m

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55nrth (taroltna ^latp (ToIUqp

SF523

H8

1905

94708

This book may be kept out TWO WEEKS
ONLY, and is subject to a fine of ^^Wf
CENTS a day thereafter. It is due on the
day indicated below.

2 FE49i

)2Jun'51 X

5M — D-45 — Form 3

Digitized by the Internet Archive

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Tlhis^dl lEdlitioim

190'

BEBECATHOM.

To those who are getting their bread and
butter by raising honey to spread upon the bread
and butter of others, this book is dedicated by

The Author.

Iiiiilr©(dluiic4i©Eiio

Z^ pN^HIS book is intended for the professional bee-keeper; hence it
is taken for granted that the reader is fairly well acquainted
with bees and their management.

No space is devoted to the natural history', anatomy and
physiology of the bee, because my experience has been along com-
mercial, instead of scientific, lines.

The history of this book, how and why it came to be written
and published, would read something as follows: Twenty- or more
3'ears ago, while making mj^ living in the apiar}-, I learned that, with
my management, it was more profitable to use starters, only, in the
brood-nest when hiving swarms. My experiments and methods
were described in print; others tried my plans; discussions followed;
and. finally, it became apparent that the system was really more
complex than it appeared on the surface; also, that short articles
scattered through different bee journals did not present the subject
in the best possible manner, and, as a result, 1 published a little
book in which I described, in detail, my method of comb honey
production.

One of the criticisms brought against the little book was its
small si;ce; and I was repeatedh' urged to write a larger book, giving
my experience and views more in detail, and upon other points.
Flattering as all of this may have been, I doubt if I should have
yielded to these entreaties had it not been that by the time the last
copy of the little book was sold, I had been editorof the Bee-Keepers'
Review for nearlv four years, and had the benefit of reading,
and studying over, special discussions, by the most practical men,
of the most important questions connected with our pursuit. As it
was, I went to work and classified, arranged and condensed, and
gave what I considered the cream of the special topic discussions

94708

that had appeared in tlie Review. So many new subjects were taken
11]) that the ohl title, "The Prodiietion of Comb Hone}-," was no
lon}4-er ai)i)roi)riate, and, as I was jjfivinj^: what seemed to me the best
and most advanced methods, I called the new book Advanci-:d Bek
CuLTUKi:. Two years ayfo, the first edition having- been exhausted,
I re-wrote and revised everythinj^: necessary to brin": it up to date,
and fJTOt out a second edition which has since been sold. The pres-
ent edition lias been larjifely re-written; many eng-ravinofs, much
new matter, and a more substantial binding, being added; thus
bringing the book more nearly up to the ideal that I have for several
years had in mind.

Advancicd Bi;]; Cui.TUKi': is really the summing up of the best
that has api)eared in the Bee-Keepers' Review during the IS years
of its existence; that is, from a most careful examination of the views
of the most i)rogressive men, and a thorough consideration of the
same in the light of mj^ experience as a bee-keeper, I have described
in i)lain and simple language what I believe to be the most advanced
methods of managing bees, /or profit, from the beginning of the
season throughout the entire year.

W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

?

?©°5ieep|Hii^ as a BrnslmK

N reply to the query, "What will best mix with bee-keeping-?"
I have alwa3's replied: "Some more bees." When the condi-
_[ tions are favorable, I am decidedlj^ in favor of bee-keeping- as a
specialty- — of dropping all other hampering- pursuits, and turn-
ing- the whole capital, time and energ-ies into bee-keeping-. If bee-
keeping cannot be made profitable as a specialty, then it is unprofit-
able as a subsidarj^ pursuit. If bee-keeping must be propped up
with some other pursuit, then we better throw away bee-keeping-,
and keep the prop.

General farming- is very poorly adapted for combining: with bee-
keeping, yet the attempt is probablj' made oftener than with any
other pursuit. There are critical times in bee-keeping- that will
brook no dela^-, when three or four days or a week's neg-lect ma}'
mean the loss of a crop; and these times come rig-ht in the heig-ht of
the season, when the farmer is the busiest. Leaving- the team and
reaper standing- idle in the back fiekl while the farmer g-oes to the
house to hive bees, is neither pleasant nor profitable. Drawing in a
field of hay, while the bees lie idle because the honey has not been
extracted to g-ive them store-room, is another illustration of the con-
ditions with which the farmer-bee-keeper has to contend. The seri-
ous part of it is that the honey thus lost may be worth nearly or
<iuite as much as the hay that is saved. Some special lines of rural
pursuits, like winter-dair^nng or the raising of grapes, or winter-
apples, unite with bee-keeping- to much better advantage than gfen-
eral farming-; but when bee-keeping- is capable of absorbing all of the
capital, time and energy that a man can put into it, why divide these
resources with some other pursuit? It has been said that bee-keep-
ing is a precarious pursuit, that it cannot be depended upon, alone,
to furnish a livelihood; and, for this reason, it should be joined with
some business of a more stable character. It is true that there are
many localities where there is often a season in which little or no
honey is secured, and, in the Northern States, winter-losses are

D. H. HILL LIBRARY

North Carolina State College

10

ADVANCED BKK CULTURE.

«!i»*-

»^,^ A...^-r- ., ',: v.t^.

Hard Maple Forests of Northern Michigan.

As fast as tlie timber is liiiiibere<l off, red raspberries spring up in myriads, furnishing bee
pasture that is simply incomi>arable.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 11

sometimes very heav_v, hence it would be risky to depend entirely
for a living: upon keepinfj bees, in a liuiiicd waj^ in such localities;
but, if the avera<^e protit from bee-keeping-, one year with another, is
not the e^iual of other rural pursuits, why keep bees? The truth of
the matter is that it is greater; and if bee-keepers would only drop
everything else, and adopt methods that would enable them to
branch out and keep hundreds of colonies where they now have
dozens, they would secure enough honey in the good years to more
than carry them over the poor years, and thus not onh' make a
living, but lay up mone}^

When a man decides to cut loose from everything else, and go
into bee-keeping extensively, making it his only and his life-busi-
ness, the c[uestion of all (juestions is that of locality. There are
few localities in which a small apiary might not yield some surplus,
but when a tnan is to make of bee-keeping his sole business, the
securing of the best possible location is time and money well spent.
What a good, solid foundation is to a "sky-scraper," a good location
is to the building up of a successful, extensive bee business. Having
settled in a locality, the bee-keeper can not study it too thoroughly.
Especially must he understand its honey resources; the time when
each flow begins, its probable duration, its quantity and character.
He must know whether to expect a spring-flow, like that from dande-
lion, hard maple, or fruit-bloom, that will build up the colonies for
the main harvest that is to come later. If there is likely to be a
season of scarcity between the early flow and the main harvest, it
must be known, and preparations made to keep up brood rearing by
means of feeding or the uncapping of honey. The management will
depend largely upon the source of the main honey-flow, whether it
be raspberry-, cloyer, basswood, buckwheat, alfalfa, sage, or fall
flowers. Whatever the source, the bee-keeper must know when to
expect it, and plan to have his colonies in exactly the right condition
to gather it when it comes. This is one of the fundamental princi-
ples of successful bee-keeping.

Having secured the most desirable location, the next step is to
procure the best kind of bees that can be obtained. There are sev-
eral different varieties of bees, each with its peculiarities, but, aside
from this, every bee-keeper who has had experience with several
strains of the same variety, knows that some strains are far superior
to others — that there is scrub-stock among bees, just as there are
scrub-horses, cattle, sheep and poultry. With scrub-stock, the cost
of hives, combs and other appliances remains the same; it is no less
work to care for such stock; and it requires the same amount of
honev to raise and feed it as it does the best stock in the world. In

12

ADVANCED BKE CULTlKi:.

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ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 13

proportion to its cost, no investment bring^s the bee-keeper g-reater
i)rofit than the securing- of superior stock.

Having: secured a g^oocl location, and g"ood stock, the bee-keeper
should adopt such hives, implements and methods as will enable him
to branch out, establish out-apiaries, and keep a largfe number of
colonies. At the present time the g-reatest failing of professional
bee-keepers is the keeping- of too few bees — of clinging- to some
other hampering- pursuit. Man}- keep enoug-h bees to furnish them
a fair living- in a g-ood season, but when winter losses, and poor
hone}" seasons follow one another in quick succession, there is suffer-
ing; or, at least, g-reat inconvenience. If a man is g-oing- to follow
bee-keeping- as a profession, his only hope is in a g-ood location, good
stock, and the keeping- of bees in such numbers that when a good
year comes he can pile up the honey ton upon ton — enough to keep
him several j^ears. The larger a business the more cheaply can it
be conducted in proportion to the results; not onh' this, but the very
fact that bees are scattered about in out-apiaries several miles apart,
adds to the certainty of the crop; as one locality" often 5'ields a fair
crop while another a few miles awa}' 3'ields nothing.

It has been urged against bee-keeping as a sole pursuit that,
while it keeps a man very busy during the summer it leaves him idle
in the winter. Bee-keeping, rightly managed, will keep a man busy
every daj- in the j-ear. Too man^^ bee-keepers fail to realize that the
selling of a crop is fully as important as its production. The busi-
ness part of bee-keeping has been sadly neglected. No set rule can
be given as to how a man shall dispose of his crop, but it does seem
like ver}' poor business management to send awa^^ a crop of honey
to some commission merchant, and then sit around all winter when
good wages might be made selling hone^' direct to consumers, or to
retail dealers. The selling of the crop, and the preparations for the
coming season, may well occupy a man during the winter.

It should be understood, however, that bee-keeping is not an
occupation in which one can easily become zvcalfhy. In this respect,
it is much like other rural pursuits. Rightly managed, in a locality
adapted to the business, it can be depended upon to furnish a com-
fortable living, and perhaps enable a man to lay up a few thousands
of dollars, but such fortunes as are sometimes amassed in merchan-
dising or manufacturing can never be hoped for by the bee-keeper.
Fortunately, however, the perfection of a man's happiness bears but
little relation to the size of his fortune; and many a man with the
hum of the bees over his head, finds happiness deeper and sweeter
than ever comes to the merchant prince with his cares and his
thousands.

14

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

IS

mlllfii^ Bi St^irt In Hee°II.©e'pli!ii

P^^nN EES, and the requisite knowledge for their manag^ement, are
I — =^>^ the two most important factors in making a start in the
I J_J business. The latter ought to be secured iirst; or,at least,
its acquisition should keep pace with any increase in num-
bers of the former. As in any business, so with bee-keeping, it pays
well to lay broad and deep the foundations of an education in that
line of work. So many men fail, in different kinds of business, be-
cause they start in with onl^- a narrow or superficial knowledge of
their chosen profession. The time may come when bee culture will
be taught at the agricultural colleges, the same as dair^^ing is now
taught, bat, at present, the nearest approach to a college-coarse, is
that of working with some experienced, successful bee-keeper.
This is the quickest way of learning bee-keeping; and, if the teacher
is competent, is a very desirable method. The beginner is not
always able to choose wisel}^ in "^electing an instructor, hence, it is
well to supplement such instruction b}- a course of reading, and thus
be able to make comparisons, and discuss the instructor's methods
in the light of those emplo3"ed by others. In fact, I am inclined to
think that a thorough course of reading is the most desirable firs/
step that can be taken bj^ a prospective bee-keeper. One after the
other, I w^ould read the leading, standard text books. Having done
this, the next step is to subscribe for the best bee journals. At this
stage, a season with an expert bee-keeper would be of great value;
when the previous reading will enable the apprentice to intelligentlj-
use his mind, and see the rcasoji of things, instead of being simply'
an imitator, follow'ing blindly in the footsteps of his preceptor.
Probably nine-tenths of the men who now keep bees, never served
an apprenticeship. Many have become interested in bees from the
capture of a stray swarm. Neighboring bee-keepers would be

U, ADVANCED BKK CULTURK.

visited, books or papers borrowed or boug-ht, improved hives and
methods adopted, and, as the bees increased, so did the enthusiasm
and interest, until, finally, the bees received more time and attention
than did the reyfular business; thus did bee-keepinjr eventually be-
come a specialtv or the sole business.

When a man has decided to embark in bee-keepinj^ as a business,
he should in some manner learn the business thoroujifhly before in-
vesting: extensively. No hard and fast rules can be laid down; so
much dependin}? upon circumstances. A younjif man with no estab-
lished business, would do well to pass one or two seasons in the em-
l)loy of some experienced bee-keeper, as has been already suyfjrested,
while an older man already in business, with a family to support,
may find it advisable to gradually work into bee-keepinjj, reading-
and studying- as his bees increase. Whatever the method employed,
let the work be thoroug-h; and, especially, let there be plenty of actual
experience before venturing- extensivelj-.

As a rule, a man already has some bees when he decides to be-
come a bee-keeper. Perhaps he never formally makes any such de-
cision. He captures a stray swarm, or cuts a bee tree and saves
the bees, and the stock increases with such wonderful rapidity that
the owner becomes a bee-keeper ere he scarcely realizes it. This
wonderful rapidity with which bees increase is one strong argfument
in favor of a man securing a few colonies and building them up into
an apiary, instead of buying a large number of colonies at the begin-
ning. By rearing (jueens with which to furnish the newly made col-
onies, and furnishing them with full sheets of comb foundation, the
extent to which bees can be increased in a favorable season is some-
thing almost beyond belief. Just how, or where, the first colonies
shall be secured may well be considered. As a rule, the man who
has steady work, at good wages, better buy bees in such movable
comb hives as he intends to use. If he can get them near home, of
some reliable bee-keeper, so much the better. Of course, there are
instances in which a man has more time than money, or there may
be a trace of the sportsman in his make-up, and, in either case, the
hunting of bees, or the putting out of decoy hives to catch stray
swarms, will make to him a strong apjieal. In those parts of the
country where many bees are kept, yet there is not much timber, as
in Colorado or California, there is no difficulty in catching swarms
in decoy hives; in fact, there is difficulty in keeping swarms out of
chimnevs, and the walls of buildings. While outriding one day with
Mr. (iill, of Colorado, he pointed out one house in the walls of which
five colonies had their homes. In California Mr. Mendelson set awaj^
three emptj- hives in his wagon shed, and when I was there swarms

ADVANCED BEP: CULTURE.

17

had taken possession of two of the hives. E\en in well-timbered
localities, stray swarms are fretjuentl^- caught in deco^- hives. Mr.
George A. Fenton, of Pine Island, Minnesota, reported in the
Review, in 1900, that he had, the previous 3-ear, caught more than 50
swarms in decoy hives. He used ordinary boxes instead of hives,
and put them pretty high up in tall trees, as a good hive, easih' ac-
cessible, is quite likely to be stolen. A piece of old, black comb is
fastened inside the hive, or box, and the latter firmly fastened to the
tree so as not to be easih' blown
down, a position being chosen
where the hive will be in the
shade. A tree on the edge of the
woods is chosen, as, when a
swarm reaches the woods it at
once begins a search for a suit-
able hollow in Avhich to make its
home. The hives are examined
as often as once a week, oftener
if there is time, and when one is
found occupied the tree is
ascended by the use of climbers,
the box lowered by means of a
rope, and another box fastened
up in its place. Mr. Fenton at-
tributed his success to the fact
that the farmers near him who
had a few bees did not watch
them, but let the swarms go to
the woods, and, further, there
was no /ar,^c timber for many
miles around.

In all probability, more of my
readers would be able to secure
bees b}' finding and cutting bee-
trees, than b3' putting out deco^-
hives, and, as the subject will not
be touched upon elsewhere, I will

here describe how bee-trees are found. In principle, it is simply
that of putting out honey, in times of scarcity, when bees will "rob,"
watching the loaded bees as they fly home, and following the "line"
of bees to the tree, but there are manj- details the observance of
which greatly aids the hunter in his search. Those who hunt bees
to any great extent use what is called a "bee-box." This is a small

DIXOY PIIVI-: IX POSITION.

18

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

"Lining" Wild Bees.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 19

box made in two parts, the lower half being used to hold a piece of
comb filled with honey, while the upper part, or cover, is used prin-
cipally for catching the bees and getting them at work upon the
"bait." The top of the upper part is covered with a glass, and a
short distance below the glass is a horizontal, sliding partition; while
still lower, just at the lower edge of one of the sides, is a small
opening covered on the inner side with glass. Equipped with his
box and a bottle of diluted honey, the bee hunter begins operations
in some field or cleared spot near the forest in which he expects bee-
trees may be found. The honey is diluted with an equal amount of
water, as it enables the bees to load and unload quicker, to fly faster,
and in a more direct line. Sometimes pieces of old comb are burned,
the odor from the "smudge" attracting bees from a long distance.
If, by careful search, a bee is found industriously at work upon some
weed, the cover to the box is taken off, the slide drawn nearly out,
and the open or lower side of the cover held near the bee. A hand-
kerchief is then held upon the opposite side of the bee, and, as the
cover and the handkerchief are brought tiuickly together, the bee is
caught in the former. Seeing the light, the bee at once buzzes up
against the glass toj) of the cover, when the slide is shoved in, thus
making the bee a prisoner. The cover is n(3w replaced upon the
box. the box set upon a stump or upon a stake stuck in the ground,
the slide drawn nearh' out, and the handkerchief spread over the
glass top. The bee now sees only one opening, the small one in the
side of the cover near its lower edge, and in attempting to escape by
the lower opening, the bee comes in contact with the comb of hone}'
in the lower part of the box.

To find the hone}- is to at once begin "loading up." Occasion-
ally removing the handkerchief shows when the bee has found the
hone}, and as soon as it is seen filling its sac, the hunter carefulh'
removes the cover, and places his eye near the ground. This posi-
tion is assumed to secure the sk}' as a background in watching the
bee take its homeward flight. Under such conditions a bee can be
kept in sight for a long distance. A minute or two suffices for the
bee to fill its honey sac, when it slowly rises in gradually widening
circles. Each time around it sways more and more to one side — to-
ward the spot where it lives; finally, having taken its "bearings," it
strikes a "bee-line" for home. In a short time it returns with per-
haps three or four companions in its wake — eager to learn from
whence came that fine load of honey. The result is that a strong
"line" of bees is finally at work between their home and the hunter's
box. He now puts the cover on the box, shutting in the bees, and
moves along on the "line" towards their home. After going some

20 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

distance the bees are released, when they at once leave for home,
only to return and re-establish the "line," when the hunter a<j:ain
closes the box and moves forward. Whenthe l)ees turn and tly back
on the line, it shows that the tree has been passed and must be near
at hand. At this point in the }.;ame it may be advisable to resort to
what is known as "cross-lining:," that is. the box is moved off several
rods to one side, and another, or "cross-line," established. The tree
must certainly be near the point where these two lines intersect.
The trunks and branches of all largfe trees in the vicinity are now
carefully examined, jiarticular attention bein^r paid to any knot holes
or openinofs. Gettin.iif the tree between the sun and the observer
gfreatly aids in discoverinir any bees that may be flitting: about. An
opera g:lass is also a g:reat aid in this i)art of the work.

Bee-trees are also found by walking- throug:h the woods in tlie
first warm days in the sjiring:, before the snow is off the grround,
listening- to their humming: nnd noticing- the dead bees that have
been broug-ht out and dropped upon the snow.

After the bees have been found, then comes the task of g-etting-
them out of the tree and into a hive. Sometimes it is possible, if
they are located in a larg:e limb, to cut off the limb beyond the portion
occupied by the bees, and then cut off the portion in whicli they are
located, and lower it by means of a rope. Ag:ain, it is sometimes
l)ossible to rig: up a temporary scaffold, and cut out a piece of the
tree over the bees' home, remove the combs and lower them in a
basket. Such proceeding's are attended with more or less (lang:er,
even when carried out by the most careful of men, and I would
rather jiul up witli the more or less broken condition of the combs
that usually result from cutting- down the tree, than with broken
leg:s or arms. Many times a tree can be sog:ui(led that it will strike
ui)()n smaller trees that will !>reak the fall. The sa\ing- of the bees
and combs, after they have been reached, is very similar to an ordin-
ary job of transferring- from an old 1)Ox hive to a movable comb hive.
Pieces of comb containing- brood must 1)e fastened into frames, and
hung- in the hive, and as many as possible of the bees g:uided into the
entrance. If the hive is left on the si)ot for several hours, perhaps
over nigfht, nearly all of the live bees will gather into the hive.

As I said at the beg^inning-, if a man has steady work at g:ood
wag:es, he will, as a rule, tind it more satisfactory to buy bees in
g^ood, movable comb hives; but, if he has the time and inclination to
g-et a start by hunting: bees, or by putting- u\) decoy hives, what I
have written will show him how to do it.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 21

Mlstafites Him Be©°]rie©pnini^o

T is pleasant to tell of success. Mistakes are mentioned with
reluctance; 3-et they ma^' be of equal value for impartinof infoi*-
mation. Mr. J. M. Smith of Wisconsin is a noted horticultu-
rist. The crops of berries and cabbages that he raises are
something wonderful. His contributions to the press are valuable;
but I never read one that contained more information than the one
in which he recounted the niis/cd-rs of his horticultural life. I be-
lieve that space can be protitably used in mentioning" a few things
that experienced bee-keepers look upon as mistakes in bee-keeping.

A man who has decided that he will make bee-keeping his life-
business, makes a mistake when he gets a few colonies and attempts
to learn the business all by himself. Both time and money will be
saved by passing at least one season in the employ of some success-
ful bee-keeper.

If a man must start with a few colonies, and learn the business
by himself, let him avoid the mistake of attempting to follow several
leaders or systems. Much confusion and annoyance will be saved if
he adopts the teachings, methods and appliances of some one suc-
cessful bee-keeper. He may make the mistake of not choosing the
best system, but better this than a mixture of several systems.

A beginner is quite likely to fall into the error of increasing his
colonies too rapidly. There is probably no mistake so disastrous
as this, on account of its frequency- and results. To the beginner,
this is very tempting ground. If bee-keeping must be learned by
experience and reading < without the serving of an apprenticeship )
the beginning should be small, and practical knowledge and skill
keep pace with the increase of colonies.

A mistake that has been made by many is in looking upon bee-
keeping as a sort of royal road to wealth, or, at least, a good livings

22 ADVANCED BEP: CULTURE.

with but little labor, and, some believe, little brains, after they have
once "caught on" to a few secrets. '?) To choose any business
simply because it is i)rolitable, is the hei<rht of folly. A business
that is unusually i)rorital)le does not lonjjf remain such. It soon be-
comes overcrowded, and loses its bonanza character. A man should
choose a business because he and his surroundinjjfs are best a(lai)ti(l
to the pursuit.

Many fallintt) the error of judjiiny entirely by jr>////s, re}.rardless
of causes. As that excellent bee-keeper, K. I>. Taylor, of Michii^an,
once said: "The .ijfreatest actual results do not prove the method of
manaji"ement by which they were produced to be the best. Time,
and labor, and thoujjfht, and care, and material, and capital, are all
mone^', so the jjfreatest results numerically. ma\- be obtaint'd at a
loss, while the least apparent results may yield a i)r(>lit."

In much this same manner do many bee-keepers make the mis-
take of computinjr their income at so man\ pounds per colony, and
at so much per pound. The jjfreatest yield i)er colony mi.tjfht nc t be
so prolitable as a less yield per colony from more colonies, or e\en a
lessened yield from the same number of colonies. If a <^reat yield
per colony is the result of a great deal of work, it may be that the
work was done at a loss. Bee-keepinjif should be \iewed in a broader
li«.iht. It may sometimes be profitable to put a j>"reat deal of work on
each colony, but each bee-keeper should ask himself, how, r/// thin.iis
considered, can I make the most i)r()lit ? That is the (juestion, and
all other propositions not relatinjjf directly thereto are mistakes.

And this leads to the mention of another mistak'e, the keei)in<»'
of too few bees. Instead of keepin,!^- only a few colonies, and strivinjif
to secure the larji^est yield per ct)lony, it is usuall\ move i)rtilital)le
to keep more bees enouj^h to <>'ather all the honey in a j^iven area,
and then when that area is overstocked, it is jjrobably a mistake not
to start out-apiaries. Tliere is much to be «i"aine(l in lia\in.ir as few
^■/i/(/s oi thinj^-s to do as i)ossil)le, and as Diiir/i o{ them as can be
manajjed. The i)roportional cost of doin.i;- business is .ij-reatly
lessened by increasing;" the volume.

Another mistake is that of choosinj^- hi\es. implements and
methods that are complicated and reijuiri' much time for their ma-
nipulation. A most common irror in this direction is that of tryinj.^
to adapt hives to Arr.s-, to such an extent as to almost entirely i<ifnore
the adaptability of the hive to the bee-kei'per. I remember once
hearinjifa bee-keeper arjifuinj;- lor a lii\e that it was "sohand\- for tlie
bees.'" "Why," said he, "if you wi're buildinj^: a house, would y<ui
have it so arrang^ed that \-our wife would be compelled to j^o up and
down stairs between the kitchen and the pantry?" It must be re-

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 23

menibered that we build hives for our bees, and houses for our
wives, with altojifether different objects in view. We don't keep bees,
nor arranyfe their hives, so much with a view to saving- them labor,
as that zvc may get the most honey with the least labor to ourselves.
Drone-traps, queen-traps, self-hivers, queen-excluders, separators,
and many other contrivances, are probably not considered "handy"
by the bees, but their use is an advantage to us.

It is in line with this method of reasoning that causes some bee-
keepers to make the mistake of condemning any practice that is not
"according to nature."' The whole system of modern bee culture is
largeh' a transgression of nature's laws, or of managing differently
than the bees would manage if left to their own wa3" of doing things.
In some things it is advisable to allow nature to have her own w^aj',
in others it is not, and our success is just in proportion as we learn
when and where we can, advantageously, to a certain extent, cross
nature's methods with those of man's intelligence.

Mistakes have been made, and erroneous conclusions arrived at,
b}' experimenting upon too small a scale. There are some kinds of
experiments which will demonstrate truths just as well upon a small
as upon a large scale, while there are others requiring experiments
upon a large scale, and a repetition of experiments, before definite
conclusions can be arrived at.

Man}' beginners make the mistake of thinking that the}- can im-
prove some of the standard hives and implements; and that before
they have fairly learned the business. A beginner with a few
brains, boards, and buzz saw, is the man of all others who feels called
upon to invent a bee hive.

Others make the mistake of adopting new hives, implements,
methods, or varieties of bees, upon too large a scale before the}' are
certain that the change will be desirable. When a new thing with
one advantage is held up before our eyes, we are too much given to
forgetting the many advantages possessed by the article that we
are asked to lay aside for the new comer. As a rule, the rank and
file can afford to wait until at least good reports are given in regard
to a novelty. Then it will be in order to experiment upon no larger
scale than that upon which failure can be met and borne.

Speaking of the "rank and file" waiting for the leaders or others
to try novelties, reminds me that it is a mistake to have undue con-
fidence in the leaders, or in any one. for that matter. It is possible
that they may be in error, or some unknown circumstances may
cause different results at different times in other localities. It is a
mistake to pin one's faith blindly to another. Read how other men
have succeeded, consider their advice, but do your own thinking-

24 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

just the same, and try thinyfs for yourself until you are sure you are
ri{:^ht, then go ahead.

One expensive mistake, yet one that is easily avoided, is made
5'ear after year by many bee-keepers, and that is not securing: hives,
sections, foundation and other supplies in season. They iiiloid to
buy them soon enough, but wait until the last moment. So many
others do the same thiny: that dealers and manufacturers are over-
run with orders, and expensive and vexatious delays occur. A de-
la\' of a few days, at just the right time, sometimes means the loss
of a crop of honey.

It is a mistake to attempt the production of honey, commercially,
in a locality not suited for the business. The same may be said of
queen rearing. It is a mistake to attempt it as a business in the
Northern States — the seasons are too short. I followed it several
years, and, while the experience may be valuable to me in my posi-
tion, I am now well satisfied that I would have made vastly more
money had I turned my whole time and attention to the ])roduction
of honey.

It is a mistake to suppose that a i>oor location can l)e changed to
a good one by planting for honey. Those who thus imagine do not
realize the vast area of bloom that is needed ti) produce a surplus
crop of honey. The bees of an apiary, going 2'-' miles in every
direction, scour a territory of about 12,000 acres. There is this to
be said, however, if the soil, climate, and other conditions, are such
that it is prolitable for farmers to raise such crops as yield honey,
then they will be raised, and the acreage will be such Ih.it the yield
of honey from tliem will be of benefit to an apiary in that locality.
Note the buckwheat regions of New York and the alfalfa fields of
Colorado as examples.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ZO

Tlhe HimlOl^eiiiC® ©f IL©caSfltyc

~\ N my earlier bee-keepinof years, I was often sorelj- puzzled at the
diametrically opposite views often expressed by the different
correspondents for the bee journals. In extenuation of that
state of mind I may say that at that time I did not dream of the
wonderful differences of locality in its relation to the management
of bees. I saw, measured, weighed, compared, and considered all
things apicultural by the standard of m^^ own home — Genesee
County, Michigan. It was not until I had seen the iields of New
York white with buckwheat, admired the luxuriance of sweet clover
growth in the suburbs of Chicago, followed for miles the great irri-
gating ditches of Colorado where they give life to the royal purple of
the alfalfa bloom, and climbed mountains in California, pulling my-
self up by grasping the sage brush, that I fulU^ realized the great
amount of apicultural meaning stored up in that one little word —
lora/ily.

The basic principles of apiculture are the same the world oyer,
but the management must be varied according to the locality. In
the South and extreme West, the wintering of bees is easih^ accom-
plished; it being necessar}^ onh', to see that the}- have sufficient food.
As we go North, some protection must be given — either b}' packing
or by the use of chaff hives. As we go still farther North, success-
ful wintering is secured, as a rule, only by the use of first-class
winter-stores, and putting the bees into a cellar.

In Cuba and Florida the honey harvest comes in the cooler part
of the year, or what corresponds to our Northern winter, and those
varieties of bees that will breed late in the summer, even though
little or no honey is coming in, are more desirable; as more popu-
lous colonies are thus secured at the opening of wanter. In the
Northern States, east of the Mississippi, the main honey-flow comes,

D. H. HILL LIBRARY

North Carolina State College

26

ADVANCED BKK CULTURE.

o

o

bo
c
"C

E

O

m

H

ADVANCKD BF:E CULTURK. 27

as a rule, earl}- in the summer. It may be very abundant, but is
seldom of lon^- duration; for this reason those varieties of bees are
preferable that rear brood very abundantly early in the season, and
then slacken breeding: as soon as the main harvest bejjins. In some
parts of the West the honey harvest is much Ioniser than in the East.
There are no such rapid flows as we have here sometimes from bass-
wood, but there is a steady flow that may last for months; the con-
ditions beinjjf ideal for the production of comb honey, as there is
abundant time in which to build combs for the storajje of the honey,
fill them and seal them over.

In the white clover and basswood regions, swarming- and the
main honey-harvest come at the same time; in some parts of the
Southwest, swarming comes on with the flow from the early, minor
honey plants, and is almost entirely abandoned with the advent of
the heavy honey-flow that comes on later.

The question of large versus small hives, over which there have
been so many spirited discussions, is largely one of locality. In the
cooler regions, where the harvest is early and short, small hives find
favor, especiall}- in comb honey production, while the large hive is a
favorite in the warmer regions that are blessed with a long- honey-
flow.

Which the bee-keeper shall produce, comb, or extracted honey,
is also larg-ely a question of locality. Where the main honey-flow is
short, as it often is from basswood, sometimes lasting only a few-
days, there is not time for the bees to build combs in the sections,
till them, and cap them over, before the harvest is over and past.
With full sets of drawn combs in the extracting-supers, a good crop
of extracted honey maj- be secured within a week. Such conditions
as these exist in man}- parts of Wisconsin. Where honey must be
shipped long distances to market, as is the case in Cuba and Cali-
fornia, one ver}- important reason for producing extracted honey is
that there is so much less danger of damage in shipment. Dark
hone}?^ is, as a rule, much more salable in the extracted form.
When the flow is light but constant, and of long duration, as in Colo-
rado, and the honey is white, comb honey production has its advan-
tages, as honey is worth more when stored in sections than when
taken in the extracted form.

California furnishes the most immense crops of hone}- that are
any where produced, but they are entirely dependent upon the rain-
fall that comes in the winter. If the rains fail to come, the bee-
keeper knows to a certainty that, not only will there be no surplus,
but, unless the proper management is given, his colonies will perish
from starvation.

28

ADVANCKI) liKK CFLTUKE.

fc-«. *

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 29

In the buckwheat regfions of New York, not much dependence
is placed ui)on the early honey-flows for securing a surplus. They
enable the bees to breed up, and, as a rule, finish their swarminf^,
before the buckwheat opens, when the main crop of the season is
gfathercd. A colon}- so weak in the spring- that it would be nearly
useless in a flow from clover or basswood, has abundant time in
which to build up for the buckwheat honey-harvest.

Then, again, there are localities near swamps, where the main
flow comes verj- late, from fall-flowers, asters, and the like. The
yield is often very abundant, but the quality is undesirable when
used for winter-stores. If the cold confines the bees for several
months upon such stores, they are almost certain to perish. The
only remedy- is to extract the hone^- and feed sugar syrup; unless it
might be that of brimstoning the bees in the fall, and buying more
in the spring from some other locality, a course which has been fol-
lowed successfully, as the long season for preparation allows of the
building up of one colonv into several.

It would be an easy matter to use pages in giving illustrations of
the differences in localities, but it is unnecessary; the thing for the
bee-keeper to remember is that if he changes his locality he must
leave behind him many of his old notions and methods, and seek the
advice of his new neighbors who have been successful. The veteran
bee-keeper from the verdant hills of old Vermont would make a flat
failure were he to bring his apiary to Colorado, and manage it the
same as he has been accustomed to doing. A bee-keeper can not
know his locality- too thoroughly. Some men succeed in localities
where the majority- fail, and one reason is because their more
thorough knowledge of the locality enables them to adopt methods
more perfecth' adapted to the peculiarities of that location. Above
all things, knozu your locality.

30 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE

•est StocSl aiimdl InlcD^yy tt® SecuEire Itc

Z>i pvlHPyRPy are only two varieties of bees worthy of consideration
for use in the United States; in fact, they are about the only
varieties now left here for consideration, and they are the
Italians and the Germans, or blacks, as they are commonly
called. The proliiic Syrians and the iierce, irritable Cyprians, have
practically passed away on this side of the waters. These varieties
of bees are very prolific, but undue jirolilicness is of no value— it is
reall}^ objectionable for this part of the world. If ([ueens cost larj^e
sums of money, there mig-ht be a shade of reason in desirinj^ those
that are prolific; but, to the practical honey producer, they cost
almost nothinfj; and by using- hives that are not too large, queens of
ordinary prolificness will keei) the combs sufficiently filled with
brood. The great ambition of these varieties seems to be to rear
brood, instead of to store honey. Their only object in gathering
honey appears to be that it may be used in rearing brood. They
will rear brood until the last drop of honey in the hive is used. The
Syrians also have the undesirable trait of filling the cells so full of
honey, and capping it so poorly, as to give it a dark, watery api>ear-
ance, which is very objectionable in comb hone^' production.

Carniolans resemble the Syrians and Cyprians, so far as prolific-
ness is concerned, but are very gentle, and cap their honey with a
whiteness eijual to that capped by the blacks, but this disposition to
expend their energies in breeding and swarming, has caused them
to be discarded in their purity, although a few bee-keepers still pre-
fer a cross between them and the Italians.

In this matter of brood rearing, the Italians are unexcelled.
During the spring months they push breeding with wonderful
rapidity; but, as soon as the main honey harvest begins in earnest,
breeding is greatly reduced, and most of the energy turned to the

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 31

gathering- and storing- of honey. It might be safely said that the
Italians are the standard varietA- of this country. They are very
gentle in disposition, remaining quietly on the combs when being
handled, while there seems to be about them a peculiarly quiet,
steady, energetic determination possessed b^- no other variety.
Almost any variety of bees will do fair work gathering honej' when
it is plentiful and near by, but when the flowers j'ield sparinglj-, and
must be sought for far and wide, then it is that the Italians carry off
the palm. For the production of extracted honey, the Italians are
probably unexcelled, but in producing comb honey the blacks show
two points of superiority. They are more willing to store their
honey in the supers at some distance from the brood, and. in capping
their honey, they leave a small space between the honeyand the cap-
ping, which gives to the comb an almost snowy whiteness. The
blacks are also more easily driven out of the supers with smoke, and
more readih" shaken from the combs. They are very irritable while
being handled, many taking wing, and others running about upon
the combs, gathering in bunches and dropping off upon the ground.
For the production of comb honey there is probably no better bee
than a cross between the Italians and the blacks, at least, so far as
results are concerned. They are energetic workers, willing and
ready to store their honey in the supers, but, unfortunately, they
are possessed of a very uneven temper. Either variety, black or
Italian, in its purity, is easier to handle than is a cross between
them.

Modern bee culture, with its ''bait" sections of partly drawn
combs, or the putting on of extracting supers at the opening of the
season, then changing them for sections after a start has been made,
has well-nigh overcome the objection of the Italians clinging to the
brood nest, while much can be done b^' selection in breeding to over-
come the trait of poor capping. In brief, if I were to engage in the
production of either comb or extracted honey, I should adopt pure
Italians; then, bj- selection in breeding, g-et rid of the undesirable
traits, such as "watery" capping of the honey, inclination to build
large quantities of brace-combs, undue swarming, etc. Every bee-
keeper of experience, who has tried different strains of bees, knows
that there is a great difference between different strains of even the
same variet}^ A bee-keeper who is just starting in the business, or
one alread}- in the business who has not taken such a course, ought
to get queens from several of the best breeders, then adopt some
easily kept but comprehensive system of recording the traits and
peculiarities of each colony. The card system which has been so
successfulh' adopted in so man3' ways, readily lends itself to this

32

ADVANCED BP:E CULTURE.

use. If the bees of any colony prove vindictive, re-<iueen it. If the
bees of another colony are i)a;)r comb I>iiil(lers, or caj) their honey
poorly, destroy the (iiiei^n and jifive them another. Do the same if
they build larjji-e (juantities of "l)race-combs," or if they are unduly
given to swarminjj:, or if they are poor honev j^atherers, or do not
winter well. On the other hand, the desirable traits should be
watched for and recorded, and queens reared from the (lueens of
such colonies. Care oujjht also to be taken that no drones are
reared, or allowed to fly, from undesirable stock, and pains taken to
rear them in gfoodly numbers from the best stocks in the apiary.
By pursuing this course, the bee-keeper will eventually build up a
strain of bees that will be peaceable, hardy, good honey gatherers,
and good comb builders. Well-directed efforts at improving his
stock, carefully watching and recording the traits of each colony,
getting rid of poor (|ueens and keeping the best, perhaps buying
queens occasionally and comparing their progeny with the stock
already on hand, always breeding from the best, such a course as
this will i)rove the most i)rofitable of any which a bee-keeper can
pursue. The wonder is that it is so grt-atl\ neglected.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 33

Tlie Clhiolc© ©IF b> Hive,

ARLY in every bee-keeper's life must come the choice of a
hive — and a perplexing question it often proves. Probably
there is no "best hive" for all persons, locations and uses;
in fact, a choice is usuallj^ more or less of a compromise;
the relinquishinff of certain advantages for the sake of securing
others considered more desirable. The tastes of a bee-keeper, his
system of management, thejcind of honey produced, the method of
wintering, the location, etc., all have a bearing upon the kind of hive
that is most desirable; but the inducements must be great, indeed,
that would lead a man to adopt an ocfd sized hive or frame. As to
size of frame, it is probable that the Langstroth is the most widely
used, is well-adapted to the production of both comb and extracted
hone}', and its choice cannot be a serious mistake. With the choice
of a frame, a decided step has been taken towards the choice of a
hive; in fact, the most important question left to be settled, is the
number of frames to be used in the hive. In those parts of the
country blessed with along hone^^-flow, or if extracted honey is to
be produced, hives holding 10 Langstroth frames are desirable. If
bees are to be managed in out-apiaries, or upon any plan where thej^
are not to receive close and constant attention, large hives possess
the advantage of containing sufficient stores to avoid danger from
the bees starving in times of scarcity. The argument sometimes
used in favor of large hives, that they give the queens more room to
lais is decidedh' fallacious. We do not keep queens simply to "give
them a chance to la3%" but to secure the prompt and thorough tilling
of the brood-combs with eggs, and this is more sureh^ accomplished
b}' using a hive of moderate si/,e, one below rather than above the
laying capacity of the average queen. It is true that larger yields
per colony may be secured with large hives, but not any larger yields

34

ADVANCED IJKK CULTURE.

per comb. Where the honey-flow is short, or comb honey is pro-
duced, a smaller hive, one holding- only eight Langstroth combs, has
its advantages.

The hive body for holding the frames need be nothing more than
simply a box, with plain, square corners, without top or bottom,
having rabbets on the upper, inner edg-es of the end-pieces, for sup-
porting the frames. If a hive is nailed up with the heart side of the
lumber out, it is less inclined to warp. A plain, simple board,
cleated at each end, upon the under side, to prevent warping, with
half-inch strips nailed along the two sides and back end, upon its
upper surface, to support tln' lii\c, i^ thr iMiual of any bottom-board.

<MiJMI»^.«».'t,.JM.-_- ;j:..j^v

A "Dirt Cheap" Bottom-Board.

It ma_\ not be amiss to say that hives may be used with no bol/oiii-
hoard except the carlh. ^Phe hive sits upon a rim made of rough,
cheap.lumber, an entrance being furnished by making the front, end-
piece of the rim an inch narrower, and tlie rim lllled with earth or
sawdust to within an inch of the top. At lirst thought this seems
like a very rough, primitive affair, as thougli using simply the earth
for a bottom-board would not answer, but it is diflicult to say zchy.

A coyer after the same style, sim])ly a plain hoard cleated at the
ends to prevent warping, is a model of simplicity and desirability.
If it is difficult to obtain boards wide enough for covers, they may be
pieced, even made of narrow strips, then the upper surface covered

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 35

with a piece of muslin while the paint is fresh, and another coat of
paint applied over the muslin. If kept properly painted, such covers
will not leak.

