured  by  us,  and  which  are  now 
extensively  used  throughout  this  country. 
Shallow  Frames  for  Supers. 
Shallow  frames  for  obtaining  a  surplus  have  been  much  used  of 
late  years  by  advanced  bee-keepers.  They  are  of  the  same  len.gth  as 
those  used  in  the  body  of  the  hive,  but  are  3  inches  less  in  depth. 
They  are  always  placed  in  the  super,  directly  over  the  brood  nest. 
'I  he  advantage  of  using  shallow  frames  instead  of  full  sized  ones  in  the 
super  is  appreciated  by  many  bee-keepers  during  an  inclement  season, 
when  honey  is  not  coming  in  freely,  as  bees  will  often  store  a 
surplus  (more  particularly  is  this  observed  early  in  the  season)  which 
would  otherwise  be  lost.  If  the  weather  is  favourable,  and  honey  is 
coming  in  somewhat  freely,  they  require  more  attention  than  ordinary 
frames.  There  being  so  much  less  storage  space  the  frames  are  filled 
more  rapidly,  and  if  extra  room  is  not  provided  at  the  right  time,  the 
bees  will  have  the  swarming  mania,  and  little  surplus  will  be  stored. 
When  the  frames  are  three  parts  full  they  should  be  lifted  bodily 
off  the  hive,  and  a  crate  of  empty  frames  placed  underneath  them. 
The  bees  will  then  draw  out  the  foundation,  with  which  they  should 
always  be  supplied,  and  will  in  due  course  fill  them  Avith  honey,  and  at 
the  same  time  finish  off  those  placed  on  the  top.  They  should  be 
( xamined  as  often  as  necessary,  and  when  the  second  crate  of  frames  is 
three  parts  full  place  another  crate  of  empty  ones  underneath.  If  the 
colony  is  extra  strong  in  bees  it  may  be  necessary  to  place  two  empty 
crates  on  the  hive  within  a  few  days  of  each  other.  We  have  some- 
tiines  had  half  a  dozen  crates  of  shallow  frames  on  a  hive  at  one  time, 
as  it  is  not  advisable  to  remove  the  frames  for  extracting  until  the 
honey  is  well  ripened,  which  it  usually  is  when  sealed  over.  There  is 
no  place  where  the  honey  will  keep  in  such  good  condition  as  on  the 
hive. 
Full-sized  Frames  for  Surplus. 
Although  the  shallow  frame  has  a  slight  advantage  over  the  full- 
sized  one,  as  used  in  the  brood  nest,  it  has  the  disadvantage  of  requiring 
more  attention.  There  is  also  more  labour  in  extracting,  owing  to  the 
fact  of  the  frames  being  smaller.  For  this  reason,  and  also  because 
tlie  full-sized  frame  when  filled  with  worker  comb  is  useful  for  so 
many  purposes.  It  is  not  often  necessary  to  place  more  than  one  super 
Ilf  nine  full-sized  frames  on  a  strong  stock,  if  there  are  some  fully 
drawn  out  tough  old  spare  combs  in  stock,  as  directly  the  frames  are 
full  and  about  three-parts  sealed  over  they  may  be  lifted  out  one  at  a 
time  and  the  bees  brushed  otf  with  a  feather.  But  if  a  carbolic  cloth 
i-i  placed  over  the  top  of  the  frames  a  few  minutes  before  handling 
them  the  majority  of  the  bees  will  beat  a  retreat,  and  the  operator 
will  not  be  interfered  with. 
1  he  centre  combs  are  always  filled  first;  these  may  be  removed 
and  their  places  filled  with  the  outside  combs  that  may  not  be 
sealed  over,  the  remaining  space  being  filled  with  empty  combs.  By 
this  means  the  bees  are  kept  constantly  at  work,  and  but  little  swarming 
will  take  place.  It  is  necessary  to  use  queen  excluder  zinc  between 
the  brood  nest  and  the  super,  or  the  above  system  will  end  in  failure. — 
An  English  Bee-keeper. 
A  WONDERFUL  COLONY. 