Much has been written about staples and projections on frames
to make them self-spacing, but the objections greatly overshadow
the advantages, which are that all the frames are kept at exactly the
same distance apart; in closing up the hive, or rather, in arranging
the frames preparator\- to closing the hive, the}- can all be shoved
over in a body, by pressing against the outside one, and if the hives
are to be moved, as from one apiary to another, the frames are held
in position without any additional fastening. The moving of colo-
nies from one location to another is something that occurs only occa-
sionally', in many cases not at all, and it is better to specially fasten
all of the frames once, or even twice, a year, should it become neces-
sary, than to be continually annoyed by objectionable attachments.
In closing up a hive there is some advantage in being able to shove
the frames over without taking up any time in spacing them, but, so
far as exactness is concerned, there is no necessity for self-spacing
devices; as the combs may vary from 1'4 to I'a inches from center
to center, without an}' serious results. The e^-e and hand ver\' soon
become trained to sufficient exactness in the matter of spacing.
The most serious objection to self-spacing is that it destroys the
most valuable feature of hanging frames — the lateral movement.
If frames hang free, it is an eas\' matter to press one over one way.
and another the other way, and then lift out the one that hung be-
tween them. Self-spacing prevents this. Before self-spaced frames
can be moved, a division board, or "dummy," must be pulled out at
one side of the hive, and sometimes this board is glued fast and more
difficult to remove than would be an ordinary comb. Another ob-
jection to staples, or other metal attachments, is that the hone}'
knife is likely to strike them, and be dulled, when the honey is being
uncapped; and they also give trouble by catching in the wire cloth
forming the reel of the extractor. A few men have tried and been
pleased with the plan of supporting frames upon nails driven into the
centers of the ends of the top-bars. To illustrate: Take anordinary
Langstroth frame, saw off the projecting ends of the top-bar, then,
into the center of each end of the top-bar drive a six-penny nail at
such a point that its lower side will occupy exactly the same point as
the lower side of the wooden projection occupied before it was sawed
off. The nail is, of course, driven in until it projects exactly as far
as the former wooden projection extended beyond the end-bar.
These nail-supporters may be used either with or without metal
rabbets. In either case the points of contact are so slight that there

36 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

is little opportunity for jrluinj^: tlu'in fast, and the frames can always
be loosened with the finjre'rs.

Closed-end frames, in common with other styles of self-spaced
frames, possess the advanta.ye that they need no fastening;- when the
hives are moved from one part of the country to another, but, aside
from this, the advantages are all with the loose, or hanging-, free-
swinging: frame.

A divisible-brood-chamber hive, one having two sets of shallow
frames, thus allowing the hive to be divided horizontally, possesses
some advantages. For instance, at the beginning of the season it is
desirable to induce the bees to spread out and fill their combs as
completely as possible with brood, and by di\iding the brood nest
horizontally, transposing the sections, jilacing the lower one above
and the upper one below, we bring together, in the center of the
hive, the outside, or spherical portions of the brood-nest, \\ hile the
broad, center-surfaces are thrown to the outside. In their efforts to
bring the brood-nest back to a spherical shape, the bees remove the
honev^ from the center of the hive and replace it with brood, thereby
increasing the amount of the latter. The transposition of the two
sections of the brood-nest also throws a large surface of brood up
close to the supers which greatly hastens the beginning of work in
the sections.

The use of this style of hive also allows of contraction of the
the brood nest without reducing the supering surface, or the bring-
ing in of "dummies," as must be done with other styles of hive.
Divisible-brood-chamber hives cost considerably more than other
styles of hives, and, after using them for years by the side of the
ordinary Langstroth hive, seeing them used by other i>ersons in dif-
ferent locations, and considering the new features that have recently
sj^rung up in bee-keei^ing, I have gradually come to the decision that
if I were now starting in the bee business, I should not use the hori-
zontalh-divisible hive. In my oi)inion, its greatest point of sujieri-
ority is in i)racticing contraction of the brood-nest; Ijut so far as
handling frames is concerned, there is no frame that approaches the
plain, all-wood, hanging frame, and, in managing out-apiaries, in
which case there is not time for using the bee-escai)e, this is a most
decided advantage.

In northern climates, l>ees need more i)rotection in \\ inter than
is afforded by a single-wall hive. In Michigan this is best afforded
by a cellar; further south, some kind of padding is i)robal)ly i)refer-
able. Whether this packing shall be in the shape of the so-called
chaff hive, or in something of a temi)()rar\ nature that can be re-
moved in summer, is a i)oint upon which bee-keepers differ. It is

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

37

true that temporar}^ packing; calls for extra labor (but it does not
come at a hurrying- time of the year), and there 7i'(is a time when it
also resulted in some untidiness and unsig^htliness in the apiary dur-
ing: the winter, but the neat outer case and improved methods of
packing- that are now being- adopted, have removed the latter objec-
tion, and greatly reduced the former. These methods of temporary
packing- are cheaper than the chaff hives, while the advantag-e of
having- ligfht, sing-le-walled hives during- the working- season, hives
that can be picked up, handled, manipulated, tiered-up, carried, if
advisable, to a distant or more desirable location — hives, in short,
that can be handled in a way that means business — all these advan-
tag-es are so g-reat that I should never think of adopting- the chaff
hive. I know there are methods of manag-ement in which the un-
wieldy, stand-still character of the chaff hive proves no obstacle; but
such methods are not the most expeditious.

In brief, my choice of a hive for Michigan is a simple, plain box
with plain, all-wood hang-ing- frames — and I would wdnter the bees in
the cellar.

i)ivisibi.i;-bkood-chambi;k hive.

ADVANCED BEK CULTURE.

WITH the majority of frames in use, bees build little bits of
combs between the top bars of the frames, and, extend-
injjf the combs upwards, connect them with the cover of
the hive, or the bottom of a case of sections, or whatever
is next above the tops of the frames. These little bits
of combs are called brace com1)s or burr combs. It is
very unpleasant, unprofitable and untidy to lift off a case
of sections, and, in so doin<>-, pull apart a net work of
combs that connect the bottoms of the sections with the
tops of the brood frames. The honey drips and daubs
about and attracts robbers, if there are any to be at-
tracted. The bits of combs must be sd'aju'd from the
bottoms of the sections, and the muss cleaned up as best
it may.

The bee-keepin>i- fraternity is, I believe, indebted to
Mr. James Ileddon for the modern honey board, which
practically does away with all of this trouble from braci- combs.
This honey board is simply a seriesof slats fastened to a frame as
larjjre as the top of the hive, and i)laced over the brood nest. These
slats are about S-K) of an inch thick, placed -^-i of an inch apart, and
of such width and so arran«,'-ed that each opening- between them
comes exactly over the center of the top bar of a brood frame below.
In other words, the slats break joints Nvith the top bars of the frames
below.

As the tops of the frames are 'h of an inch below the level of the
top of the hive, there is a -^n-inch space between the tops of the frames

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

39

and the bottom of the honey board. The outside rim or frame-work
of the honey board is -^8 of an inch thicker than the slats, thus the
surplus case is raised -^s of an inch above the slats of the honey
board. In short, the honey board is a series of slats, 3« of an inch
apart, placed between the brood nest and the supers, with a "bee
space" both above and below the slats. In the space below, between
the slats and the brood nest, the bees build brace combs /usi the
same (IS i'Z'er, but, for S(>;//r reason, the space above is almost always
left free from the disag-reeable brace combs. A case of sections can
be lifted off as clean and free from daub as when first placed upon
the hive.

There have been more or less successful attempts to do away
with the necessity for a honey board by using- wide, deep top bars,
aeritra/ely spaeed; and while such an arrangement does away with a
large share of the burr comb nuisance, I have yet to see a case in
which there was not enoug-h of it left to warrant the use of a honey
board.

A slatted honey board
is easil}' made queen ex-
cluding by simply cutting-
saw kerfs in the edg-es of
the slats, and slipping strips
of perforated metal into the
kerfs between the slats.
Whole sheets of zinc have
been used as honey boards,
but they are lacking- in rig-
idity. They are likely to
sag, bend or kink, thus de- ^''®''" Excluding Honey Board.

stroying the perfection of the bee spaces. If a sheet sag-s, the space
above becomes so large that there is a likelihood of comb being- built
therein; while the space below becomes so small that propolis is
placed between the zinc and the tops of the brood frames. The
wood-zinc honey board is free from this defect.

In the production of comb honey there is little need for a (lueen
excluder over an old, established colony; but when a swarm is hived
in a contracted brood chamber having- starters only in the frames,
and given the supers of partly finished sections from the old hive, a
(|ueen excluder is almost a necessity. The queen, finding- no combs
in the brood nest, at once' invades the sections, where the bees soon
clear out some of the cells for her to lay in, and, having begun her
brood nest there, she is quite likely to remain there until consider-
able comb has been built below.

40

ADVANCED BEP: CULTURi:.

In the production of extracted honey, ijueen excluders are a
g:reat convenience, if not a necessity. If they are not used, the
brood is almost certain to be scattered through the supers, or upper
stories; and ripe honey, ripe as it ought to be when it is extracted,
cannot be thrown from the combs very rapidly or completely, with-
out at the same time throwing out the brood. If brood is found in
the upper story, it is, of course, sometimes possible to exchange
such combs for the outside combs in the brood nest, if such can be
found without brood, but all this takes time. To successfully con-
duct an apiary, the fixtures and methods should be such that the
work will move along smoothly, and in a systematic manner, with-
out any "hitches."

There is also another point to be considered in connection with
the use of queen excluders when producing extracted honey, and
that is the freeing of the supers of bees by the use of bee escapes.
If the super contains brood and, perhaps, the (jueen, the bees could
not be induced to desert bj' the use of an escape. If the\' did leave
the brood, then something would have to be done with the brood, as
already mentioned. In short, advanced bee culture has divided the
hive into two distinct apartments — brood and surplus — and unless
this division can be maintained, many i)roritable plans must be re-
linquished. The (jueen excluding honey board enables the bee-
keeper to thus set a boundary, beyond which tlie brood can not go.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 41

"^^^^OR making- sections, basswood is used to a greater extent
==^ than any other wood. It is the whitest, readily obtainable
in manj- parts of the country, while it possesses the elas-
ticity needed in the one-piece section. Its faults are that it
shrinks and swells badly, becomes mildewed and discolored very
easily, and any honey dropped upon it soaks in and leaves a stain.
White poplar is the best wood for sections. It is whiter than bass-
wood, very hard, does not shrink or swell readilv, and is not stained
bj" contact with honey, or easily- soiled by handling-; but it lacks the
elasticity necessarian the one-piece section. There are no hand-
somer nor better sections made than the four-piece, white poplar,
and the onh- valid objections that can be brought ag-ainst them are
that they cost more and that more time is required in putting- them
tog-ether, I am aware that I am alwaj^s pleading- for time-saving-
fixtures, but there must be a distinction made between the hurry
and bustle of swarming--time and the leisure of a winter's evening-;
or between the time of an experienced apiarist and that of some bo}-
or girl who can put tog-ether sections. The objections to the one-
piece sections are that they can not be made of the most desirable
wood; that, as usualh' made, they do not remain square when folded;
and that they are made with "naughty" corners which g-oug-e into
the honey when crating- it or removing- it from the crate. When
separators are used, the latter objection is removed. The reason
why the so-called "naug-htj^" corner is always found upon the one-
piece, bee-way section is because the opening's in the top and bottom
bars can not be cut clear through to the side bars, as the small lilm

42 ADVANCED BKK CULTURE.

of wood left to hold top .ind side bar tojirether is then more likely to
l)reak. When the openinj^ extends clear across, as in the four-piece
section, tlic combs are more completely built out and attached to the
top and bottom bars. The top and bottom bars of sections oug-ht to
be -^H of an inch narrower than the side-bars. Usually, the top and
bottom bars of sections are too wide, leaying- too narrow openings be-
tween them. To put the matter in a few words, the one-piece,
althouj^h possessinjif some faults, is cheaper and can be put tog-ether
quicker than the four-piece, which costs more, but \s /'((/////rss.

There is also another point that is coming rapidly to the front,
and that is the scarcity of basswood timber. Possibly the same may
be true of white poplar, but there are other white woods, hard maple,
for instance, from which four-piece sections can be made.

The standard size of sections is 4>4 x 4X inches; at least, this
has been the standard for manj' years, and I think is yet, but there
is considerable effort to place upon the market, and secure the
adoption, of a tall section — about 4x5 inches. Its chief adyantage is
in being more pleasing to the eye — possibly in conveying the im-
]M-ession that it contains more honey than a square form having the
same amount of surface. Our windows, our books, our pictures, etc.,
are made oblong instead of s(|uare, because they are more pleasing
to the eye, and, for the same reason, a tall section presents a more
pleasing appearance than a square one, but I do not consider this
point of sufficient imiiortance to warrant a bee-keeper in changing
his fixtures in order that he may use the tall section.

Thus far, in this chapter, we have been considi'ring what are
called "bee-wav" sections, tho-;e in which the bees gfain access to
them through insets, or "bee-ways,"' cut in the toj) and bottom bars
of the sections, but, of late, there has been introduced a new style,
called the "plain" section, in which there are no insets, it being- the
same width all the way around. Sections of this style are held bee-
space apart, and the bees admitted, by the use of what are termed
"fence" separators, from thi'ir resemblance to a board fence. A
fence separator is formed of slats about 's of an inch in thickness,
held a bee-space apart by cleats glued, or nailed, in an ui)right
position to their sides, 'l^hese cleats, or posts, are of such a thick-
ness, and placed at such a distance apart, upon each side of the
separator, that the edges of the side bars to the sections come
against them, and are thus held out bee-si)ace from the slats.

The principal advantage of i)lain sections and fence-separators
is that the freer communication thus allowed the bees induces them,
from some reason, to build out the combs fuller ai'ound the edgfes
and corners, and attach them more perfectly to the sections. This

ADVANCED BEP: CULTURE.

(T)

■D

■^

44 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

jjfives the finished product a more attractive appearance, and <>-reatly
lessens the danj^fer of breakajife in shipment. Another ])oint,
althoii<,'-h it may be a minor one. is that a plain section is filled IuIUt
of honey; that is, the edjifes of the wood do not stand out so far above
the surface of the comb as they do in the bee-waj' sections. A filled
idain section has a plumi)er look than a bee-waj' section, the latter
having: the appearance of being- only partly filled, A tall, plain sec-
tion may not contain any more honey than a scjuare section of the
bee-way type, but it (/p/>C(f/:< to contain more, and has, withal, a more
attractive appearance. There is still another little point, and that is
that a plain section offers special advantages in the matter of clean-
ing it of propolis, as there is no inset to work into with the scraping
knife. I do not, however, consider the advantages of the plain sec-
tion sufficient to warrant any expensive change of fixtures in order
that it may be adoi)ted.

While I have produced tons of comb honey \\ithout the use of
separators, and could do it again in this locality, I think I should use
them were I ag^ain to engage in comb honey production; I know of
no objection to their use, except that of cost, and I certainly would
advise their use bj' the great mass of bee-keepers. In many locali-
ties there are bee-keepers who can, without separators, produce sec-
tions of honey that are tolerably perfect, straig-ht enough to be
crated with a little care, but there is another end to the business —
that of the retailer and his clumsy clerks who are not bee-keei>ers.
Nothing discourages and disgfusts a retailer more than a lot of
dauby, dripping, damaged sections.

Perhaps I am a trifle old-fashionrd in some respects, and one, is
that if I were to adopt the old-style, bee-way section, I should also
adopt wide frames and tin separators. I may be notional, but the
so-called section holders (wide frami's minus top bars) seem like an
incomplete affair to me. When a wide frame is used the sections are
protected on all sides, and come off" the hive in all their \irgin white-
ness. By the addition of a top bar, thus making a \\\dc / n/zj/f, a tin
separator can be used, when fussing; with separators ^ by their
breaking and sjilitting) is done with for all time. To my mind,
wide frames with tin separators furnish the most perfect method of
adjusting bee-way sections on the hive; and, before closing, let me
tell how to put the tins on in such a manner that they remain taut.
Nail two blocks of wood upon the top of the work" bench at such a
distance apart that the top and bottom bars of a wide frame ( after it
has been put together) can just be "sprung" in between the blocks.
^I^his shortens the distanci' bi-tween tin- end bars. While held in
this position, nail on thr si])arator. Upon removing the frame from

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

45

between the blocks, the top and bottom bars will straighten out, and
in so doinj::, draw the tin as taut as a drum head.

If a man can succeed, to his satisfaction, in producing- comb
honey without separators, then I know of no more desirable super
than the old-st^'le Heddon. This is a box, without top or bottom,
the size of the top of the hive, and a bee-space taller than the height
of the sections, having upright, wooden divisions, as wide as the sec-
tions are tall, put in crosswise of the case and at such a distance
apart that a row of sections will just nicely slip down between.
Flat against the lower edge of each division is nailed a strip of tin
1-4 inch wider than the partition is thick. The edges of the tin, pro-
jecting out ^8 of an inch, on each side, be^'ond the sides of the divis-
ion boards, afford a support for the sections. I have used hun-
dreds of these supers for years; in fact, produced nearly all of my
comb honey in them, and, if a man prefers the old style, bee-way
sections, and does not care to use separators, this super is simph'
.perfection.

To sum up this chapter in a few words, m^^ preference is for a
tall, plain, four-piece section of white poplar, used with fence
separators.

46

ADVANCED BKP: CULTURE.

AirrsiiniMeinnieinit ©f Msves Siimc

Dininia

N a small apiary, the matter of arran«::ement is not of j^reat im-
portance, but as the number of colonies be<i;ins to approach 100,
the (juestion of arranj^-ement becomes one of considerable im-
l)ortance. Two thinj,»'s need consideration: the convenience of
the operator, and the jjfivinjjf of such an individuality to each hive that
each bee can readily distin.iiuish its home.

Before discussinj^' these points, it mi«jfht be well to say a few
words about the location of the apiary. First, it ouj^ht to be some
distance from the hi.iihway. What that distance should be, depends
upon what there is between the l)ees and the street. If there are
buildiniis or trees, or even a ///.4'7/ fence, the bees may be ijuite near
the road; as, in their ni.ii:ht, they rise above these obstructions, and
thus fly over the heads of the passersby. If there is nt)thin.!jf between
the apiary and the hij^-hway, the apiary ou*2fht not to be nearer the
street than ten rods, and lifteen or twenty rods would be better. It is
possible with a small apiary to avoid trouble even if it is located near
the street. When it is necessary to handle the bees when no honey
is comin^i' in, and such handlin.y" is likely to irritate them, the work
can l)e done just before dark, when the bees will not tly far from
their hives; but in a larj^'e ai^iary there is too much work that must
be done when the bees may not be in an amiable mood, to enable the
operator to perform it durinyf the twilitjfht of evenin.n-. If necessarjs
the bee-keeper can protect himself with a veil, and, armed with a
smoker, he can yo on with the \vorl<, e\en if the bees are a little
"cross, "but the apiary mus^ be isolated.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 47

Nearly level ground is preferiible in an apiary. If it slopes
gently to the south or east, so much the better. It should never be
in such a location that the water will stand upon the ground.

I have tried placing the honey house in the center of the apiary,
and having the hives in long double rows that radiated from the honey
house as the spokes in a wheel radiate from the hub. In each double
row a space large enough for a wheel barrow is left between the
hives, and the entrances of the hives are turned away from the path
left for the operator and his wheel barrow. So far as reducing the
labor of going to and from the hives is concerned, this arrangement
is excellent, but it has the quite serious objection that only part of
the apiary can be seen at one glance from the honey house. In
watching for swarms it is necessary to look in four different direc-
tions in order to ascertain if a swarm is out. When the house is at
one side of the yard, the whole apiary can be taken in at a glance.
Other things being equal, the south side of the apiary is preferable
for the house. In looking for swarms the bee-keeper does not look
towards the sun, but has the clear northern sky for a back ground,
while the shady side of the building, which will be naturally sought
b}^ the tired bee-keeper as the best spot in which to take a breathing
spell, is towards the apiary.

Most bee-keepers are in favor of having the building two stories
high, using the upper story as a store-room for hives and fixtures,
the lower story for work shop and honey room, the latter being par-
titioned off by itself, and the cellar under the building for wintering
the bees. The usual mistake in making such buildings is in not
having them large enough. The honey room ought to be located in
a southern corner of the building, and the walls made of some
non-conductor of heat. Some even paint the side of the building a
dark color where it comes over the honey room, in order that as
much as possible of the sun's heat may be absorbed. The idea is
that the honey must be kept as warm as possible. If there is any
unsealed or unripe honey, this high temperature causes evaporation
and improvement. By keeping such a room warm with a stove in
winter, comb honey has been kept over until another year, and
actually improved by the keeping.

But, to return to the arrangement of hives. When the honey
house is at one side of the apiary, the hives may still be arranged
upon the radiating plan, by having the rows radiate from the honey
house door, thus forming one-half of a large wheel, instead of the
whole of a smaller one, as in the case of having the hone^^ house
in the center. When the radiating rows are very long, they become
far apartjat the outer ends, or else very close together at the inner

48

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ends. To remedy this, shorter rows, or ''spurs," may be put in be-
tween the lonjr rows at their outer ends.

Another arrangement is that of placing the hives in a hexagonal
manner, each hive being the center of six others. This is a pleasing
arrangement to the eye, but it has been reported that the massing of
the hives in such a regular manner has a tendency to lead the bees
to enter the hives standing on the outside of, or edge of, the apiary,
therebv weakening the colonies in the center of the yard.

Placing the hives in small groups is a most excellent arrange-
ment. Mr. J. E. Crane of Middlebury, Vermont, arranges his hives
in groups of ten each, each group being arranged as follows: Two
hives facing the north, three facing east, two the south, and three the
west. Nine such groups, arranged in a sciuare, three groups each
way, furnish room for ninety hives in a very compact body, yet each
hive is given a most distinct individuality.

Still another arrangement is that of placing the hives in circles.
The entrances of the hives in the inner row are towards the center,
while those of the outer row face outwards. This leaves the space
between the two rows comparatively free from bees, and, the oper-
ator can work in this sjiace without annoyance to himself or the fly-

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 49

ing: bees. If the two circles do not furnish suflBcient room, more
and larger circles may be added, or there may be two sets of circles,
or three sets, arrang-ed in the form of a triangle, or even four sets
arranged in a quadrangle.

In nearly all of the large apiaries that I have visited, the hives
were arranged in straight, simple rows, like the squares of a checker
board, the entrances in some instances, facing the same way, while
hives were from six to eight feet apart. I would prefer to have the
entrances of each alternate row turned towards the east, and the
entrances of the hives in the other rows turned towards the west.
This would leave each alternate passageway comparatively free from
bees, and the operator could work here without the bees bump-
ing their heads against his. I would prefer to have the entrances to
every hive face either east or west, because I wish to shade each hive
with a light board, 2x3 feet in size, laid over each hive, and project-
ing towards the south, and this projecting board would be in the way
of the flying bees if the entrance were upon the south side. When
the hives are arranged in rows radiating from a common center, I
always turn the entrance of each hive so that it is either east or
west.

There is no reason for placing hives farther apart than is neces-
sary to afford sufficient space on all sides tor the operator. Bees do
not locate their hive so much by the distance that it is from other
hives, as they do by the surroundings; and these surroundings are
usually other hives. To illustrate: Let the end hive be removed
from along row of hives, and the bees belonging to the removed hive
will almost unhesitatingly enter the hive that has become the end
hive in the row. Two hives may stand side by side, perhaps almost
or ciuite touching each other, yet each bee has no difficulty in dis-
tinguishing its own hive. In a row of three, or four, or even five
hives, the same might be said, but, as the number goes beA-ond this,
there is a little uncertainty about the matter. When their hives are
in long rows, some bee-keepers arrange them in groups of three or
five in the row, leaving a wider space between the groups than there
is between the individual hives composing a group.

The greatest objection to any uniformity of arrangement that
makes it difficult for the bees to "mark" their location, is that queens
may enter the wrong hive upon their return from their "wedding
trip." With my method of management, in which the hive with a
young queen is given a new stand to prevent after-swarming, a la
Heddon, this difficulty is easily remedied by placing the hive in some
location that is easilv marked— the end of a row, for instance. When
this cannot be done, the hives containing unfertile queens may be

50

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

marked in some conspicuous manner that will easily enable them to
distingfuish their own hives.

In (lueen rearinj; it is important that the small hives, containin.y
the nuclei, be scattered about promiscuouslv; the ^Teater the irre^ru-
larity and oddity ol" the arranj^-ement, the less will be thelossof (jueens
from their enterinj^ wronjf hives; but, in a lar^je apiary mana},^ed for
honey, it is doubtful if there is a more practical arrangement than
that of placing the hives in rows; and it seems to me that a little is
g-ained, and nothing lost, by having the rows radiate from the honey
house door.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 51

(C©mff®irts air^dl CoimveiileFices in tlie

n

Y these are meant those things not absolutel}- essential to

D~ \ success, but that serve to render more smooth and pleasant
J the somewhat "thorny" path trodden bj^ the bee-keeper.

To illustrate: Mr. H. R. Boardman, of Ohio, has a cart,
for carrying- his bees to and from his bee cellar, with which there is
no necessity for even lifting the hives to place them on the cart. It
is made like a wheel barrow with two wheels, and having two long
prongs projecting in front. When the cart is w^heeled up to a hive,
one prong goes one side of the hive and the other the other side,
when, by depressing the handles, the hive is lifted from the ground;
cleats upon the sides of the hive prevent it from slipping down be-
tween the projecting prongs. Then, again, Mr. J. A. Green, of
Colorado, has an arrangement for opening the honey house door by
simply stepping upon a pedal. When both hands are occupied with
tools, a case of honey, or something of that sort, such an arrange-
ment is quite a comfort. Mr. Green is also the man who keeps
kerosene oil in a spring-bottom oil can to squirt on the fuel in a
smoker when "firing up."

Most of these comforts are comparatively inexpensive. To
think of them and secure them is often more work than to earn the
money with which to buy them; but their possession often makes all
of the difference between a season of pleasure and one bordering on
drudgery, to say nothing of the bearing they may have upon the
profits. These little helps and conveniences are, in one sense, the oil
that makes the great apicultural machine move smoothly, and I be-
lieve it worth while to enumerate a few of them.

52 ADVANCED BEP: CULTURE.

I will beofin with the bee-keeper himself, or rather with his
clothing-, as his comfort is larg:ely dependent upon that. When
there is much shaking or brushing of bees to be done, I prefer to
wear light, calf skin boots with the trousers tucked inside. If the
grass is wet, I wear rubbers over the boots. When shoes are worn,
the trousers maj^ be tucked inside the stockings. One fundamental
principle about clothing to be worn in the bee yard is that one gar-
ment laps closely over the other, leaving no opening into which a bee
can crawl, and the lower garment should lap over the upper one, as
bees almost invariably crawl tipwards., and the clothing should be so
arranged that a bee can crawl from a man's foot to his head without
being led into any opening. Mr. Arthur C. Miller suggests canvas
shoes that lace well up around the ankle, such as are worn b}'
tennis and base ball players and cyclists. Then he would have the
trousers come just below the knee, with canvas leggings to cover up
the lower part of the legs. His ideal coat is a close-fitting jacket
of light-weight that buttons up to the throat. In the heat of the day,
however, few bee-keepers, doing active work in the apiar}-, need
either coat or vest. The hat that approaches the nearest to perfec-
tion, in Mr. Miller's opinion, is the helmet. It has visors front and
back, and a ventilator all around the rim and the inner band. It is
light and cool, and protects both the eyes and the back of the neck
from the sun. Such suits as those described by Mr. Miller can be
had in white or colored duck, and are light, cheap, washable and ser-
viceable; and complete, or in part, are worn by cyclists and others.
Light colored clothing is not only cooler, but saves the wearer from
some stings, as the bees seem to have a decided aversion to dark or
black objects. I know one bee-keeper who dresses in white duck
from head to toe, and he is positive that it saves him from many at-
tacks from the bees. In the heat of the working season I wear linen
trousers, a white cotton shirt and a straw hat. I have seen recom-
mended the wearing of light woolen clothing, but have never tried it.
Ernest Root mentions the comfort that he has derived from the
wearing of light underclothing, part woolen. But he does not per-
spire freely, and his underclothing retains the perspiration, keeping
the skin moist. With me it is the reverse. I perspire so freely the
clothing is soon soaked through and through, and frequent changes
are necessary. Perhaps each will be obliged to decide the matter
by personal experience.

I never wish a veil attached to the edge of the hat rim. It is
only part of the time that a veil is needed, and when it isn't needed I
wish it off out of the way. I prefer a veil with a string run into a
hem around the top, then the upper edge can be puckered up until

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

it will just slip down nicely over the hat crown. And when it is
necessar}' to wear a veil in hot weather, who has not wished that
there w^as some waj- of holding it down, aside from that of tucking- it
inside the collar ? When the neck is hot and sweat}', how uncom-
fortable it feels with a sort of muffler pressed close against it b}-
the collar. Besides this, the veil is held sufFocatingh* close to the
face — so close, too, that the bees often sting through it. All this
may be avoided, and I'll tell you how. In a hem in the bottom of the
veil run a string, leaving about a
foot of the hem, right in front, un-
occupied by the string. That is,
let the string enter the hem at
about six inches to the right of
the center of the front, pass it
around the back of the neck,
bringing it out of the hem at a
point about six inches to the left
of the center of the front. The
projecting ends of the string
must be long enough to pass
under the arms, cross at the back,
and then be brought around and
tied in front. The string holds
the edge of the veil securely out
upon the shoulders, while, if the
right length of hem is left with-
out a string in front, that part
will be drawn snugly across the
breast. To Mr. Porter, of bee-
escape fame, belongs the honor of
devising this unsurpassable way
of holding down a bee veil.

Gloves I have never worn, and doubt if I could be led to believe
them a comfort. To use them would seem too much like a cat with
mittens on trying to catch mice. Perhaps a beginner might tolerate
them until his timidity had worn off.

I know of no comfort in the apiary greater than a smooth sur-
face (of earth ) thickly covered with grass. A lawn mower can
scarcely be called a comfort — it is a necessity. Sprinkle salt around
the hives to kill the grass a distance of six inches from each hive,
then the lawn mower can cut all of the grass that grows.

About the first thing needed upon beginning work in the apiary
is a smoker; and oh, how much comfort or discomfort can come

54 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

througfh this little implement. If any of my readers have suffered
from smokers that spill tire, that become stopped up with soot, that
g-o out, or from fuel that will not burn, let them g-et a Bingham
smoker, of the size called the "Doctor," get a barrel of planer shav-
ings from dry pine, to use as a fuel, and then take comfort. If you
have never used shavings as a fuel, you mav have trouble in getting
the fire to going. Don't put in too many shavings at first. Leave
off the cover and keep puffing until they have burned down to cinders
before putting: in more. A little kerosene oil, from an oil can, as has
been mentioned, is a great help in starting the fire. When through
using the smoker, don't throw out the fire, but stop up the nozzle
with a wad of grass, thus smothering- the fire, and the charred re-
mains left in the bottom of the smoker will light very readily at the
touch of a blaze from a match — much more so than with fresh fuel.
Keep matches in a safe place near where the smoker is to be lighted.
Never be pestered by having to run off somewhere after a match.
Above all, don't keep the smoker fuel and matches in the hone}'
house; the danger from fire is too great. Rig up a box, or a barrel,
or an old bee hive, with a rain proof cover, and have it located some
distance from the honey house. I kept the fuel in an old wash-boiler,
and had it "burn out" once. As it was out of doors, no harm was
done. Keep the cap of the "Doctor" filled with green weeds or
grass, and there is no danger of blowing sparks into the hives.

Have a wheel barrow for carrying cases, hives of honej', and
other heavy articles. In making a wheel barrow, some bee-keepers
have used a wheel from some old, discarded bicycle, the pneumatic
tire doing away with the jolts in carrying honey or hives of bees.

With such hives as I use, the cover can be turned up on edge
and used as a seat; where such is not the case, a seat of some kind
ought to be provided. A light box 17 x 12x 9, gives a chance for hav-
ing a seat with any one of these heights. It should be strong enough
not to rack, and have hand holes in the side for carrying it.

A hammock in the shade of a tree, or in the work shop, is a great
comfort. Ten minutes rest in a reclining position are of nearly
twice the value of that taken in a standing or sitting posture.

For brushing bees off the combs I know of nothing more effect-
ual or comfortable to both the operator and the bees, than the so-
called Coggshall brush, which is a sort of a whisk broom, with the
strands thinned out, and longer than the ordinary whisk broom,
so as to enable the operator to give a soft, i)liable, easy sweep of the
combs. In using this brush it is not intended that the combs be
brushed with the ouh of the strands, as one would sweep a floor; in-

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 55

stead, the brush is laid tlatwise aj^'ainst the comb, and ^iven a quick,
sharp, lateral sweep.

A close rival of the Coo^o^shall brush is the Ferry, double brush.
With it both sides of the comb may be brushed at the same time.
The whole thing- is so simple that the only wonder is that it was not
thought of before this. First there is a long loop of spring--metal
something- like an ox-bow, or hair-pin. Upon the inner sides of the
spring- are fastened two opposing brushes of long bristles. Aslig-ht
pressure upon the spring-, as it is held in the hand, brings the brushes
in contact with bofJi sides of a comb, when a downward sweep or two
will free the comb of bees. Another thing must not be overlooked
(and it is of much importance), and that is that it has a chain at-
tached, and to the end of the chain is fastened an eyelet that may be
slipped over a button, thus enabling the operator to always know
w^here his brush is without having; to hunt for it.

Let each bee-keeper look about his apiary and see if he is not
doing- some of his work in an awkward manner, one that mig-ht be
avoided b\' the providing of a few comforts and conveniences.

FERRY S aiElE BRUSH .7,

56

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

A Well Shaded Hive.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 57

>liia^e ff©r

HALL we shade our bees? If so, why, when, how ? Some

bee-keepers do not shade their hives; others do. Why do

they do it ? Is it really necessary ? Do they thereby

secure more honey ? These are pertinent questions to

which it is difficult to g-ive definite answers, but about which it is

advisable to know all that is known.

The temperature of a colonj^ of bees in summer, when brood is
being- reared, is nearlj^ 100 degrees. Until the temperature in the
sun reaches this point, shade is no benefit; rather it is an injury, as
it deprives the bees of the warmth of the sun at a time when it would
be of some benefit. When the temperature in the sun g^oes above
100 deg"rees, and beg^ins to climb up to 110 deg^rees, 120 deg^rees, 130
deg-rees, f/icn the effort on the part of the bees is to lower instead of
raise the temperature of the hive. Crowds of bees stand at the
entrance of the hive, and with their wing^s create strong", ventilating-
currents of air. It has been asserted that the bees leave the combs
of honey well-nigh forsaken when the temperature is very hig-h; the
reason given being- that the combs can be kept cooler when not
covered with bees. I have also read and been told that bees would
"hang- out," that is, cluster upon the outside of the hive, instead of
working-, if their hives were left unshaded during- a hot daj-; that
the3^ are compelled to thus desert their hives to save their combs
from destruction. I have always kept my hives shaded during- hot
weather, hence cannot speak from experience upon this point; but,
if it is true, then it would seem that shade, in very hot weather, is
both desirable and profitable. This much I have noticed, that weak
colonies, nuclei, for instance, seldom make any demonstration of
discomfort from heat, even when left unshaded, while strong- colo-

58 ADVANCED BP:E CULTURE.

nies are puffin j^: and blowinjjf like the runner of a foot-race. Why is
this? Isn't it because the strong colony is suffering- from the accu-
mulation of its own heat — that generated by itself — that can not
escape fast enough ? If this is true, why isn't a chaff hive the most
insufferably hot place imaginable for a colonj' of bees in hot
weather ? Possibly the point is just here: the bees in the chaff hive
have to contend with their own heat only, while those in the single-
wall hive have that from the sun in addition to theirown. The thick
walls act as a sort of absorbent of heat; taking it up during the day,
and gradually giving it up during the cool of the night. Let this be
as it may, a colony can be kept the coolest in a thin-wall hive
in the shade. How do we keep cool in hot weather ? We wear tliin
clothing, and lie in the hammock in the shade. A colony of bees is a
living, heat-producing body, and can be kept cool in the same man-
ner that we keep our bodies cool, viz., let its clothing (hive) be thin,
with a free circulation of air upon all sides, above and below, and
then protect it from the sun's rays.

The color of the hives has a great bearing upon the necessity for
shade. Black, or a dark color, absorbs heat, while it is reflected or
repelled by white. I have seen the combs melt down in an old,
weather-beaten hive that stood in the sun, but I never saw them melt
in hives painted white, even if standing in the sun.

There is still another point that has a bearing upon the (juestion
under discussion, and that is the circulation of air about the hives. I
have read of combs melting down in hives standing in shade so dense
that the sun never shone upon them. The trouble was that grow-
ing corn on one side, and dense brush upon the other, made it so
close that no air circulated.

Shade is not needed in the spring, fall, morning or evening.
The only time that it is needed, if it /> needed, is the middle of our
hottest days; and some temporary, ((uickiy adjustable, easily remov-
able shade is preferable to an attempt to furnish a permanent shade
by growing evergreens, grape vines and the like. In fact, a perma-
nent shade, like that furnished by an evergreen, is an injury in
spring, robbing the bees of the benefit to be derived from the heat of
the sun. In fact, I know of nothing better than a light Ijoard, 2 x .^
feet in size, laid upon the top of the hive. One of the longest edges
of the board is placed parallel and even with the north edge of the
top of the hive, the opposite edge of the board projecting beyond the
hive. This shades the hive when shade is needed, and only when it
is needed, — in the middle of the day. In a windy situation it may be
necessary to lay a brick or stone upon this board to keep it in place.
Don't imagine that hooks or something of that Ixind will be prefer-

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

59

able for holdinj^- the shade-boards in place. A weight is the simplest,
cheapest and most convenient. I make these shade-boards by nail-
ing- the thick ends of shingles to a piece of inch board four inches wide
and two feet long. They cost only live cents each, and, in the fall,
the}- can be tacked together, forming packing boxes in which to pack
the bees for wintering.

For the comfort of the apiarist, it is well to have a few scatter-
ing trees in the apiary-, but let their branches be trimmed to such a
height that they will not be knocking off his hat, or gouging out
his eyes.

Perhaps this whole matter of shade might be summed up some-
thing as follows: If the apiary is located where the cool breezes can
fan the heating sides of the hives, wafting awaj" the heat ere it ac-
cumulates, and a broad, generous entrance is furnished each tidy,
-white hive, I am persuaded that shade is not so very essential; but, if
the hives are dark in color, or the apiary- located where there is not a
free circulation of air, I feel sure that shade is an absolute necessitj-
to prevent the combs from melting, if for nothing else.

ROYAL PALMS OF CDBA.

60 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Co^m^racilnoim of tllbe Biroodl B^e^tc

Ly\ r<l^HE brood nest is contracted to prevent the production of
brood at a time when the resulting- bees would come upon
the stag-e of action at a time when there would be no honey
to g-ather — when the^' would be consumers instead of pro-
ducers. It is also contracted to compel the bees to store the
honey in the sections instead of in the brood nest. There are sev-
eral reasons why this is desirable. The honej- from clover and
basswood is white, tine flavored, and brink's a higher price than that
gathered later; hence it is more protitable to force this higher priced
hone\' into the sections, and allow the bees to fill the brood combs,
later in the season, with winter stores from such sources as yield
honey that brings a lower price. When it is desirable, either from
its cheapness, or from its superiority as a winter food, to use sugar
for winter stores, contraction of the brood nest can be so managed
as to leave the bees almost destitute of honey in the fall, which does
away with the trouble of extracting, and leaves nothing to be done
except to feed the bees. Such, in brief, are the advantages of con-
tracting the brood nest. Where the honey flow lasts nearly the
whole season, with no long periods of scarcity, and the (juality of the
honey is uniform throughout the season, and no advantage is to be
found in substituting sugar for honey as winter stores, I see little
need of contracting the brood nest, and would advise that it be of such
size that an ordinarily prolific (|ueen can keep the combs well-tilled
with brood in the early part of the season; but where any of the first
mentioned conditions exist, the bee-keeper who neglects "contrac-
tion," is not employing all of the advantages that are available.

As a rule I don't advise the contraction of the brood nest of an
established colony. If it does not properly till its hive, is too weak,
and the time for putting on sections has arrived, then contraction is

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 61

necessary if the colony is to be worked for comb honey. But when
a colony completely tills its hive, and has its combs well-filled with
brood, I doubt if much is sjfained b}' contracting' the brood nest. So
long as the combs are kept full of brood, the surplus will go into the
supers. If any of the combs of brood are taken away, they must be
cared for by other bees somewhere else, so nothing- is gained.

It is at the time of hiving a swarm that I have found contraction
of the brood nest advisable. Years ago some of the "big guns" in
apiculture were given to lamenting the swarming of bees, because,
the}' said, with the swarm went all hopes of surplus. As the busi-
ness was then conducted, the "bigf guns" were correct in man}' in-
stances. The swarm would be hived in a ten-frame hive, and no
supers put on until the hive was tilled. If they /nnf been put on they
would not have been occupied until the lower hive was tilled; and by
the time this was accomplished it often happened that the white
hone}' harvest had passed. If the old colony did not swarm again
( usualh' it did), some return might be expected from that, unless
the season was nearly over. In most of our Northern States the
crop of white honey is gathered within six weeks, often within a
month. If a colony is in a condition to begin work in the supers at
the opening of the white honey harvest, and continues faithfully at
work without swarming, as I have already said, no contraction is
needed; but, suppose the harvest is half over, the bees are working
nicely in the supers, there may be one case of sections almost ready
to come off, another two-thirds finished, and a third in which the
work has only nicely commenced, now the colony swarms, what shall
be done ? By hiving the swarm in a contracted brood chamber upon
the old stand, transferring the supers to the newly hived swarm, and
practicing the Heddon method of preventing after-swarming, work
will be resumed and continued in the supers without interruption,
and the surplus will be nearly as great as though no swarming had
taken place.

When the brood nest is only one tier of frames, the only way
b}' which it can be contracted is by taking out some of the outside
combs, and tilling the space thus left, by using "dummies." A
"dummy" is simply a brood frame with thin boards tacked upon
each side. It hangs in the hive and occupies space the same as a
comb, only it is a "dummy" just as its name indicates. A frame
wider than a brood frame may be used, and this will make the
"dummy" thicker. Don't have the "dummy" touch the sides of the
hive, then the bees cannot glue it fast. How thick a "dummj-"
should be depends upon how many combs are to be removed. When
using the Langstroth frame I prefer to contract to live frames.

62 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

With the Heddon hive, in which the brood chamber is horizon-
tally divisible, simply using- only one section of the brood nest con-
tracts the brood nest to about the proper capacity. This method of
contraction is preferable to using dummies. Not only is there less
labor and complication, but the flatness of the brood nest, and the
absence of any dummies under the outer sections, make the bees
more inclined to work in the sections.

When the brood nest is very much contracted, it has a tendency
to cause a newly hived swarm to "swarm out" and leave the hive.
When there is trouble from this source, the brood nest may be used
nearly or quite full-size for two or three days, until the swarming
fever has abated, and the bees have settled down to steady work.
If newly hived swarms begin "swarming out," when I am using the
new Heddon hive, I use a full-size brood nest for three days, and
then shake the bees from the lower section of the hive, and use this
section for the tipper section of the next hive into which I put a
swarm.

It has been urged against contraction that it results in small
colonies at the end of the season. If it is carried to too great an ex-
tent, and too long continued, it certainly does. If a man wishes to
turn bees into honey, so to speak, contraction of the brood nest will
enable him to accomplish his object. If colonies are too weak in the
fall as the result of severe contraction, they must be united; but the
course pursued by nearly all who practice contraction, is to enlarge
the brood nest again in time for the colony to build up sufticiently for
a fall flow of honey, if there is one, or to become strong enough for
winter. When bees are wintered in a repository of the proper tem-
perature, I have never found that unusually populous colonies were
any more desirable than smaller ones. This is one advantage of
cellar-wintering, the population may be reduced to the minimum
during the consumptive, non-productive part of the year.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 63

ie asidl Albms© ©ff C©ml
FotEiii(dati©i^o

L^ pv^HAT comb foundation has been a boon to bee-keepers, no one
doubts; that money expended in its purchase is often re-
turned man\- fold is equally' true; but such is not always the
case. All through the working- season wax is being secreted
to a greater or less extent. If not utilized it is lost. Of course, bees
that till themselves full of honey and hang in clustering festoons
secrete wax to a zrri' niiic/i grtater extent than those engaged in
bringing in honey. The bees of a swarm will nearly always, if not
always, be found with large wax scales in the wax pockets. Having
found that foundation is used at a profit in some places and at some
times, the bee-keeping world seems to have decided, with almost no
experiments, that bees ought never to be allowed to build comb
naturally.

Years ago I practiced hiving swarms upon empty combs, upon
foundation, and upon empty frames— empty except starters of
foundation. The first swarm was hived upon comb, the second upon
foundation, and the third upon starters only. This order was con-
tinued, the first year it was tried, until fifteen swarms were hived,
when the use of empty combs was discontinued, as it was only too
evident that they were used at a loss. I have reference here to what
was used in the brood nest in hiving swarms when raising comb
honey. The difficulty with drawn combs is just this: Before the
queen will lay in old combs, the cells must be cleaned out and "var-
nished" or polished until they shine; and long ere this, especially if
there is a good flow of honey, they will be badly needed, and will
be used, for storage. In other words, combs are ready for honey

64

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

before they are ready for effg^s, and the bees fill the combs at once
with honey, when, from some perversity of bee-nature, work, in
many instances, comes almost to a stand still. Having- filled the
body of the hive, the bees seem disinclined to make a start in the
sections. Where bees commence storing- their surplus, there thej^
seem inclined to continue to store it; and let the bees once g-et the
start of the queen by clog-g:ing- the brood nest with honey, and that
colony becomes practically worthless for the production of comb
honey.

Bees Secreting Wax and Building Ccmb.
The advantag-e of full sheets of foundation over starters, or vice
vcrsa^ was not so apparent, and, until the close of the season, an
equal number of swarms were hived alternately upon full sheets of
foundation and upon starters. Enoug-h was proved the first season
to show that, so far as surplus was concerned, nothing- was gained
by using- foundation in the brood nest, except for starters, when
hiving swarms. I have since continued to experiment, year after
year, by hiving swarms alternately upon foundation and upon start-
ers only, in the brood nest, weighing both surplus and brood nests
at the end of the season, and the evidence has been in favor of empty
frames every ti7ne. Occasionally I have hived a swarm'upon drawn

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 65

combs, but the loss has ahuays been so great, that it seems like folly
to repeat it.

When full sheets of foundation are used in the brood nest, and
the brood nest is so contracted that some of the bees must enter the
sections; and the sections are filled with drawn comb, or partly
drawn comb, the hone^- must, from necessity, be stored in the
supers until the foundation in the brood frames can be drawn out;
and even then, having commenced work in the sections, the bees will
not desert them. But there is only one queen furnishing eggs while
hundreds of busy, eager workers are pulling away, with might and
main, drawing the foundation out into comb; and the time eventualh'
comes when there are thousands of empty cells in the brood nest.
Now, Nature has no greater abhorrence of a vacuum than has a bee
of an empty cell during a flow of honey; so, while the general orders
are "up stairs with the hone\-," no cells in the brood nest are left
empty ver}' long. E3peciall5' is this true with a deep brood nest and
yellow Italians.

If a swarm is hived upon starters only, the first step is, neces-
sarih', the building of comb. If a super filled with drawn, or partl3'
drawn comb Knot foundation ) is placed over the hive, the bees will
begin storing honey in the combs in the super at the same time that
comb building is begun below. A queen-excluder must be used to
keep the queen out of the supers, then she will be read^' with her
eggs the moment a few cells are parth- finished in the brood nest;
and, if the latter has been properly contracted, she will easily keep
pace with the comb building. The result is that nearh^ all of the
honey goes into the supers, where it is stored in the most market-
able shape, while the combs in the brood nest are filled almost
entireh' with brood. When bees are hived upon empty frames, a
small brood nest is imperatively necessar^^ otherwise large quanti-
ties of honey will be stored therein; and when bees build comb to
store hone}', particularly if the yield is g"ood, the}' usualh' build
drone comb. So long as the queen keeps pace with the comb build-
ers, worker comb is usually built, but if the brood nest is so large
that the bees begin hatching from its center before the bees have
filled it with comb, and the queen returns to re-fill the cells being
vacated by the hatching bees, the comb builders are quite likely to
change from worker to drone comb.

No fairer question could be asked than: What are the advantag-es
of this system ? In the first place, the cost of the foundation is
saved; but, althoug-h this is a g-reat saving, it comes about incident-
alh', as the non-use of foundation is only a means to an end, and that
is the profitable securing of the greatest possible amount of honey in

66 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

the most marketable shape; leaving' the brood nest so free from
honey that no extracting: is needed when the time comes for feeding-
sugar for winter stores. Those who for any reason do not wish to
use sugar, may still take advantage of this system by putting the
unfinished sections back on the hives in time for the honey to be
carried down and stored in the brood nest for winter. Or a case of
brood combs may be put on over the sections as the harvest draws
to a close, instead of putting on another case of sections. This will
do away with nearly all unfinished sections, and the case of filled
brood combs can be given the colonj^ at the end of the season in
place of its empt^^ combs, ^y either plan, the number of finished
sections is increased.

The greatest objection to this plan is that it cannot be depended
upon to produce all perfect brood combs. I think I am safe in sav-
ing that I have had thousands of combs built under this manage-
ment, and I think that at least eighty per cent, of them were as per-
fect as it would be possible to secure by the use of full sheets of
foundation. A much larger percentage was perfect when I was
using mostly the Langstroth frame, and contracted the brood nest
to only five frames. This made the top of the brood nest, where the
bees commence their combs, so small that the swarm completelj'
covered it. All of the combs were thus commenced at the same
time. As a rule, they were nearly as perfect as possible, at least so
far as straightness was concerned. When I came to using the
Heddon hive more extensively, I discovered that the greater surface
at the top allowed room for the starting of more combs, that the out-
side combs would not alwaA's be started so soon as the center ones,
and this sometimes resulted in the bulging of some of the combs.

Sometimes drone comb will be built in spite of contracted brood
nests. Usually this is the result of old (jueens. But then, we can't
always have young queens, hence I can only repeat that this method
gives excellent results in the way of surplus, but cannot be depended
upon to always furnish perfect brood combs. Some keep watch of
the brood combs while they are being built, cutting out crooked,
bulged or drone comb, and using it in the sections. I can not think-
favorably of such work. When I hive a swarm, I wish that to be the
end of the matter. No opening of brood nests, and puttering with
imperfect combs, during the hurly burl^^ of swarming-time, would
be desirable for me. But I do think favorably of contracting the
brood nests when hiving swarms, then uniting colonies at the end of
the season, culling out the imperfect combs and rendering them into
wax. I think all such combs are built at a profit.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 67

If securing" straight, all-worker combs is not the greatest ad-
vantage arising- from the use of foundation, it is certainly next to
the greatest. The advantages of having each comb a counterpart
of all the others, to be able to place any comb in anj^ hive, in short,
to have each interchangeable with all the others, and to be able to
control the production of drones, to have them reared from such
stock as we desire, and in such quantities, no more and no less, all
these are advantages that cannot be ignored, even at the cost of filling
our frames with foundation, and securing a little less surplus. We
j/iKsihave straight, worker combs. If they can be secured without
foundation, well and good; if not, it must be used. B}^ using weak
colonies, or queen rearing nuclei, or by feeding bees in the fall,
straight, all-worker combs may be secured at a profit.

Perhaps the greatest iDuncdiate profit arising from the use of
foundation, is not so much in the saving- of hone}^ that would other-
wise have been used in the elaboration of wax, as in the quickness
with which it enables the bees to furnish storage for honej'. When
bees are storing hone}' slowlj", the wax that they secrete without
consuming hone}- expressly for that purpose, probably furnishes
sufficient material, and there is probabh' abundant time, for the
building of comb in which to store the honey. As the flow of honey
increases, the handling of larger quantities of nectar increases the
natural or involuntary wax secretion; but, as the 5'ield of honej' in-
creases, a point is reached when honey must be consumed expressly
that wax may be secreted. It is quite likelj^ that, at this point,
foundation may be used at a profit to aid the bees in furnishing
storage. When the yield is so great that the bees cannot secrete wax
and build comb with sufficient rapidity to store all of the honey that
they might gather, then foundation is certainly used at a profit.
Furthermore, I have seen the yield of honey so bountiful that even
foundation did not answer the purpose; the bees did not draw it out
fast enough to furnish storag-e for all of the honey that could have
been brought in. At such times drawn combs are needed in the
supers.

It will be seen that this question of foundation is one to which
there maj' be profitably given much thought and experimentation.
If the bee-keeper lives where the honey flow is light, but, perhaps,
prolong-ed, he will find it more profitable to allow his bees to build
their own combs. If he can't get perfect brood combs, he certainlj^
can allow the bees to build their own combs for the surplus comb
honey. And, bj'^ the way, no comb built from foundation can ever
equal the delicate flakiness of that built naturalh' bj- the bees. If
honey comes in "floods," as it sometimes does in some localities, the

68

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

man who allows his bees to build their store combs unaided at such
a time, loses dollars and dollars. If foundation is needed only for
the sake of securing straight, worker combs, it need not necessarily
be heavy. All foundation in brood frames, upon which swarms are
hived, should be'wired to prevent sag-ging- and breaking down.

Copyrighted by H. E. Hill.

Orange Blossoms.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 69

IncreasCp Its Maima^effiment am^

Zxo INHERE are two classes of bee-keepers who desire to prevent

increase in the number of their colonies. The first, and by

_[ far the lartjer class, own large home-apiaries, and prefer

surplus to increase. This class can allow swarming^ if, by

some simple manipulation, the number of colonies can be kept the

same, and the bees induced to devote their energ-ies to the storing-

of honey. The second class are the owners of out-apiaries; and

while they maj^ not be so particular about preventing increase, they

do wish to prevent swarming. This accomplished, the out-apiaries

can be left alone, except at stated intervals.

In repl}^ to the question, "Whj^ do bees swarm ?" it has been re-
plied that "It is natural." "It is their method of increase." This
may be true, in part, but it is not a satisfactory^ answer. I have
never known a season to pass in which all of the colonies in my
apiar}^ swarmed or else didn't swarm. Onej^earlhad 75 colonies.
The}' were worked for comb honey. Forty of them swarmed; thirt}^-
five of them didn't. It would have been just as "natural," just as
much "according to nature," for one colony' to swarm as for another.
In Gleanings for 1889 there was quite a lengthy discussion in regard
to the causes that led to swarming. The chit of the discussion
seemed to be that an undue proportion of young or nurse-bees to the
brood to be nursed was the prime cause of swarming. If the brood-
nest be well-filled with brood, then for lack of room the bees begin
storing honey in the cells from which the bees are hatching, the
result is that soon there is but little brood to care for, compared with

70 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

the number of nurses, or youn^f bees. This theory is stren}4:thened
by the fact that when bees are given an abundance of empty comb
in which to store their honey, swarminj? very seldom ever occurs.
In short, extracting the honey, or, to be more exact, giving plenty of
empty comb, is the most successful, i)ractical method of controlling
increase. In large apiaries, especially out-apiaries that can be
visited only at intervals, it is well-nigh impossible to keep every col-
ony always supplied with empty combs, hence there will be occa-
sional swarms. If there is to be some one present to hive what few
swarms do issue, and prevention of increase is desired simply that
the amount of surplus may be greater, and the surplus is preferred
in the extracted form, then the man with these desires can have
them gratified.

In the production of comb honey it is doubtful if there is a pi'oj-
i tabic method of preventing swarming, although, of late, the prac-
tice of what is termed "shook-swarming" enables the bee-keeper to
swarm a colony, in a manner ver^' nearly approaching natural
swarming, when he finds that preparations are being made for
swarming. When he finds a colony building ([ueen cells, he knows
that within a few days, a week at the utmost, the colony will cast a
swarm; and, instead of waiting, and allowing the colony to swarm
when it has completed its first queen cell, he takes the matter into
his own hands by shaking off most of the bees and the <jueen into a
new hive, treating this shaken swarm in exactly the same manner as
he would treat a swarm that had issued naturally. In other words,
the bee-keeper simply forestalls what would have occurred natur-
ally, in a few days, if the colony had been left undisturbed. The ad-
vantage is that the bee-keeper can thus bring about the swarming
when he is present to attend to it, instead of having it happen when
no one is present. This plan enables him to visit out-apiaries at
stated intervals, giving each colony an examination, and "shaking"
those that are making preparations for swarming. A colony that is
not building (|ueen cells is not likely to swarm inside of a week, and
may be left undisturbed until the next weekly visit. Another minor
advantage of shook-swarming is that it does away with the uniting
and mixing up of two or more swarms that may issue at the same
time in a large apiary, where natural swarming is allowed. Failures
in shook-swarming result, as a rule, from doing the work too early
in the season, before the colony has made preparations for swarm-
ing, and in not disturbing the bees sufficiently at the time, thus
causing them to fill themselves with honey, as they do when swarm-
ing naturally. Before beginning the work, it is well to jar the hive,
or pound upon it, until the bees are thoroughly frightened, and have

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 71

filled themselves with honev. If it is desirable to have increase, the
old hive can be g"iven a new location and a laying queen, or a ripe
queen cell. If no increase is desired, the old hive can be set b}- the
side of the new one, with its entrance turned slightly to one side;
then, at the next visit, it may be shifted to the other side of the new
hive, when the flying- bees will enter the new hive. A week later it
ma}' be placed back upon the other side, and, at the next visit, three
weeks from the swarming, the few remaining bees ma}- be shaken
out of the old hive. The shifting of the old hive, from side to side
of the new hive, may be omitted, the old hive being left standing b}'
the side of the new- one until the three weeks have elapsed, when all
of the bees ma^* be shaken in with the new colony. The advantage
of the former plan is that some of the hatching bees are sooner
thrown into the hew hive, where their work will be to the greater
advantage of the owner.

To avoid all danger from after-swarming it is desirable to shake
the combs quite clear of bees when making a "shook-swarm," and
this sometimes results in chilled or starved brood. There is a way,
however, to avoid this difficult}'. Set the new swarm a little to one
side of the old stand. The fljing bees return to the old stand
and care for the brood At night the hi^-e containing the brood, and
the flying bees that have returned and entered it, is picked up and
carried to a new stand, and the "shook-swarm" placed upon the old
stand. Of course, the old bees that are carried to the new stand
gradually come back to the old stand, and join the "shook-swarm."
but it is one or two da^s before the}- all get back. and. in the mean-
time, young bees are hatching out, and, by the time the old bees
have all returned, there are sufficient j'oung bees hatched to protect
and feed the brood.

"When natural swarming is allowed to the extent of first swarms,
it is an easy matter to prevent the issuing of after-swarms in a
home-apiary where there can be daih' attention. The plan is very
similar to the one just mentioned for preventing increase when
practicing shook-swarming. When the season for surplus hone}-
closes with clover or basswood, it is better not to try to secure sur-
plus from both the parent colon}- and the swarm. Hive the swarm
upon the old stand, transferring the supers from the old to the new
hive. If the brood chamber of the new hive is not too large, work
will be at once resumed in the sections. Place the old hive by the
side of the new one, with its entrance turned to one side. That is,
have the rear ends of the hives nearly in contract, but their entrances
perhaps two feet apart. Each day turn the entrance of the old hive
a few inches towards that of the new hive. At the end of the sixth

72 ADVANCED BE?: CULTURE.

day, the two hives should stand side by side. Practically, the two
hives are on one stand. True, the bees of each hive recogfnize and
enter their own home, but, remove one hive, and all of the flyinj?
bees would enter the remaining- hive. Usually the second swarm
comes out on the eighth day after the issuing- of the first. Now, if
the apiarist will, on the seventh day, about noon, when most of the
bees are a-field, carry the old hive to a new location, all of the bees
that have flown from the old hive since the issuing- of the swarm,
that have marked the old location as their home, will return and join
the newly hived sw^arm. This booms the colony where the sections
are, and so reduces the old colony, just as the young- queens are
hatching, that any farther swarming: is abandoned. The old colony
just about builds up into a first-class colony for wintering. If there
is a fall honey flow, such a colony may store some surplus then.
This method of preventing- after-swarming, called the Heddon
method, is not i)ifaUibIe. If a colony swarms before the first (|ueen
cell is sealed, the first j^oung- queen may not hatch until the old col-
ony has been upon the new stand long- enoug-h for a sufficient num-
ber of bees to hatch to form a swarm; but, as a rule, this plan is a
success. If an after-swarm docs come out, I open the hive, while
the swarm is clustering-, cut out all of the queen cells, return the
swarm, and that is the end of the swarming-. If the bee-keeper de-
sires no increase, he can pursue the plan just g-iven until it is time to
remove the old hive to a new location, when it may be shifted to the
opposite side of the new hive, with its entrance turned to one side,
then g-radually worked back to the side of the new hive, as has been
already o^'xplained, then, at the end of the week, shifted back to the
other side, where it may stand another week, when all of the bees
may be shaken out, and the hive and combs removed. What little
honey remains in the combs may be extracted, or, if some of them
are well-filled with honey, they may be saved to give any colony that
is lacking in stores at the approach of winter.

There seems to be no good plan of allowing bees to swarm, and
then preventing increase by uniting, without having an extra set of
combs built for each swarm that issues, and the same may be said
when shook-swarming is i)racticed, but I believe such combs
are produced at a profit.

There is still another plan of preventing increase, besides that
of merging the old colony into the new; it is that of contracting the
brood nest of the newly hived swarm to such an extent that the end
of the season will find it too much reduced in numbers lor success-
ful wintering, whi-n it may be united with the parent colony.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

73

Unite a nuniher of bee-keepers have succeeded to their entire
satisfaction in preventing- aftei'-swarming-, also in preventinji; in-
crease, while only a verj' few have succeeded in preventing- swarm-
ing when working: for comb honey. Probably the only certain
method that has been used to anj' extent, in this country, is that of
removing the (iueens just at the opening of the swarming season,
leaving the colonies cjueenless about three weeks. Of course, (lueen
cells must be cut out, at least once, during this interval. Although
a few good men practice this method, I never could bring- myself to
adopt it — there is too much labor.

The man who is raising comb honey as a />ns/ucss will find it to
his advantage to allow each colony to swarm once, if it ~uw7/, (and no
more ) then make the most out of the swarm. Whether the swarm
and the old colon}' shall be again merged into one, depends upon the
desirability of increase.

A YOUNG bkk-ki:epfk.

74 ADVANCED BEP: CULTURE.

Tlhe Hnvlim^ of Beej

'ATURAL swarmin.uf, with its uncertainties, anxieties, and
vexatious losses, is destined to eventually become a thing"
of the past. Methods of controllinj^ increase, i:)reventin<i: it
altof^ether, or else doing' the \vork artificially, will reach
such perfection that swarming will be eliminated. Many bee-keep-
ers are already forestalling swarming by some artificial method of
increase, notably that of shook-swarming. No professional bee-
keeper worthy of the name, any longer allows natural swarming, un-
controlled, in a large apiary. The days have past when we can
afford to allow several swarms, issuing at the same time, to join
forces and make merrj' in the top of some tall tree. Even if
swarming: is allowed, the queens are either clipped, or else controlled
by means of queen-traps in front of the entrances of the hives. Two
or more swarms issuing at the same time may unite, and give
trouble by attempting to enter one hive when they return, but there
will be no loss of bees, nor climbing of trees. The bees will >/t/y in
/ he yard, and can be broug^ht under control.

When swarming" is allowed, I believe that the majority of ad-
vanced bee-keepers now hive their swarms by having the (jueens'
wings clii)ped, and allowing the bees to return to their old location,
which they will do when they find the queen is not with them. Of
course the queen ci//ciiit>/^ to folU)w the bees, and is found in front of
the hive by the bee-keeper, who cages her, and sets the old hive to
one side, replacing it with a new hive ]irepared for the occupancy of
the swarm. When the bees return, they enter the new hive,
supposing it to be their old home, thus hiving themselves. While
they are entering the hive, the (jueen is allowed to run in with them
— and the work is done.

There is another method of carrying out this principle; that of
catching" the queen in a trap in front of the hive. The lower part

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 75

of the trap is covered with perforated zinc, the perforations being-
of such a size that the workers can pass, but not the queen. When
a swarm issues, the queen attempts to follow, and, eventually, finds,
and passes through, a cone-shaped opening- in the upper part of the
trap. Here she finds herself trapped in another apartment, as the
chance that she will find the narrow mouth of the cone, and return,
is as one in a thousand. The use of the trap saves clipping the
queen's wing, also the looking for her when the swarm is out, to-
gether with the possibility of her being lost. The objections to the
trap are its cost, a slight hindrance to the bees passing- out and in,
and its interference, somewhat, with the ventilation of the hive. A
trap placed over the entrance of a hive containing a newly hived
swarm will prevent loss if the swarm attempts to abscond.

If only one swarm would issue at a time, there would be no diffi-
culty at all in managing- swarms with clipped queens. When two or
more swarms come out at the same time, and no water is thrown be-
tween them, they are almost certain to unite. After circling- about
for awhile, the bees return. If each bee would return to its old
location, all would be well; but when the bees of one swarm begin to
go back, a large share of the bees in the air follow them. A few
bees from each swarm, even if several swarms have united, will
return to their respective homes, but the majority will "follow my
leader." It is impossible to give any set rules to be followed in such
emergencies. If only two swarms have united, the bees may be
allowed to enter the new hive until it is estimated that one-half the
bees are in the hive, when it may be set upon a new stand, and
given one of the queens, then another hive set upon the old stand and
the rest of the bees be allowed to enter. It should not be forgotten
that, as a rule, other things being- equal, a bee is worth as much in
one hive as in another. Some bee-keepers, when several swarms
come to one place, take supers from other hives, where the bees are
working- none the best, and place them upon the hive where the bees
are entering. As soon as the supers are full of bees they are
returned to the hives from whence they were taken. A colony made
unusually strong by uniting swarms, will store more honey, but will
be no stronger at the end of the season.

Another plan of managing-, where several swarms come out at the
same time, is not to allow the bees to return to their old locations,
but put the caged queens in baskets, each (jueen in a separate
basket, and hang the baskets on the branches of a tree where the
bees show a disposition to congregate. The bees soon find and
cluster about the queens in the baskets. As soon as a queen is
found with sufficient bees to form a good swarm, remove the basket

76 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

to a shady place, and cover with a cloth. Then remove the next
basket that secures the proper (|iiota, and so on to the end. Or
the bees may be allowed to cluster about a sing-le cjueen in a sing-le
basket, then the cluster divided up, and each division furnished a
queen.

When natural swarming' is allowed in a large apiary, and there
is some one in constant attendance during the swarming season, I
know of no more satisfactory method of managing than b}' the use of
a swarm-catcher. With this arrangement there is no catching of
queens, no climbing of trees, nor mixing of swarms — the control is
perfect. The catcher is a light frame-work, about three and one-
half feet long, sixteen inches S(iuare at the large, or outer, end, then
tapered down to about three by sixteen inches at the small end.
The outer end is closed with a removable door covered with wire
cloth. The rest of the frame is covered with canvas or ducking.
The small end is so made that it fits nicely to the entrance of a
hive, and a portion of the cloth covering extends bej^ond the small
end, and forms a sort of flap that can be drawn
over the mouth of the catcher, and fastened to
keep the bees in after the^^ have entered. In a
large apiar^^ there ought to be as many as half a
dozen catchers scattered about the yard. When
a swarm is seen issuing, a catcher is quickl}' adjusted to the en-
trance of the swarming-hive. In five minutes the whole swarm is in
the catcher, when the catcher is closed and set in the shade, or car-
ried to some cool place, like a cellar. The (jueen is usually among
the last to leave the hive, so there is seldom a failure in catching" her.
If swarms come thick and fast, there is no objection to leaving the
swarms several hours without hiving, provided they are not left in
the sun. Although there is probably no necessity for it, they can
be kept two days in a cellar. When the bees have been "cooled
down" in this manner, and are then shaken down in front of the hive
that is to be their home, they march in with scarcelj' a bee taking"
wing. Where some one can be in attendance, the swarm-catcher
reduces the hiving business to an exact system.

While I do not approve of old fashioned swarming, with undip-
ped queens, in a larg"e apiary, still, if a man ivill persist in following
that plan, I will give him the best advice that I can; and, by the way,
I can speak from experience, as I clung to that method until its dis-
advantages forced me to abandon it. When queens are allowed to
accompany swarms, -water \^ the great agent hy which the bees can
be controlled. Quite a number of pails filled with water should be
kept standing in different parts of the apiary. There ought, also, to

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 77

be three or four barrels of water standing- about the apiary. Wait-
ing-one-quarter of a minute for water, sometimes means the loss of
a swarm, For throwing- the water, Whitman's fountain pump is the
best. With this a stream of water can be thrown 30 or 40 feet. If
two swarms issue at the same time, thej- can frequently be kept
apart by the use of the pump. It is not necessary to throw a stream
of water directly into the center of a swarm, but along one side of it,
with a sort of sweeping movement of the arm, that makes the stream
fall in a sort of shower. The bees dislike water and edge away
from it. In this waj' thej^ can be driven in an^' direction. Two or
three pails of water thrown in this manner upon a swarm seems
to disconcert the bees, and the}- begin looking for an alig-hting place.
If the operator once has a swarm well in hand, there is plenty of
water, and he knows how to use it, it is well nigh impossible for a
swarm to get away.

When queens are allowed to accompany swarms, there oug-ht to
be no tall trees near the apiary, as the swarms zt-/// cluster where
it is difficult, even dangerous, to get them. It should be possible to
reach the tops of all trees with a long, light ladder. If the tops of
the trees can all be reached from a step ladder, so much the better.
Besides the pails of water, the fountain pump, and ladders, the bee-
keeper will need three or four baskets. Clothes baskets are ex-
cellent. Upon one side should be sewed a cover of burlap. When
the swarm has been shaken into the basket, the cover can be thrown
over the top of the basket, and will keep the bees from fl^'ing out.
Blocks of wood nailed to the corners of the cover hold it from being
blown off or from dropping into the basket, should the bees cluster
upon the cover. If set in a cool place, a swarm may be left in such a
basket several hours. When the hive is in readiness to receive the
swarm, the cover to the basket may be turned back, and the bees
shaken down in front of the hive. A few of the bees soon find the
entrance, and set up their "call" of a home is found, when the others
follow them into the hive. If another swarm comes out, and
attempts to join the one just entering its hive, a large sheet ma}" be
thrown over the hive.

Where several swarms come out at the same time and unite, the
best that can be done is to divide them up as nearh^ equal as possible,
into several swarms. When a queen is found she is to be cag-ed.
Any swarm that has no queen will soon show its queenlessness by
its restlessness. The bees will beg-in running out of the hive and
taking wing. One of the caged queens should then be given such a
swarm, when, as by magic, the bees will change their behavior and
go into the hive.

78

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Wt

Cluster of Naturally Built Queen Cells From One of
Which a Queen Has Hatched.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 79

^©nmmerclsil Qmeeini Meenrln!

OMMERCIAL ([ueen rearing- is most decidedU^ a distinct
branch of apiculture; as different from hone\' production
as one profession is from another. Tunc isamost important
factor in the rearing- of queens; hence it is only in the
South, where the seasons are long, that the business can be carried
on at the greatest profit. It has been almost entirely abandoned in the
Northern States, as a man with a good location for honey can make
more money i)roducing honej' than he can rearing c^ueens. He
might make more money per colony rearing (/ueens than in honey
production, but he can care for so many more colonies when they
are worked for honey, that there is no comparison between the two
in the short seasons of the North. A resident of the North occupy-
ing a location affording a light but continuous flow of honey through-
out the season, might be justified in rearing queens instead of pro-
ducing honey, but he could never rear the number of queens that he
might rear in the South, simply because the seasons are not long-
enough.

The income from (jueen rearing is more of a certainty than that
from honey production. If the blossoms yield sparingljs no surplus
can be secured, but nearly, or quite, as many queens can be reared.
Although a steady, moderate flow of honey is the most desirable for
queen rearing, yet queens can be reared at a profit by feeding- the
bees.

In no branch of apiculture has there been such decided chang-es
and improvements, in the last few years, as in that of queen rearing-.
Instead of scattering clusters of queen cells built upon some irreg-u-
larity of the comb, artificially made cells are attached in a long row

80

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

I

to a stick, supplied with tin}- larvae, built out and cared for in a
colony that has not even been deprived of its queen; and, best of all,
the fertilization of a queen is now secured by using- a mere handful
of bees, where once were used at least two full-sized combs and a
quart or two of bees.

For making- the artificial cells there is needed a "dipping-stick,"
which is a round stick, 5-16 of an inch in diameter, with a peculiar
taper at one end. The tapering- part should be about 5-16 of an inch
long, reduced rapidly for the first /i of an inch, and then gradually
reduced to the end. It should slip into a worker cell Vs of an inch
before filling- the mouth of the cell. These dipping- sticks
can be made with a lathe, from any kind of hard wood.
Heart-cedar is best, as the water is slow to penetrate it, con-
sequently, there is a little swelling-. To dip the cells, bees-
wax must be kept just above the melting- point by placing the
dish containing it over a lighted lamp. Keep a little water
in the dish, as this will be a guide to the temperature. No
bubbling should be allowed. The stick, after being
thoroughly soaked in water, is dipped rather less than /4
inch deep into the wax; four dips usually completing the cell
and attaching it to the wooden bar upon which it is to be sup-
ported while in the hive. Dip three times, then loosen up
the cup on the stick, then dip again, and immediately press
the base of the cell upon the stick at the point where it is de-
sired to have the cell remain. The cooling of the wax at-
taches the cell to the stick. If the stick or slat to which the
cells are to be attached is soaked in melted wax until the fry-
ing or bubbling ceases, before attempting to attach the cells,
the}' will adhere much better. If the queens are to be allowed
to hatch while the cells are still attached to the stick, they
being protected by some sort of a nursery, then there must
be some kind of notches, or marks, on the stick to guide the
operator in getting the cells attached at exactly the right
places. An excellent method of managing this part of the
business is to have a whole "battery" of dipping sticks
thrust through holes bored at regular intervals in a wooden bar,
when the whole row of cells can be dipped at only one operation.
Five of these "batteries" can be kept in operation at one time; by the
time the last one has been dipped, the first one has cooled sufficiently
to be dipped again. After the fourth dip, while the wax is still hot and
soft, the bases of the cells are pressed down upon the stick. As soon
as the wax has cooled enough so that the cells will stick to the wooden
slat, the slat is lowered into the wax until the wax covers it from end

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

81

82 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

to end, then dipped into water to harden the wax sufficiently so that
the wax will not twist when the sticks are removed. Each stick is
removed separately by turninjif it back and forth while it is beinjjT
slightly withdrawn.

Right here let me say that much of the material in this chapter
is taken from articles furnished the Bee-Keepers' Revitw by Mr.
W. H. Pridgen, of Creek, North Carolina, and his plan of furnishing
these cell-cups with young larvae is that of transferring the lining
to the bottom of a cell, with the larva lying undisturbed upon the
lining. Somebody has called it "taking up the baby, cradle and all."
To make a success of this, the comb must be old enough so that the
outside of the cocoon is black and glossy. By shaving down the cells
with a keen edged knife, slightly heated, until the walls of the cells
are only about 's of an inch in depth, it is an easy matter to remove a
cocoon with the accompanying larva. In fact, by bending the piece
of comb back and forth the cocoons can often be forced to drop out
of their own accord. To take up these tiny larvae, and transfer
them to the cups, nothing is better than one of the dipping sticks
already described. By making a little funnel shaped cavity in the
opposite end from that used in dipping the cells, the larva and
cocoon can be lifted by pressing this cavity down over them, much
as a gun cap is pressed down over the tube. After placing the end
of the stick in one of the cups, a slight pressure and a little twist,
leaves the cocoon snugly ensconced in the bottom of the cell-cup.

There will be better success in having the cups accepted, and
better results will be secured, if they first be given to bees deprived
of both queen and unsealed brood from six to twelve hours previously.
Nursing then begins the moment that cells are given. There are
several methods of securing such conditions, but one excellent plan
is to fill a hive with combs of brood, and set it over another colony,
putting a (lueen excluder between the two stories. After the brood
is all sealed in the upper story, it is placed ujxm a new stand, the
queen cells cut out ( if any there are), and one or two combs re-
moved to make room for the frame in which is fastened the row, or
rows, of prepared cells. After the bees have been left (jueenless for
a few hours, they are ready to accept the cell-cui)s iiistaiil/y. If al-
lowed to do so, these bees would, of course, go on and comi)lete the
cells, but, after the work is nicely started, it has been found that
the}' and the adhering bees may be i)laced in the upper story of an
ordinary cok)ny, when the bees will go on and complete them, pro-
vided, the (lueen is kei)t in the lower story by means of a (|ueen-ex-
cluder. It is a singular fact that if one portion of the brood nest of
^ colony of bees is partitioned off with a queen excluder, the bees in

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 83

that portion shut off from the <iueen will proceed to construct cells
and rear queens. The only objection to placing- the cell-cups there
when first supplied with larvae is that the bees might be too slow in
accepting these cells and feeding the larvae, and the result would be
inferior queens. After the work is once started by (jueenless bees,
as just explained, then these other bees will at once carry on and
complete the work. After the just-started cells have been removed
from the hive of queenless bees and gives to another colony, the
hive of queenless bees may be set back upon the colony
from which it was taken, the queen excluder left between it and the
lower stor3% when it will be ready for starting a new batch of cells
by simply setting it upon a new stand several hours before the pre-
pared cups are given to it. In ten or twelve dax^s all of the brood
will have hatched in this set of combs, and another set must be
started in time to be read^- to take its place. \

As the time approaches for the hatching of the queens, the cells
must be removed from the bees, or protected in some manner, other-
wise, the first queen that hatches will, with the assistance of the
bees, tear down the other cells and destroy their occupants. Years
ago, many queen breeders used what was called a lamp-nursery,
that is, a hive, or box, with double walls of tin, the space between the
walls being filled with water which was kept between 90 and 100 de-
g-rees by means of a lamp. The use of this device has been aban-
doned for the simpler and more reliable plan of leavingthe cells with
the bees, but protecting each cell by means of some mechanical
device.

Mr. Arthur Stanley- of Dixon, Illinois, attaches the cell-cups to
the round, card-board gun-wads, one cup to each wad, then attaches
the wads to a stick in something the same wa}' as Mr. Pridgen at-
taches his cups to a stick, then, when the cells are nearly ready to
hatch, he detaches the wads from the stick, and puts each cell into a
small cylinder made of queen excluding metal. These filled cylin-
ders are placed in rows, between two sticks (slipped in through holes
made in the upper slat) and left in charge of the bees. The bees
have access at all times to the cells, and to the queens when they
hatch, but the size of the latter prevents their passing out through
the openings.

Mr. Pridgen makes a nursery b}' taking a piece of board 5^ of
an inch thick, two inches wide, and as long as a top-bar of a brood
frame, cutting out a long notch, from one edge, a little more than an
inch in depth, and nearl^^ the whole length of the board, tacking
wire cloth on each side, and dividing off the space between the
wire cloth by means of tin divisions. These tin divisions are Vs of

84

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Cell-Cups and Finished Cells.

Cages of Queen-Excluding: Metal.
STANLEY INCUBATOR AND BROODER.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 85

an inch in width, a little more than an inch in height, and are let
down slightly into saw kerfs cut in the upper surface of the wood.
The divisions are kept in place b3' little points of tin that project
from their upper corners through the meshes of the w'ire cloth and
are then bent over or clasped ag-ainst the wire cloth. Below each
little cage thus formed is bored a small hole, through the wood, and
in the hole is placed a plug havings an opening hollowed out in its
upper end and tilled with soft candy. As the cells are all built ex-
acth' -"^8 of an inch apart, in a straight row, attached to a stick, it will
be readily seen how easy it is to lower all of these at once into the
nursery, each cell occupying a cage -^s of an inch square and a little
more than an inch in depth. As the queens will all hatch within a
few hours of one another, the cells can be left in the nursery until
the queens have all hatched, or, even longer, if necessar}-. To
remove a queen, pull out the plug below her cage, when she will
crawl out and ma}" be caught and put into a cage, or W'here ever
desired.

Nothwithstanding the great improvements made in securing the
building of queen cells, and in caring for virgin queens, they are no
more wonderful than the late methods of securing the fertilization of
queens — the most expensive part of commercial queen rearing.
Once it was necessary to have at least two, full-sized combs and a
quart or two of bees for each nucleus; now the fertilization of a queen
is secured b}' the use of not more than 200 bees; one colon}' fur-
nishing sufficient bees to secure the fertilization of 200 or 300 queens.
This plan allows the introduction of queens from live to seven days
old, and does away with all trouble from lajnng workers.

It is a little difficult to say to whom belongs the credit for this
new method of caring for queens while being mated. Mr. C. B.
Bankston, of Texas, published the first description that I remember
having seen; but he had, at this time, a partner, a Mr. John W,
Pharr. who says he helped in the development of the idea. Mr. W.
H. Laws, of the same State, also helped in perfecting the plan and in
bringing- it to public notice. Mr. E. L. Pratt, of Swarthmore, Penn-
s^'lvania, has also done his share in making a success of mating
queens from small nuclei. Like manj- other inventions, it seems to
have been the work of several men. Mr. W. H. Laws published a
description of the plan, in the Bee-Keepers' Review, and it is mosth'
from that article that the following is taken.

The nucleus boxes or hives pla^' an important part in this
system of mating queens, yet they are very simple in construction.
Imagine two little trays, -4 of an inch in depth, 11 V inches long, and
4U inches wide, hinged at the bottom with leather strips, and made

86

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

OQ

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 8V

so as to clamp a frame of hone}- (of the same dimensions > between
them so tig-htlv that it can not move. The outside surface of the
frame becomes a part of the box, and all is held fast b}- a spring-
hook and staple at the top. An entrance for the bees is made in the
end-bar of the frame b^' boring a hole with a 5-16 bit. A little button
of sheet-zinc is fastened near the entrance. One end of the button
is solid, closing the entrance, while the other end has a single,
queen-excluding slot. When the button is turned crosswise, the
entrance is left wide open.

To get these little combs of honej" for the baby nuclei, frames
are made to fit crosswise in an 8-frame, half-depth super, and old
combs are transferred into them and given to ordinary- colonies dur-
ing a honey flow. Of course, sheets of foundation ma^- be used, but
old combs, well-attached, are preferable.

Equipped with as many of these boxes, alreadv prepared, as we
have virgin queens in our nurseries, we proceed to shake all of the
bees from the combs of a populous, giieeiilcss colony- (after first
making the bees fill themselves with honey), putting the beeless
combs into an empt}- hive, and setting it upon the old stand, to which
enough bees will return to care for the brood. The old hive, con-
taining the hone^-laden, queenless bees, is now moved to some
shad}', convenient spot, where, with a small tin cup, we dip from the
cluster a small wad of bees, sa^- about the size of anunhulled walnut,
containing about 100 to 150 bees, never more than 200, open one of
the little boxes, and pour the bees right into the box. upon the comb
of honey, close the box, snap the hook, and lay it aside. We keep on
dipping and filling until all of the boxes are filled. The bees being
loaded with honey, dip niceh'; and. not being able to climb the
smooth, inside of the cup. they handle about like so manv beans.

Soon the bees in the boxes are all buzzing and roaring, and thus
lamenting their queenlessness and confinement, when we are ready
to introduce the virgin queens, which is done by running them into
the 5-16 inch, round entrances to the boxes. AVhen the virgins are
all run in. and the entrances closed, the boxes may lie in the shade
until the evening of the next day. or even 48 hours, and no harm will
result. The bees, being queenless aud confined. alwa^'S accept the
virgin queen, regardless of her age. or from whence she has come.

Within 24 hours, the bees in each bab}- nucleus have concluded
that escape is impossible, and. resolving that "what can't be cured
must be endured," they accept the situation, together with the
queen, and quiet down. Later the nuclei may be carried out 300 or
400 yards, and the entrances opened as the nuclei are scattered
under the brush, lodged in the forks of trees, or pitched into the

88

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

weeds-anywhere, in any position, only be sure they are in the
shade, where they remain a few days until the queens are laym*,-.

These little, miniature swarms with virgin (lueens behave very
much like newly hived swarms. Queenless when caged, and re-
maiming 24 hours with a virgin queen,. every bee seems to consider
the box as home, and one or two bees are always on guard at the
entrance.

\

**<w^» fmm.'S

W '^-^S;^-.

\i,„„A,
" mPf 'II

% ft ->-»»-rt-'-

♦ y

Cell-Cups, Completed Cells, and Queen r

To gain time, the virgin ([ueens are, as a rule, several days old |

when introduced to the nuclei, hence are ready to fly the next day
after the nuclei are distributed. The third day after, the little zinc
slots can be turned over the entrances so as to allow the workers to
fly, but to retain the queens, thus preventing absconding. As soon

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

89

as another batch of virgin queens is read\% these little boxes, when
emptied of bees, are readj^ to be re-tilled and used as before.

Another advantage of this method is the ease with which queens
may be mated to select drones. It is the transportability of the
nuclei that allows this. A man can carry from 15 to 25 on his arm,
like a load of stove wood; or hundreds of them may be piled into a
spring- wag-on, together with a colony of choice drones, and carried

fJT'^'

used by W. H. Pridgen. of Creek, N, C.

out three or four miles from any other bees. Possibly the next day
every queen will mate, and that to the very drones of our choice,
when all may be brought in, and, if so desired, queens and drones of
another race may then be mated upon the same ground. Another
thing, when the baby nuclei are carried away from all other bees, to

90 ADVANCED BKE CULTURE.

the "matin<j: j^rounds." no robbing- occurs, even though there be a
dearth of honey. Open air feedinjr could also be emploj-ed to
advantage in such a location.

It will be seen that by this system there are never any perma-
nent nuclei. A tiny cluster of bees is used to secure the mating of
one (|ueen, then the bees are shaken out (in front of the hive from
which they were taken if the operator cares to take the trouble >, and
the boxes tilled with a fresh lot of bees.