On  page  113  “An  English  Bee-keeper,”  referring  to  what  I  said  about 
a  hive  belonging  to  a  member  of  our  Association,  which  on  March  3rd 
covered  nine  frames  18  inches  by  9  inches  deep,  and  that  several  drones  were 
observed,  and  that  I  said  by  the  1st  of  April  or  the  first  week  in  May 
would  crowd  the  hive.  “An  English  Bee-keeper  ”  says,  “I  then  asked  him 
a  question  which  he  has  not  answered — namely,  if  according  to  his  own 
showing  a  queen  would  lay  from  3000  to  4000  eggs  per  day,  what  had 
become  of  the  bees  ?  On  March  3rd  the  bees  covered  nine  frames, 
whereas  by  the  first  week  in  May  they  only  covered  twelve  frames.  From 
the  former  date  to  the  latter  is  eight  weeks  ;  3500  eggs  laid  daily  would 
amount  to  196,000.  Perhaps  ‘G.  H.’  will  inform  your  readers  what  had 
become  of  the  bees  from  this  wonderful  colony.” 
The  above  question  Implies  that  “An  English  Bee-keeper”  does  not 
know  that  in  March  and  April  there  are  many  cold  days  and  nights 
which  retard  the  laying  powers  of  the  queen.  There  are  times  when  the 
queen  lays  very  few  eggs,  brought  about  by  the  weather,  absence  of 
nectar  in  the  flowers,  or  the  little  pollen  obtained  for  the  wants  of  the 
hive.  From  observation  I  have  proved  that  egg-laying  is  governed  by  the 
income  from  the  outside. 
Then  the  gales  of  wind  and  cold  rains  destroy  thousands  of  our  bees 
in  the  early  months  of  the  year  ;  too  frequently  have  I  had  demonstration 
of  this  fact.  How  many  bee-keepers  have  felt  a  pang  when  they  have 
seen  hundreds  of  dead  and  dying  bees  strewn  on  the  ground  around  the 
hives  never  to  rise  again,  lashed  down  by  the  storms?  Again,  how  many 
bees  of  this  wonderful  colony  would  die  of  old  age  from  the  3rd  of  March 
to  the  6rst  week  of  May?  “An  English  Bee-keeper”  writes  as  though 
I  said  a  queen  would  lay  from  3000  to  4000  eggs  in  a  day  in  the  month 
ot  March  and  the  two  first  weeks  in  April.  Such  a  thing  I  never  said  or 
thought  of.  These  are  the  words  I  used  (page  136,  February  11th,  1897), 
“  Is  a  hive  with  ten  standard  frames  large  enough  for  the  requirements 
of  a  prolific  queen,  laying  from  3000  to  4000  eggs  in  the  height  of  the 
season  ?  ” 
How  TO  Test  the  Laying  Powers  of  the  Queen. 
If  anyone  wishes  to  prove  for  himself,  put  7  lbs.  of  bees  in  a  full- 
combed  'hive,  where  a  young  and  vigorous  queen  (if  a  hybrid  so  much 
the  better)  has  room  to  lay  3000  to  4000  eggs  per  day.  There  are  about 
fifty  cells  to  the  inch,  both  sides  of  the  comb.  Let  this  be  done  when 
the  weather  is  fine,  with  plenty  of  food  in  the  hive,  and  a  good  income 
from  the  outside.  Measure  up  on  the  twentieth  day,  and  if  you  do  not 
find  the  above  results,  your  experience  will  be  different  from  mine.  I 
should  like  to  ask  “  An  E.  B.”  if  he  has  tested  the  laying  powers  of  a 
queen,  and  with  what  result. 
A  Supposed  Mistake. 
I  went  to  inspect  the  wonderful  hive  referred  to  in  a  previous  issue 
hy  “An  E.  B.,”  and,  as  I  expected,  it  crowded  the  hive  the  first  week  in 
May.  No  mistake  had  been  made,  the  hive  had  a  vigorous  queen,  and 
was  prosperous  in  every  way.  But  what  has  become  of  the  bees?  I 
have  explained  above  what  has  become  of  some  of  them,  and  the  rest 
entered  the  supers  in  good  time.  “  An  E.  B.”  told  us  some  time  ago 
they  would  not  do  so  till  the  honey  flow  is  nearly  over.  A  mistake  was 
made  in  my  notes  last  week  ;  instead  of  reading  Mrs.  Simmon’s  hive, 
it  should  have  read  Mr.  Simmon’s  hive. — George  Howdenshire. 
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result  could  ensue  by  discussing  the  other  matter  alluded  to  so  long  after 
the  event,  and  more  especially  as  you  say  the  error  has  been  rectified. 
No  judges  are  infallible,  though  some  make  fewer  mistakes  than  others. 
We  wish  you  still  greater  success. 