With all of the advantages of the "baby nucleus" system, there
is one serious drawback, and that is of the nuclei being robl)ed at
a time when no honey is coming in. During a honey flow, or if the
nuclei are in an isolated location, this system is well-nigh jierfection,
but, under other conditions, the old-style, well-stocked nuclei have
their advantages. It might also be added that while the old-style
nuclei recjuire more bees, they can also be managed with less labor
after they are once established. I certainly consider the old system
of sufficient importance to describe it.

In the first place, let me say that nothing is gained with any
system by beginning tjueen rearing too early in the season. Wait
until the weather is warm and settled and the colonies populous. In
this latitude. May 10th is, as a rule, early enough to start (jueen
cells. The first nuclei that are formed sh(nild be more i^ojnilous
than they may be used later in the season. Three combs are none
too many to use at first; later these nuclei may be divided. About
three or four days before the first batch of (jueens are to hatch,
enough colonies should be made (jueenless to furnish l)ees for the
nuclei, as (lueenless bees adhere much better to a new location.
Many of the old bees will return, but, as most of the brood is sealed,
enough bees (if they are queenless) will remain. When making up
the nuclei, if the bees have been (jueenless, I would give each nucleus
a cell nearly ready to hatch, or else a young (|ueen, at the time of
making the nuclei, as it seems to be something of an in<luoenu'nt for
them to remain in the new location. As many bees return to the
old stand, I leave some brood and honey in the hive, also i)ut in some
empty combs, and give the bees a laying (jueen. This colony soon
builds up and jirospers.

When a (|ueen begins la\ing, she is allowed to llll the combs with
eggs before shipment, then if a young t|Ueen is introduci'd soon after
her removal, the nucleus receives another "sitting" of eggs in ten
days more. By this management all nuclei are kept well supplied
with brood.

When honey is coming in freely I have lost few (jueens by allow-
ing them to run into the nuclei at the same time that the laying

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 91

queens are removed. After a queen is two days old it is rather diffi-
cult to introduce her to these populous, well-established nuclei.
Mr. Alley makes a success of it b^^ smokinof the bees with tobacco
until they bey:in to show signs of stupefacation. The nucleus then
has its entrance closed with a plantain leaf, as the bees are in no
condition to defend their home. B}' the time the leaf wilts and re-
leases the bees they are ag"ain able to defend themseves.

As a rule, a queen beg^ins laying- when ten da^'s old, but hot
weather and a good honey flow often shorten this period. I have
frequently had them laying in eight days, and, in a ver}- few
instances, in onh' seven days. During a drouth, when no honey was
gathered, I have known queens to be three weeks old before begin-
ning to lay. At such times it certainly pa\s the queen breeder to
feed the nuclei in which there are queens old enough to lay. When
engaged in queen rearing I had some shallow boxes, each of which
was just large enough to cover the top of the nucleus. These boxes
were filled half full of cand^*, and when a nucleus was found during a
dearth of honey, containing a queen old enough to la3% but ;/<^?/ laying,
one of these boxes of candA' was inverted over the nucleus. Two
days later, the queen would invariably be found laying.

With a large number of nuclei, it is impossible to remember the
condition in which each was left at the last visit, A record of some
kind must be kept, and I know of nothing better than the "Queen
Registering Cards," sold by the A. I, Root Co,, Medina, Ohio. They
are made of weather-proof paper, and one is tacked upon the side of
each nucleus. Upon each card are three dials. One contains the
months; one the days of the month; and one the following words:
"Eggs," "Brood," "Cell," "Hatched," "La3'ing," "iSIissing." Com-
mon pins are used as pointers. About -'h of an inch of the point is
bent at right angles, and then driven into the center of the dial.
When a cell is given, one pointer is turned to the month; another
to the da^' of the month; and the third to the word "Cell." If the
queen is found hatched at the next examination, the date is changed,
and the pin turned to "Hatched." When found laying, and again
when taken out and shipped, the pointers are turned accordingly.
A glance at the register alwa^'s shows the condition of the nucleus
at the last examination. The turning of these pins takes only a
moment, and is away ahead of using a pencil.

In the shipping of queens, success turns largely upon the food
that is used. I have used no food superior to that obtained by mix-
ing honey with pulverized sugar until it is of the consistency of a stiff
dough. The novice is likely to make it too thin. It is well-nigh im-
possible to mix in too much sugar. The maker may think it quite

92

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

hard and dry, but he will be surprised next day to find it quite soft
and pliable. If too soft it will daub the bees and ooze out of the
cage.

As a shipping- cage I think the Benton stands at the head. It
has three compartments all in a row and connected bj' openings. In
one of the end compartments is placed the food; the other two are
occupied b}^ the bees, but the one next to the food is not ventilated.

while the one in
the food is freeh'
properly, this cage
"climatic cage," as
to accommodate
changes of temper-

the end opposite to
ventilated. Verj-
has been called the
l^it enables the bees
themselves to the
ature. If it is cool.

they occupy the central apartment; if warm, they can remain in the
ventilated part of the cage.

As to the number of bees to send in the cage with the (lueen,
that depends upon the time of the year. In the spring and fall,
more are needed; l)Ut I doubt if more than 30 bees are ever needed;
in warm weather, one-third that number is sufficient.

The honey producer who wishes to rear a few (jueens for his
own use will not find it worth while to follow many plans that are
profitable in the hands of the professional cjueen breeder; he can
divide up one or more colonies into nuclei, and supply them with
cells taken from colonies that have swarmed, or he can remove a
queen from a colony, and, when its brood has all been sealed, cut out
the t|ueen cells that have been started < as some of them may result
in inferior (|ueens),and give the bees a comb of eggs and just
hatched larvae from some choice queen. The number of cells
started will be increased if small holes are cut through the comb at
that point where eggs are just hatching into larvae. When the cells
are nearly ready to hatch the}' can be cut out, and one given to
each nucleus.

Queen rearing does not call for any great outlay of physical
strength, but consists rather of constant attentit)n to a thi)usan(l and
one little details.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 93

.i^trodtscii!i@i

L^ pN^O introduce a queen to a colony of bees, two things must be
well-considered — the condition of the bees and the condition
of the queen. The condition and behavior of the queen is
very important. If she will only walk about upon the
combs in a quiet and queenly manner, and go on with her egg laying,
she is almost certain to be accepted if other conditions are favorable.
Let her run and "squeal," utter that sharp "zeep, zeep, zeep," and
the bees immediately start in pursuit. Soon the queen is in the
center of a ball of tightly clinging bees, and the only course is to
smoke the bees severely until they release the queen from their
embrace, when she must be re-caged for another trial. Right here
a caution: Don't hold the smoker too near the ball of bees, as hot
smoke seems to infuriate the bees into stinging the queen. Hold
the smoker far enough away so that the smoke will become cooled
before reaching the bees. Dropping the ball into a cup of water has
been recommended to induce the bees to release the queen; to the
inexperienced, this may be the better plan, as it often happens that
one of the bees will grasp the queen and endeavor to sting her,
smoke or no smoke, and, in the attempt to rescue the (jueen, a novice
is (luite likely to injure her.

The Simmins method of introducing queens is an illustration of
how great a part is played by the attitude of the queen towards the
workers. He removes the reigning queen a few hours previous to
liberating the new queen, and then, just at dusk, so late that the
bees are through flying, and too late for the queen to take wing, the
queen is released at the top of the hive and allowed to rundown
among the combs. And here comes in the important point: For
half an hour before the queen is released, she is kept away from the

94 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

bees and away from food, hence, when she comes in contact with the
bees she is hunjjry and at once asks for food, instead of racinj^
about the combs. The bees be<rin to feed and caress lier, and all
goes well. I believe Mr. Simmins claims that this method is
almost infallible; and I remember that I once introduced ten (lueens
by this plan without the loss of a queen. It was during a honey
flow, however, and many plans that prove successful at such a time,
may miscarry at times when no honey is coming in. The moral is
to feed when trying to introduce queens during a dearth of honey.

To introduce a queen from one colony to another in the same
apiary does not call for the skill needed when the queen has been
absent several days from a colony, and is jaded b^' a long journey.
I have frequently taken a queen from a colony, caged and sent it
away, and then immediately taken a laying (jueen from a nucleus
and placed her upon the spot upon the comb from whence I had
taken the other queen, and had the satisfaction of seeing her imme-
diately surrounded bj- a circle of admiring retainers. I believe there
are times, particularly when honey is coming in freely, when a
colony with a laying queen would accept auother fresh lajang (lueen,
simply by having her placed upon the combs; and all would go well
until the (jueens came in contact. Then there would be a conflict in
which the chances of the new-comer would be equally as good as those
of the old queen.

So far as the ijueen is concerned, it is important that she be
brought before the bees in a natural manner; in such a place and in
such a way as they would expect to meet her. When clipping
queens, I have often replaced one in the hive by dropping her upon
the tops of the frames, when the bees would immediately pounce
upon her as an intruder. A puff of smoke would cause the bees to
"let up," when the queen would walk majestically down between
the combs, and there she was not molested, because there was where
the bees expected to find a queen. When I wish to introduce a
queen by allowing her to run in at the entrance, I first shake off the
bees, from two combs, in front of the hive, and, as they are running
into the hive, I allow the queen to run in with them. At such times
there are no guards at the entrance, the bees that are crawling in
will not attack the queen, and bv the time the colony has recovered
its tran<|uility, the queen is quietly parading the combs.

When a colony has been queenless long enough to build a batch
of queen cells, I usually introduce a (jueen by simply taking a comb,
with the adhering bees and (jueen, from a nucleus, and hanging it in
the queenless colony. By means of smoke, or a feather, I drive all
of the bees from one of the inside walls of the hive, and against this

ADVANCKD BEE CULTURE.

95

side of the hive I turn the side of the comb upon which is the (|ueen.
Then she is not immediately brou.i^'ht in contact with the excited,
strangfe bees; but the bees intermini^le, and, ahiiost unconsciously,
the whole colony accepts the queen. If anA' of the queenless bees
stray near the queen, they find her surrounded by a corteg^e of her
own bees. She is also attending- to her duties, and is almost certain
not to be molested.

When queens come from a distance, they are more difficult to
introduce. The}' have not la\'ed any eggs in several days, and are
in a jaded condition. It would often be a saving in queens if such
queens were first introduced to nuclei, and then, after thev were
nicely laying, introduce them to full colonies by uniting the nuclei
with the full colonies, in the manner just described. It is much
easier to introduce a queen to a nucleus than to a full colony. Take
a frame of bees, brood and honey from a colony-, place it in a hive
with an empty comb by the side of the comb of bees, and set all on a
new stand, when, in 24 hours, all of the old bees, the ones that always
make trouble with a new
queen, have returned to
the old stand, and the
young bees that are left
are almost certain to
accept a queen.

When a (jueen comes
to hand in a jaded con-
dition it would be a
great advantage if she
could at once be released
upon the combs, but

this very jaded condition is against her acceptance. To meet these
conditions it is an excellent plan to cage her against the side of a
comb. A cage for this purpose is made fi^om a piece of wire cloth
seven or eight inches scjuare. First cut out, fi^om each corner, a
piece 1/i: inches square, then ravel out several strands from each
side, after which bend up the sides, at right angles, thus forming a
sort of shallow box. The open side of this box is placed against the
side of a comb where young bees are emerging, a few cells of honey
also being included, the queen slipped under the edge of the cage,
when the raveled out strands of wires are thrust into the comb,
clear up to the cross-wires. Before doing this work it is well to free
the comb of bees. The young bees that hatch will treat her kindly,
and, in the meantime, she will begin laying, when, if the outside bees
seem favorably disposed, the queen may be released by boring a hole

96 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

through the comb with the point of a pocket knife. The hole should
be bored throuj^rh from the side of the comb that is opposite to the
cage, and, if the comb is simply- broken up sufficiently, the bees will
clean out the broken particles and thus allow the queen to pass
through, which releases her at a time when the colony is in a normal
condition, instead of under the excitement that accompanies the
opening- of the hive.

I just said that it would be well to release the (lueen if the bees
were "favorabl}' disposed" towards the queen. If they are "balling"
the cage, clinging to its masses, like so many burdocks, their be-
havior indicates what the queen would have to endure were she
within their reach. The operator must wait until they are in a dif-
ferent mood, until they are walking quietly about over the cage, as
unconcernedly as upon the combs of honey — perhaps the bees may
be offering food to the (jueen and caressing her with their antennae.
This shows that the bees are favorably inclined towards the queen,
and it is never safe to release a queen unless the bees show in this
manner that they have practically accepted her.

Speaking of releasing the queen by boring a hole through the
comb, reminds me that there is probably no better waj- of releasing
a queen, let the cage be what it ma}^ than that of stopping the
entrance with a piece of broken up comb honey, or with some kind
of soft candy, and allowing the bees to eat it out. The bees that
first meet the queen are in good humor from the candy they have
eaten; and, as has just been mentioned, the queen is released
quietly at a time when the colony is undisturbed. After a queen has
been released the hive should be left undisturbed three or four days,
or a week, until the (jueen has commenced laying and become fullj-
established as queen of the colony. When a queen has been released
only a short time, she is easil}- frightened, when she is likely to run
and "squeal," and the result is that the bees will at once "ball" her.

When a queen from a distance is to be introduced to a full
colony, the condition of that colony is of the utmost importance.
The most favorable condition is that it be hopelessly queenless.
Let it build a batch of cjueen cells, and remove them after all of the
brood has been sealed, and the bees are almost certain to accept a
queen if given to them in a proper manner. When I was engaged in
queen rearing, I don't know that I ever failed in trying to introduce
a queen to a colony that had built a batch of cells. I would sooner
release a (|ueen after the bees had discovered the loss of their old
queen, and before they had begun the construction of queen cells,
than to release her after the cells were under waj", un/rss I waited
until the cells were sealed over and had been removed.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 97

If the bees are shaken from their combs into a ventilated box,
and kept confined, without a queen, several hours, Mr. Doolittle
says that they will invariably accept a queen if given one in the box.
In other words, they are hopelessly queenless, away from home,
confined, and are ready to accept anything- in the shape of a queen.

If the bees can, in some way, be placed in such a condition of
mind (or body) as to let the queen alone until she has g-athered the
reins into her hands, so to speak, there is seldom any more trouble
about her being- accepted as their sovereig-n; and one excellent method
of placing- them in that condition is by the use of tobacco smoke.
For several years I g-uaranteed the safe introduction of queens that
I sent out, and the tobacco smoke method was the most successful
of any that I ever asked mj- customers to try. The day before ship-
ping the queen, I sent the following- notice:

As soon as you receive this notice, remove the queen from the
colony to which 5'^ou expect to introduce the new queen. When she
arrives, put her away in a safe place until after sundown. Just at
dusk, light your smoker. When it is well to g-oing, but in a pipeful
of smoking tobacco, put on the cover, puff until you get an odor of
tobacco, then puff two or three good puffs into the entrance of the
hive. Wait two or three minutes, then send in another good puff or
two, remove the cover, drive down the bees with a puff of smoke,
open the cage and allow the queen to run dowm between the combs,
following her with a puff or two of smoke, and then put on the cover.
Half an hour later, light up the smoker again, putting in the tobacco
as before, and blow two more good puffs in at the entrance. If no
honey is coming in, feed the colony a pint of syrup each night from
the inside of the hive, but don't disturb the brood nest for four or
five days.

The tobacco smoke partly stupefies the bees, and by the time
they have recovered, the queen is in full possession. By doing the
work in the evening the bees are in condition to defend themselves
b}^ morning, should it be necessary.

There is, however, one method of introducing a queen that
never fails, it is that of confining the queen in a hive with several
combs of just hatching bees. Go over several hives, and find enough
combs, from which the bees are just emerging, to fill a hive. Choose
those combs having the least unsealed brood, as the most of this
will perish. Shake off every bee, hang the combs in the hive, and
close it up hec-tighl. Allow the queen to run in at a small opening,
closing it after her. This work should be done in the forepart of
a warm day. In a few hours enough bees will have hatched to form
quite a little cluster, with which the queen is absolutely safe. If the
nights are cool, it might be well to carr}- the hive into the house for
two or three nights. In five or six days the hive may be given a

98

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

stand in the apiary, and the entrance opened sufficiently to allow the
passage of a single bee. So much trouble as this is not advisable
unless the queen is very valuable.

And now, in closing, a word of caution: When buying a queen
from a distance, let out the bees and queen upon a window; catch the
queen and put her into a clean cage; then kill all of the bees and
throw them and the mailing cage into the stove. This is to guard
against any possible chance of getting foul brood into the apiary
from infected bees or honey. A queen has never been known to
carry the contagion from one colonj^ to the other — the only danger
is that the food in the cage might have been made with honey
infected with the germs of disease. Of course, the danger is very
slight, even in this direction, but foul brood has been known to have
been communicated in this manner, and there is no harm in exer-
cising caution.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 99

Tlhe Fee^iimM ©f Bees

p^^^ EES are fed to prevent thera from starving- when they lack
I — =^ stores in the winter, or in times of scarcity during the
_\—Jy summer or fall, to stimulate the rearing- of brood in the
spring:, or at any other time when it is desirable, to fur-
nish them with winter stores when they are lacking- in the fall, also
to secure the completion of unfinished sections that may be left at
the close of the honey harvest.

The feeding- of bees for stimulating brood rearing- in earlj^
spring is now looked upon hy many as of doubtful value; especially
is this true in the Northern States where weeks of warm weather
are often followed by a "freeze-up." If the hives are well protected,
and the bees well supplied with an abundance of sealed stores,
natural brood rearing will proceed with sufficient rapidity, early in
the spring, without any artificial stimulus; the only time that spring
feeding is advisable is where there is a dearth of nectar, after the
early spring flow and before the coming of the main harvest. A few
bee-keepers have found it very profitable to feed enough at this time
to keep brood rearing in progress, then, when the harvest comes on,
the brood combs are full of brood and food, and the honey must go
into the super instead of being stored in the empty cells of the brood
nest. Not only this, but, as the result of uninterrupted brood rear-
ing, great armies of workers are brought upon the stage of action at
the proper time to help in the securing of the harvest. There come
to my mind, now, two notable examples of men who have made a
great success of this kind of feeding; one is H. R. Boardman of
East Townsend, Ohio, and the other is Mr. E. W. Alexander, of
Delanson, N. Y. Mr. Boardman uses a quart, Mason jar with a

100

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

he H

< ^ a

<U "- *^

CQ

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 101

perforated cover, the jar being- inverted in a hole made in a shallow
box that is placed in front of the entrance of the hive, the side of the
box next the hive being' open so that the bees can enter. The two
side pieces of the box are made in such a way as to leave projections
on their lower edgfes, on the ends next the hive, and these projec-
tions slip into the entrance, thus holding: the feeder in place and mak-
ing- it more difficult for robbers to grain an entrance to the feeder.

Mr. Alexander, who, by the wa^-, makes a success of keeping- as
man}' as 700 colonies in one apiar}-, makes a feeder out of a piece of
2 x4 scantling- about four inches long-er than the width of the hive.
With a cutter head, or a saw set wabbling-, grooves are cut in its
upper surface to within half an inch of the ends. This feeder is
placed underneath the back of the hive, its upper surface on a level
with the bottom board, the hive being shoved back on the bottom
board sufficiently to cover the feeder. The feed is poured into the
end of the feeder that projects out be3'ond the side of the hive, after
which a block four inches square is laid over the projecting- end to
keep out robbers. When there are sufficient stores in the hive it is
not necessar}' to feed so ver}- much hone}-; a small quantity of food
brought into the hive each day encouraging the bees to keep on
breeding, using their sealed stores for this purpose.

Before feeding a whole apiary in this manner, 3ear after 3'ear, I
would suggest that the bee-keeper make an experiment: Feed one-
half the colonies, keep an accurate account of the cost of feeding,
and also an account of the net profit from each lot. Such an experi-
ment, continued a few ^-ears, will answer the question as to whether
such feeding is profitable in that particular localit}'.

Do the best we can with most methods of management, there
will alwaj'S be more or less unfinished sections left at the end of the
season. What shall be done with these is really a serious question.
If their number is not too great, those nearly completed may be sold
in the local market, while the honey ma}' be extracted from the
remainder, and the bees allowed to clean them up by stacking them
up in supers, out of doors, and giving only a small entrance to the
pile of filled supers, when they may be used the next spring as
"bait" sections to induce the bees to make an early start in the
supers. If bees in large numbers are allowed to reach the sections
while still wet with honey, they will, in their eagerness, tear down
the cells and spoil the combs; for this reason, the entrance should
allow only one or two bees to pass at a time.

When the local market is not sufficient to take the nearly com-
pleted sections, and there is a dearth of honey during the hot
weather of August, it is possible to "feed back" extracted honey and

102 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

secure the completion, at a prolit, of all unlinished sections. I have
fed back thousands of pounds of extracted honey for this purpose,
and, for the benefit of those who wish to give the plan a trial, I will
describe my methods.

As soon as I see that the white honey harvest is drawinjjf to a
close, which, with me, is about the middle of July, I remove all of the
sections from the hives, look them over, take out the finished ones,
and sort the remainder into three g-rades, viz., almost finished, half
done, and just commenced. The cases containing- the first two
g-rades are then placed upon the hives, one case upon a hive, and
allowed to remain until the bees have taken possession of them.

Then comes the task of selecting the colonies to do the work;
and, by the way, this is the most important point of all. First, the
colonies must be strong; next, they must possess young queens,
preferably those of the current year, although this is not impera-
tive; and, last, but not least, simon pure blacks are given the first
choice. Hybrids are the next best, while, as a rule, Italians do very
poor work in this line. Keeping these points in view, I select one-
half as many colonies as I have cases of unfinished sections upon the
hives, and to these colonies I transfer the cases — sections, bees and
all — putting two cases upon a hive. I have never experienced the
least trouble, in any respect, from thus mixing up the bees, while
populous colonies are secured thereby.

If the brood nests are not already contracted, I contract them.
The greater the contraction, the more satisfactory will be the
results, so far as work in the sections is concerned, but, if carried
too far, it will materially weaken the colonies by curtailing the pro-
duction of brood. I have sometimes contracted the brood nest to
only three Langstroth combs, and these three combs, when I was
through feeding, were three solid sheets of brood; but, all things
considered, I prefer to contract the brood nest to about the capacity
of five Langstroth combs. There is also another point that must
not be neglected, and that is that the brood combs must not be old
and black, otherwise, the combs in the sections will become travel-
stained unless removed very promptly upon their completion. The
newer the combs in the brood nest, the better.

When honey is brought in from the fields it is carried up into
the sections; that is, the supply, as regards the sections, comes from
below; in feeding back, the feeder is usually placed above the supers,
in which case the supply comes from above. In both instances, the
sections in which the work is the least advanced should be placed
nearest the source of supply. Thus it will be seen that, in feeding-
back, the sections that are nearly finished are placed next to the

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

103

brood nest, and above these the s^rade that is about one-half
completed.

The feeder that I used is the Heddon, which is exactlj- the size
of the top of the hive, and is placed above the sections. His new
feeder is unexcelled for this purpose, as the bees take down the feed
from both sides. This might not seem important, but it is, and for
this reason; when the feed is carried down upon one side onlj^ the
sections upon this side are completed /i';'5/. When the feed is car-
ried down from both sides, the sections are finished up ver}' evenly
all over the case. In this feeder, the reservoir is in the center, and
just over it the cover slides back in grooves. There is no contact
with the bees, no smoke is needed, no propolis is disturbed, and the
cover fits so snugly that no odor of hone}^ escapes to attract robbers.

The Heddon Feeder.

The bees seem to be able to handle the hone}- to better advan-
tage when it is thinned somewhat, sa^-, one quart of water to ten
pounds of honey. I heat ten quarts of water over an oil stove until
it boils, then mix it with 100 pounds of honey, stir it up well, when
it is ready for use. The first feeding should be done at dusk, as it
puts the bees in an excited state, and trouble from attempts at rob-
bing might result. After the bees have become accustomed to find-
ing honey in the feeder, feeding produces little, or no, excitement;
still, at dusk is the best time to feed, as the annoyance of having
robber bees follow from hive to hive, and dive into the feeder reser-
voir when it is opened, is thus avoided. The feed is given as fast as
the bees take it.

Close watch is kept of the sections in the lower cases, and when-
ever a case is found in which all or nearly all of the sections are com-
pleted, off it comes; the case above it is placed next the brood nest,
and above this case is placed a case of sections brought from the
honey house, one containing sections of the third grade; that is,
those in which the bees have made the least progress. I continue to
bring in the the cases of finished sections as they are completed, re-
placing them with the unfinished ones from the honey house. When

104 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

the stock of the latter is exhausted, I am ready to bejjin to reduce
the number of colonies upon which I am feedinj? back, and this is
done as fast as the sections are completed.

During- all this time, since the feeding: commenced, I have been
watching- each colony, and jotting down, upon the cover of the feeder,
its characteristics; and, in reducing the number of colonies, those
are rejected that have done the least satisfactory work, I continue
to keep two cases upon each hive, and, as the colonies work with
greatly varying rapidity, there is no difficulty, by changing about
the cases, to keep next the brood nest those sections that are the
nearest completion. In gathering- the sections tog-ether upon fewer
hives, I always take bees and all, thus I am continually strengthen-
ing the colonies upon which I am feeding back.

It is useless to expect the bees to finish up all of the sections
upon a hive. Even though the feeding- is continued, the sections will
not be completed in a satisfactory manner. So long as the feeding-
is continued the bees seem to reason something- like this: "We must
make the cells as deep as possible, and delaj' the capping until the
last moment, in order to make room for all the honey that we can;
and, if there are not cells enougfh, we must build more, even if it be
in the little, cramped up places between the tiers of sections."
After the combs are drawn out to full length, tilled with honey, and
nearly sealed, I have secured better results by giving the bees no
feed for three or four days, then giving- them a lig-ht feed, and
omitting the feeding for several days. The bees then behave as
though they considered the harvest over and ended. Thej' seal up
most of the cells, and from those that they do not seal they remove
the honey. But there is a much better way of managing the busi-
ness. When the sections are all nearly iinished, I put them ui)on as
few hives as possible, and still not have more than two cases upon
one hive, and then upon each hive, above the two cases of nearly com-
pleted sections, I place a case of sections filled with comb founda-
tion. The bees proceed at once to draw out the foundation and fill
it with honey, and this additional storage room appears to bring
about a feeling that there is no further necessity for lu)lding cells
open below, and thej^ are sealed, forthwith.

When the two lower cases are completed, the upper case ( the
one that was furnished with foundation) will, i)erha])s, be found to
contain sections one-half completed, and these upi)er cases maybe
gfathered together, bees and all, and placed, two upon each hive, over
those colonies that have shown the g-reatest aptitude for this kind of
work, and the feeding: continued until the sections are almost com-
pleted, when it will ag-ain be necessary- to place a case of sections

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 105

containing- foundation upon each hive. I have continued this opera-
tion until all the sections were finally upon one hive, and had all of the
sections completed except those in the case last added on top.

After bees have been fed awhile, they secrete large quantities
of wax. ,The little flakes of it can be seen between the scales of the
abdomen, and, unless allowed to build comb, the bees will plaster
with wax the woodwork of the sections, the inside of the feeders,
cases, etc. The moral is to allow them to build comb. Have a row
or two of sections in the upper case filled with starters only; thus
there is secured, in the shape of comb, what would otherwise be
wasted.

Althouti^h we cannot control the temperature, it may be well to
know that the hotter the weather the more rapid and satisfactory^
will be the work of the bees when we are feeding^ back.

If there is any time when separators are needed, it is in feeding"
back. If the combs, both finished and unfinished, could be left un-
disturbed upon the hive, and the bees fed until all the combs were
finished, feeding: back would be no reason whj- separators should be
used; but when the unfinished combs are put back in the cases, a
g-reat deal of judg-ment and patience are needed, unless separators
are used. Bees usualh- leave a space of about :'8 of an inch between
combs, and, in putting- back unfinished sections, where separators
are not used, this fact must be kept in mind. When the space is
less than this, no harm is done unless it is so small that a bee can
not pass throug-h, when the bees will connect the two surfaces by
little bridg-es of wax, and when the sections are taken apart, these
little, connecting- bridg-es will pull pieces out from one comb or the
other. When the space is much g-reater than r>8, and the comb upon
each side is sealed, the bees, especially if crowded, will construct
comb upon the sealed surface of the other comb, which g-ives it a
very botchy appearance. If the comb at one side of the space is
sealed, and the other not, the sealed comb will be undisturbed,
while the unsealed cells upon the other side will be leng-fhened out
until the space between the two combs is reduced to about ^)s. If,
in this instance, the sealed comb is smooth and even, and in the rig-ht
place as reg-ards the section as a whole, all will be well; but, if it be
concave or convex, the unfinished comb facing- it will be drawn out
in conformity with the surface of the finished comb. If two un-
finished surfaces, in the same stag-e of completion, are broug-ht
facing each other near the center of the super, they will be drawn
out and sealed straight and true and alike; if they are near the out-
side, the chances are that the comb nearest the center of the super
will grow faster than the one farther out, and a bulge will be the

106 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

result. Combs near the center of the super are drawn out quicker
and finished sooner than those at the outside and corners; hence I
place at the outside those sections that are the nearest completion;
and especially do I take pains to have sealed surfaces come next to
the sides of the super, while combs that are the farthest from com-
pletion are placed in the center. By this manajirement, all of the
combs are finished at about the same time. Unless some of the
combs begin to show sig-ns of travel-stain, it is better to leave on
the super until all, or nearly all, of the sections are completed, for,
as the combs near completion, this matter of adjustment becomes
more difficult. When separators are used, all of these troubles
vanish.

When foundation is used, and comb honey produced, "right
from the stump," so to speak, by the feeding of extracted honey, we
have none of this patching, bulging difficulty to contend with, as all
of the combs grow alike; and some of the finest, straightest, plump-
est and most handsome comb honey can thus be produced that the
eye ever beheld; but I have never found it profitable, except by plac-
ing a few cases on top, near the close of finishing up a lot of un-
finished sections, to give the bees room, and thus induce them to
seal up nearly finished combs, as has been already explained.

I know of only two objections to the feeding back of extracted
honey. One is that "fed honey" has a slightly different taste from
that stored directly in the combs from the flowers. There seems to
be a sort of "off" taste, or lack of flavor. 'I'his lack of fine flavor is
not very pronounced, but it can be noticed by those who are experi-
enced in the matter. It is possible that this taste comes from the
thinning of the honey and the handling of it about in different ves-
sels, as well as the continued use of a wooden feeder. The other
objection to "fed honey" is that it will candy much quicker than
other honey. When the sections are nearly completed, and feeding
is done simply to have them completed and sealed over, the propor-
tion of "fed honey" is so small that these objections are not very
serious. "Fed honey" ought to be sold early and in a market where
it will be consumed before it candies.

Taking one year with another, I have secured about two pounds
of comb honey from the feeding of three pounds of extracted.
With the right kind of weather and colonies, I have done much bet-
ter— secured four pounds from the feeding of five.

The advantages of feeding back honey can be stated in a few
words: Comb honey is more salable, and at a higher price, than ex-
tracted, and if the latter can be changed into the former at no great
expense, there are quicker sales and greater profits. The greatest

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. lOV

advantag-e, however, is in securing- the completion of nearly finished
sections.

I think that the feeding back of extracted honey is on the wane,
as bee-keepers are learning how to greath' lessen the number of un-
finished sections at the end of the season; and my object in de-
scribing the practice is not to recommend it for general use, but to
furnish the necessary instructions should circumstances arise mak-
ing it desirable to follow them.

When bees require feeding in the fall, almost any kind of feeder
will answer the purpose. If nothing better is at hand, a tin pan, or
any open dish, may be set in an upper story, and a piece of burlap
laid in the feed as a float for the bees to stand upon. A good-sized
feeder, one that will hold from 15 to 20 pounds, like the Heddon, for
instance, greatly facilitates the work, however. Bees can be fed
with the Heddon feeder when it is so late and cool that no other
feeder would answer. Fill the feeder with hot syrup, as hot as it can
be and not burn the bees, then set the hive ozr?' the feeder, when
the heat from the syrup will warm and rouse up the clustered bees,
and the}' will come down and carrj' up the feed in short order.

The idea seems to prevail that all winter stores must be sealed.
This is an error; and probabl}" arose from the fact that late-gathered
stores are often of poor qualit}' — not because the^^ may be left un-
sealed, but from the qualitj^ itself. A g^ood, thick syrup made from
granulated sugar is an ideal winter food whether it is sealed over or
not; in fact, bees in a warm cellar may be successfulh" wintered on
sugar sj^rup supplied to them daih' by means of a feeder. A large,
flat cake of candy laid over the cluster, and covered with enameled
cloth, with packing of some kind over that, is a handier method of
winter-feeding; but, aside from that, is not superior to the use of
syrup, when the bees are in a warm cellar, but it would be out of
doors.

In closing, let me caution the bee-keeper to beware whence
comes the honej- that he feeds. Let him be sinr that it contains no
germs of foul brood. To buj- hone}' in the open market and feed it
to the bees would be a most risky proceeding. For stimulative feed-
ing, and for winter stores, better buy sugar. It is cheaper, safer
and better — especially so for winter stores.

108 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Tlhie Pir©dl^cta©]ni ©f Commlb ]nl©imey<

HAVING now considered some of the most important points
in modern bee culture, such as locality, hives, supers, sec-
tions, increase, feeding", varieties of bees, use of comb
foundation, etc., let us begin at the opening of the season,
and go briefly over the ground, showing the relation of these differ-
ent features to one another, as the}- are employed in the production
of comb honey.

We will suppose that the early spring has passed; that the bees
have received sufficient protection; been supplied with ample stores;
and that the hives are now teeming with life as we stand upon the
threshold of the main honey flow. And right here let me say that
unless the colonies arc strong and populous, simply overflowing
with bees, it is folly to expect a paying crop of comb honey. If
there is any time when weak colonies may be united to advantage, it
is at the opening of the main harvest, when comb honey is to be the
product. Better gather together, into one hive, three-fourths, or
even all, of the bees and brood from two, three, or even four, hives,
and thus have one rousing colon}-, than to attempt to secure a crop
of comb honey with weaklings. A comb or two of brood and bees,
and a queen, left in a hive at the beginning of the harvest, will build
up into a good colon}' by fall, and, possibl}', store some honey that
may be extracted. No matter how it is accomplished, one thing is
inipcrafivc^ and that is that the brood nest be crowded with bees and
brood at the opening of the honey harvest.

This condition tends greatly to make the bees begin jjromptly
to store honey in the supers. And this is important, as, otherwise,
the bees are inclined to crowd the brood nest with honey as the bees
hatch out, also to "loaf," and develop the "swarming fever," If bees

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 109

can be induced to beg-in working- in the sections at the opening of
the main honey flow, it relieves the "pressure," so to speak, upon
the brood nest, which results in more brood, while the turning- of
the energies of the colony into the storing of hone}-, does much to
keep down the swarming fever. The g-reatest attraction that can be
placed in the supers is that of drawn comb. Unfinished sections
saved over from the previous season are excellent for this purpose.
As has been explained in a previous chapter, the hone}- must be ex-
tracted, and the bees allowed to clean up the combs, when the latter
must be packed away in supers where no dust nor mice can get at
them. I have gfiven supers full of these parth- drawn combs to col-
onies, (one super to a colony) and had these combs filled and capped,
and ready to come oflf. just as other colonies supplied with sections
containing- foundation only, were only making- their first start in the
supers. In this case, a super of partly drawn combs was worth as
much as a case of finished honey. There is, however, a still better
method of managing this part of the business. It is that of putting-
on an extracting super first, and when this is filled and removed, the
bees are always ready to g-o to work in the sections ii)ii)icdiatcly.
For this purpose, shallow supers are preferable; those containing
frames half the depth of the regular brood frame being the size that
is usually employed for this purpose. The greatest objection to the
use of the full-sized combs is that it requires so much honey to fill a
super of them, that it would materially reduce the crop of comb
hone}-. The use of a shallow extracting super removes this objec-
tion. Again, the beginning of the white honey flow is sometimes
mixed with an earlier, darker flow, and the taking of the first of the
white flow in the extracted form, insures the perfect whiteness of
all honey stored in the sections. Still further, these half-depth, ex-
tracting supers can be used to fully as great advantage at the end of
the harvest as at the beginning — perhaps to greater advantage. As
the time approaches for the close of the harvest, instead of giving
more sections, simply set on top of the sections one of these half-
depth, extracting supers. If more honey comes in than is needed
to fill and complete the sections already on the hive, it will "over-
flow." so to speak, into the extracting super that is on top; thus the
honey that would otherwise go to the making of a lot of unfinished
sections, is secured in the extracted form. Getting extracted honey
at the opening and closing of the season, as just explained, certainly
has some very decided advantages. It leads the bees to begin work
promptly in the supers at the opening of the season, keeps all
"mixed" honey out of the sections, and practically does away with
unfinished sections at the end of the season.

110 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

When the first case of sections placed on the hive at the begfin-
ning of the harvest is partly finished, it is raised, and another case
placed between that and the hive. At what stage of completion the
sections should be when a second case is added depends upon how
crowded the bees are and the rate at which honey is coming in. I
usually add another super when the sections in the one next the hive
are from one-half to two-thirds completed. I have not found it prof-
itable to tier up sections more than three supers in height. As a
rule, the upper super is read\' for removal before it is necessary to
add a fourth. If it is not, and honey is coming in rapidly, I would
transfer it, bees and all, to some other colony having a less number
of cases, rather than tier up four cases high. With any system in
which the sections are finished in close proximity to the brood nest,
their removal is necessary soon after completion, to prevent their
being soiled or "travel-stained," by the bees i)assing over them
directly from the brood nest; but, with the tiering-up system, the
finished combs are so far from the brood nest that they remain un-
sullied until a whole case can be removed at once. During a regular
"honey-shower," such as we have so/ucf/'/i/cs, when the nectar all but
drips from the fragrant, golden blossoms of the linden, I have seen
a colony draw out the foundation in 28 sections, and fill them full of
honey (and here is where I believe foundation is zr;n' valuable ) in
less than three days, j^et scarcely a cell would be sra/cd. To give
the bees another super next the hive is the work of only a moment.
At such times it may be advisable to remove the upper case, after
they have been tiered up three high, even if there are one or two
unfinished sections in each corner; and, when crating, have an empty
super at hand in which to put the unfinished sections, and when it is
full place it on a hive.

When a super is ready to come off, there is no easier, less
troublesome, method of freeing it from bees than by the use of a
Porter bee-escape, which consists of a tin frame-work or box inside
of which are two delicate brass springs so nicely adjusted that a bee
can easily s(|uee/e out between their points, but cannot return.
Openings in the upper and lower sides of the box allow the bees to
pass through. 'JMie escape is fastened into an oi)ening cut in the
center of a thin board the size of the toj) of the hive, a -'8 rim around
its edge holding the super bee-space above the board. To use the
escape, simply raise the upper super, lay the escape-bt)ard upon
the top of the next lower super, replace the removed super upon the
top of the escape-board, and the work is done, so far as the bee-
keeper is concerned. The bees, finding themselves shut off from
the rest of the hive, become excited and make frantic efforts to

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Ill

Sprig of Basswood in Bloom.

112

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

escape. Findinof one opening: by means of which they can reach
"home," they crowd throujjfh as fast as possible, when, in a few
hours, the super is free of bees. If escape^ are put on at eveninjjf,
the supers above them will be free of bees in the morninj^.

If there is not time to use escapes, or, if for some reason, it is
not desirable to use them, the suiters can be freed of bees by other
methods. My practice has been as follows: Have the smoker in
•rood trim, take off the cover, and drive a perfect delujre of smoke
down amonjj: the bees. This starts them out of the combs at a lively
rate, and, before they have time tt) come back, I have the super off
the hive. The super is then tremulously shaken in front of the hive
until most of the remaining: bees are dislody^ed, when it is taken to the
honey house and set on end. In a short time the few strajrjjflinyf
bees leave the super and escape by way of the window, which should

have wire cloth over it on the

outside, lettin«r it extend sev-
eral inches above the window,
and terminate in a small cone-
like opening from which the
bees can easily lind their wa^'
out, but not be very likely to
find their way back. If the shaking: process is found too laborious,
and robbers are not troublesome (and they will not be until the
close of the season), the super may be leaned a.ii:ainst the side of the
hive, near the entrance, when the bees will desert the super for the
hive. When robbers are troublesome, the straj^k^'lers may be driven
out with smoke, and brushed off in front of the hive.

By shading: the hives, allowing: jjenerous entrances, also abun-
dance of room in the supers, swarming: is g:reatly delayed, and often
avoided entirely with many colonies. I have known seasons when,
with this manag-ement, not more than one-half of my colonies
swarmed, and I have frequently had seasons when not more than
two-thirds of them swarmed. When a swarm does issue, I hive it in
a contracted brood nest, with starters only in the brood frames, on
the old stand, put on a queen excluding: honey board and transfer the
supers from the old to the new hive. In 20 minutes, at the outside,
the bees are back at work in the sections that they recently deserted
in such a hurr3\ The old colony is placed by the side of the new
one for a week, when it is moved to a new stand, thus throwing: all
of its flying: bees into the colony having: the sections, and so deplet-
ing the old colony, just as the young: queens are hatching;, that there
is seldom any after-swarming-. If the swarming: takes place early
in the season, the old colony may do'something in the way of storing.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

113

surplus, but, as a rule, it simpl}- becomes a most excellent colony,
with a younj,'- queen, for carrying- throug-h the winter.

As the harvest draws to a close, an extracting: super is put on
top of the sections, as has been already' explained, or the unfinished
sections may be finished up by feeding- back extracted honey, or the
sections nearest completion may be sold in the local market, and
those not sufficiently finished for this purpose, may be extracted,
and cleaned up by the bees, when they will be ready to use as
"baits" to induce the bees to make an early start in the supers the
following- spring-.

Photographed by H K. Hill.

114

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Frodl^clim^ Ooodl E^tliractedl

HAT is it that g-ives to honey its \-.ilue ? It is not simply
its sweetness, which is of low power; hut it is its tine
llavor and rich aroma. These are the (jualities which
make honey what it is a luxury and, if we wish its
use continued as a sweet sauce, we must learn to i)roduce and care
for it in such a manner as to preserve its ambrosial, palate-tickliny:
(lualities. Freshly {gathered nectar is one of the most "silly" tastinjif
and sickeninji: of sweets. n\) l)e sure, it has the flavor of the flowers
from which it was j^fathered; but that smooth, rich, oily, honey taste,
that lin}i:ers in the mouth, must h<^ Jiirn/shcd hy t/ic /)ccs. Honey ex-
tracted when 'Vreen," and evaporated in the open air, is not only
lackinjjf in the element that comes from the secretions of the bees,
but its blossom-flavor is half lost by evaporation. To be sure,
evai)oration must take place if left in the hi\e, l)ut evaporation in the
ojJen air, and evaporation in the aroma-laden air of the hi\e produce
different results.

One reason why comb honey is, in so many instances, found to
be more delicious than the extracted, is because the former is more
thoroujifhly ripened, and then sealed up from the air. Seldom do
we find extracted honey equal to that drippin.Lr from and sun^ound-
\n^ the section of comb honey that is beinjjf carved upon a plate.
Many of those who produce extracted honey in larjje <|uantities, ex-
tractinjf it before it is thoroughly rii)ened, admit that such honey is
inferior, as a table sauce, to that ripened by the bees, but the}' say
they cannot afford to produce the best article possible. The

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 115

quantity of honey is not materially lessened by thoroug'hlj'^ ripening it;
if larger crops are secured b\' extracting it "green," it is the result
of the stimulus given the bees by furnishing them such an abun-
dance of empty combs. B}- the use of plenty' of store-combs and
supers, the same results, or nearly the same, may be obtained, and
the ripening of the honej' secured, by tiering up. The interest upon
the cost of extra combs and supers is a small thing compared with
the putting of unripe honey upon the market. By the use of plenty
of combs, tiering them up, the work of extracting may be put off
until the busy season is over. The great trouble is the lack of in-
centive for producing well-ripened honey for the general market.
The production of extracted honej^ to be shipped away for some
commission merchant to sell, is much like making butter to be sold
at a country store. All brings the same price. White clover honej^
brings so much, buckwheat so much. The hone}' with the fine,
delicate flavor, the thoroughly bee-ripened, well-preserved, superior
article, will not bring one cent more in the general market than the
ordinary, pretty i(ood honey. Perhaps, for manufacturing purposes,
there is no advantage in having such a superior article, but for table
sauce there is; and the only way in which the man who produces a
really superior article can hope to receive pay for his extra trouble,
is by selling direct to consumers, or by establishing a reputation for
his honey among dealers and their customers. The only secret in
producing a superior grade of extracted honey, honey that will be
the equal of that that drips from the delicate morsel of comb at the
tea table, is that of leaving it on the hive until it is sealed and
thoroughly ripened. Leaving the honey on the hive a few weeks
after it is sealed seems to give an added ripeness or richness. Of
course, robbers are readv' to give trouble after the close of the
season, but the use of bee escapes overcomes this difficult}-. When
the supers are freed from bees by the use of bee escapes, the hone}'
is usually cold by the time it is off the hive, it having lost the heat
imparted to it by the bees, and it does not extract nearly as easily as
though the bees had been brushed off and the honey extracted im-
mediatel}'. The proper course is to stack the supers up in a warm
room, one heated bj- a stove, until the honey is warmed through,
when it may be thrown out with the greatest ease. I am aware that
this system is not the one usually followed, but I believe it has de-
cided advantages over other systems, and results in honey of a
superior quality. Have plenty of combs and supers; tier up the
same as in the production of comb honey; leave the combs on the
hive until the honey is thoroughly ripened; remove the honey by the
use of bee escapes, and warm it up artificially when ready to extract.

116

ADVANCED BEP: CULTURE.

CQ

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 117

This plan y:reatly lessens the work diiriny: the busy season, as about
all there is to do is to see that plenty of surplus room is provided.
If the harvest is prolongfed, lasting- several weeks, it is quite likely
that some of the supers will be ready to come off before the harvest
is over, and it may be best to remove them if they are becoming-
piled up too high.

It seems almost unnecessary to say that I would use a queen-
excluding honey board over the brood nest. If bee escapes are to be
used, the presence of brood in a super will defeat the plan, as the
bees will not desert the brood. If we are going to brush off the bees
and extract the honey at once, no honey that is thoroughly ripe can
be successfully extracted without at the same time throwing out
some of the unsealed brood if any is in the comb. With unusually-
deep combs in the brood nest, it may be advisable to use shallower
combs in the supers, but with combs no deeper than the Langstroth, I
doubt the advisability of having any shallower combs for the supers.
In the production of extracted honey there is not much to choose
between an eight-frame Langstroth hive and a ten-frame one, unless
out-apiaries are to be established, when the ten-frame hives seem to
enable the bees to bear neglect, to shift for themselves, to better ad-
vantage. They are less likely to run short of stores. Some bee-
keepers use only nine combs in a ten-frame super, or seven combs
in an eight-frame super, thus inducing the bees to lengthen out the
cells and make the combs thicker. The honey ripens more slowly
in such deep cells, but the uncapping is thereby greath' facilitated.
When the combs are uncapped, the cappings should be given a
thorough opportunity to drain, and, if they are kept clean, the water
in which they are melted when they are rendered into wax ma\' be
made into vinegar. H. G. Sibbald. of Ontario, has the best uncap-
ping box that it has been my good fortune to see. It is five feet long,
16 inches wide, and made in two sections, each nine or ten inches
deep. The lower section is for honey, and, with the exception that
the corners are halved together, it is simph' a well-nailed and neatly
made box, waxed inside at all joints, with a honey gate at one end to
draw off the honey; the legs being a little shorter at the end having
the gate, so that the honey will run off readily. The top half or sec-
tion is made in the same manner, only that, instead of a board bot-
tom, it has a wire screen bottom which allows the honey to drain
from the cappings. The bottom section is halved on the inside,
upper edge, and the top section halved on the outside lower edge.
Being made in this manner, the lower edge of the upper section tits
inside the lower one, and thus no honey runs down outside the
lower box.

118 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

After the honey has been thorougfhly ripened, and is extracted,
and found to be in possession of all the fine (jualities I have men-
tioned, what shall be done with it ? How shall it be treated that it
maj' retain its flavor ? The key to success in this direction is exclu-
sion of the air. Seal it up in glass jars, or tin cans, or in clean bar-
rels; and the sooner this is done (after the particles of wax and scum
have raised to the top) the less the escape of aroma. M3' preference
is a round, jacketed, tin can, with a flat top, and a large screw-cap
in the top. A five-gallon can of this kind, holding 60 pounds of
honey, can be bought for about 30 cents. This stj-le of package can
be rolled on the floor. A barrel is really the cheapest package for
storing or shipping honey, and when we know that honey is to be
shipped to some manufactory, there is no objection to the use of
barrels if they are well-made.

Upon the approach of cool weather, most honey will candy; and,
if sealed up tight, and put away in a cool place, it wmII remain in that
condition for years; and when brought slozvly and carefully back to its
liquid state, it will be found to have retained its original "flavor,
aroma and boquet." Too much stress cannot be placed upon the
care necessary in licjuefying candied honey. So many think if honey
does not boil it cannot be injured. The temperature of boiling water
will ruin the flavor of honey. When a can of candied hone^' is placed
over a stove, or in any other hot place, the outside of the cake of
honey soon melts, and this may become very hot before the rest of
the cake has dissolved. In a tank of hot water is the best place to
liquefj' a can of honey, but the temperature should never go above 160
or 17() degrees; and, by the way, when melting the honey, don't loosen
the screw-cap and leave it open; as it only allows the escape of the
aroma.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 119

TIhe Marlle^ifiM of Hoine^e

L^ ^O raise a g-ood crop of honey cheaply, and to sell it to the best

advantag-e, are two quite different processes, requiring-

_[ greatly varying qualifications. Seldom do we find all of

these qualifications in the highest degree in one person. I

believe that the majority of bee-keepers are better bee-keepers than

they are business-men; or, perhaps, salesmen is more properly the

word to use. Many of them can't get far enough away from a bee

hive to sell the honey that has been stored in it — or think they can't.

Every energy is bent to the securing of a great crop; having secured

it, many a bee-keeper is actually puzzled as to how to put it on the

market in the best shape, or how, or where, to sell.

Of course, the first step in the marketing of honey, is its prep-
aration for the market. About all the preparation needed for comb
honey is to clean the sections of propolis, and pack them in no-drip
cases with glass fronts. If it is to be sent to a distant market, and
the shipment is less than a car load, the cases should be packed in
crates. Not boxes, as these would hide the honey, but crates, with
slats on the side that will allow a view of the honey. A crate may be
made to hold nine, twelve or sixteen cases. A little straw in the
bottom helps to break the force of jars. The ends of a slat on each
side, near the top of the case, are allowed to project, and thus form
handles. The position of the handles shows which side up the crate
should be kept. In fact, these handles are so inviting that there is
no disposition to put the crate in a wrong position. The handles are
so short that it can't be "dumped" without dumping it upon the toes
of the carriers. Cases of honey crated in this manner never tumble
over, and they reach their destination free from even the finger
marks of a dirty hand. When honey is shipped by freight, it is

120

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE,

(|uite imjiortant that the combs stand parallel with the track. If
they are crosswise of the track, the buinpiri}^ toj^fether of the cars
breaks the combs much easier than when the combs are parallel with
the track. For this reason it is well to have a large label pasted
ui)on the top of the crate, with a larjre i^^'^' pointinj^f lenjifthwise of
the combs, and accompanied by the followin<i" in bold ty])e: "Load
with the hand j^ointin}^'- toward the end of the car, or the side of the
waj^on."

Much, both wise and otherwise, has been said about develoj)-
in»if home-markets. Much depends ujion the kind of home-market
there is to develop, and the kind of honey there is to be sold; yes, and
upon the man. 'I'he best honey producing,'- fields are often far distant
from the best markets; the best place in which to ])roduce honey is
not always the best in which to sell it. Such bein.iif the case, there is
not much encourajjfement in tryintjf to build up a home market, par-
ticularly for the finer <i:rades of
com I) honey, and. es]>ecially if the
home market is sui)plied with
"farmer-honey" that raised with
a lick and a brush — that is sellin*:'
at retail for two-thirds what a
ilrst-class article will net when
sold by a commission man in a
distant city. Many bee-keepers
have been able to sell to advantaj^e,
in the home markets, unfinished
sections, and lower {grades of honey. In many local markets, such
grades of honey will sell for as much as the choicest honey put up in
"gilt edge" style, while the commission markets of a large city are a
poor place in which to sell "off" grades of honey. To many grocers,
in country towns, honey is honey, much the same as butter is butter.
In selling honey to retail dealers, they must be visited regularly, and
kept supplied with honey. In short, the\- must be followed ui* and
looked after as carefully as commercial travellers look after their
customers. Grocers must be educated to know that honey can't be
sold unless it is kept in sight — and it should be kept under glass to
protect it from flies and dust. A handsome display in a front win-
dow is a drawing card.

The putting up of extracted honey for the market calls for a
large amount of thought, care and skill. Mr. McKnight, of Canada,
once said that "The product of no other industry is jiut upon the
murket in such a cumbrous, uncouth and slovenly form." This may
seem a little over-drawn, but it Is worth thinking of. The majority

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 121

of people prefer extracted honey in the liquid form, althoug-h this is
largely a matter of education. There is probably no more attractive
form in which it can be put up for the retail trade than in the li(|uid
form in bottles of clear flint glass, with tin foil caps and dainty
labels. A much cheaper package is that of tin, but it hides the
beauty of the honey. The friction-top cans are the best tin package.
They do not leak, yet they can be easily opened and the honey ex-
amined. The lack of attractiveness in the package must be made up
in the label, as is the case with all goods put up in tin cans. Ouite
a little candied honey has been sold in paper sacks. The sacks are
made of heavy Manila paper, paraffined, the honey put in while in
the liquid state, and then allowed to granulate. The sacks can be
set into small boxes, a la Qg^ crate fashion, the boxes holding them
square until the honey candies, when the sacks of honey can be
packed for shipment like so many bricks. The purchaser can peel
off the sack, and melt up the honey, if he prefers it in that state.
The cost of the package is only about ouc-toith that of tin. Every
package of liquid extracted honey intended for the retail trade
should have an explanatory label stating that honey will candy upon
the approach of cool weather, and all packages of extracted honey,
whether licjuid or candied, should bear labels explaining how to
liquefy the honey without injury. Right in this line, let me say that
candied, extracted honey can be put up in a very attractive package.
Let it candy in the square, f)0-pound tin cans, or it may be bought in
in these cans already candied, cut off the tin can with a pair of tin-
ner's snips, then cut up the cube of honey into blocks of one pound
each, wrap them in paraffin paper to prevent soaking, put a sheet of
parchment paper of this to prevent breaking, over this slip a paper
carton, and, last of all, a wrapping of white paper printed in gilt let-
ters, raised or embossed. The A. I. Root Co.. of Medina, Ohio, has
been the leader in putting up honey in this 'V/r luxe'''' style. For
cutting up the honey into blocks, they use an ordinary butter cutter
such as is used in the dairy trade. Thousands of pounds of honey
put up in this style have been sold at retail in Cleveland at 25 cts. a
pound. The beauty and novelty of the package and its contents,
combined with judicious but generous advertising, made the product
sell like the proverbial ''hot cakes."

Many men have made large wages selling honey direct to con-
sumers. They systematically canvass a city, or portion of a city,
carrying honey with them, giving "tastes," or small samples, taking
orders, and having regular days of delivery.

Of course all men are not adapted to the retailing of honey. Mr.
M. A. Gill, of Colorado, who produces about two car loads annually

122 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

of comb honey, saj's he prefers to sell it in a lump to some man who
wishes to retail it, while he will turn his attention to the production
of another crop of honey. But, even if a man does nqt retail his crop
of honey, there is no reason why he should not use care and good
judji^ment in selling it at wholesale. If the honey is to be sold on
commission, the most important point of all is that the commission
merchant be reliable. If in doubt, consult the editors of bee jour-
nals. Of course, they may sometimes make mistakes, but, usualh'
they are quite well informed regarding- the reliability of the princi-
pal dealers in honey. After all, an out and out sale of the entire
crop, at the end of the season, is the most satisfactory, although so
high a price is not usually realized as when the crop is sold on com-
mission. Some bee-keepers make a business of wholesaling their
own honey, that is, selling it to the same class of buyers as patronize
the commission men. It recjuires some little time to work up such a
trade, but, once it is secured, it is easily held. The tirst thing is to
get a list of those men who use large (luantities of honey. A local
druggist can usually furnish the namesof many of the manufacturing
druggists; the grocery man can give the names of the bakers; and an
advertisement in the journals will probably reach all of the bottlers
of honey. These lists of names should be arranged systematically.
Probably the card system would be as good a form to have them in
as an}' that could be found. Samples of honey and prices should be
mailed out to these lists, and to those who in(iuire for samples.
Where a man has the time and ability to look after the matter, this
is really a very satisfactory method of disposing of large crops of
honey, year after year, at a substantial advance over what would be
secured were the honey consigned to commission merchants.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 123

l^ipat©ry B©e°lle©piini^o

T is seldom that one locality abounds in all of the honey-produc-
ing' plants that ma^' be found by making- short journeys in dif-
ferent directions. A locality unequaled for earl}' bloom may
be sadly deficient in the clover and basswood blossoming- so
profusely at mid-summer onh' a few miles distant, while a few miles
farther on maj- be a swamp or river bottom that is of little value as a
bee pasture until gorgeous with the purple and gold of autumn flow-
ers. It will be readily seen wh^^some bee-keepers occasionally find
it profitable to move their apiaries once or twice during the season.
Some notable successes in this line have been made in Florida,
where the honey from the orange blossom comes in March, then a
move of perhaps 50 miles allows the bees to enjoj^ the bloom of the
saw-palmetto, and, later, another crop may be secured bj- moving to
the mangrove region. After the harvest of sage hone^' is over in
California,and vegetation in the mountain canons has turned drj- and
brown, a move of 20 or 30 miles will, in some localities, place the
bees among thousands of acres of blooming bean fields from which
may be gathered a white honey of fine flavor. In Canada several
bee-keepers make a good profit each fall by moving their bees to
buckwheat regions. In Europe bee-keepers move their bees to the
heather fields, and then, later, to the buckwheat; in fact, so many
move their bees to the buckwheat that a train is sometimes made up
expressly for carrying the bees to these pastures. Several j'ears
ago, a younger brother of mine, who had not left home, came to my
place early in August and carried home with him 20 colonies of my
bees; as there was an abundance of goldenrod, boneset and willow
herb in his locality, and none in mine. An empty storj' filled with

124

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

^^j>*',-^. .-^-

t^Mt^^ys"^

^ .„.:%-v4Nife^

^^;-'j8f1 '-^^'< tli!^^ A.'^^T^*

»><* t«I^ ->"-*

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 125

empty combs was placed over each colonj', and the top covered with
wire cloth. A hay rack was covered with haj' to the depth of about
two feet, the hives set upon the hay, and held tojjether in a bunch by
passinjc a rope around them. The journey' of 25 miles was made
without mishap. Those 20 colonies furnished 400 pounds of surplus;
besides, they needed no feeding- for winter, while the bees kept at
home stored no surplus, and each colony required feeding, on the
average, about 15 pounds.

Had buckwheat yielded well, which, in this locality-, happens
about once in a dozen years, nothing would have been gained b}' the
move. The inability to foretell the hone}' flow^ in any locality, is the
greatest obstacle in the wa\' of successful migratory bee-keeping.
Local showers sometimes cause a great difference in the jields of
honey in localities only a few miles apart, but migratorj- bee-keeping
does not allow us to take advantage of this, as, by the time we have
moved to the locality that is furnishing honey, the flow there may be
over, and, possibly, started up in the home-yard. There is nothing
to be gained b}- changing one possibility- for another of equal value.
But moving to another location which promises well at a time when
we kiiozL' nothing will be gathered if the bees are kept at home, is a
far different thing. For instance, only forty miles from here, on a
direct line of railroad, is a locality where it is nothing unusual for
100 pounds of comb honey, per colony, to be secured, yet >/o//ii//,i^' is
in bloom here at that time. The expense of moving to and from a
locality no farther away than this need not be so very great. From
30 to 40 colonies can be moved on a hay rack; or a special rack might
be made w hich would accommodate 50 colonies. An apiarist w^ho is
going to practice moving his bees to secure better pasturage, must
have hives, fixtures, and other arrangements suitable for that pur-
pose. The arrangements ought to be such that three or four min-
utes would be sufficient for preparing a hive for moving. One of
the greatest advantages of fixed, or self-spaced, frames is that they
need no fastening when the apiary is to be moved. Of course bees
moved in hot weather must have abundant ventilation; but this alone
will not save the brood, if they are long confined. To save the brood
the bees must have plenty of water.

Some localities are blessed with an almost continuous flow;
spring flowers, white clover, basswood, and fall flowers; and, by the
way, a man who is to make a specialty of bee-keeping ought to seek
such a locality; but many who are alread}' engaged in bee-keeping
are permanently located, have friends and relatives living near, and
prefer not to seek a new location even if the profits would be thereby-
increased. Then, again, it is difffcult to find a flrst-class localit}' for

126

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

m

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

127

clover and basswood that is equally g-ood for fall flowers; and, the
better the locality the greater the dang-er of its being- overstocked by
its very attractiveness bringing together so many bee-keepers.

There is no question but what many bee-keepers can secure a
bountiful crop of fall honey by moving their bees at the right time,
but a word of caution may not be out of place right here. Some fall
hone}', that from aster, for instance, is sadly unlit for winter stores.
So disastrous has fall honey proved for winter stores, in some locali-
ties, that the bee-keepers there have given up trying to winter their
bees unless they substituted ea\-\y gathered stores, or fed sugar. I
know of one bee-keeper in such a locality who secured bountiful

On the Road.

crops of fall honey from the surrounding swam]i~, but was utterly
unable to winter his bees, prepare them as he might, and he finally
fell to shaking them off the combs at the close of the season (thus
saving the honey), and restocking his apiary in the spring with bees
from the South. So, I say, beware when you move your bees to fall
pastures of asters and swamp flowers.

There is another form of migratory bee-keeping that has long
been the dream of apiarists, that of starting with an apiary in the
South at the opening of the honej" season, and moving northward
with the season, keeping pace with the advancing bloom, thus keep-

128 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

\ng the bees "in clover" the entire summer. The difficulties to be
overcome are larj^ely those of transportation. There is no singfle
line of railroad runninjjf north and south for a sufficiently lon<i: dis-
tance to make a success of mij^ratory bee-keepinj^^. When shijjpinj^
bees by freiycht, on the mijjfratory i)lan, the delays at junction points
are not only vexatious but disastrous. It is for this reason that
longiny: eyes have been cast at the Mississippi river and her steam-
boats, and, once, Mr. C. O. Perrine tried movinyf several hundred
colonies up the Mississippi on a bary:e towed by a tu^. The plan
was to run up the river nij^hts, and "tie up" during- the day to allow
the bees to work. There are several reasons why the plan was a
failure. The start was made too late in the season, and accidents to
the machinery of the tug caused delays. In order to overtake the
bloom it became necessary to confine the bees and run day and
night. The confinement for so long was very disastrous to the
bees. Those who aided in the enterprise believe that, rijjhtly man-
aged, the plan migfht be made a success. Mr. Byron Walker, who
has had much experience in moving- bees from the South, greatly
favors the Mississippi plan of migratory bee-keeping. He
would not put the bees un a barge and tow them with a tug, but
would load them upon a regular steamer running up the river, set-
ting them off at some desirable point, and then shipping them by
another boat to another point farther up the river, as the How beg^an
to wane. In the fall he would take the bees back South for the
winter,

Kig-ht here a hj'^pothetical (|uestion comes to mind. Supposing
that an apiary moving up the Mississippi secures as much as six
ordinary croi)s of honey six timesas much as a stationary apiary —
would this be more profitable than six stationary apiaries ? In other
words, which is the more i)romising tleld for enterprise, following up
the season, or establishing out-apiaries? Upon this i)oint there are
many things to be considered, and varyingcircumstances would leatl
to different decisions. To establish six apiaries would recjuire con-
siderable capital, and the labor of caring for the honey crop would
all come at one time, while there would be only one "chance" of
securing a cro[). With the migratory plan, only one apiary would
be needed, and the work of caring for the surplus would not come all
at the same time. With the stationary apiaries there would be no
expense for transportation, which is a big item.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 129

Otst°Aplarl<

'HP]N a man starts an out-apiary it is because lie
thinks his home-yard overstocked; that he will get
enough more honey for the division to pay for the extra
labor incurred. Overstocking- is one of the most puz-
zling questions connected with bee culture. We all know that a local-
ity can be overstocked; but localities, seasons and bee-pasture are
so variable that it is impossible to lay down any set rules in regard
to the number of colonies needed to overstock a locality. It must
not be forgotten that the yield per colony, yes, and in the aggregate,
may be diminished to considerable extent by overstocking ere the
establishment of an out-apiar3' would be a profitable move. At times
of great honey flows it is probably practically impossible to over-
stock a locality; the overstocking occurs during the lighter yields.
There is occasionally a man, notably Mr. E. W. Alexander, of New
York, who makes a success of keeping a very large number of col-
onies in one apiary, by feeding during times of scarcit3\ Mr.
Alexander has secured as high as 75 pounds of extracted honey
per colon}' from 700 colonies in one yard. This question of
how many colonies will justify the starting of an out-apiary is one
that must be settled according to the circumstances of each individ-
ual case, and can never be decided with more than approximate
correctness.

I have had no experience with out-apiaries, but I believe that the
majoritj^ of the inexperienced have erroneous ideas as to the difficul-
ties and expenses attending the establishing and management of out-
apiaries. Land must be bought or hired; some sort of a building or
shelter secured; and a conveyance of some kind will be needed for
carrying bees, tools [and "supplies. Then, in the Northern States,

130

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

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o

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 131

there is the preparation of a cellar for winterinof the bees, or they
must be carted home in the fall, and back in the sprinjj, or else pro-
tected upon their summer stands. But when a man bejjins to
number his colonies b3' the hundreds, he knows that so))icf/ii}i^i{
must be done. Even if out-apiaries are not so profitable as
home-apiaries, they are not usually run at a loss, while the removal
of the surplus bees at the home-yard, allows that to make better
returns.

When it is finally decided to start an out-apiarv. how far away
shall it be located ? We have been repeatedly told that, ordinarilj',
three miles mark the limits of a bee's forag-ing grounds; hence,
if apiaries were placed six miles apart, there should be no encroach-
ment. But it must be remembered that the pasture jjround of each
apiary is somewhat circular in form, hence they might be moved to-
wards each other to considerable extent without one encroaching
Aery much upon the other. Dr. Miller has g^iven a very happ^- illus-
tration: Lay two silver dollars side by side. Lift the edg-e of one
and slide it over the edge of the other. Notice how far it may be
pushed over without covering a very large portion of the other.
Notwithstanding all this, those who have had experience in the mat-
ter are not inclined to place out-apiaries nearer together than four
miles, and prefer to have them five or six miles apart. When the
team is hitched up and on the road, a mile or two more travel does
not take so ve?y much time, and the increased yield may more than
make it up. We cannot always secure the exact spot desired for the
location of an out-apiary, and it would probably be well to go a little
farther than really necessary, rather than to crowd some other
apiary.

The mode of travel to and from out-apiaries will depend upon
circumstances. Some men have a honey house, with extractor and
kit of tools at each apiary; and ride a bicycle to and from the work,
storing the honey at or near the apiary-, and hauling it home at their
leisure. A few men have been fortunate enough to be able to
locate out-apiaries near some trolley line by means of which the}'
can go and come any hour of the day. Probably the majority find
horses the most desirable means of travel; in which case one set of
tools will answer for several apiaries; it is even possible to dis-
pense with honey houses at the apiaries, a tent being carried, and
slipped over a light frame-work kept standing at each yard. A
covered wagon is sometimes made to answer as an extracting
room.

After locating an out-apiary, and deciding upon the mode of
travel to and from it, the matter of management brings up several

132

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 133

questions. Shall comb honey be produced, or shall the honey be
taken in the extracted form ? Shall it be managed upon the visiting-
plan, or shall a man be kept there during swarming time ? I believe
that, in the majority of cases, extracted honey is produced in out-
apiaries; as by this plan, swarming can be nearly' controlled, and the
apiaries visited only at intervals. Mr. E. D. Townsend, of Michigan,
has successfully managed an apiarj^ for extracted honey by visiting
it only four times a 3^ear. The bees were in ten-frame, Langstroth
hives. At the approach of the white clover flow he visited them
to remove the packing and put on two upper stories of combs.
He visited them twice to extract and again to pack them up for
winter. His profits averaged S150 for each visit. He approves of
visiting an apiary oftener than this, but his experience shows what
can be done. The reason for not visiting this apiary oftener was
that it was 50 miles from home. And this brings up another point
in connection with out-apiaries: If the^- are widely scattered, with
varying kinds of pasturage, there is almost a certainty of securing a
crop each year from sodic of them.

The difficulty in the past in managing out-apiaries for comb
honey has been that of controlling swarming, but the discover}^ of
"shook-swarming" changed all this, and gav^e a wonderful impetus
to the establishment of out-apiaries. B^^ visiting an apiary once a
week, and "shaking" every colony that has started queen cells, there
will be little. If any, swarming. A few bee-keepers succeed in pre-
venting swarming by removing the queens, at the beginning
of the swarming season, but the practice has never been generally
adopted.

As many colonies ought to be placed in an out-apiary, as the
location will bear; certainly enough to make a day's work at each
visit during the busy season, as it would be unprofitable to drive off
five or six miles to do only part of a day's work.

In those parts of the country where out-door wintering is uni-
formly successful there need be no question as to how bees shall be
wintered at an out-apiary, but where cellar-wintering must be de-
depended upon, a choice must be made between building a cellar at
each apiary, and that of carting the bees home in the fall, and out
again in the spring. If the bee-keeper knows, positively, that an
apiarj' is permanently located, it may be worth while to consider the
construction of a cellar on the ground; but, usually, there is more
or less shifting about of out-apiaries, and, unless too far from home,
I should be inclined to follow Mr. P. H. Elwood of New York in
bringing them home in the fall and carrying them out in the spring.
Mr. Elwood sometimes has many as 1,000 colonies in one cellar.

134

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

V

1, -

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ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

135

Mr. E. D. Townsend, whose out-apiaries are widely scattered,
buries his bees or puts them in ''clamps," as it is called; and where
the soil and location are suitable this is an excellent method of
wintering- bees.

Lake of the Woods, in the Raspberry Region of Northern Michigan.

Perhaps few can understand the longing there is in the heart of the anthor of this book to build him-
V self a real log cabin, with stone fireplace and chimney, on the shore of some one of the beautiful lutle In-
land lakes of Northern .Michigan, establish an apiary hard by, right in the woods, and pass at least a portion
of each summer in that sylvan retreat. What a place to take bee-keeping friends in the autumn, when the
evenings could be spent around a fire of blazing pine knots in the fireplace.

136 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

e /ipiarieSo

(fjr\^ HOUSE apiary, as indicated by its name, is an apiary kept
// \ \ in a house, the bees passing out through openings in the
/[ ) \ walls. Formerly, the hives were built, permanently, in the
house; the shelf upon which they set forming the bottoms,
the walls of the building forming one side, and each division board
between any two colonies forming one wall for both colonies.
Eventually it was discovered that building the hives into the build-
ing in this stationary manner curtailed or complicated many of the
manipulations. For instance, if a colony swarmed, and it was desir-
able to hive the swarm upon the old stand, moving the parent colony
to a new stand, it could be accomplished only by removing the combs
one by one, and carrying them to a new location. When the ordin-
ary hives are used, any colony can be picked up and carried to any
location. A swarm can be hived out of doors, then the hive picked
up and carried into the house. Still another point: Some bee-keep-
ers like a house apiary for summer, but iind it a very poor place in
which to winter bees, hence they build a cellar under the house, and
winter the bees in the latter, this course being possible only when
the hives are movable.

It will be seen that although we have a house apiary, we also
need the regular hives, just the same as though they were to be kept
out of doors, with this exception, that if they are to be used exclu-
sively in the house, they may be made of cheap lumber and left un-
painted. The same may be said of the supers or upper stories. If
we must have regular hives, why have a house apiary? Well, here
are some of the advantages: The house can be locked against thieves;
the colonies, apiarist and his tools are brought close together, and

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

137

^

r

138

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

under shelter; and this latter point is very important, especially in
the management of a series of out apiaries that are to be visited peri-
odically. Rain puts an end to bee-work in the open air, and three
or four da5's of rainy weather sadly demoralizes the plan of visiting
an apiary once a week, when there is an apiary for each day in the
week. In a house apiary the work can be continued regardless of
the rain. Of course, there would be the travelling to and fro in the
rain, but rubber coats and blankets overcome that difficulty. Shel-
ter from the hot sun is often a great comfort. In taking off honey
there is never any trouble from robber bees. Bees are more peace-
able, that is, less inclined to sting, when handled in a house. In

General View of Mr. Ludington's House Apiaries.

(Hotit y House in the Center — Shop in the Background )

short, the advantages, with one exception, are nearly all \vitli the
house apiary, and this exception is the cost of the building. Form-
erly there was the objection that the removal of the surplus liber-
ated many bees inside the building, where they were a great annoy-
ance upon the windows and under foot. The introduction of the
bee-escape has removed this most serious objection. By means t)f
the escapes surplus can be removed with scarcely a bee entering the
building, and these few find their way out through the escapes with
which the doors and Nvindows are provided at the top.

Probably the only really serious objection to the house apiary,
aside from its cost, is the great likelihood of queens being lost while
on their wedding flight; that is, of their entering the wrong hive up-
on their return. The trouble arises from the great number, simi-

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

139

larity and regularity of the entrances. To help to overcome this
difficulty, different portions of the house are often painted different
colors and different designs are placed about the entrances. Some
bee-keepers have found it desirable to rear their queens outside of
the house and introduce them when needed.

Mr. A. A. Ludington, of Verona Mills, Michigan, uses small
house apiaries, made of cheap lumber, and winters his bees in a cel-
lar Instead of setting his hives upon shelves, he hangs them up
against the walls bv means of heavy wire loops. The bottoms to his
hives are hinged so that thev can be letdown. This allows of an
easy examination of the lower edges of the brood combs where the
bees are almost certain to build queen cells if preparing for swarm-
incr thus he is able to foretell swarming very quickly without so
much as opening a hive. The bees can easily be driven up among
the combs bv the means of smoke, when, by using a hand mirror,
if necessary,' a view can be obtained that extends up quite a distance
between the combs. If the light is insufficient, some one can stand
out of doors with another mirror, and throw a flood of sunshine
under the hive that is being examined.

140 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

=\\OUL brood is a bacterial disease of the larvae or brood of
=<^ bees. Once a single spore of the disease comes in contact
with a larva, or is fed to it, it beg^ins to increase with
wonderful rapidity; the bacteria feeding upon the larva as
maggots feed upon the carcass of a dead animal. The larva soon
dies and turns a dull brown, something about the color of coffee
after milk has been added and it is ready for drinking. The dead
larvae soon lose their shape, and settle down into ropy, glue}' masses
having an odor somewhat similar to a poor quality of glue when it
is warming on the stove, being made ready for use. In the earlier
stages this odor is seldom noticeable, but, as the disease increases,
this odor becomes quite pronounced. If a match, or a wooden tooth-
pick, or something of this nature, be thrust into a dead larva, and
then withdrawn, the dead matter will adhere to the stick, and draw
out in a ropy string, perhaps an inch in length, when it will break
and fly back. The dead larva finally dries down into a thin brown
scale upon the lower side of the cell. A large share of the larvae
reaches that stage where the bees seal it over, but, for some reason,
the cappings often become sunken, and sometimes contain holes.
Of course, the healthy brood hatches, while the diseased brood does
not, and soon the combs present a peculiar, speckled appearance
from part of the cells being empty, while others are sealed with
dark, ragged cappings. When the bees attempt to rear another
larva in a cell where a larva has died of foul brood, it is cer-
tain to be a failure. This larva, too, dies of the disease. If honej'
IS stored in the cell it becomes contaminated with the germs of the
disease; and if fed to larvae infects them with the disease. The

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 141

combs finallj^ become so contaminated with the disease that scarcely
any brood can be reared. The old bees die off from natural causes,
and, their being no youngf bees reared to take their places, the col-
ony dwindles away until it becomes a prey to robber bees who carry
home the honey, and thus start the infection in their own hives. In
this way the disease is spread from hive to hive, and from apiar3^ to
apiary.

Such, in brief, is foul brood; and. as there is no apiarj- in which
there is not a possibility that it may appear, everj'^ bee-keeper oug-ht
to be able to distinguish it, and to know what to do when he is
so unfortunate as to find it in his apiary. From reading the
published descriptions, many bee-keepers have formed exaggerated
ideas regarding the appearance of foul brood, especially of its ap-
pearance in its firs/ stages. They are looking for combs black with
slime and rottenness, a stench strong enough to knock a man down,
and colonies dwindled away to mere handfuls. The possession of
these exaggerated ideas by bee-keepers has allowed foul brood to
gain a strong foothold in many an apiary- long before the unfortunate
owner ever dreamed of its presence. At first, only a few diseased
cells w^ill be found. Of course, it is not advisable that a bee-keeper
be continually opening brood nests, and critically examining combs
for foul brood, but there are certain danger signals that it is well to
bear in mind. If a colony shows signs of listlessness; or many dead
bees are found in front of the hive; or, if a peculiar, unpleasant
odor is noticed, it would be wise to make an examination, ]\7irj/cz'cr
handling combs of brood, it is well to glance ii)idcrsta)idi)iiiiy at the
brood. Notice, if the "pearly- field" of unsealed larvae is unbroken. If
there are desolate patches; and the sealed brood is scattering and in
patches instead of in solid sheets, examine more critically. If some
of the larvae are discolored, shapeless, ropy, ill-smelling, some of the
cappings sunken, perhaps perforated, foul brood is present. The
one sure sj-mtom of foul brood is the ropiness of the larvae. If a
splinter be thrust into a dead larva, and withdrawn, the matter will
adhere to the splinter, and "string out," perhaps an inch, or more,
then break, and the two ends flj- back to the points of attachment.
Without this viscidit}' there is no foul brood — with it there is always
foul brood.

Right here it might be well to say that all dead brood found in
the combs is not foul brood. There is chilled brood, starved or
neglected brood, "pickled" brood that comes and goes from what
cause no one yet knows, but in all of these the ropiness is lacking.
In the majority of cases the outer skin of the larva does not seem to
decay, and enables the operator to draw the whole larva from the

142

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

858^ ••''•^i

lltCwtt

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 143

cell. Then there is black brood, that has caused so much havoc in
New York. In this the dead larva is more of a gelatinous nature
than anything- else. It may sometimes string out quarter of an inch,
but never more than that, while foul brood will string out at least an
inch, and sometimes much further. Black brood turns slightly
5'ellow, then a dark brown, and finally becomes black, hence the
name. It does not emit that gluey or "old" smell that comes from
foul brood. There is scarcely anj^ odor, and what little there is
might be called a sour or fermenting smell, like that from decaying
fruit. Black brood is verj- similar to foul brood. It spreads in the
same manner, and treatment is the same as that for foul brood.

To come back to foul brood once more. The S3'mptoms enu-
merated above will be seen only during the breeding season. In a
strong colony, after the breeding season is over, the cappings are all
cleared away, and the dead brood is entirely dried up — mere scales
almost the color of old comb itself, U'ing fast to the lower sides of
the cells, and drawn back more or less from the mouths of the cells.
There is probably no symptom of foul brood that is more difficult
for the novice to detect than these dried down scales, and, as just
explained, except in the breeding season, they are the only evidence
that can be found of the disease. Here are the instructions given by
Mr. N. E. France. Inspector for Wisconsin, for finding these scales:
"Bring a brood comb up from the hive to the level of your chin; then
tip the top of the comb towards you, so your view strikes the lower
5/c/r-walls (not the bottom) of the brood-cells about one-third distant
from the front end of the cells. Then turn so that the rays of
bright light will come over your shoulder and shine where 30ur
eye is looking. Gas or electric light will not take the place of
good daylight. On the lower side-wall, a little back from the front
end of the infected cell, will be seen the dead larva bee, nearh' black,
with a sharp pointed head, often turned up a little, the back portion
of the bee flattened to a mere lining of the cell, often no thicker than
the wax in the wall of the comb. The base, or bottom of the cell,
likely looks clean; also all of the other side-walls of the cell."

Honey is the means by which the disease is usualh' carried from
one hive to another. Mr. Frank Cheshire sa3'S that the mature
bees, the queen, and even the eggs, are infected in a diseased colony.
Be this as it may, where the bees of an infected colony swarm, or
are shaken from their combs into a new or clean hive, and given no
combs in which they can store the infected hone}" that they have
brought with them, the brood hatched afterwards, in this newly
formed colony, remains free from disease. Foul brood is often
brought into an apiary by the bees robbing some diseased colony in

144

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

m .5?

^ .2

Q =

J a

ADVANCED BEli CULTURE. 145

a neig-hboring- apiary, and bring-ing- home the honey. The buying of
second-hand honey cans often brings foul brood into an apiary. If
the bees gain access to them they soon lick up any honey that maj'
have dripped upon the outside of the cans; or the bee-keeper may
rinse out the cans and throw out the water upon the g:round where
the bees will come and suck it up. I have known a bee-keeper to
clean out a lot of second-hand cans, and feed the honey direct]}^ to
the bees, with the result that foul brood developed in every colony
that was fed. In rare instances the buying of queens from a dis-
tance has introduced foul brood into an apiary. The queens them-
selves had nothing^to do with disseminating the disease, but the bees
and honey that accompanied them brought with them the germs of
the disease. It is a safe plan to put the new queen into a clean cag-e
and destroy the accompanyin^f bees and cag^e. After foul brood is
once introduced into the apiary, it is disseminated by robbing', by
the careless exposure of infected honey, by changing combs from
hive to hive, or by extracting honey from infected combs, thus con-
taminating the extractor and other combs that may be broug-ht in
contact with it.

When foul brood is discovered in an apiary, what shall be done ?
In the first place don't "lose your head," as the saying is. Don't be
in such a haste to be rid of the pest that a crop of honey is lost, and
the work of eradication imperfectly performed. Curative operations
can be carried on only during a successful honey flow, when bees
will not rob. If foul brood is discovered after the honey season is
over, treatment must be postponed until the following year.

The entrances of all weak colonies should be contracttnl. and
any colony too weak to make the proper defense, or so weak that it
is not likely to pass the winter, better be destroyed at once.

The sprayingf of the combs with acids, the fumigating of them
with formalin gas, the feeding of the bees with medicated honey, are
all of little avail so far as eradicating the disease is concerned, but
may do much in the way of checking: the disease and preventing: its
spread. By the proper feeding of medicated syrup in the spring-,
the disease may be so held in check as to interfere little, if any, with
securing a crop of honey. This medicated syrup is made by mix-
ing one ounce of salicylic acid with sufficient alcohol to dissolve it,
after which it may be stirred into about 25 tjuarts of a not too thick
syrup or honey. We should begin feeding the bees this syrup as
early in the spring as they will take it, keeping: each diseased colony
supplied with syrup until the flowers yield fairly well. Weak col-
onies better be united, but there must be caution in doing the work,
gradually bringing them together, that the bees may not be scat-

146 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

tered into other hives, until they are side by side before the union is
made.

Finally, the main honey flow comes on. With us this is the last
of May, or fore part of June. Now is M^ time for treating- the dis-
eased colonies. Any colony that is strong-, and almost or nearly in
a condition to cast a swarm, may be treated as follows: Set the
colony just back of its old stand, and upon the stand place a
hive the frames of which are furnished either with full sheets
of comb foundation, or with starters of the same. Remove the
combs from the old hive and shake off most of the bees, in
front of the new hive. Nothing- more need be done to the
colony in the new hive. Ere it can rear brood it will have con-
sumed any infected honey that the bees may have brought
with them. Don't use drawn combs instead of starters or founda-
tion, because the bees mig-ht store some of the infected honey in the
comb, where it mig-ht remain until brood was being- reared,
when, if this honey should be fed to the brood, the disease would be
again started. I have never found it necessary to give the bees a
second set of frames, and a second shaking, as is practiced by some.
Neither have I found it necessary to boil or otherwise disinfect the
hives. The old hive, with the combs of brood, is placed upon a new
stand. Sometimes two sets of combs from which the bees have
been shaken are united. In ten days a young- queen, or a ripe (jueen
cell, may be given the old colony. In 21 days from the time the bees
were shaken off, just as all of the health}' brood has hatched, and
the young queen is beginning to lay, the colony may be again treated
exactly as it was at the first shaking, when the result will be another
healthy colony, while the old combs will be entirely free from brood,
and should be taken to some place of safety (where no bees can gain
access to them) and eventually treated as may seem best.

Colonies not populous enough to make a good colony, each, when
shaken, may be treated in "pairs." We select the first pair, set one
of them aside, as was done with the strong colony, and put a hive
containing frames furnished with foundation, in its place. We now
shake out the bees into the new hive, as before, only we get all oi
the bees, as well as the queen. We now put the old hive with the
brood on the stand of the other hive of the "pair," bringing the
latter to the location where the first "shaking" took place, and shake
out the bees and queen in front of the hive into which the bees from
the first hive were shaken, the combs of brood being taken back to
their old location and united with the combs of brood from the first-
shaken colony. We thus get only one "shook swarm" from two col-
onies, but it is stronger for that reason. The united colonies of

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 147

brood will be given a j'oung' queen in 10 da5's, and then shaken upon
a new set of frames in 21 days, as was done with the populous colony
first described.

A good part of the success of this plan is owing to the medicated
food given in the fore part of the season. Of course, the same treat-
ment may be given without it, and will be equally effective, so far as
a cure is concerned, but the condition of the colonies, and the amount
of surplus secured, will be far different.

There is still another method of treating foul broody- colonies
in which there is no shaking off of the bees; and it has always been a
wonder to me that it has not come into more general use. The plan
originated with Mr. M. M. Baldridge, of St. Charles, Illinois, and is
called the Baldridge method. It is based upon the fact that when a
bee leaves a hive naturall3% in quest of hone^', its sac is free from
hone3% and it might enter a health}^ colony without infecting it with
disease. Of course, when it returns with a load of newly gathered
nectar, it is still in that harmless condition. Here is the method of
management: Bore a hole in the front of the hive, just above the
entrance, and near the side of the hive. Over this opening fasten a
bee escape in such a position that bees can pass out of the hive
through the escape, but can not return. Next cage the queen of the
colony, laying the cage on top of the frames. The following morn-
ing go to some healthy colony and select a comb of sealed brood,
either with or without the adhering bees, place it in an empty hive,
filling out the hive with frames filled with foundation, and set the
hive thus prepared upon the stand of the diseased colony, setting
the latter to one side, so that the two hives will stand side by side,
close together, and fronting in the same direction. Have the bee
escape as near as possible to the entrance of the new hive that is on
the old stand. It will be seen that all flying bees will return and en-
ter the new hive on the old stand; and, as fast as the bees leave the
old hive by means of the escape, thej' will return and join the newly
formed colony upon the old stand, as it will be impossible for them
to enter the old hive. At sundown of the first day after setting the
old hive upon a new stand, open the hive carefully, take away the
caged (jueen, being careful to take no bees with her, and let her run
into the entrance of the new hive. All of this work of closing the
entrance of the old hive, setting it upon a new stand, and removing
the caged queen, should be done as carefully as possible, so as not to
disturb the bees and induce them to fill themselves with honey.
Nothing more need be done for about a month, by which time the
brood will all have hatched, and the bees have left the hive and
joined the new colony. The hive should b^ opened in some close

148 ADVANCED BKR CULTURE.

room from which no bees can escape; and, should a few strajifjrlers
remain in the hive, they should be destroj'ed. The combs are now
free from bees and health}^ brood, and ready to be treated as seems
best, while there is a healthy colony in the apiary where once stood
the one diseased with foul brood.

When freed from bees and healthy brood, no matter what the
method employed, the combs may be emptied of honey with the ex-
tractor, and then melted into wax. Of course, an extractor thus
used must be most thoroughly cleansed before it is again used for
extracting combs of honey from healthy colonies. For disinfecting
the extractor I would use a strong solution of salicylic acid, pouring
it on boiling hot from the spout of a tea kettle. The matter of clean-
ing the extractor is one about which one cannot be too thorough.
Honey from such combs ought not to be placed upon the general
market, as consumers are liable to throw out an empty package
where neighboring bees will come and clean it up. Some bee-
keepers ship such honey to bakers where the heat used in bak-
ing will destroy any germs that maybe in the honey. Thorough
boiling of the honey will kill the germs and make it safe for use in
feeding the bees, but before the honey is boiled it must be mixed
with an equal quantity of water. Some advise boiling the hives, or
burning them out on the inside by painting them over with kerosene
and setting it on lire, but I have seen so many hives used without
taking any such precautions, that I have come to doubt their neces-
sity. Mr. McKvoy, Inspector of apiaries for Ontario, says that he
has cured thousands of cases of foul brood without any such disin-
fecting, and considers it wholly unnecessary. Some have advocated
the burning of the combs with no attemi)ts at saving the honey and
wax. If only a few colonies are to be treated, this might be ad-
visable, but the owner of a large apiary (juite generally affected with
foul brood, can well afford to take the necessary precautions where-
by the honey and wax may be saved. Whoever undertakes such a
job must remember, however, that eternal vigilance is the price of
success. One drop of the infected honey secured by a robber bee,
means disease once more in the hive to which it is carried. It has
been suggested that the extracting, etc., be done down cellar. It is
a cool place in which to work, and the bees can the more easily be
kept out. Others have melted up the combs at night when no bees
were flying. There is really no necessity of destroying the combs
and the honey they contain. If a man can not, or will not, exercise
sufficient care, it would certainly be better to burn them; but, if he
has "gumption" enough to succeed as a bee-keeper, he can save the
combs from destruction. It would be well, however, for all to bear

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

149

in mind that one little "forg-et" maj'^ compel a repetition of the whole
business.

Of late, the bee-keepers in some parts of Colorado have been fol-
low! nj^- a plan whereby a man may keep his apiary fairly free from
foul brood, even thou^^h located in a foul broody district. It is well-
known that shakin«jf the bees of a foul broody colony into a clean
hive, and allowinjjr them to build a new set of combs, frees them from
the infection; well, these Western men, just at swarming-time, treat
every colony in the apiary in this manner — make a wholesale sweep
of the matter. As this is done at a season when the honey flow has
commenced, and there will be no more robbing- until the season is
over, the apiary remains free of the disease for that season. It is
simply forced swarming on a wholesale scale. The old hives are
given new locations, and perhaps the combs of two or more colonies
are put together upon one stand. Perhaps it ought to be mentioned
that the combs are not shaken entirely free of bees, some being left
to care for the unsealed brood; and caution is exercised that the
work be not done too early in the season when there would be dang^er
of chilled brood or from robbers. At the end of three weeks, the
brood has all hatched, when the combs are shaken entirel}^ free of
bees, the latter, of course, going back into the hives and building
new combs, thus establishing colonies that are free from the disease.
The honey is then extracted from the old combs, and the latter
rendered into wax. It is asserted that the wax will pay for the
labor, while the new combs are built at a profit. I believe that this
plan can be successfully followed in the East as in the West;
although, of course, the Western harvest is much longer than ours.

RAVAGES OF THE BEE MOTH'S LARVAE.

150 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ApSsiiriaini lEssIhilfeits mt Fe^lr^

^OR 15 years I did not miss makinj:: an annual exhibit of bees
and honey at our State fair; and, for three or four years, I
also made exhibits at the State fairs of Indiana, Wisconsin,
Illinois and Missouri. It will not pay to travel from State
to State with an exhibit, unless the exhibit is unusually larg-e and at-
tractive— enough so as to win the lion's share of the premiums. On
the other hand, it will not pay to get up a large, expensive exhibit,
unless it is to be exhibited at several fairs. In order to thus make a
"circuit" of several State fairs, it is necessary to charter a freight
car, and travel with the exhibit. In no other way is it possible to
avoid fatal delays at transfer points. The work is terribly hard;
there is the packing up at night, and travelling nights in a freight
car, the "hurrah boys" of getting upon the grounds and the exhibit
set up in time, and the friendly rivalry with competitors, but
there is a fascination about it that, to an old exhibitor, is almost
irresistible.

There has been, in times past, some opposition to these apiarian
exhibits, on the ground that they were often made by supply dealers
who, in their eagerness to do business, did not hesitate to urge a
man to become a bee-keeper, in order to effect a sale. If the fruit
of the seed sown at these gatherings zvcrc a crop of producers, I
might admit that, possibly, there would be some injury to existing
bee-keepers, but, after the experience that I have had, I am
thoroughly convinced that nothing of the kind occurs; in fact, the ex-
hibition of hives, implements, and large (quantities of honey tastily
put up, impresses the crowd with the true importance, magnitude

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 151

and complexity of modern bee-culture; imparting- the idea tliat the
bee business is uuite a business — one that cannot be picked up and
learned in a day by some Tom, Dick or Harry,

Anything- that increases the consumption of honey is a benefit to
the pursuit; and, as usually manag-ed, these bee and honey shows
call the attention of crowds of people to the excellence and delicious-
ness of honey as a food; and the producer and consumer are broug-ht
face to face. At a fair, people are abroad with a disposition for
sight-seeing, investigation, and the purchase of novelties and nick-
nacks; and, a fine display of honey, together with its sale in fancy
packages, can not help benefiting the exhibitor as well as the pur-
suit. Honey to be sold at fairs ought to be put up in small packages.
It may be difficult to put it up in packages so small as to be sold at
five cents each, but I believe it has been done, while there is no difti-
culty in putting honey in packages that may be sold for 10 or 25
cents each. People at fairs don't wish to be burdened with heavy
or bulky packages, and the honey must be put up in such shape that
it can be eaten on the grounds, or else carried in the pocket or hand
bag with no danger of leakage. 1 remember that, one year, at the
Michigan State fair, Mr. H. D. Cutting sold nearly $40 worth of honey
put up in pound and half-pound, square, glass bottles and in small
glass pails. One year, at the Detroit Exposition, at least 1,500
pounds of "honey jumbles" were sold at a cent apiece, by three ex-
hibitors in the bee and honey department. These "jumbles" are
made with honey instead of sugar, and, for this reason, I'etain the
desired amount of moisture for a long time. In selling them at a
fair, a box of them is opened, placed on the counter, and tipped
slightly outwards, so that visitors can easily look into it. The cakes
are round, with a hole in the middle, and the upper side is of a golden
yellow, with a sort of granular appearance that is very inviting.
This side of the cakes is turned uppermost. Paper sacks are filled
with cakes, putting five in a sack, and a neat placard announces:
"Honey Jumbles; Made with Honey Instead of Sugar. Five in a
Sack and Five Cents a Sack." Another thing that may be sold at an
apiarian exhibit with even greater profit than the honey jumbles, is
honey lemonade — if the weather is hot, if it isn't, there is no use of
attempting its sale. Here is the way to make it: Into 12 quarts of
water squeeze the juice of a dozen lemons, add two pounds of bass-
wood honey and a teacupful of sugar. Basswood honey being of
such a strong flavor, gives more of a honey flavor. Keep the lemon-
ade cool with ice in some large vessel. I used a stone ware churn.
Keep on the counter a glass pitcher filled with lemonade, putting in
small pieces of ice, also a few slices of lemon. Then have a placard

152

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

w

Du

O

O

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 153

read: "Honey Lemonade: Most Delicious Drink on the Grounds;
Onlj' Five Cents a Glass." I have sold as high as S20 worth of this
in one hot afternoon, and the profits are at least three-fourths. Such
exhibitions and sales certainly do the pursuit of bee-keeping- no
harm, while thej' bring a profit to the exhibitor.

Neither ought the social feature to be overlooked. Every bee-
keeper attending the fair hunts up the "Bee and Honey Depart-
ment," and only one who has been at an exhibition knows of the
many new acquaintances thus formed, and the old ones that are re-
newed. It is well to have one da\" set apart as "Bee-Keepers' Day,"
giving the date in adv^ance in all of the bee journals, then all bee-
keepers will be present on the same day. When possible to do so,
it is an excellent plan for two, or three, or more, exhibitors to club
together and take a tent, or a portable house, each bringing his share
of bedding, provisions and utensils, and live a la picnic during the
fair. Some of the happiest hours of m3' life have been spent ingoing
through just such experiences with boon companions.

I doubt ver3' much if the exhibition of bees at fairs is any great
advantage to the pursuit. The most that can be said in its favor is
that they attract attention. There is certainly no necessity' of ex-
hibiting full colonies, unless it might be at some permanent exhibi-
tion that is to last several months, when the bees can be allowed to
fl5% a la house apiary, provided the apiarian department is on the
second floor. A single-comb nucleus with a queen and a few drones
and workers, together with brood in different stages of development,
can be made to show more that is really interesting than can be
shown with a full colony.

Of course it is impossible to goon and cover, in detail, all the
points in regard to planning and putting up an apiarian display, as
circumstances vary greatly, but here are a few hints: Extracted
honey should be shown in glass. Not common green glass, but in
white, flint glass. Have tin foil over the corks, and small tasty
labels. Aim to get a white, or light colored background for ex-
tracted honey. A dark color gives it a dull, or muddy, appearance;
I know of nothing better, or more appropriate, for this purpose, or
as a background for any apiarian display, than honey producing
plants pressed and mounted on white card boards and the cards
tacked upon the wall back of the exhibit. A pyramid of extracted
honey in bottles, in front of a window, is a beautiful sight; the light
"shimmering and glimmering," as it passes through the bottles and
their contents. Comb hone\' must be in cases with glass next the
comb. For several years, I exhibited honey built up into a circular
pyramid. First there was made a stout, board wheel, perhaps eight

154

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

feet in diameter. This was placed i)erhaps two feet from the floor,
being- supported b}' blocks or boxes. Attached to the edge of this
wheel, and hanging down, for all the world, like a woman's skirt,
was a sort of valance made of thin, blue cambric ornamented with
some neat design of gilt paper fastened on with paste. Around the
edge of the wheel, upon its upper surface, was set a row of shipping"
cases of comb honey, with glass sides turned out. On top of this
row was set another row, the cases of this row "breaking joints"
with the one below. Perhaps four rows were ]>laced in this manner,

Honey Exhibit of the Author as Shown One Year at the Detroit Exposition.

then the cases were turned so the long way of the cases faced out-
wards, a fewer number of cases making a row that was slightly
smaller than the others. Perhaps four rows were put up in this
style, then they were again changed so that the narrow ends were
outwards, which again reduced the size of the circle. In this m.m-
ner the size of the circles was gradually diminished as the pyramid
increased in height, until its top was only twi) feet across. That
these cases might not be jarred out of place they were fastened to
one another by means of small wire nails. Upon the top of this

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

155

P3'ramid was set a larg-e number of two-pound, square bottles of
hone}'. On top of the bottles was laid a platform of glass made by
putting" tog-ether two sheets of double-strength glass, bound together
at the edges with cloth pasted on and covered with gilt paper. Up-
on the glass platform was set more bottles, then another sheet of
glass a little smaller than the first one, and so on up, until a pyramid
of extracted honey was constructed upon the top of the pyramid of
comb hone}', the former being surmounted by a huge boquet of
golden rod. I remember building one such pyramid that was 16

Exhibit of Mr. M. H. Hunt, as Shown one Year at the Detroit Exposition.

feet in height. The spaces between the outer ends of the cases in
the comb honey part of the pyramid was filled with small, "dime"
bottles of honey. By thus combining the comb and extracted honey
display, one "sets off" the other; in fact, my competitors sometimes
complained of this, but it was their privilege to have taken advantage
of this fact had they so chosen. Mr. M. H. Hunt one year had a
castle in which the pillars were cases of comb honey piled up, and

156 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

the balustrade was formed from panels of beautifully molded
beeswax.

There is seldom a fairyfround with no bees near it, hence, no
honey should be exposed. All honey should be shut up close, and
no stickiness left on the outside of the packag^e. Wax should be
molded into fanciful shapes statues, or somethinjj: of that sort, if
the exhibitor has the skill to make them. Fruits, vej^fetables, ears
of corn, and the like, may be made of wax by first makinjj: molds, of
plaster of Paris, from the objects themselves. It is not necessary
that the articles be solid wax. First soak the molds in water, then
pour in a small »|uantity of melted wax, close the molds, and then
immediately shake them vij^orously while the wax is cooliny:, thus
coatinij: the inside of the molds with wax. When the wax is cool it
will come out all in one piece.

Let the bejjfinner not try to show a multitude of thinofs, but let
what he does show be as jjood as it is possible for him to make it.
Competition is so very keen, at least where the i^remiums are liberal,
that it is folly to expect i)remiums upon second-class articles.

Now that I have reached the subject of premiums, it may be
well to give what I would call a "model" premium list. I may have
placed the premiums at higher figures than most societies would
care to use, but the amounts can be easily reduced, preserving the
proportions.

1st 2nd 3rd

Most attractive display of comb honey $35 S20 $10

Specimen of comb honey, not less than ten pounds,
quality and manner of putting up for market to

be considered 10 5

Most attractive display of extracted honey 35 20 10

Specimen of comb honey, not less that ten pounds,
qualit}^ and manner of putting up for market to

be considered 10 5

Most attractive display of beeswax 20 10

Specimen of beeswax, not less than ten i)ounds, soft,

bright yellow wax to be given the preference.. <> 3

Single-comb nucleus Italian bees 10 5

Single-comb nucleus black bees 10 5

Single-comb nucleus Carniolan bees 10 5

Single-comb nucleus Caucasian bees 10 5

swi:i;i'srAKi:s on iu:i;s.
I)isi)lay, in single-comb nuclei, of the greatest varii-ty

of the different races of bees 10 5

Collection of queen bees of different varieties 16 8

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 157

Honey vinej^-ar, not less than one g-allon, shown in glass 6 3

Assortment of hone,v candies 4 2

Pastry made with honey instead of sugar 4 2

Thebestspecimensof honey producing- plants, pressed

and mounted, not to exceed 25 varieties 15 8

SWEEPSTAKES.

The largest, best, most interesting, attractive and
instructive exhibition in this department, all
things considered 35 20 10

I think bee-keepers would prefer to have "supplies" included in
the premium list, but the managers of fairs have decided against the
offering of premiums on such things, on account of the difficulty of
securing satisfactory decisions. The best we can do is to have a
"sweepstakes" premium offered upon the largest and best exhibit;
then supplies will count.

A judge should never be compelled to take an exhibitor's word
for anything. Let the article exhibited show for itself. Don't offer
premiums on samples of different kinds of honey, when they can be
so easily gotten up for the occasion by mixing. Don't put at the
head of the list such re(iuirements as: "Honey must be of this
season's crop;" or "Must be the product of the exhibitor;" when
there is no way of knowing whether they haxe been lived up to or
not.

In my experience, one man to award the premiums, and he an
expert, has given better satisfaction than three judges. It is diffi-
cult and expensive to get three men that are experts, and, even then
the work is not always done so conscientiously, because it is not so
easy to place the responsibility; each being able to shield himself
behind the "other two."

Upon this point of judging, there is one other point often neg-
lected that ought to be printed in connection with the premium list,
and that is a "scale of points" for deciding in regard to the merits
of exhibits. Particularly is this true in regard to honey. I would
suggest the following: Color, 5; body, 5; flavor, 5; comb — straight-
ness, 5; color of capping, 5; completeness of capping, 5; uniformity,
10; style, 10. Possible number of points, 50. By "uniformity" is
meant the closeness of resemblance in the sections composing a
specimen. "Style" including the attractiveness of the section and
case; also the absence of propolis.

If a bee-keeper is going to make an exhibit of apiarian products,
it often happens that he can also make exhibits in other depart-
ments of the fair, I haye exhibited photographs in the art depart-

158 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ment, canned fruit in the fruit department, and the wife and children
have sent thinj^s to their respective departments. In addition to this,
when making a "circuit" of the fairs, I used to write them up for
the Country Gentleman, gfetting: paid for the work. Fairs come in
the fall, after the busj' season is over with the bees, and if a man has
the time, taste and ability for this kind of work, going from one
State to another, as I have done, he can probably clear $10 a day for
five or six weeks in the fall. It is scarcely worth while to prepare
for the work, however, unless there is some expectation of following-
it for several years.

Just a few parting words to the beginner: If you make an ex-
hibit at a fair, don't get excited. Keep cool and have patience.
Many unpleasant things 7)iuy occur, but don't worry over them; and,
above all, don't let the loss of expected premiums so "sour" you as
to spoil your own enjoyment and that of your comrades. When you
leave home have everything in readiness, as nearly as possible, to
put right up. Pack everything carefully, but in such a manner that
it can be quickly and easily unpacked. I used to pack the scjuare
bottles of honey in boxes furnished with partitions of cellular board,
a la egg-crate, and, to pack the bottles it was only necessary to drop
them into the openings, and nail down the cover. If the package
does not indicate its contents, then mark it in some way. Never be
compelled to open box after box in an exasperating hunt for some-
thing that Dins/ be had at once. And when fair is over, don't "go
crazy" to get off the grounds the next minute. I have known of
men sitting up all night swearing, and sweating and fuming, because
"their car didn't come," or something of that sort, and we all went
out on the same train the next morning. At the close of a large fair,
an immense amount of goods are on the grounds; they have been
several days accumulating, and it is /;/i/y(>ss/7)/r to move them all in
an hour's time.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 159

C © n 11 n enoi e n t<

VERY experienced bee-keeper knows, of course, that the
mating- of a queen bee takes place upon the wing-, in the
open air; the queen leaving- the hive for this purpose when
about a week old. It seems to be Nature's plan for prevent-
ing: in and in breeding; as the chances are that the queen will meet
with a drone from some other colony than her own. There is no
doubt that there is as much difference in our bees as there is in
our other domestic animals, and the one thing- that has prevented
the development of strains of bees far superior to those we now
possess, is that we have so little control over the choice of drones
with which the queens shall mate. Where would our Shorthorns,
Jerseys, Merinos, Poland Chinas and Plymouth Rocks have been
now. if the mating- of these animals had been no more under our con-
trol than is the mating- of our queen bees ?

Attempts have been made to secure the desired object bj^ con-
fining- young- queens and drones in a tent, but, with one exception,
some fundamental principle has been overlooked. For instance,
drones of an improper ag-e may have been employed; besides, a
drone frightened to death and trying: to escape from what, to him, is
a prison, is in no mood to paj^ his addresses to a queen. The only
wonder is that there has been an occasional success in carrying- out
this plan. The one really successful attempt at mating- queens in a
tent was made by Mr. J. S. Davitte, of Aragfon, Georg-ia, and was
described in the February issue of the Bee-Keepers' Review, for
1901. The mating- tent was made as follows:

160

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Twelve poles, about 30 feet in lengfth, were iirml}' planted in the
ground, 12 feet apart in a circle. From pole to pole, at the top,
heavy wire was stretched to keep the poles true, and in place, and to
afford support for the coverin^'"of mos(iuito-nettins:. Wires, or sup-
ports of some kind, are also stretched from each pole to its opposite
neighbor. The poles are also braced from the inside. Common
boards are used around the bottom to the height of live or six feet.

After the tent is complete, colonies of bees are placed up close
against the wall of the tent, on the outside, each colony being given
two entrances. One is the regular entrance, outside of the tent,

Tent for Controlling the Mating of Queens.

which is contracted by means of (|ueen-excluding metal, so that
neither drones nor (jueens can pass, but the workers can pass out
and in, and work in the fields in the usual manner. The other
entrance opens into the tent, and is large enough for the passage of
a queen or a drone, but is kept closed or darkened for about a week
after the colony is placed in position. This is done for the purpose
of educating the workers to use the outside entrance. The drones
are not allowed to use the outer entrance at any time, nor to enter

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 161

the tent except from 11:00 a. m. to 1:30 p. m. After the drones have
learned the bounds of the tent they seem contented, and make a
pretty school flying- in the top of the tent. Mr, Davitte saj^s that the
manag-ement of the drones is the main feature of the problem ; once
they become quiet, and reconciled to fly in the top of the tent, the
problem is solved. Nine times out of ten, the queen will not reach
the top of the tent before receiving the most prompt and gushing-
attention. The queens are not turned into the tent until the drones
appear well-satislied with the bounds of the tent, and, when in that
condition, Mr. Davitte believes 500 queens in a day might be mated
in such a tent. One 3^ear he had about 100 queens mated in the tent.
A queen would leave the mouth of the hive, and return in about five
minutes, apparently mated, and, in three or four days, would be
laying; and the progeny of all of the queens thus mated showed the
same markings as the workers of the colonies from which the drones
were taken.

When Mr. Davitte starts his queen cells, he places his colonies
with selected drones around the tent, and allows them to fly in the
tent a short time in the middle of each day, as has been explained,
and, by the time the queens are old enough to be mated, the drones
have become tamed, and so accustomed to their surroundings, or
under control, so to speak, that, to quote from Mr. Davitte, "It would
interest a bee-keeper to take his place inside the tent at noon, and
see the ladies meet the g-entlemen, who, Barkis-like are 'willin.' I
have seen the mating take place before the queen could reach the
top of the tent. Before they separate, the queen and drone fall
nearly to the ground, and the queen goes directly to her home that
she left not three minutes before."

As I look at the matter, the principal trouble with experiments
in this line is that the drones have not been brought under control.
When a drone has been accustomed to soar away in the blue ether
for miles and miles, he is not going to be shut up in a 30-foot tent and
be contented. For a long time, at least, he is going to spend most
of his time in trying- to get out. As I have already said, he is in no
mood to pay his addresses to a queen. Catch two wild birds at
mating time, and shut them up in a cage. Do you suppose that they
would mate? Canaries have been kept in captivity for many years.
They are hatched and grow up in a cage. They know no other free-
dom or life; and they mate in a cage. Mr. Davitte had his drones
flying for daj's in his tent before any queens were released in
the tent. Perhaps many of those drones had never flown in
the outside air — knew nothing of it. Having flown several days
in the tent thej' became accustomed to that kind of flight, were

162 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

in a normal condition, and ready to mate with a (lueen should one
appear.

Suppose we could make a cage two miles wide, and half a mile
hig-h. Is there any doubt that a queen would be mated inside such
a tent ? Suppose it were reduced to one mile in width, and one-
fourth of a mile high. Wouldn't it be a success ? Let us go still
farther, and have it half a mile wide and 80 rods in height. Isn't it
reasonable to suppose that it would still be a success ? The ques-
tion then is: How small can it be and still be a success ? M\' opin-
ion is that the size is not so very material as it is to get the drones to
fly and feci al home. One large enough for that is, in my opinion,
large enough.

There is still one more point: Not all drones, at all ages, are
capable of fertilizing a queen. Many experimenters have failed
from not understanding this point. They have put nuclei, with
young queens, into a tent, then caught drones at hap hazard and put
them into the tent. Some of them may have been youngsters, just
out of their cradles, so to speak. Others may have been old grey
beards. All of them would certainly have been frightened out of
their wits to have been thus caught and shut up in a tent away from
their home. I think Mr. Davitte has found the key that will unlock
the problem, viz., that of getting drones from a normal colony, that
is working undisturbed in the open air, to fly itiizi'orn'cd in an en-
closure.

Although this account of Mr. Davitte's success was published
some three or four years ago, I believe there has been nothing like
it attempted since. The queen breeder who will build such a tent,
and succeed with it as Mr. Davitte says that he succeeded, will cer-
tainly have one of the biggest advertisements that could possibly be
secured. This is a matter that I should be glad to see some of the
experiment stations take up.

Right in this line, it might be mentioned that Mr. L. A. Aspin-
wall, of Jackson, Michigan, reports success in clipping about ';-iof
an inch from the ends of the wings of a queen. While this does not
prevent her flying, it so weakens her flight that she is not likely to
go far from the apiary before being overtaken by an admirer. If
only drones of a desirable character are allowed to fly in the home-
yard, the chances are that the majority of queens will be well-mated.
Mr. John M. Rankin, when at the Michigan Agricultural College,
tried this same experiment, but, with him, only a small per cent, of
the queens thus clipped ever became fertile. Perhaps he clipped
them too much.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

163

Here is an idea, however, that is thoroughly practical, one that
can be put in practice by any bee-keeper: By the use of full sheets
of comb foundation, or otherwise, keep the brood nests practically
free from drone comb; then, in two or three, or half a dozen colonies
(the number depending- upon the size of the apiary ) having very
choice queens, allow an abundance of drone comb. The result will
be that the air will be filled with drones from choice stock, and the
majority of the queens will mate with these drones.

164 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Tlie P^emcderliitf ©f Bees^^a^c

N nearly every apiary there are more or less odds and ends of
combs which are well-worth saving- to be made into wax. When
an apiary is run for extracted honey the wax from the capping-s
is no small part of the income. If there are many combs to be
rendered, as is often the case when foul brood gets into an apiary,
the manner of doing- the work becomes an important question. The
small bee-keeper who has only a few scraps to melt up, may resort
to almost any make-shift; and, by the way, here is one such primi-
tive plan: Take an old dripping- pan, or any large, flat, metal dish
that is of little value, and punch a hole in one corner. Set the dish
in an ordinary stove oven, letting the end with the hole in it project
from the oven. Put the scraps of comb into the pan, where they
will melt, and the wax will run out of the hole, where it may be
caught in a dish set upon the floor. If the scraps are of nearly pure
wax, like cappingfs, or new comb, this plan will answer (juite well for
rendering- wax upon a small scale; but, if the combs are old, the
cocoons will absorb so much of the w^ax that a large portion will thus
be lost. A plan that will secure a larg-er percentage of wax from
old combs, but requiring some more labor to put into operation, is
that of crowding- the combs into a sack made of cheese cloth or bur-
lap, tying- up the mouth of the sack, and immersing it in a boiler of
water set upon a stove, and then bringing it to the boiling: point.
While the water and the sack and its contents are still hot, the sack-
should be thoroughly turned and pressed with something- like a
g-arden hoe, thus stirring up the contents and pressing out the wax.
The water will largel}' take the place of the wax, which, being lighter
than the water, will rise to the top, where it may be taken off in a

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

165

solid cake after it has cooled. A weight of some kind, like a big
stone, or some bricks, must be laid upon the sack to hold it at the
bottom of the boiler while the wax is cooling, otherwise the sack
will be embedded in the wax when it is cooled. This plan ma3^ be
employed upon a large scale, even to the extent of using a large
kettle out of doors, and the use of the sacks may be dispensed
with by making a sort of pail or basket out of fine wire cloth, setting
it down in the melted wax, inside the kettle, and then dipping off
the wax with a dipper, by dipping inside the wire cloth basket, the
wire cloth straining out the coarser impurities. This method of
rendering wax b^- the use of boiling water will probably get out as
much of the wax as it is possible to secure without the use of pres-
sure upon the residue, or "slum gum," as it is called. Old combs

The Alpaugh, Solar Wax Extractor.

are largely made up of cocoons — more cocoons than wax — and they
absorb and retain the melted wax, much as a sponge will hold
water, and pressure is the only thing that will cause them to give up
the golden treasure.

Another plan particularlj' feasible for melting cappings, new
combs, or scraps that are nearly pure wax, is by the use of the solar
wax extractor, which is simply a shallow box painted black inside
and out, and furnished with a false bottom of sheet iron a few inches
above the real bottom, a cover of glass completing the arrangement.
The box is placed in a slanting position, facing the sun, and the
refuse combs, etc., placed upon the false bottom of iron, or in a sort
of basket arranged at the upper end for the reception of the cappings,
scraps, etc. The direct rays of the sun, aided, sonietimes, by the

166 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

reflected rays from the cover, to which is fastened a sheet of brijjfht
tin, melt the wax, and it runs down to the lower end of the metal
shute where it drops off into a vessel set there to catch it. A small
solar wax extractor standing: in an apiary is an excellent thing-, as
into it may be thrown all scraps of comb that would otherwise be
thrown away, or perhaps be thrown into a box or barrel to stand
around until destroyed by the bee moth's larvae.

All of these plans of rendering wax fall short of perfection, how-
ever, as too much wax is left in the residue. Pressure of some sort
must be used, or a larofe part of the wax is lost. For making: small,
or ordinary quantities of wax, what is called the German wax press
answers the purpose quite well. This is a tall can made of heavy
sheet-metal, with a false bottom securely fastened to the sides a few
inches above the real bottom of the can, together with a screw and
follower above to bring pressure to bear upon the mass of combs
after the wax has been thoroughly melted by the steam that arises
from the water that has been placed below, previous to setting the
can upon a stove. For holding the combs, a wire cloth basket is
used and a piece of cheese cloth is placed inside the basket before
putting in the combs. The melted wax drips down upon a false
bottom and runs out through a spout that passes out through the
side of the can. The use of pressure while the slum gum is still
surrounded by live steam secures nearh^ all of the wax; and the
greatest objection to the use of the German press is its limited capac-
ity— it is too slow a process if much work is to be done.

Extracting the melted wax from the slum gum by means of
centrifugal force, the same as syruj) is thrown from the sugar in a
sugar retiner3% or water from clothes when dried in a laundry, has
been tried enough to enable us to say that something may be hoped
for in this direction.

For making large quantities of wax, probably the most practical
plan is that of melting up the cappings or combs in a boiler or large
kettle, dipping off the wax from the top, and putting the slum gum
through a powerful press. It is difficult to say exactly who first
utilized screw-power for pressing the wax out of slum gum, but I
think C. A. Hatch, of Richland Center, Wisconsin, was the first to
bring the matter prominently before the public. He was followed
by Mr. F. A. Gemmill, of London, Ontario, Canada. One form of
press is, I believe, now called the Hatch-Gemmill press. Of course,
such presses may vary in detail, and I think the best form that I have
ever seen was illustrated and described in the Bee-Keepers' Review
by Mr. E. D. Townsend. Here is his description of the press and
w he woul d use it.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

167

The Hatch-Geminill-Townsend Wax Press.

i68 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

"Procure two pieces of tough oak 3x4 inches, b}- 24 inches long:.
(See Fig. 1. ) Twent}' inches from center to center, at equal dis-
tances from each end, bore ?4^-inch holes throuofh the 3-inch wa^' of
both pieces. These holes are for the H rods to pass throujjfh to form
the main uprights. Then in the center of one wooden piece, parallel
with the other holes, bore a I's-inch hole. This is for the bench-
screw to work through. From a ?/+-inch iron rod, have a blacksmith
cut two pieces 20 inches long, and one 30 inches long. The two, 20-
inch pieces are to have threads cut for a distance of S'l? inches on
both ends; and each piece is to be furnished with four burrs and four
washers. To assemble the machine, turn a burr clear on at each
end of each rod. Next put on a washer, on each end, and slip the
ends of the rods through the holes in the ends of the wooden pieces;
then put a washer on over the projecting end of each rod. over
this a burr, and adjust the parallel, 3 x4 pieces a scant 13 inches
apart.

When the 's-inch bottom, or table, is on, there will be 12 inches
space, in the clear, between the top of the press-table, and the under
side of No. 1. The screw is the same as a carpenter uses in his
work-bench vise. Mine is 16 inches in length, and 1 1-16 in diameter.
The burr for the screw to work in is let into the under side of No. 1,
and held in i)lace by a 3 x 12-inch steel plate, )4^ -inch thick, with a
1 1-16-inch hole in the center for the screw to work through. Refer-
ence to the accompanying engraving will show the bolts that hold
this plate in position. Instead of having round holes in the ends of
the plate, for the bolts to pass through, they are made in the form
of slots that extend crosswise of the plates. There should also be
another plate on top, only the slots in the ends ought to extend the
other way— lengthwise. This arrangement allows of any adjust-
ment of the screw so that it will stand perpendicularly. The strain
here is something enormous, and everything must be made solid.

The frame can be made to suit one's fancy; mine is of 2 x 4, well-
braced, 24 inches high, the top 24x26 inches, the long way parallel
with the 3x4 piece. Don't forget to brace it wi'Il with a '-. rod from
the table to No. 1. (See cut.)

The 30-inch, 3/4-inch rod is for a lever for turning the screw.
The lever that comes with the screw is not sufficient.

No. 5 is a pan of galvanized iron, five inches deep, and 18 inches
square, with one side left open and formed into a spout to carry off
the wax.

There are two racks (No. 2), each 16 inches s(iuare, made of
one-inch, scjuare pieces of pine, spaced -;« of an inch apart, and
cleated at each end.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 169

The follower (No. 3) is of the same size, and is made of two
thicknesses of '^-inch boards, with the grain running in opposite
directions. In the center of the follower, on top, is a 3 x 5-inch steel
l^late, with an indentation in the top for the screw to work in. Two
screws fasten this plate to the follower.

The form (No. 4) is 15 inches square, and live inches deep.

In the rendering- of wax. there is an excellent reason, which will
1)6 given later, for rendering the cappings separately' from the old
combs. Atpresent I will describe the work of rendering the cappings
separately' from the old combs. Put a pail of clean, soft water into
a No. 9 wash boiler, and set it over a slow tire. Fill the boiler full of
cappings; and, as the5' melt down, add more, until the boiler is as full
as it can be handled convenienth^ — say, within two inches of the top.
If the cappings are broken up tine thej^ will melt much quicker. My
cappings are all stored in cracker or sugar barrels. I throw a bar-
rel into a box that will hold five or six bushels, take an old axe and
cut off the hoops and remove the staves, then chop up the cappings
with a spade.

We will suppose that you have a boiler of wax on the stove. See
to it that the fire is not too hot. If you /mz'C a hot fire, leave the
griddles on the stove under the boiler. Keep the lumps broken up
with a long paddle — a barrel stave will answer — and keep constantly
in mind that the wax should never he allozvcd to boil. Just as soon as
the last chunk is melted, slide the boiler off the stove, upon a barrel
or box arranged the same height as the stove. The wax is now
ready for the press. See that the press-screw is clear up out of the
way, and the galvanized iron pan (with the spout end) is in place.
Next put in one of the slated frames, then the form, over which spread
a 30-inch, square piece of burlap of the thin, open kind. Press
the burlap down into the form, set a galvanized iron washtub under
the spout (you will need three or four of these tubs) then, with a
large dipper, having a long handle, dip the wax from the boiler to the
press. By the way, it is not necessary to put all of the melted wax
through the press. With a little care all of the slum gum can be
dipped off the top, leaving quite a quantity of wax, water and honey
that can be emptied directly into the tub. When the form has been
filled, take hold of the two opposite sides of the burlap, and move it
up and down; then do the same with the two other sides. This
works most of the water and wax through the burlap, out of the way,
so that we can handle the slum gum to better advantage.

We will suppose that nearly all of the wax is out that will come
out without pressure; take hold of the burlap on two opposite sides,
bring them together with a good lap, and pin with a ten penny nail;

170 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

then handle the two remaining- sides in the same manner. Next
remove the form, and put another rack on the top, the same as was
used underneath. Now put on the follower and add the screw-
pressure. When the wax stops running, loosen up the screw, give
the cheese a half turn, and add more pressure. If you have done a
g^ood job there will not be a. p(ir//r/f oi wax left in the slum g"um.
One pressure is all that is necessary for a boiler full of cappings; but
with old combs four or five times may be required. Always keep in
mind that the less slum gum put into the press the more perfectly
can it be freed from wax.

It will be noticed that the honey and wax have never been
broug^ht to the boiling point, hence the honey has not been injured
for the making- of vinegar; and after the wax has cooled and been
taken off in a cake, the honey and water may be emptied into an
open-end barrel. After it has stood over nig^ht, or until the sediment
has settled, skim, and dip off the top, and the sweetened water thus
secured is as g-ood material for making vinegar as it is possible to
secure; while every ounce of wax has been removed from the cap-
pings. The sweetened water thus secured is /oo sweet for the mak-
ing- of vinegfar, but more soft water may be added and the vinegar
made in the usual way. This is why we do not render old, black,
brood combs at the same time that we melt uj) the capping-s.

The same boiler is used for clarifying the wax. After a little
cleaning- around the upper edg-e, put in a ]iail of water, then fill with
the wax as it comes from the i)ress, only be i)articu]ar to clioj) it up
fine. An}' chunks larg^er than two inches in dianieter should be
chopped up with the axe, as we wish to melt it with the /(•</>/ /^ o. <>//>/<•
Ileal. As in the first meltiiig, the chunlxs are Kei)t I)roKen apart with
a paddle. (live a little more time for the wax to melt rather than
have it boil; and just the moment that it is all melted, slide it oif the
stove the same as before, cover up with two or three thicknesses of
blankets, andlet it stand until there are signs of its caking around the
edges. Usually, four or five hours are enough time for thi- iini)ur'-
ties to settle to the bottom, After skimming the wax, it is ready to
dip off and cake. Clean your long handled dipper, and with it dip
off the wax into llaring-toi), tin pails. Don't make the mistake of
l)utting any water into the i)ails. ^Phere is a little knack aI)out dip-
ping out the wax in such a way as not to disturb the sediment any
more than is possible. Don't think of dipping right in, just as
thoug-h you were dipping water, but drop the side of the dipper into
the wax, say, three-fourths of an inch, then carefully sink the holtoni
of the dipper down into the wax, always keeping the lop edg-e near
the surface of the wax. By dipping in this manner, it is surprising^

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

171

to see how close one can dip to the sediment without disturbing' it.
Stop dipping- as soon as sigfns of sediment appear in the dipper, and
what is left in the boiler can g-o into the next melting. Let me re-
peat: If you wish for nice, soft, pliable wax, that is so much in
demand in the markets, doii^t ever allo-w yoi(r zvax to boil\n anj- pro-
cess of rendering."

For cleaning; an^- utensils that are daubed up with wax, use a
cloth saturated with benzine. Benzine will dissolve wax much as
water will dissolve sugar.

For some mysterious reason, sulphuric acid will cleanse or
clarify beeswax that is brown, or black, or almost any color, bring--
ing- it back to a nice, bright yellow. The bee-keeper who renders
his wax according to the methods here described, will probably have
no need for using acids, but those who bu}- wax for making- into
foundation lind the use of the acid almost indispensible. A kettle or
some other vessel, is tilled perhaps one-third full of water, and then
filled up with cakes of wax. By the use of steam, or b}- setting the
vessel on a stove, the wax is melted, when acid is added at the rate
of about one pint of acid to 12 g-allons of water. Soon after the acid
is poured in. the wax will be seen to change to a ligfhter hue. when
the heat may be stopped, and the sediment allowed to settle, after
which the pure wax can be dipped of the top. If a metal vessel is
used, it must be thoroughly washed after use, and it would be well
to rub it over with grease to prevent any further action of the acid.

172 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Tlhie IR.eIsitl©im ©f IF©©dl to ttlhi©

N the Southern States, and other phices not blessed with a stern
winter, where bees can enjo^^ fre(|uent fli^fhts, it matters little
what the food is, so lonjj as it is not actuall^^ poisonous. By
this is meant that an}^ kind of sweet like sug-ar, honey, or even
honey dew, will answer as food. In these mild climates, little or no
protection is needed; but, as hijjher latitudes are reached, chaff-
packed hives, or their equivalent, are needed, and there must be some
care exercised in regfard to food. As we journey still further from
the eciuator, it is only cellars and the best of food that brinj^- forth
uniform results.

It has been asserted that honey is the "natural" food of bees,
and that nothing- can be gained by substituting something else. It
must be remembered that the "natural" home of the bee is that of a
warm climate, where there are no long spells of confinement caused
by continued cold. Hone^' is, of course, the "natural" food of bees,
but this fact does not prevent their dying sometimes as the result
of its consumption, when a diet of cane sugar would have saved their
lives.

In mj' opinion, food is the pivotal point upon which turns the
wintering of bees in our Northern States. Food is the fulcrum, and
temperature the long end of the lever. The whole (juestion in a nut
shell is just this: The loss of bees in winter, aside from that caused
by diarrhea, is not worth mentioning. It is diarrJica that kills our
bees. What causes it? An overloading of the intestines, with no
opportunity of emptying them. Cold confines the bees to their hives.
The greater the cold the larger are the quantities of food consumed

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 173

to keep up the animal heat. The more food there is consumed, the
sooner are the intestines overloaded. A moment's reflection will
make it clear that the character of the food consumed has an effect
upon the accumulation in the intestines. In the dig-estion of cane
sug-ar there is scarcely any residue. Honey is usually quite free
from nitrogenous matter, being well supplied with oxygen, and,
when practically free from floating grains of pollen, is generally a
very good and safe winter-food; although not as good as properly
prepared sugar sja-up, which never contains nitrogen, but possesses
more oxj^gen. The excreta from diarrhetic bees is almost wholly
pollen grains, in a dig-ested or partly digested state, with a slight
mixture of organic matter. What overloads the intestines of the
bees is this nitrogenous matter which they consume, either as
grains of pollen floating in the honey, or by eating the bee bread
itself.

Repeated experiments have proved beyond a doubt that, as a
winter food for bees, cane sugar has no superior. With this as an
exclusive diet, bees never die with the dysentery; and, if kept in a
temperature ranging from 35 to 42 degrees, they are all but certain
to winter successfully. This being the case, the question naturally
follows, why not take away the hone^^ in the fall, and feed the bees
sugar? One objection to the use of sugar, as a winter food, is that
every pound of sugar so used puts one more pound of honey on the
market. Another objection is that the bee-keeper is thereby com-
pelled to pa}^ out money for sugar, while he may have on hand a crop
of honey that is meeting with slow sale. Some object to its use on
the ground that it lends color to the cry of "adulteration." Per-
haps the greatest objection is the labor of extracting the honey and
feeding' the sugar.

Let's consider these objections. The use of sugar as a winter
food for bees unquestionabl}^ does put a little more honey on the
market, but this ought not to weigh so very heavily against the cer-
tainty' of wintering the bees. Neither need there be any labor of ex-
tracting the honey in the fall, if the summer management has been
conducted with a view to feeding sugar in the fall. By contraction
of the brood nest nearly all of the honey may be forced into the
supers, leaving the brood combs nearly empty at the end of the
season. It only remains to feed the bees, and, with proper feeders
(the Heddon, for instance), tin cans, and oil stoves for making the
syrup, feeding is neither a long nor a tedious task. What little
honey remains in the corners of the combs is not likely to be con-
sumed until spring, when frequent flights will prevent all troubles
that might arise from its consumption. In regard to causing the

174 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

public to believe that by some hocus pocus the sugar that is fed gets
into the surplus, no one need know of the feedinjjf, except it mij^ht be
in some cases, an immediate neighbor, and the bee-keeper ought to
enjoy his neighbor's conlidence to that degree that the exact truth
can be told him, and it will be believed. As in regard to the in-
creased amount of honey that the use of sugar as winter stores puts
upon the market, so any possible talk about adulteration is over-
balanced b}' the certainty of carrying the bees through the
winter.

If the feeding is done early enough so that the bees will have
time to work the honey over and ripen it, no heat will be needed in
making the syrup; simply stir into cold water all of the sugar that it
will dissolve, feed it to the bees, and they will reduce it to the proper
consistency; and, by the addition of their secretions, change the cane
sugar into grape sugar, thus practically making it into honey. If
fed too late something may be necessary to prevent the granulation
of the syrup. For this purpose I never found anything better than
honey — from 10 to 20 per cent, is sufficient. September is early
enough to feed; but, when feeding has been neglected until it is so
late and the weather so cool that the bees will not leave the cluster
and go into the feeder, it may be managed, as explained in the
chapter on feeding, by filling the feeder with hot syrup and placing
it under the hive. The heat from the syrup will warm up and
arouse the bees, when they will come down and carry up the
feed.

But all can not, or may not wish to, use sugar for winter stores,
and many do not ticcd to use sugar to insure the successful winter-
ing of their bees. There is a great difference in localities regarding
the character of the honey. Where one has successfully i)ursued
the same course year after year, it is doubtful if a change would be
desirable; but what shall the man do who loses heavily nearly every
winter, yet can not, or will not use sugar? Possibly he can so
manage that his winter stores are secured from a different source.
Mr. O. O. Poppleton takes the ground that the best winter stores
come from the most bountiful yields. It is possible that there is
something in this, bountiful j-ields of any crop are usually of fine
quality, but I know of at least one locality where the fall flow of honey
is always the most abundant, and I might almost say ahvays abun-
dant, yet so surely will it kill bees that the most extensive bee-keeper
in that locality, after an experience of many years, kills his bees in
the fall rather than attempt to winter them on this honey by luiy
method.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

175

But bee-keepers can do this: Notice if any particular kind
of honej^ is more likely to cause trouble, and then avoid its use as
winter stores. Part of the bees may be protected upon the summer
stands, and part put into the cellar. In a warm, open winter, the
bees out of doors will stand the better chance; in a severe winter the
odds will be in favor of the cellar — and their owner must take his
chances.

176 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

OuEt°D©oir WlEi^eiriinirf of Bees«

V bees can enjoy frequent flig-hts, out of doors is the place to
winter them. If deprived of these flights, a temperature of
about 45 degrees enables them to bear a much longer confine-
ment than does a temperature below freezing. In the South,
fre(|uent flights are assured; in the North, no dependence can be
placed upon the matter. Some winters are "open," or there are
January thaws, allowing the bees to enjo}^ cleansing flights, while
other winters hold them close prisoners for four or five months. It
is this element of uncertainty attending the wintering of bees in the
open air that has driven so many bee-keepers to the adoption ot" cel-
lar wintering. Still, there are some bee-keepers who, from some
peculiarity of location or management, arc able to winter their bees
in the open air with (luite uniform success; others are co)upcllcd, for
the present, at least, to winter the bees out of doors; in short, a
large portion of the bees, even in the North, are wintered in the open
air, and probably' will be for a long time to come; and, while my pref-
erence is the cellar, there is much to be said in favor of out-door
wintering. Let me give one or two instances of success: Ira I).
Bartlett, of East Jordan, Michigan, which is away in the northern
portion of the lower peninsula, began keeping bees when only 14
years of age l)egan with only one colony and when 21 years of age
he had 150 colonies, and had never lost a colony wintering them out
of doors. His method of protection was very thorough. He packed
four colonies in one box, putting packing not only at the sides, and
on top, but also bchnv the hives. The packing was fine, dry saw-
dust, and the roof to the box had eaves that extended over like the
eaves of a railroad station, which allowed the roof to be raised up a

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

177

o

H

178 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

short distance above the box, for ventilation; 5'et the snow would not
g-et in to any g-reat extent. There was a sort of vestibule in front of
the entrances, and this vestibule was kept closed b\- means of a
board; it being- removed onl}- when there came a day warm enough
for the bees to fiv — something that rareh- occurred in the winter.
So warm and comfortable were the bees when so snugly housed that
they even brought the dead bees out and dropped them in the vesti-
bule. I suspect that the thorough protection, combined with the
perfect ventilation, allowing no accumulation of moisture, is the
secret of this wonderful success.

Another instance was that of two ladies who began bee-keeping
in Northern Michigan before the iron horse had invaded that region,
and who were uniformly successful, for a long series of years, in
wintering their bees out of doors, packed in chaff. Like Mr. Bartlett,
the}- furnished abundant upward ventilation, above the packing.
An opening a foot square was cut in the top of the box containing
chaff that was placed over the colony, and this opening was covered
with wire cloth to keep out mice; and then, over all, to keep out the
storms, was a large roof. So successful were these ladies, that, from
first to last, I have paid them nearh- SI, 000 for bees.

It does not seem as though the question of w^hether bees should
be protected, here in the North, need receive an}- consideration
whatever, yet it has been objected to on the grounds that the pack-
ing becomes damp, that it deprives the bees of the warmth of the
sun, and that the}- sometimes fail to fiy in the winter, because the
outside warmth is so slow in reaching them, when bees in single-
wall hives may be in full flight. There is occasionally a still, mild
da}- in winter, upon which the sun shines out bright and strong for
an hour or two, and bees in single-wall hives enjoy a real cleansing
flight, w-hile the momentary rise in the temperature passes away ere
it has penetrated the thick walls of a chaff hive. On the other hand,
there are days and weeks, and sometimes months, unbroken by
these rises in temperature; and the bees must depend for their ex-
istence upon the heat generated by themselves; and the more perfect
the non-conductor by which they are surrounded, the less will be the
loss of heat. When bees are well protected, there is less necessity
for flight than when the protection is slight. If a bee-keeper thinks,
however, that bees in a chaff hive ought to fly on a warm day, and
they dont fly, he has only to remove the covering over the bees, and
allow them to fly from the top of the hive.

For several winters I left a few colonies unprotected; and I dis-
continued the practice only when thoroughly convinced that, in this
locality, the losses were lessened by protection. In mild winters

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 179

the bees came throug-h in prett\- fair condition. In severe winters
the bees in the outside spaces, or ranges of combs, died first; the
cluster became smaller: the bees in more ranges died: and. b}- spring,
all were dead, or the colony so reduced in numbers, and the surviv-
ors so lacking- in vitalit}-. as to be practically worthless.

I have never seen any ill effects from dampness, but I have
always given abundant ventilation above the packing. When the
warm air from the cluster passes up through the packing, and is
met bj' the cold, outer air, some condensation of moisture takes
place. This moistens the surface of the packing", but it remains
comparatively dr}- underneath. With a good strong colony of bees,
and ventilation above the packing, I have never known trouble from
moisture.

In the giving of protection, chatf hives have the advantage of
always being ready for winter, and of doing awa^- with the labor and
untidiness of packing and unpacking: but they are expensive and
cumbersome. It is some work to pack bees in the fall, and to un-
pack them again in the spring, but light, single-wall, readily movable
hives during the working season are managed with enough less
labor to more than compensate for that of packing and unpacking.
Then there is another point: The work of packing and unpacking
comes when there is comparative leisure, while the extra work
caused by great, unwieldy- hives, comes at a time when the bee-
keeper is working on the keen jump.

For packing material I have used wheat chaff, forest leaves,
planer shavings and dry sawdust. I have never used cork-dust, but
it is probably the best packing material. Its non-conductivity is
nearh- twice that of chaff, while it never becomes damp. The only
objection is that it is not readily obtainable, and usualh' costs some-
thing, while the other substances mentioned cost nothing. What
the}- lack in non-conductivity can be made up in quantity-. And this
brings up the point of the proper thickness of packing. I have often
thrust m\- hand into the packing surrounding a populous colony- of
bees, and found the warmth perceptible at a distance of four inches
from the side, and six inches from the top. This would seem to
indicate the thickness when sawdust or chaff is used. I presume
that packing has been condemned when it was not more than half
done — that is, when not enough material is used. I don't appreciate
the arguments of those who advocate the use of ////;/ packing. I
don't believe that the benefit of the heat from the sun during an
occasional bright da}-, can compensate for the lack of pi-otection dur-
ing )no>iths of extreme cold.

180

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

r

bo

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 181

Hollow walls with no packing have had their advocates; and it
has been asked if these dead (?) air spaces were not equally as gfood
non-conductors of heat as those filled with chaff. They are not. In
the first place, the air is not "dead;" it is constantly moving. The
air next the inside wall becomes warm and rises; that next the outer
wall cools and settles; thus there is a constant circulation that robs
the inner wall of its heat.

If chaff hives are not used, how shall the packing be kept in
place? I know of nothing better than boxes made made of cheap
lumber. If there is lack of room for storing them in summer, they
can be made so as to be easily "knocked down," and stacked up
when not in use. Of course, bees can be packed more cheaply by
setting the hives in long rows, building a long box about them, and
filling it with the material used for packing. With this method the
packing ought to be postponed until it is so late that the bees are not
likely to fly again until they have forgotten their old locations; else
some of the bees will be lost, or some of the colonies get more than
their share of bees. When the}^ have a "cleansing flight" in
winter, there is also a likelihood of some bees returning to the wrong
hive. Then, when the bees are unpacked in the spring, there is
more confusion and mixing; but I don't look upon this as so ver^-
serious a matter. At this time of the 5'ear, other things being equal,
a bee is worth just as much in one hive as in another. If there is
an^' difference in the strength of colonies, the weaker ones might be
left nearest to where the bees were unpacked.

Speaking of being compelled to wait about packing the bees un-
til they are not likelv to fly again until some time in the winter,
reminds me that advantages have been claimed for early packing;
that bees in single-wall hives onlj- wear themselves out with frequent
flights that are to no purpose, while those that are packed are not
called out b3- every passing ra}- of sunshine; that the earh^-packed
bees sooner get themselves settled down for their winter's nap, and
are in better condition for winter when it comes. It is possible that
there is something in this, but there were two or three years in
which I tried packing a colony or two as earlj- as the first of Septem-
ber, and I continued to pack a colony every two or three days until
the fore part of November, and I was unable to discern any advan-
tage in ver3- early packing. If the bees are protected before freezing
weather comes, I believe that is enough.

There is one other point that ought not to be neglected in pre-
paring the bees for winter, whether in-doors or out, and that is the
leaving of a space below the combs. When wintered out of doors
there ought to be a rim two inches high placed under each hive.

182

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

This not only allows the dead bees to drop away from the combs to
a place where they will dry up instead of moulding- between the
combs, but if there is an entrance cut in thi upper edge of the
rim, there will be no possibility of its becoming- clogged. This
empty space under the combs seems to have a wonderful influence
in bringing the bees through in fine condition, and I am not certain
why.

Weak colonies can seldom be wintered successfully out of
doors. They cannot g-enerate sufficient heat. In the cellar, where
the temperature seldom g-oes below 40 degrees, quite weak colonies
can be successfully wintered.

As I understand it, this whole matter of out-dooor wintering- of
bees might be summed up in a few words: Populous colonies;
plenty of ,^7;^>^/ food and ///^^r^^//.^/^ protection. Simple, isn't it ? Yet
there is a world of meaning wrapped up in those few words.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 18:

Tl^e VenHilatMini of Bee Cellair^

'EARS ago, "sub-eai-th" ventilation of bee cellars was almost
universally recommended. Nearly every one who built a
bee cellar, also buried 200 or 300 feet of drain-tile; the outer
end connecting- with the open air, and the inner end enter-
ing the cellar. To remove the mr trojji the cellar, a pipe, connecting-
with a stove pipe in the room above, extended down through the floor
to within a few inches of the cellar bottom. The draft of the stove
pipe "pulled up" the air from the cellar, and more flowed in through
the sub-earth pipe to take its place. In passing through the sub-
earth pipe, the air was warmed. If there was no stove pipe with
which to connect the outlet pipe, it was extended upwards until it
reached the open air. The air in the cellar, being warmer than the
outside air. flowed out of the upper ventilator, and more air flowed in
through the sub-earth tube.

In order to keep the temperature even, there was much opening
and closing of the ventilating tubes. In verj' severe weather, it was
often necessary- to leave the openings closed several days, or even
weeks. At such times it was noticed that the bees suffered no in-
convenience. Not onh- this, but it was often noticed that when the
ventilators were opened, the in-rush of fresh, cool air aroused the
bees and made them uneasy. Finally, the ventilators were opened
less and less, and, at last, they were left closed all of the time.

The amount of air needed by bees varies greatly according to
circumstances. When they are excited and full of honey, as is the
case with a swarm, the amount of air needed is very great. If they
can be kept quiet, a very little air will suffice. In winter the bees
are in a semi-dormant state, one closely bordering on hibernation,

184 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

as that word is properly understood, and the amount of air necessary
for their maintenance is very slig-ht. I believe it was Mr. D. L.
Adair who, years ago, removed a box of surplus honey from a hive,
and, leaving- the bees in possession, pasted several layers of paper
over the entrance. As all of the cracks and crevices were stopped
with propolis, the box was practically air-tight. The bees were kept
confined several days, yet did not, apparently, suffer for want of air.
Mr. James Heddon tells of some man who, wishing- to "take-up"
some of his colonies in the fall, plastered up the entrances with blue
clay, expecting to kill the bees by suffocation. Upon opening the
hives a few days later, imagine the discomfiture of their owner at
seeing the bees fly right merrily. I have several times wintered
bees successfully in "clamps" where the bees were buried under
two feet of frozen earth. Prof A. J. Cook even went so far as to her-
metically seal up two colonies by throwing water over the hives and
allowing it to freeze, thus forming a coating of ice over the hives.
The bees survived this treatment. It is not likely that, in any of these
experiments, the coverings surrounding the bees were absolutely
air tight, but enough is proven to show that, in winter, bees can sur-
vive, and, apparently thrive, with a very limited amount of air.

Special ventilation, simply for the sake of securing fresher or
purer air, seems to be almost wholly unnecessary; the few bee-keep-
ers who plead for special ventilation do so almost wholly upon the
ground that they can thereby more readily control the temper-
ature. If the repository is sufficiently under the ground, it does not
seem as though ventilation would be very much needed for control-
ling the temperature, unless it might be towards spring when the
bees had commenced breeding, and a large number of colonies were
in the cellar.

When bees settle down into that (juiescent state that accom-
panies successful wintering, their need of air is very slight, indeed.
When their winter nap is ended, and spring arouses them to activity,
and to brood rearing, more air is needed. It is then, if ever, that
special ventilation is a benefit, but, as this can be secured, in the
ordinary cellar, by the opening of doors and windows at night, if it
ever becomes really necessary, it scarcely seems necessary to go to
the expense of supplying sub-earth pipes. I should not do it, nor
advise it. When bees are to be wintered in large numbers, in a spe-
cial repository, I would have some arrangement whereby the heat
could be allowed to pass off, if it should become advisable, yet not
allow the entrance of light.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 185

TIbe P^elatioim of Moistlmire to
WiimteriiniM ©f Bees*

S IT an advantag-e to have the air of our bee cellars dr3'? Or, do
the bees winter more perfectlj^ in a moist atmosphere ? Or. is
this an unimportant factor? If it is important, how shall we
determine what degree of moisture is most conducive to the
health of the bees, and, having decided this point, what shall we do
about it ? How can we control the amount of moisture in the air of
our bee cellars? All these queries, and man}" more, come to the
man who is thinking- of wintering- his bees in a cellar.

Whether bees can be successfully wintered in a damp cellar,
depends largeh', almost wholl3^ upon the temperature of the atmos-
phere. "If the repositor}' be damp, a deg-ree of temperature higher
in proportion to the dampness should be maintained." — ^A'. W.
McLai)i. Referring to this statement, Mr. Frank Cheshire says:
"The reason being that the water has an enormous capacity for heat
(specific heat) whether in the liquid or vaporous form; the latter
abstracts heat from the bees, and intensifies their strugg-le." Dr.
Youmans says "Air which is already- saturated with moisture
refuses to receive the perspiration offered it from the skin and
lungs, and the sewage of the s3-stem is dammed up."

A moist air very readih^ absorbs heat, and more quickh" robs
the bees of that element so essential to life; hence it will be seen why
a moist atmosphere must also be a warm one if disastrous results
are to be avoided.

There is also another point, in the wintering of bees, upon which
moisture has a bearing, and that is in regard to its effects upon the

186

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

exhalations of the bees. If the exhalations are not taken up readilj-,
the "sewage of the system is dammed up." But little moisture is
re(|uired to saturate cold air; that is, it will absorb but little moisture,
the point where it will receive no more being- soon reached. As the
temperature rises, the absorbing capacit}^ of the air increases.
When air of a high temperature, at that of our bodies, or nearh' that,
is saturated, or nearly so, with moisture, the exhalations from the
lungs and skin are taken up but slowly; we are oppressed, and say
the weather is "muggy." This explains why we feel better on
bright, clear days. Heating air increases its power of absorption,
hence we enjoy afire on a damp day. If the air of a cellar is dry, it

will be readily seen that the tem-
perature may be allowed to go
much lower. In other words, a
cold, dr}- atmosphere or a damp,
warm one, may be about equal,
so far as effects are concerned.
This is a point that bee-keepers
have not sufficientl}' considered.
We have many reports of the
successful wintering of bees at
such a degree of temperature,
but nothing is ever said as to the
degree of saliiratio)}. Bee-keep-
ers ought to use a wet-bulb ther-
mometer in their cellars; then let
the degree of saturation be given
with that of the temperature, and
we would have something ap-
proaching accurac}'. I say "approaching accuracy," because the
strength of the colonies, and the manner in which they are protected,
have a bearing. A populous, well-protected colony can warm up the
inside of the hive, expelling the moisture, and increasing the absorb-
ing capacity of the air. Building a fire in a room on a damp day is
the same thing in principle.

As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the way to decide in
regard to the amount of moisture in the air, is by the use of a wet-
bulk thermometer. The arrangement is very simple, and any of
my readers could make one. Attach two ordinary thermometers,
side by side, to a piece of board. Just below them, fasten a tin cup
for holding water. Make a light covering of candle wicking for one
of the bulbs at the bottom of the thermometer, allowing the wicking
to extend down into the water in the cup. The water will ascend

ADAANCED BEE CULTURE. 187

the wicking- and keep the bulb constantly wet. There will be, of
course, evaporation from the wick surrounding: the bulb. Evapora-
tion causes a loss of heat; hence, the drier the air the sfi^eater the
evaporation, the g-reater the loss of heat, and the lower will go the
mercury in the wet-bulb thermometer. The g-reater the difference
in the reading's of the wet and the dry bulb thermometers, the drier
the air. In the open air there is sometimes a difference of 26 de-
grees; but this is unusual. When it is raining, the air is then satu-
rated. There is then no evaporation, and both thermometers show
the same deg-ree of temperature. In the cellar in which I used the
wet-bulb thermometer the difference in the reading's of the two
thermometers was usually about three or four deg-rees, with the
wet-bulb instrument standing- at about 36 degrees; but this differ-
ence could be increased two or three degrees by warming the air
with an oil stove. If the mercury in the wet-bulb thermometer
stands at 36 or 40 deg-rees, and that in the dry-bulb as much as four
deg-rees higher, I think there need be no worry about moisture; but
if the difference is only two deg-rees or less, either the temperature
ought to be raised, or the air dried in some manner.

Ventilation of cellars has been objected to on the ground that it
brought moisture into the cellar. This may be true, but not in freez-
ing- weather. Frozen air, if the expression is allowable, has a very
low point of saturation. That is, it will hold very little moisture;
and when it is brought into the hig-hei temperature of the cellar, and
becomes warmed, its capacity for absorption is greatly increased —
it is ready to receive water instead of giving- it out. When the out-
side air comes into the cellar, and deposits moisture upon objects
therein, it is evident that the in-coming- air is warm and moisture-
laden — warmer than the cellar and its contents.

Mould in bee-repositories is usually looked upon as something-
undesirable, and I will admit that its appearance is far from pleas-
ant, but we must not forget that, in a certain sense, it is a plant —
the child of warmth and moisture — and that the conditions necessary
for its development may not be injurious to the bees — }na\' be more
beneficial than a condition under which mould does not develop, viz.,
one of moisture and ro/d. A very damp cellar ought to be warm
enough for the development of mould. But the cellar need not be
damp. It can be made both warm and dry. These matters of tem-
perature and moisture are under our control. Either by fires, or by
going into the earth, preferably the latter, we can secure the proper
temperature; and by the use of lime to absorb the moisture, a dry
atmosphere can be secured. Certainly, it is not much trouble to

188

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

keep unslacked lime in the cellar. A bushel of lime absorbs 28
pounds of water in the process of slackint^f.

While it is evident that moisture in ordinary cellars is not inju-
rious, provided the temperature is high enough, it is a great comfort
to know that there is nothing to fear from a drj' atmosphere; that we
can indulge our fancy, if you choose to call it that, for dry, sweet-
smelling, mouldless cellars, and know that the results will be
harmless.

Some bee-keepers have asserted that cellars dug in clay or hard
pan are more difficult to keep dry than when dug in a sandy soil.
Mr. J. H. Martin, when living in New York, said that a cellar in
hard pan, or even in clay, could be much improved bj- digging down
two or three feet, tilling in with stones, then with gravel, and finish-
ing up with a covering of cement.

A Glimpse of a Montana Apiary.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 189

ROF. ATWATER says that the production of heat in the
human body is so great that, if there were no way for it to
escape, there would sufficient accumulate, in an average,
well-fed man, to heat his body to the boiling- point in 36
hours. This heat is gradually passing oif by radiation. To prevent
too rapid radiation, we cover our bodies with clothing. B"or the same
reason, we surround our bees in winter with chaff or some other
non-conductor of heat; but there is no way in which the radiation of
heat can be so completely controlled as by surrounding the heat pro-
ducing body with an atmosphere of the proper temperature. There
is no method by which the most desirable temperature for wintering-
bees can be so completely secured as by placing- the bees in a cellar
or special repositor3\

The ordinary house-cellar, where the temperature remains
above freezing-, is usually a g^ood place in which to winter bees. Men
who are engag-ed extensively in bee-keeping where cellars are needed
for the wintering- of bees, usually find it to their advantage, perhaps
a necessity, to build a special repository. The more completely the
cellar is below the surface of the earth, the more perfectly can the
temperature be controlled. It should be remembered that, not only
is there the winter's cold with which to contend, but the warmer
days of late winter may arouse the bees and make them uneasy
before it is time to remove them from the cellar; unless the cellar is
deep in the g-round beyond the influence of outside temperatures.
The walls of a cellar are usually laid up with brick or stone, but
there are other methods of making a cellar. Mr. T. F. Bing-ham, of

190

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 191

Fai'well, Michigfan, has a cellar that has been compared to a cistern.
The walls are made sloping", and then plastered over very heavily
with cement, after the manner in which cisterns are sometimes
made. Over the cellar is laid a floor covered several inches with dry
sawdust, while a roof keeps all dr^', Mr. Bin.g-ham is a believer in
havinj^ fresh air for the bees, even thoug^h thej^ use only a small
amount, and he has a ventilator 17 inches square running- up through
the ceiling and roof. Mr. Bingham also finds this ventilation of
great help in keeping the bees quiet during the first warm days of
spring, before he considers it late enough for their removal.

Some parts of the countr^^ are too low and level to allow the
building of a cellar below the surface of the earth, when some
sort of a structure above g^round is the only resort. Some of
these above-ground cellars have double walls built of brick, others
have walls of stone, and still others are made of cedar or pine
logs after the manner of a log house, and the whole structure then
covered with earth. A cellar thus surrounded by earth is almost as
thoroug-hly proof against the chang-es of temperature, as though
built under g-round.

Having briefly considered cellars, let us come back to the sub-
ject of temperature; and, h\ the way, I am certain that I can do no
better than to quote a few^ paragraphs upon this subject from an
article contributed by Mr. R. L. Taylor to one of the earl}' numbers
of the Bee-Keepers' Review. Among- other things, Mr. Taylor said:
"I think it a truth not to be forg-otten that no one can determine, ex-
cept approximately, the best temperature for bees in another's re-
pository. The condition of the bees as to numbers, the warmth and
ventilation of the hive, the character of the hives, and the state of the
repositorj^ as to moisture, have each to be considered in deciding
upon temperature.

Of course, the bee-keeper cares nothing about the temperature
in itself; what he is interested in is in knowing what the condition is
in which the bees pass the winter with the least loss of vitality. In
what manner temperature affects this condition is really a subsid-
iary question. If we could agree upon the primary question, I think
there would be little difficulty in solving the subsidiary one.

What are the distinguishing marks of the condition most desir-
able for the well being of the bees ?

We know that at the beginning of their season of rest, bees
cluster closely, and we know that so strong is this instinct that this
state, late in the fall, continues in a temperature that at another
season of the year would cause extreme activity. There is no doubt
that this is the state best suited to the preservation of the physical

192

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

UJ

o

o

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 193

powers of the bees. Labor, activity, anxiety, are wearing to mortal
flesh. To live long-, one must live slowly. We wish our bees to have
the same degree of physical vigor in April which they possess in No-
vember. I would emphasize the adverb in the phrase 'cluster
closely,' in using it as an earmark of the condition desired. The
quietness sought should be a quietness to the eye, and not to the ear
alone. The right cluster is knit together, and the individual bees
thereof only aroused to full consciousness by positive disturbance.
Bees in a loose cluster, or spread through the hive, often make little
sound when wearing themselves out by premature brood rearing
or by over feeding. How does temperature aifect the desired
condition ?

Most bee-keepers know that temperature below a certain point
causes activity among the bees on account of the necessity they feel
of keeping up the warmth of the cluster by exercise, in order to pre-
vent themselves sinking into such a degree of chilliness that they
shall no longer have the power to resuscitate themselves; and all
know that as the period of rest lengthens, the beesbecome more and
more susceptible to a high temperature, and are very likely to be
pushed by it into unseasonable activity. Again, the temperature
may be so low and so long continued that, notwithstanding their
efforts, the5^ perish either of cold or starvation.

Of course, the temperature that determines the welfare of a
colony is that within its own hive, so it becomes very important in
fixing the temperature to consider the strength of the colonies, and
size, warmth and ventilation of the hives. A temperature that would
enable a weak colony to winter safely would almost surely greatly
injure a strong colony in a hive of like size and condition, unless its
stores were of good quality, and vice versa. Weak colonies should be
protected by contraction and a closer hive — the stronger given more
ventilation. A moist atmosphere conveys away animal heat much
more rapidly than a dry one, so that the best temperature in one cel-
lar might vary many degrees from that which would be best in
another.

I have no doubt in my mind that, with stores which are excep-
tional, every normal colony would winter well in an^^ ordinary bee-
cellar, where the temperature ranges from 32 to 50 degrees, Fahren-
heit, and that we err when we attempt to make successful wintering
turn upon anything aside from food; still, no doubt the temperature
may be made to assist the bees in contending with the distresses
arising from the unfit food. Warmth makes the discomfort of their
diarrhoetic disease less unbearable. In a low temperature, bees
afflicted with diarrhoea soon perish miserably. So, for bees thus

194 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

diseased, I would provide a hi<^h temperature; say about 50 deg-rees,
thereby enabling the dying- to leave the hive, the diseased to void
their excreta outside the cluster, and the well to make a more
courag"eous fight for life.

I need scarcely add anything- more upon this part of the subject,
and shall only say farther that, in my own cellars, where the air is
neither very moist nor very dry, and where there are no draughts, I
consider a temperature of 40 to 44 degrees the best for good colonies
in hives from which the bottom boards are entirely removed. If the
bottom boards are not removed, I think that five degrees lower would
be about equivalent.

In order to have the temperature as desired, it becomes impor-
tant to have one's bees in a repository of which the temperature is
nearly independent of outside changes. This is, I think, secured
far more satisfactorily by having the repository entirely, or, at
least, very largely, below the surface of the earth."

As the temperature is higher at the upper part of a cellar, the
weak colonies should be placed in the topmost tier of hives.

It has been urged that, as spring approaches, and breeding be-
gins,the temperature of the cellar should be raised. With a large
number of colonies the increased activity would, of itself, have
a tendency in this direction. If there are only a few colonies,
artificial means of raising the temperature are sometimes em-
ployed. Some have used oil stoves in the hatchway of the cellar;
others have warmed the air with wood or coal stoves. If an oil stove
is used, there ought to be a metal hood over it, and a pipe connect-
ing with a stove pipe in the room above, or else with the open air.
Of course an oil stove can be used without such an arrangement,
but it overloads the air with the gases of combustion. I mention
these make-shifts with something akin to reluctance, as I feel that
the proper way to do is to have a cellar so constructed that there
will be no necessity for their use.

Mr. H. R. Boardman, who has had much successful experience in
wintering bees in cellars, prefers to have a bee cellar with two apart-
ments, in one of which is a stove. If he ever finds it necessarj^ to
resort to artificial heat, he warms the air in the ante room, and then
admits it to the room. In the use of artificial heat he does not find it
necessary to employ it constantly, or every day; in fact, he says
that the best results are secured by giving the bees the benefit of a
summer temperature for a short time once a week, and then letting
them alone. They will, after being warmed up, become quiet in a
short time, and remain so for several days, and no serious results
may be apprehended from cold, if in a frost-proof cellar.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

195

V ■

.... 'LidJ^a^ . '-'^^

^^imk:-

"4

Wintering Bees in a "Clamp."

196 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

There is still another method of securing: the proper temperature
for wintering- bees, aside from that of packing- them in chaff, or put-
ting them in the cellar, and that is that of burying them in "clamps,"
as they are called, the same as potatoes and apples are buried in
pits. Along trench is first dug a little wider and deeper than a
hive. In the bottom is placed a layer of straw, then two pieces of
scantling upon which to set the hives. Rails, fence posts, or any
kind of supports, are then laid over the hives, and covered with straw
upon which the earth is thrown to a sufficient depth to exclude the
frost. Sometimes ventilation is given these clamps, but it does not
seem to make any material difference whether they are ventilated or
not. It does make a difference, however, in regard to the soil and
situation. In a sandy or gravelly knoll, where the water will never
stand, the successful wintering of the bees is almost assured. In
heavy clay, the loss of the bees is equally certain. I say this from
numerous experiments. Bees in a clamp, in the right kind of soil,
in a g-ood condition, winter equally as well as in a cellar, sometimes
it seems as though they winter better, and the only possible objec-
tions to this method are the labor and untidiness.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 197

Caff'e ©f B©e© iim Wiimterc

F THEY were properh' prepared for winter the preceding-
autumn, given plenty of good stores, properly protected out of
doors, or placed in a cellar or other repository having the proper
temperature, and precautions taken against depredation by
mice, bees require almost no care in winter.

No bee-keeper worth}' the name will allow his bees to go into
winter quarters short of stores. They ought, at least, to have enough
to last them until the first warm da3's of spring-, when the}^ may be
handled upon their summer stands, and fed if necessary.

However, if by any hook or crook, bees liave gone into winter
quarters short of stores, and there are fears that some of them
may be starving, it is better that they be examined and fed if needed,
even though the task may be unpleasant. There need be no hesi-
tancy in thus disturbing the bees for fear that it may do them some
injury, for, as a rule, it will not.

Probabl}' the best method of feeding a colony- of bees in winter,
is to give them a frame of honey. If no honey is available, and some
of the colonies must be fed, the best substitute is candy made from
granulated sugar. Put in sufficient water to dissolve the sugar, then
boil the syrup until it will harden in cooling": To learn when to re-
move the candy from the stove, take out a spoonful every few minutes,
and allow it to cool. As soon as it begins to show signs of hardening-,
draw the vessel containing it to the back of the stove, where the heat
is less. Watch it carefully and try it frequently. As soon as it is
sufficiently hard, remove it from the stove, and pour it into shallow
dishes to cool. Be careful not to get it too hard. If it is hard enough
to retain its form when placed over a colony of bees,that is sufficient.
A thin cake of such candy laid directly upon the frames over a colony
of bees, and then the whole top of the hive covered with a piece of
enameled cloth, and two or three thicknesses of old carpet over that,
will enable the bees to "hold the fort" as long as the candy lasts. If,
for any reason, it is impossible, or undesirable, to place the candy in

198 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

this manner upon the tops of the frames, the candy may be "run"
directly into empty brood frames, and the frames hung- in the hives
adjoining- the bees. To fill a frame with candy, lay it upon a smooth
board with a piece of paper under the frame, and pour in the candy,
after first waiting for it to cool until it is as cool as it can be, and yet
be made to "run." To keep the frame down close to the paper, so
that the soft candy will not run out while cooling, tack the frame
down with some nails just long- enough to hold the frame down
nicely, but not long enough to make it difficult of removal. If a
frame full of candy is more than a colony needs, a less amount may
be given by tacking a crossbar in the frame, part way up from the
bottom, and filling the upper space only with candy.

Mice sometimes do some little damage, both to colonies wintered
indoors, and those in the open air. This damage is confined prin-
cipally to that of g-nawing the combs. If bee-keepers would only
remember that bees can pass through a space that is less than K of
an inch, and that a mouse needs a space nearly twice this, it would
seem that there need be no trouble in keeping mice out of doors.
Simply contract the entrance until it is only % of an inch the nar-
rowest way, and no mice can enter. This should be done quite early
in the fall, as cool, frosty nig-hts often drive the mice into the warm
retreat to be found inside a bee hive. When bees are wintered in
the cellar, many bee-keepers practice raising the hive about two
inches from the bottom board; others remove the bottom board en-
tirely. This allows plenty of ventilation with scarcely any escape of
heat. All dead bees and rubbish drop down away from the cluster
of bees, where they dry up instead of becoming- mouldy and rotten
from contact with the warmth and moisture of the cluster. If a
colony docs die, the combs are left dry and clean, instead of being
stuck together with a mass of damp, moldy, rotting bees. All who
have tried raising hives in this manner are enthusiastic in its praise;
but it will be seen that this plan gives the mice, if there are any in
the cellar, free access to the hives. The remedy is to trap the mice,
or poison them. For the latter purpose I have found nothing bettei
than equal parts of flour, white sugar and arsenic, mixed, and placed
in shallow dishes in different parts of the cellar.

Unless the cellar is well under ground, where it is well beyond
the influence of the outside temperature, it is well to keep watch and
not allow the temperature to run too low in protracted cold spells.
A lamp stove, burned all night in a cellar, will raise the temperature
several degrees. During the fore part of winter, a low temperature
is not so dangerous as it is towards spring, when brood rearing may
have commenced. From 35 to 45 degrees will answer very well

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 199

until towards sprincr, when itoug-ht not to be allowed to go below
30 degrees, and may with safety go as high as 48 or 50 degrees. So
long as the bees remain quiet, I should not disturb them with artificial
heat. If the cellar becomes too luann in the spring, before it is time
to remove the bees, it may be cooled down by carrying in ice or
snow, or the windows and doors may be opened at night and closed
in the morning.

Years ago, many bee-keepers practiced taking their bees from
the cellar, if there came a warm day in the winter, and allowing
them to fly, returning them again to the cellar, but this practice has
been pretty nearly abandoned. If the bees are in a quiet normal
condition, it often rouses them, and sets them to breeding in
mid-winter, which is far from desirable. Rapid breeding late in
winter, or very early in the spring, is decidedly objectionable; noth-
ing so quickly wears out bees as the rearing of brood; and the more
unfavorable the conditions, the greater the wear. It is better that
the bees should remain quiet until warm weather furnishes the most
favorable conditions for brood rearing, when the same expenditure
of vitality will produce two bees instead of one. Therefore, don't
allow a warm daj^ or two in the winter to tempt you to the removal of
the bees from the cellar. Wait until the snow is gone, and there is
occasionally a day warm enough for bees to fl}^ then take them out
to remain permanently. On the other hand, nothing is gained, and
much may be lost, by leaving the bees in the cellar until late in the
spring. Many claim superior advantages for out-door wintering,
asserting that the colonies build up earlier in the season. They
won't if the bees are taken from the cellar early enough; and, cer-
tainly, it requires no argument to show that bees successfully
wintered in the cellar are better able to bear the rough weather of
spring than bees that have endured all of the rigors of the en-
tire winter out of doors. In most of our Northern States the main
honej^ harvest comes early in the season, and to secure this harvest
there must be a goodly number of field workers at the right time,
and the eggs from which these workers are produced must be laid
several weeks previous to the opening of the harvest, hence the
element of time is an important factor, and nothing stimulates a
colony in a healthy manner, and sets it to brood rearing, as does a
flight in the open air, even if nothing is brought in. Hence it will be
seen that early removal from the cellar gives the bees largelj- the
advantages of both out-door and in-door wintering.

There is no danger of the cold injuring the bees when thej- are
^r5/ removed fi-om the cellar, the trouble comes from late freezes
coming after two or three weeks of fine weather. At this time the

200

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

OQ

CQ

O

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 201

combs are filled with brood, the cold drives the bees into a compact
cluster in the center of the hive, and all of the brood outside of this
perishes. All of this loss may be avoided by giving the bees some
sort of protection after taking them from the cellar. First see that
each colony has a queen and plenty of stores, and then protect it.
This spring protection need not be an elaborate affair. A sheet of
tarred building paper folded down over the hive, and fastened at the
lower edges by tacking on strips of lath, will answer every purpose,
while it costs only three cents, and can be put in place in less than
five minutes. This makes a covering that is both wind and water-
proof, and wnll absorb every particle of the sun's heat, but, more im-
portant than all this, it will save the loss of brood and weak colonies
if there comes a "squaw winter" in the month of May.

If spring protection is so important that it is advisable to give it
after taking the bees from the cellar, it may be asked, why not
practice out-door wintering, then wunter-protection will answer for
spring, and the expense of a cellar, and of carrying the bees in and
out, will be avoided ? In the first place, the saving of stores in cellar-
wintering will pay for the expense twice over; and, in tlie next place,
and of far more importance, it is only by the cellar method that the
wintering of bees, in a cold climate, can ever be reduced to a perfect
system. By a selection of natural stores, or, better still, by using
sugar, we can secure uniformity of food, but it is only in the cellar,
or special repository, that uniformitj^ of temperature, at a desirable
point, can be maintained.

Carrying the bees from the cellar is not a very agreeable task,
aud most of bee-keepers make it much worse by attempting it upon
such a warm day as to set the bees fairly crazy the moment the out-
door air strikes them. It comes into the cellar and sets the bees to
flying, and often there is a general mix-up in the yard by the bees of
one colony joining with those of another in full flight, and following
them into their hive. To avoid these troubles, some bee-keepers
carry their bees out in the night, when the indications are that the
following day will be fair. If the bees have wintered perfeeily and are
quiet, all of these annoj ances and losses maj' be avoided by carry-
ing out the bees upon a day so eool i\\dii the bees zcill not think of flying.
This idea that bees must fly the moment that they are taken from the
cellar is one of those old notions that is a notion, and that is all. If
bees have to wait even a week or two after being placed upon their
summer stands, before having a flight, no harm will comeasthe result,
providing- fhey have not wintered poorlj^ and are so anxious for a
flight as to leave their hives when the weather is so cool that they
will never return.

202 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

:ltEsioini<

N CONCLUSION let me say that the writing of this book has
been largely a labor of love, of hope, of a desire to benefit bee-
keepers; to arouse, encourage and inspire them, and lead them
to adopt better methods.

I wish them to have broader views of their occupation, to look
upon it as a bns/ucss, to stop "fussing" with a /c7V bees, to get rid
of other hampering pursuits, to branch out and keep enough bees to
employ all of their time, energy and capital.

No more ennobling pursuit exists than that of bee-keeping. It is
the poetry of agriculture. It is uplifting and inspiring, health-giv-
ing and useful, fascinating and profitable. It improves the mind,
trains the eye and hand, cheers the heart, and fills the pocket book.
Knowing all this as I do, it pains me beyond expression to see it
maligned and belittled, to hear it called a precarious and uncertain
pursuit, one that must be tacked on to the tail of something else,
w^hen I ^-fiozp that, rightly managed as a specialty, there is no rural
pursuit more safe, pleasant a.nd reliable.

If this book does no more than to show the possibilities of ad-
vanced bee culture, if it only succeeds in giving the doubting Thomas
courage and faith to rid himself of all encumbrances, and then press
on to success with bees alone, if it helps to change bee-keeping from
a hap hazard, happy-go-lucky side-issue to the dignity of a reliable
business, it will not have lived in vain.

Reader, the time has come to say good bye. To me it seems
like parting from a dear friend; and, in closing, let me say that I
would be delighted, at any time, to receive criticisms, suggestions or
queries regarding any of the topics mentioned in this book.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

203

"Accordinff to Nature," Modem Bee Culture

Sometimes is not Managed 23

Ad vantagres of Feeding Back 106

Advantages of a House Apiary 136

After-Swarming, Prevention of 71

Arrangement of Hives and Buildings 46

Artificial Heat in a Bee Cellar 194, 198

Baldridge Plan of Treating Foul Brood ... 147

Basket for Shaking Swarms into 77

"Ball" their Queen, What to do When Bees. . . 93

"Baby" Nuclei for Queen Rearing 85

Basswood and its Qualities for Making Sec-
tions 41

Best Stock and How to Secure it 30

Bee-Keepers are poor Salesmen 119

Bee-Keeping as a Business 9

Bee Escapes 110

Beeswax, the Rendering of 164

Bee-Box, the Construction of a 19

Black Brood 143

Bottom Board, a "Dirt Cheap" 34

Brushes for Brushing Bees off the Combs 54

Broad Light in which Bee-Keeping Should be

Viewed, the... ^ 22

Burying Bees in a "Clamp" 196

Caging a Queen Against a Comb to Introduce

Her 65

Cages for Shipping Queens 92

Catcher, How to Use a Swarm 7b

Care of Bees in Winter 197

Cart for Wheeling Hives 50

Camiolan Bees 33

Carrying baes out of the Cellar 201

Caution Needed in trying New Th'ngs 21

Cells in Queen Rearing. Starting 82

Cellars, Above Ground 191

Change of Locality, Cautions to be Observed

in 29

Chaff Hives 36, 179

Chemicals in the Treatment of Foul Brood.

the use of 1 45

Circles, Arranging Hives in 48

"Clamp." Wintering bees in a 196

Closed -End Frames 36

Clothing for Bee-Keepers, Comfortable , 52

Clipped Queens 74

Clipping Queens' Wings to Control Their

Flight and Mating 162

Confidence in Leaders, Having Undue 23

Conclusion 202

Comforts and Conveniences in the Apiary 51

Color of Hives has a Bearing upon the Neces-
sity of Shade 58

Controlling Swarms with a Fountain Pump. • . 76

Commercial Queen Rearing 79

Comb Honey and Locality 27

Comb Foundation, Use and Abuse of 63

Covers for Hives 34

Contraction of the Brood Nest Forces the

White Honey into the Supers 60

Contraction of the Brood Nest 60

Comb Honey, the Production of 108

Combination System of Producing both Comb

and Extraeted Honey 109

Cratmg Honey for Shipment IIQ

Cyprian Bees 30

Delays in Ordering Supplies are Expensive. . . 24

Decoy Bee Hives 16

Description of Foul Brood 140

Dead (?) Air Spaces 181

Ded ication 4

Distance Apart to Place Hives 49

Distance Apart 10 Establish Out-Apiaries ■ 131

Divisible-Brood-Chamber Hives 36, 62

Divisible-Brood-Chamber an Advantage in

Contraction of the Brood Nest 62

Dipping-Stick for Making Artificial Queen

Cells 80

Direct Introduction 94

Difference in Honey as a Winter Food 174

Disinfecting Foul Broody Hives not Necessary 148
Diarrheoa caused by an Overloading of the

Intestines 172

Double Bee Brush 55

Drawn Combs in Hiving Swarms, the use of . . 63
Drone Combs Sometimes Built when Starters

only are Used 66

"Dummies" are Needed in Contraction of the

Brood Nest When 61

Exhibits at Fairs, Apiarian 150

Experimenting upon too Small a Scale 23

Extracting Honey after the Season is Over.. . 115

Extracted Honey Production 114

Extracted Honey and Locality 27

Fall Feeding of Bees 174

Fairs. Apiarian Exhibits at 150

Fall Feeding. Late 107

Few Bees a Mistake, Keeping too 21

Fertilization of Queens in a Practical way.

Controlling the 163

Fence Separators 42

Feeder, Alexander 101

Feeding of Bees 99, 101, 174

Feeding bees in Winter 197

■'Feeding Back" p:xtracted Honey 101

Feeding of Kes, the Fall 174

"Feeding Back," Obii-ctions to 106

Few Visits a Year, Managing Out-Apiaries

by a 133

Fertilization of Queens in Confinement 159

Fountain Pump for Controlling Swarms 76

Folly of Judging one Locality by Another 25

Four-Piece Sections 41

Food for use in Shipping Queens 91

Fortelling Swarming in a House Apiary 139

Food to the Wintering of Bees the Relation of . . 172

Foul Brood 140

Foul Brood in Buying Queens, Caution

Against 93

Frames, Self-Spacing 35

Frames Supported on Nails 35

Frames, Closed-End 35

Fuel for Smokers 54

German Bees 30

German Wax Pre=s 166

General Farming does not Combine to Advan-
tage with Bee-Keeping 9

Gloves Seldom Needed 53

Grass May be Kept Down by the use of Salt . . 53

"Green" Extracted Honey 114

Groups, Arranging Hives in 48

Hatching Brood plan of Introducing Queens.. 97

Heat in a Bee Cellar. Artificial 194. 198

Heddon Super 45

Heddon Feeder 103

Hive, the Choice of a 33

Hives. Locality and Size of 27

Hives, Divisible-Brood-Chamber 36

204

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Hives not Necessary in Treating Foul Brood,

Disinfecting- 148

Hiving- of Bees "4

Honey Lemonade at Fairs, Selling 551

Honey Boards 38

Honey Houses 47

House- Apiaries 136

Hopelessly tJueenlessBees are Almost Certain

to Accept a L>ueen 96

Hygrometer in the Wintering of Bees, the use

of a 186

Hunting Wild Bees IT

Implements, Importance of Appropriate 22

Improvement of Stock 32

Increase a Mistake, Too Kapid 21

Increase, its Management and Control 69

Introduction 5

Introducing yueens 93

Italian Bees 30

Judging at Fairs 157

Lamp Nursery for Queen Rearing 83

Large Hives Desirable When Producing Ex-
tracted Honey ?3

I arge Hives Versus Small Hives 33

Large Numbers, Keeping Bees in 13

Lemonade. Honey 151

Liquefying I':xtracted Honey 118

Locality and Swarming 27

Locality and Different Varieties of Bees 25

Locality and its Influence on Wintering 25

Locality, the Influence of 25

Lo ality and the Kind of Honey to Produce. . . 27

Locality and Size of Hives 27

Locating an Apiary 46

Marketing of Honey 119

Mating of Queens, Odd Arrangements Favor

the Safe 50

Mice and the Damage they do to bees in

Winter, 198

M'-i-sissippi, Moving up the 128

Mistakes in Bee-Keeping 21

Migratory Bee-Keeping 123

Moving Bees to Better Pastures 1.5

Moiscure to the Wintering of Bees, the Rela-
tion of - 185

Nail-Supported Frames 3

Nailinif up Hives 34

Obiect'ons to a House Apiary 138

One-Piece Sections 41

Out- Doer Wintering of Bees 17()

Out-Apiaries 1-''

Overstccking 129

Packing of Bets, Materials that may be U.sed

in the 179

Packages for Retailing Extracted Honey 121

Pickled Brood 141

Planting for Honey Seldom Profitable 24

Plain Sections 42

Pollen and its Influence on the Wintering of

Bees 173

Populous Colonies Necessary in Producing

Comb Honey 108

Prevention of After-Swarmjng 71

Prod ct ion of Comb Honey 108

Preparing the Feed when Feeding Back 103

Protection Needed in Winteiing Bees in ihe

North 178

Protection of bees in the Spring 201

Producing Grod Extracted Honey, 1I4

Premium List for use at fairs, A Mrdel ]5()

Purifjing Betswax 171

Queens in Confirement, Fertilizat on of 159

Queens, Shipping 91

Queens, Clipped i'4

Queen Register 91

Queen Nursery fir Caring for Queen Cells 83

Queen Rearing, Transferring Larvae in 82

Queen Rearing 79

Queen Traps 74

Queen Excluders 38

Quality of Honey. 114

Removing Comb Honey from the Hives 112

Register, Queen 11

Rendering Beeswa.x 164

Ripening Honey 115

Rows, Objections to Having Hives Standing

in long 47

Salycilic Acid in the Treatment of FculBrocd,

the use of 145

Salt for Keeping Down the Grass 53

Scales of Foul Brood. How lo Find the Dried

Down 143

Scale of Points to be Used in Judging at Fairs 157

Securing Bees for a Start in Bee-Keeping 16

Sections and Their Adjustment on the Hive.. 41

Section Holders 44

Separators 43, 44

Seat for Bee-Keepers 5'!

Secretion of Wax 63

Second Hand Cans Sometimes Convey the

(ierms of Foul Brood 145

Selling Honey at Fairs 151

Shade for Bees 57

Shade-Board, How to Make a Cheap 58

ShooK-bwarraing 70

Shipping Queens ''1

Simmins Met h id of Introducing Queens '>3

Smoker with Kerosene. Lighting a.. 51

Solar Wa.x Extractor 165

Specialty and its Advantage- 9

Spokes of a Wheel, Arranging Hives in rows

like the 47

Spring Protection for bees 201

Space Below the Combs in Winter a Benefit.. 181
Steady Employment all the Year, Bee-Keep-
ing Furnishes . 13

Start in Bee-Keeping, Making a 15

Starters only in the Brood Nest are more

Profitable 5

Stock and How to Secure it The best 30

Storing Extracted Honey 118

Stimulative Feeding 99

Supers 45

Superior Stock, the Importance of 11

Sub-Earth Ventilation 183

Su gar a Sale Winter Food for Bees 173

Sulphuric Acid for Purifying Wax, The Use of 171

Swarming and Locality i7

Swarming, the Cau.se of 6'1

Sw arm Catchers 76

Swarms Uniting in the Air 75

Swarms into. Basket for shaking 77

Syrian Bees 30

Tall Versus Square Sections 42

Tent for Fertilizing Queens in Confinement.. . 160
Temperature in the Wintering of bees, the In-
fluence of 180

Thermometer, the use of a wet- bulb 180

Tin Separat ors 44

Tiering up in Producing Comb Honey 110

Tobacco Method of Introducing Queens '17

Transferring L,arvae in Queen Rearing 82

Travelling from one Apiary to Another .. 131

Treatment cf Foul Brood 145

Uniting in the Air, Swarms 75

Unfinishtd Sections of Drawn Comb get the

bees at work i n the Supers lO'i

Uncapping Honey for Extracting 117

Use and Abjse o( Comb Foundation 63

Variety ot bees and Locality 25

Ventilation Needed in the out-dcor Wintering

of Bets 179

Ventilation of Bee Cellars 183

Veil, A C omiortable way of Wearing a 5 <

Watchina for F jul x^rood 141

Wax Secretion 63

Wax Presses 166

Wealth not likely to be Secured at Bee-Keep-
ing, Great 13

Wholesalmg Honey to Ketail Dealers 122

Winter t<"light? not Nece.ssary for bees in the

Cellar 199

Wintering of bets, the Relation of Moisture to

the 185

Wintering of Bees the Influence of Tempera-
ture in the 189

Wintering of bees, Out-Door i76

Wintering of bees, the Relation of Food to the . • 172

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

20b

QUALITY

IN BEE
/UPPLIE/

i

John Doll & Son,
Power Building
Minneapolis.
Minnesota.

ii

^HE qualit}' of our supplies is second
to none. No matter how small or
insignificant the article ma.v be we
give careful attention to its manu-
facture. The material emplojecl is of the
very best to be had.

It is our firm belief that a sufficient num-
ber of bee-keepers are interested in securing-
supplies of quality and would even be will-
ing to pay a larger price to make sure that
thej' get a better article. But it is not nec-
essary to pay more than you now pay for
ordinary supplies, because we are enabled
to sell the same g-rade of goods at a lower
price or a better article at the same price as
others now charge.

Our factory is located in the heart of the
raw lumber district. We pav no freight on
raw material. Our factor^' is equipped
throughout with modern machiner\' and we
employ only the most skilled workmen.

Situated as we are at the falls of St.
Anthonj', from where we derive our power,
we make another great saving Xo place is
better situated for shipping facilities than
the city of Minneapolis.

All orders, whether large or small, will
receive careful attention. Any article not
absolutely satisfactory may be returned and
money will be refunded without question.
We solicit a trial order.

fWr^'ff\f%'f\Wf"%

20A

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

M

PERFECTION IN EXTRACTORS.

The long' wished for practical, automatic extractor has at last been found.
The Root Automatic solves the question completely. No complicated mi-chan-
ism: it is simplicity itself. All orders (or 4-lrami- Cowan or lartfer will tx' tilted
with the Automatic device at the old price. Our e.xtractors now are practicalli"
all steel construction. 4-frame or larjrer are fitted with ball bearinjrs, which are
completely above the honey Cans are beautifully enameled and lettered.

i
i
i

Root's Automatic 8-fram« Honey Extractor connected to run with a small
Gasoline Engine.

Where a farm' amount o( t'xlracted honey is priHluced. a power driven extract-
or will handle the crop much more economically than by hand power. Labor lor
extractintr is e.\pensive. Our special motor will run a Jumlxi 25o-pound. .*<-franie
Automatic P^xtractor all day, stoppinir and starting the n-el at «ill. runninwr at
any speed, with the consumption of only three (juarts of trasoline. This makes
the expense only one and one-half ci-nts per hour. Prices an<l full <lisiri|ition of
these machines will be .sent on application.

THE A. I. ROOT COMPANY, Medina, Ohio.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

207

Mr

\h

\h

\h
\h
\h

\h

\h
\h
\h

\h
\h

\h

\h
\l/
\h

\h
\h
\l/

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\l/

For tihe

Supplies
"We can supply j'oii with everj-thing" needed in modern Api-
culture. Our line of hives is complete, and the very best designs
with scientific construction. Our sections are the best made and
we manufacture millions ever3' year. Our extractors are practic-
ally the onl3' ones on the market for no one has been able to turn
out such excellent machines at so low a cost. Shipping- cases,
frames, smokers, foundation, perforated zinc — everything-. In
every detail of construction is found "Root Quality," which has
made Root's g^oods known the world over for the standards of
perfection in things apicultural.

Queens and Bees

We are in unexcelled position to suppl}' the finest stocks of
bees and queens. We have eleven apiaries. Root's bees are fa-
mous the world over for their manj- points of excellence. You
make no mistake in introducing; them into your 3'ards. A price
list on application.

Gleanings

Everyone interested in bees will be benefited by Gleaning^s in
Bee Culture. Itg^ives you the latest in the apicultural world. If
you have honey or wax to dispose of it will tell you the buyers
and the latest market prices. If you have troublesome questions
to solve it will answer them. In fact, it will save you dollars
ever3^ year. Subscription price, $1 00 per j^ear. Trial six months
for 25 cents.

A B C of Bee Culture
No bee-keeper can afford to be without a book of reference.
While the title "A B C" is a good one, the book covers also the
X Y Z of the industr}'. No bee book has had such a sale. 100
thousand copies have been printed. For the amount of reading-
matter the A B C is the cheapest book sold. Fullj' illustrated.
Price SI. 00, postag"e 20 cents extra. Ask for our catalog of books
for bee-keepers.

WhQ Ao 2, IROOT C(

Medlii^mo Olhi©

(f>
(♦>

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208

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

4** $

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V .> V .X-- X ,,>■ V ,^- ^ / *v

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 209

^*If Goods are wanted Quick send to Pouder"

Established J 889

BEE
KEEPERS'
SUPPLIES.

Distributor of Root's Goods from the best shipping- point in the

Country. Mj' prices are at all times identical with those

of the A. I. Root Company, and I can save you

mone3' by way of transportation charges.

Dovetailed Hives, Section Honey-boxes, Weed-Pro-
cess Comb Foundation, Honey and Wax Extract-
ors, Bee-smokers, Bee-veils, Pouder Honey
Jars, and, in fact

Everything Used by Bee=Keepers.

Headquarters for Danzenbaker Hive.

Finest grades of Comb and Extracted Honey bought and
sold. No commission business.

BEESWAX WANTED.

I par the highest market price for beeswax, delivered here, at any time, cash or trade.

Make small shipments by express: large shipments by freight, always being sure

to attach your name to the package. My large illustrated catalog is

free. I shall be glad to send it to you.

WALTER S. POUDER

513=515 Mass. Ave. Indianapolis, Ind.

210

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

York Honey *supp.r Co.

Not Inc.

141-143 Ontario, St.

Chicago,

Illinois

Best and most direct shipping
point in the world. We carry a
complete line of

Lewis' Popular Bee Supplies

If you want prompt delivery, low freight rates,
the best goods, at reasonable prices, a complete
Catalog, prices on Honey or Beeswax send to

H. M. ARND, Mgr.

We Buy

and sell for cash only
Extracted and Comb

HONEY
Correspondence Invited
E. R. Pahl & Company,

294-296 Broaday,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Eslablishod 1894

Si. ^. 33urnett
<S-

e.

ompan

Commission •^4terc/ianfs

7{c

onei

JC

and J. roc/iice

799 So. Water Street

References;
Your own Bank or any Commercial
Agency, or Apicultural Periodical.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

21L

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H. B. Campbell, of 707 E. Organ St., Urbana, 111., in
an order for more queens, says: "Two years ago I
sent to you for a queen. You sent me a Golden Italian.
She is a fine one, and a prolific la^^er."

Samuel H. Hill, of Elizabeth, 111., in a letter says:
"The queens that 1 got of you last season are great
layers, and their bees good honey gatherers."

Before July 1

one six twelve
Untested $1.00 $5.00 $9.00

War'dTM 1.25 7.00 13.00
Tested 1.50
Breeders 5.00 and up

After July 1
one six twelve
$ 75 $4.00 $'/.00
Sel. Unt'd 1.00 5.00 9.00
1.25 7.00 13.00
1.50
5.00 and up

Nuclei any time during the season with queen and
without.

With over one hundred good swarms, and hundreds
of nuclei, we can fill orders by return mail. Fair and
honest treatment to every one. Price list and descrip-
tion of stock, will be ready about Jan. 1, and can be had
for the asking.

Fearf Cit^p i:

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•f:^-^:^'.!^-^',^-^::^'^-^ \

212

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

LEWIS GOODS

are the best your money will bu}^ whether you receive
them in dead of winter or at the heigfht of the honey flow,
or when the bees are swarming:, they will fit accurately,
admit of being- put together quickly and will be found to
be made of the finest material. This saves you time;
this saves you trouble; this saves you honey; and time,
trouble and honey mean money to you. Your honey
put up in good shape will bring- higher prices and the
demand for it will be increased from year to year.
This factory's reliable goods have started many a man
on the road to success.

BEWARE

WHERE YOU BUY YOUR

BEEWARE

MAKE^ THE FINEST

ESTABLISHED 30 YEARS

Annual Output

Twenty Million Sections
One Hundred Thousand Hives

Send for Catalog. Agents Everywhere.

G. B. LEWIS CO.

Watertown, - - Wisconsin.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE

213

Is the name under which Mr. Hutchinson, for five
years, sold my strain of bees, guaranteeing safe
arrival, safe introduction, purity of mating, and
entire satisfaction to the extent that the queen
could be returned any time within two years, when
the money would be returned, together with SOcts.
extra to pay for the trouble. Although he sold
hundreds of queens each year, in only two instan-
ces was he asked to return the money, while there
were hundreds of letters from pleased purchasers.
Not more than half a dozen queens were reported
as impurelj' mated, in all these years, while the
losses in transportation and introduction were not
serious; yet on account of those guarantees, Mr,
Hutchinson asked $1.50 for a queen. I can now
sell you queens that are exactly the same, and
g'uamtee safe arrival anywhere in the United
States, Canada or Cuba, at the following prices:
Untested queens before July 1, $1.00 each; six
$5.00; dozen $9.00. Untested queens after July 1,

$ .75 each; six, $4.00: dozen, S7.50. Select untested
queens, before July 1, $1.25 each; six, $6.00; dozen.
$11.00. Select untested queens, after July 1, $1.00
each: six, S5.00; dozen, $9.00. Single queen, Sl.OO;
six for $5.00: one dozen, $9.00,

Send for a circular that gives the experience
of well-known bee-keepers with this stock. I could
fill page after page with testimonials regarding
the superior working qualities of this stock, but
have room for only one, and that is from a young
man by the name of Leonard S. tiriggs, living on-
ly five miles from Flint, Michigan, and thoroughly
vouched for by the author of Advanced Bee Cul-
ture. In 1903 he bought one of my queens, reared
eight young queens from her and introduced them
to as many colonies. The next year was a good
year, and his average from 60 colonies was 96X
sections, but hi; average yield from the nine colo-
nies of Superior Stock was 180 sections.

.©raaHj

li£i)

lQ?)fil}-i (pOSSpS

Reared from Superior Stock of Hall's tiold-
en Italians, Hall's Leather Colored Ital-
ians and Hall's Gray Carniolans.

With the best methods and careful selec-
tion, the best queens are reared.

Fine, large, prolific queens from Import-
ed and home-bred breeders that produce
bees that are honey getters. Satisfaction
goes wherever they go. If queens are not
as represented, your money is refunded,
and you get the queen for yuor trouble.
Long experience enables us to know how
to rear the best of queens.

In April, May and June, untested queens
either strain, Sl.OO; six for $5.00: twelve,
for $9.00. Tested, $1.50; Select tested,
$2.50; best $5.00.

In July, August, September and Octo-
ber, untested, 75 cts.; six for S4.00; twelve
for $7.00. Tested. $1.00: Select $2.00: Best,
$5.00.

Please write us for discounts on large
orders. We guarantee safe delivery in
good order to your Post Office or Express
Office. Our list free for the asking.

Jasper,

T. S. HALL,
PicKiNS Co., Georgia.

m siPPMS

<^ ^

We have a full line of the A.
I. Root Company's Hives, Sec-
tions, Foundation, and all
necessary supplies needed in
the apiary which we can fill
orders with promptly. If you
think of trying- the Danzen-
baker hives, we can furnish
them — full lines kept in stock.
Write for our Catalog, or send
your orders with prices taken
from the A. I. Root Co's. Cata-
log-. We can give you quick
service and low freight rates.

We make a Specialty of
Italian Queens, Tested and
Untested, and one-, two- and
three-frame nuclei. Send for
special qtieen list.

John Nebel & Son Supply Co.

High Hill, Mo.

214

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

The Bee=Keepers' Review

Is most emphatically the specialist's journal. For 15
years its editor made his living- in the apiary, and he
knows the needs of this class of bee-keepers. Instead
of using space for "hints to begfinners," which are all
right in their place, the Review turns its attention to
the unsolved problems of advanced bee culture. Some
of the best best bee-keepers in the country, those who
have managed large numbers of colonies, and made
money in so doing, describe their methods in the
Review. These men have succeeded. Thej^ have made
money. They can point the way for others. The man
who has kept bees several years, who knows
the A B C of the business, is now interested in learning
systems, methods and short-cuts, that will enable him
to spread out and "keep more bees," and make some
money; and no journal is doing more for this class of
bee-keepers than is being done by the Review.

The Review is an illustrated, 36-page monthly at
$1.00 a year. If you wish to see copies before subscrib-
ing, send ten cents for three late, but different issues,
and the ten cents may apply on any subscription sent in
during the year. A coupon will be sent entitling the
holder to the Review one year for only 90 cents.

W. Z. HUTCHINSON, ^%%\Zi FLINT, MICH.

of Beeville, Bee Co., Texas, can suply you with pood queens and bees in any quanti-
ties desired from the following' races: 3- and S-banded Italians, Holylands, Cypri-
ans, Albinos and Camiolans. Untested, $1.00 each; $').00 per dozen. Tested. $1.00
each. Breeders, $3.00 each. We are Agents for the Dittmer process comb founda-
tion for this State. If you wish your wax worked into foundation write us. We also
pay the highest market price for beeswax. Bees in car load lots a specialty.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

215

)T foT thie qjunallty
)T ioT tin® pirice

Factory Established 25 Years

Large Illustrated Catalog and Price List Free

We Publish

The

Now In Its Iiith Year
Price 50c a Year — 36 Pages, Illustrated

Editors H, E. Hill and Arthur C Miller

Sample Copy free

W. T. FALCONER MFG. CO.

eeper

Jamestown, N. Y.

^^€M9M9MMM€MMM€M9M€MMM€l

Queen Breeder and wholesale

Dealer in Honey

Italian Queens bred from Red Clover
Stock and Superior Stock obtained
from W Z. Hutchinson, Carniolans
from imported stock. Circulars free.

Will buy your honey. State kind
and lowest price.

Chas. Koeppen,

Fredericksburg, Va.

Iim tfcie W©pld

Best bee hives, sections, comb foun-
dation and everything the bee-
keeper needs.

I^ewis Goods at Factory Prices

We are prepared to quote on, and
furnish, any quantity of supplies
on short notice, from the best ship-
ping point in the country. Queen
bees sent promptly from our own
breeders. The best of comb and
extracted honey always on hand.
Best of service and satisfaction
guaranteed. Catalog sent free.

C. M. SCOTT, & COMPANY.
Indianapolis, Ind.

Can save time, money and freiwht charges by patronizing
W. D. SOPER, Jackson, Mich.

He is not in the "trust," as many call it; he buys and sells for cash
and customers receive the benefit of these conditions. Send for catalogue.

m

216

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

s

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This Paper Teaches How

an amateur

every month

Here are 11

WHETHER you are experienced or
bee-keeper, you can learn more
from the RURAL BEE-KEEPER,
reasons selected from a score:

RURAL BEE-KEEPER

1st. It is fearless, honest, straightforward in policy.

2nd. Its question department promptly answers inquiries clearly and
simply. It is open to every subscriber as often as he wishes to use it.

3rd. Each issue embraces from 20 to 28 large pages (7 x 10) set in type-
clear and easy to read.

4th. It is careful in its investigations, discreet in its criticisms, authorita-
tive in its decisions.

5th. Its articles are practical and always represent profit-earning value
to every reader.

6th. One of its most valuable features is that its vigilant editor is always
on "picket duty," to warn his readers against mistakes and save them money
loss, discouragement and failure.

7th. It is printed on e.xcellent paper, illustrated with descriptive drawings
and half-tones. It is attractive from start to finish.

8th. It has a want and exchange department, a honey dealers' and queen
breeders' directory.

9th. It not only teaches you how to handle bees summer and winter; how
to age and preserve honey, but it explains how to pack, ship and market it at
a profit— wholesale and retail. It reports reliable market quotations in the
principal markets.

10th. It has a big "letter box" filled every month with actual successes
and experiences of its readers— mighty interesting reading.

11th. Its advertising columns are open only to reliable, guaranteed
advertisers.

These are a few of the many reasons why

You Need the Rural Bee-Keeper
to Make More Money

8 1-2 cents a month. You can afford $1 a year or trial 25c for 6 months.
Sample copy free. Write us now enclosing at least 25c for six months.

The Rural Bee-Keeper^ River Falls^ Wis.

W. H. Putnam, Editor

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 2i:

Do vou know that

DITTMER'S FOUNDATION

Is in the Front Rank?

Why?

Because our Sheeting- Process, makes the
toughest and most transparent wax sheets.

Because every particle of impurity and
foreign substance, is absolutely removed from
the wax by Dittmer's Process, producing- a
cake, clear and transparent.

Because the finished product not only gives
the best satisfaction but is the most beautiful
of an3' foundation made.

It has the colors equal to the richest orange
and lemon and the rich sweet smell of Beeswax.

Our Sheeting Automatic Machines are our
inventions, bj- which four persons can produce
1200 pounds per day, trimmed, papered and
ready for boxing.

Our sales have increased from 5,000 pounds
in 1899, to about 40,000 pounds in 1905, because
we constanth' improve the qualit3-, and give
satisfaction.

We supply the largest dealers in the coun-
try. We make a specialty of supplying Dealers
and large Consumers, and of Working Wax into
Foundation for Cash.

Write for Prices and Samples.

A full line of supplies, WHOLESALE
and RETAIL.

OUS DITTMER, Augusta, Wisconsin,

218

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

Best equipped factory in Wisconsin. A larg-e stock and variety of every-
thing needed in the Apiary. Best goods at the lowest prices, and prompt ship-
ments. I want every bee-keeper to have my free illustrated catalogue and read
the descriptions of the Celebrated Cedar shingle roof bee hive cover.

Write at once for catalogue.

A. H. RUSCH,
Manitowoc Co. Reedsville, "Wis.

7 jig?,=g ac7.:iD Oi^i^s JigT^a? ifc/ig A^^ j^^jy .^cr^i? i

Now is the time to Order

WESTERN BEE KEEPERS

Bee-Hives
Sections
Shipping Cases
Berry Boxes
And Crates

for the coming season.

By sending us a list of 1

goods wanted we can save f

you money. %

Sheboygan Fruit Box Co. %

SHEBOYGAN, - - Wis. %

m

Can save money b^' buyintr

SUPPLIES

BARTELDES & COMPANY

The Pioneer Bee Supply House
of Colorado.

1521=25 I5th Street
DENVER, = COLORADO.

We have everythintf up to date. Ask
for Catalo8:ue,

7 £r£:^ £r/^ cr^^ er/^.'v cr/w iP/V "

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

219

Advanced Bee Veil,

Cord arrangement, absolutely bee
proof, best on earth. IMade of im-
ported French tulle veiling. Cot-
ton, with silk face.

50 cents, post paid.

Bee - Keepers^ Supplies

Wholesale and Retail

G. B. Lewis Go's and

Dadant & Son^s Goods

We carry a lar^estock. several car loads, and it
will be considerable to your advantage to order from
this point on account of the saving- in transportation
charges and our ability to make prompt shipments.
We sell at regular factory prices F. O. B. Grand
Rapids, Michigan. We are located at the best ship-
ling- t oint in Michigan, competing- lines assuring
lowest freight rates and direct lines to all parts of the
State, obliterating- delays and rough handling of goods
made possible in transfers.

A. G. WOODMAN
COMPANY,

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

ITALIAN QUEENS.

o^^-^.^^

Bee-keepers needing- a few choice queens will
make no mistake in placing their orders with me.
My stock can be placed in competition with an}'.
For g^entleness, hardiness and honey g-atherers, no
better can be found. No dissatisfied customers.
Write for prices. Satisfaction in all cases.

White Wyandotte Poultry,

My pens are headed by males of the Famous
Duston strain. Fine layers and good mothers. Eg-g-s
in season. Write for prices.

J, F. Michael,

R. F. D. No. I Winchester, Ind.

220

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

We furnish EVERYTHING needed in practical and
profitable Bee Culture. We manufacture the

Massie Hives

Dovetailed Hives

Langfstroth Hives

Alternating Hives
Chaff Hives

With either the

Scalloped Supers

Plain Section Supers
Perfection Supers
Eerguson Supers
Massie Supers

We have millions of as nice SECTIONS as are to be found

in the market, either scalloped, plain or bored,

of all the STANDARD sizes.

All our Foundation is made by the

'eed Process

P^rom Strictly Pure Wax. None Better.

HINTS TO BEGINNERS

and our larpfe illustrated C talog' is furnished

Free ^o ^11 ^©©<=']Keepiers or
O©ml®rso

It describes and illustrates numerous money-saving' and money-
making- devices,tried in our own Apiaries, before offering them
to the public. Write at once for a cop3' of our Catalog. Our
prices are the lowest, the quality of our goods equal to the best; a
trial will prove our assertion.

RKTCMMER

YOU HAVE ANY HONEY TO SELL,
EITHER EXTRACTED OR FANCY
COMB, CORRESPOND WITH US.
WE HANDLE CAR LOADS OF
HONEY EVERY MONTH.

BEE SUPPLIES

WE HANDLE THE FINEST BEE
SUPPLIES IN AMERICA. SEND
FOR OUR FREE CATALOG. —

QUEENS

OUR STRAINS BEAT THE
WORLD. BUCKEYE STRAIN THREE
BANDED RED CLOVER; MUTH
STRAIN GOLDEN ITALIANS; AND
MUTH STRAIN CARNIOLANS.

GIVE THEM A TRIAL. 1»^^^

THE FRED W. MUTH CO.

No. 51 WALNUT STREET,
CINCINNATI, - - OHIO.

222

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

ROOT

Quality

The extra pains taken to
make things just right,

That'sRootQuality

It can be had in Michi-
gan of M. H. Hunt &
Son, and with it "the
extra pains" in packing
carefully and shipping
promptly.

Everything for the bees

and everything "Root

Quality."

We pay market price
for beeswax.

M. H. HUNT &
SON,

BELL BRANCH, MICHIGAN

WAYNE COUNTY

OF

Quality

ARE MADE BY

Van Leyen

&HEIiSLER

EMGRAVERS
DESIGhERS
ELECTROTYPE^

lO LARNED ST. E.

DETROIT, MICH.

TOLEDO, OHIO

Is the largest railroad cen-
ter in the United States.
Freight rates are the lowest
We carrj^ on hand at all
times the largest stock of

ROOT'S BEE SUPPLIES

and can save you money.
We buy and sell Comb and
Extracted Honey. If in
need, let lis quote you
prices. If for sale, give us
best price delivered here.
We handle several thou-
sand pounds of Amber Ex-
tracted in barrels and cans
annually.

BEESWAX

wanted at all times. Our

Free Illustrated Catalogue

for the asking.

GRIGGS BROS. Toledo, Ohio.

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 22:

fllWERlGflN BEE JOUHNflli

Established in 1 861

The American Bee Journal is the only weekly-
bee paper in America.

Those who write for it are among- the most
extensive and best bee-keepers in the world. Many
of them produce honey by the ton, and make money
at the business, hence their experiences are valu-
able.

The American Bee Journal has the following-
departments, each of which shows its nature by its
name:

Editorial Notes and Comments.

Miscellaneous News Items.

Contributed Special Articles.

Opinions of Some Experts.

Proceedings of Conventions.

Our Bee-Keeping- Sisters.

Mr. Hasty *s Afterthoughts.

Dr. Miller's Question Box.

"Combed" and "Extracted.'"

Reports and Experiences.

Hone}- and Beeswax Market Quotations.

Ever}- bee-keeper, whether he or she has one
colony or a hundred, should read the old American
Bee Journal every week.

Only SI. 00 a year; or 20 cents for a trial trip of

three months to a ne-w subscriber.
Sample copy free. Ask for it. Address,

American Bee Journal,

334 Dearborn Street,
CEO. W. YORK, Editor. CHICAGO, ILLS.

224

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

JHake your i^tpcs

EE keeping

p^ is b u s 3^

^==^ work i n
the summer-time;
but the winter
brings a leisure
that many more
bee-keepers might
profitably employ
in making needed
hives, supers or
shipping cases for
another year.
Power and expen-
sive machinery are
not needed; simply a cosy little shop and a foot-pow-
er saw are all that are needed. When a bee-keep-
er realizes all this, there is no question as to what
saw he shall buy; it is made at the factory of
W. F. &JNO. BARNES CO., Rock ford, III.
The author of this book has used one of these
machines, and has no hesitation in saying that it is
all that is claimed for it. Any one who buys a ma-
chine, and is not entirely satisfied with it, has the
privilege of returning it and having his money re-
turned. One thing more; there are attachments,
such as a scroll-saw, a boring attachment, etc., that
can be added at a small cost. Send for catalogue.

>* >i# yt >i* >i* >i# >i# ^i >i* >i< \i >*

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

325

t ^^^f§^^'^^^^^^W4^^^^.4^m4^M

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'/BR

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in

Daughters of selected, imported Ital-
ians, selected long-tongued ( Moore's )
and selected, straight, five - banded
Queens, Carniolans (mated to Carnio-
lan drones in distant yard, and to Ital-
ian drones), and imported Caucasians
(lately received, and mated, for the
present, to Carniolan and Italian
drones. Each yard isolated. No bee diseases.

All queen cells are built in strong, full colonies,
by the most approved, modern methods. Safe
arrival guaranteed on all queens.

Untested queens, before July, 75 cts. each; six
for $4.00; twelve for $7.50. After July ist, single
queen, 60 cts.; six for $3.25; twelve for $6.00.

Tested queens, before July, $1.50 each; six for
$8.00; twelve for $15.00. After July ist, single
queen for $1.25; six for $6.00.

Discounts on large orders. Contracts with deal-
ers a specialty.

J .M. DAVIS,

Spring Hill, Tenn.

326

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

The Danzenbaker 20th Century
Smoker.

Awarded Hig-hest Prize
GOLD MEDAL

at the World's Fair at
ST. LOUIS, 1904.

BEST
COOLEST
CLEANEST
STRONGEST
UP TO DATE

THE PERPENDICULAR GRATE seen above
lias a dividing- rib at thie center of the draft- hiole,
midway of the fire-cup. in line with the only open-
ing of the bellows for directinK and deflectiner the
air upward and downward or both way- if de-
sired. The upper current cools and forces the
smoke out the nozzle, as it burns from the top
downward, whlie the lower current fans the fire
until all the fuel is consumed.

SIMPLICITY AND DURABILITY are assured
by all that is needed, and nothing more. The
only opening of the bellows has no valve or con-
ducting air-tube to wear, tear, or break. There
is nothing to etet out of order. The openings of the
fire-cup and bellows are spaced to give a direct
blast without drawing creosote into the bellows.

ALL THAT IS CLAIMED.— The General Man-
ager of the National Bee-Keepers' Association
says:

I have given your Twentieth Century Smoker a
thorough trial. For convenience in lighting, du-
rabilitj-. and long time one filling will last and
give ample smoke, I find it all you claim. In the
spring I shall want several. I always want the
best. N. E. Fkance, Platteville, Wis.

PRICES

With other goods, or by express, $1.00; two, $1.90;

three, $2.50. By mail. 25 cts. each extra

for postage.

SPECIAL OFFERS

One pair 40cbee-glov&s, 20th Century Smoker,

postpaid $1 50

Silk-front 50c bea-veil, 20th Century Smoker

postpaid '. . 1.50

A B C of Bee Culture ($1.20.) 20th Century

Smoker, postpaid 2.10

Gleanings in Bee Culture (1 yr.) 20th Century

Smoker, postpaid 2.00

Gleanings (5 months), 20th Century Smoker,

postpaid 1.50

Review (1 yr.) 20th Century Smoker, postp'd 2.00

Every Thing Guaranted "Root Quality."

P. DANZENBAKER, MIAMA, DADE CO., FLA.

Or care The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio.

We are Manufacturers of

Bee= Keepers'

Supplies

Lowest Prices and Hig-hest
Quality. Our new Catalog- just
out. Write for it. Compare
prices with others. 15 years'
experience. Not in the Combi-
nation. Modern Machinery.
Sections and Shipping-Cases by
the car-load. Prompt shipments.
Hives, Extractors, Feeders, and
all Supplies used by bee-keepers.
All goods guaranteed as per Cat-
alog.

MONDENG MFG. CO.

147 and 149 Cedar Lake Road,
Minneapolis, Minn

C

Printing-

HALLACK & HARTSHORN,
Flint, Michigan, printed this
bool<, and also print the Bee-
Keepers' Review, as well as
the Annual Report of the
National Bee-Keepers' Asso-
ciation, and, if given the op-
portunity, can print your sta-
tionery, catalog or price list
equally neat. £££££££

I

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

327

to ©rdleir 5^©tir
ppiises asfil for otir cat°

islh yom ^fMIi prices ©n

TAILISD HIVES aimd
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I

And STANLEY INCUBATORS

FtjII Colony, with tested Oueen, in ten-frame, L.
Hive, $5.00.

Newdetts, or three L. frames, $2.00. Price of Queen
to be added.

Queens, warrented, 75 cts each, or $7.00 a dozen; Test-
ed, $1.25 each, or $10.00 a dozen; best breeding-
queens, $2.00 to $5.00 each.

Incubator and Brooder, (patented), best on the market
for rearing- and caring for Queens, complete,
$5.00.

Queen Cells, 100 mounted, with sample of Cylinder
Cage, sent postage paid, for only 75 cts.

AMTMUM STANILEYp

DIXON, ILL.

?28 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

VAN DEUSEN'S

FOUNDATION

Has stood the test of time for pur-
ity, and cleanliness; and can be had
any weight or number of square
feet to the pound that may be de-
sired. For the brood or extracting
frames fine wire is incorporated in
the foundation, furnishing a sure
support, and is

The Only Wired

Foundation Made.

We solicit a portion of your trade
and if you have Beeswax to sell,
write us, we want it.

The editor of Review used about
100 pounds of our wired foundation
in his own apiary this past season,
this fact of itself speaks volumes.

J. A. Van Deusen,

Sprout Brook, - - New York

ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.

329

Honey Cans and Pails

FRICTION TOP STYLE

Made by the

AMERICAN CAN CO.

New York
Chicago
San Francisco

These cans furnish ideal Honej' Containers, in that they provide a large
opening for filling- or emptying, and are readily opened and closed. Having
no projecting caps, thej' pack conveniently for shipment.

Capacity

Diameter

Height

I lb.

Cans

2 II-16

4

2 "

"

3/2

4%

25^"

"

.short ql

4

4 9-16

3 •'

full "

4 3-16

4%

5 "

Pails

.short l/^

gal.

5 1-32

5 11-16

10 "

"

" I

•'

6 3-16

y'A

6 .>

"

full 14 gal.

5 3-8

5 7-16

12 "

I

"

6 17-32

7 3-16

24 "

"

" 2

'■

SJi

9Vs

These cans and pails are niide at May-
wood, 111., near Chicago. All sizes larger
than three pounds have wire bail handles.
Special sizes can be furnished if ordered
in large quantities.

60 Pound or 5 Gallon Square Cans

1 H inch Screw Nozzle
DOUBLE CASE

Cans are provided with wire handles as shown
in cut.

Gases have J^-inch ends and ?s-inch paritions,
balance ^'s-inch lumber. Ends of cases have cr.t
handles.

We also furnish same style in single cases.

Shipping weight of single case 85^ pounds.

Shipping weight of double case, 15 pounds.

60 pound or 5 gallon round cans, wood jacketed,
wire bail handles, 3-inch screw opening, independent
jacket. Inside tin can easily removable from jacket
to admit of contents being heated to facilitate pour-
ing. Prices on all the above quoted upon application
stating quantity wanted.

AMERICAN CAN COMPANY

New York

Chicago

San Francisco

330

ADVANCKT) BKE CULTURK.

IMPROVED METAL HONEY SHIPPING CASE

For 24 Standard Sections 4'+ x 4'4 x 1%

Outside coated g-reen

A

ISfc

^^~ — ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1

A

PRACTICAL

1

I^H -.Jr^ . ■. ^H

SANITARY

CASE

■

PACKAGE

MaiU- from Heavy Tin Plato. Il has a himrt-d cover. K.xtra heavy kdass front.

Wire handles on ends and cover. This case can he used when

empty by grocers tor display purposes or 1)^- the neat

housekivper as a cake or bread box.

Made by the AMERICAN CAN CO.. New York, Chicatfo. San Francisco.

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e. e e/c

e/nons

& Co.

38 years in the Honey Business.

Prompt Returns. Top market

Price. Let us have your shipments.

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D. H. HILL LIBRARY

North Carolina State College