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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ||

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BEE KEEPING FOR PROFIT

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BEE MANAGEMENT

FIRST EDITION.

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Mrs. Lizzie E..COTTON,

WEST GORHAM, MAINE.
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in t he
. MRS. LIZZIE E, COTTON,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at |

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Chapter. Page
[T.—HONEY BEES sah hi tie coke nets ee selene

IIl.—THE CONTROLLABLE HIVE AND NEw Sys-
TEM OF BEE MANAGEMENT) J. cles 22

III.—PATENT AND NON-PATENT HIVES..........-29
TV >. EREDING Soe ca caeiees on ereiae » ava leeraieeaaioe sae)
V.—BOXES FOR SURPLUS HONEY: 32 0 -4-ee neo)

VI.—SWARMING AND HIVING.......00+e00ee »24d
VIT.—ANGER OF: -BEESS & 21.0 ¢ 00:0 5 's1,0 enepele eee 55
WAIT.—Ben MOTH. 2650s. sas evs oenee nen . 59
TX. ROBBING 3 oi/05.5 elvis eie's 0 2 bls ee wre te
X.—PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING....... w je ord elbtetanes 66

XI.—CHANGING OLD QUEENS FOR YOUNG ONES. .74

XII.—REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS..... Mis
XIII.—Sources or HONEY.......... MPP eisai cote
XIV.—Location or Hives... .. 2. 4.chuee 6 slovak 89
XV.—WINTERING BEES.........0. pa bare /onetalenenelenelge
XVI.—TRANSFERRING BEES...... A somo ke:
XVII.—ITALIAN BEES..... dom ouiae o-ohe! oe 0a a) arate een Ue
XVIII.—ConstructTIon OF CONTROLLABLE HIVES. .107
XIX.—Montny Dutigs......... RMA R sic chacig ils:

XX3—CONCLUSION. 6 sicicis s 5.4.00 0,0 0 cere cste Onee eae

PREP ACK,

In presenting this work I have no apology to make.
After an experience with bees dating almost from child-
hood, and a careful study of all works published on the
subject of bees, and the journals devoted to that particular
branch of rural affairs, I find theory, guess-work, preju-
dice and selfish motives ave so prevalent, as to confuse
and discourage the beginner, and finally, all who are seek-
ing after information by which they may make bee keep-
ing a source of profit, and who wish to adopta correct
and scientific system of bee management.

In my early efforts at bee keeping, I met with many
failures and heavy losses, from being confused by the con-
tradictory teachings of selfish or ignorant bee keepers, and
from a lack of that personal knowledge which experience,
and a Close Study of the nature and habits of bees has
now placed in my possession. After many unsuccessful
experiments, and careful investigation, and a close study of
the natural habits and instincts of bees, I have succeeded
in inventing a hive and new system of bee management
which completely changes the whole process of bee keep-
ing, and renders the business safe, pleasant and profitable.

The hive and system of bee management recommended
in these pages is entirely original with me, and ts not
patented. I invented the hive and plan of management for
my own use, as lam engaged in raising honey for mar-
ket, and wish every swarm of bees I keep to produce the

10 PREFACE.

greatest possible amount of surplus honey, and in the
most convenient and attractive marketable form. I
am induced to place this work before the public at the
earnest and oft repeated requests of friends and corres-
pondents. The work has been hurriedly. written, as I
had but little spare time to devote to this matter, conse-
quently sentences are not all, perhaps, grammatically
arranged. JI have made the beautiful of secondary
importance to the useful. I haveendeavored, however, to
make my staements so clear as to be readily under-
stood and comprehended hy every person of intelligence,
although he may be wholly unacquainted with bee
keeping.

Every person, who has a farm or garden, should keep
bees, at least one or more swarms,to furnish honey for the
use of the family. There is no greater luxury than nice
honey in clean snow-white comb in nice glass boxes, such
as is produced by my new system of bee management.
This best of all sweets is now within reach of every one
who has a plot of ground large enough to set a hive of
bees upon.

After bees are once located in my hives but very little
expense is required to keep them in proper condition, so
that they will give a good quantity of nice box honey
every year. i

Under the old methods of bee keeping, bees required a
great deal of care and attention, especially during the
summer season. And then the winters were very destruc-
tive to them, many often losing their entire stock; or if
they were not a total loss, they were so damaged” by the
winter as to be of no profit, and two severe winters in
succession were quite sure to finish them.

This was very discouraging, and many have abandoned
bee keeping, entirely discouraged.

On my plan a complete revolution is effected in bee
management, as will be shown in this work.

PREFACE. 11

There is in my opinion no pursuit which offers greater
inducements than bee keeping, especially to women.
There are very many who are confined indoors nearly the
whole time, excluded from the air and sunshine, to the
great injury of their health; and after this great sacrifice
they barely succeed in obtaining a livelihood. To such,
bee keeping offers great inducements, such as improved
health, and a handsome recompense for all labor per-
formed. Iam acquainted with many who have com-
menced bee keeping on my plan, who are meeting with
complete success. A lady bought a swarm of Italian
bees of me in 1874, and she writes me that from that one
she increased her stock to over twenty swarms the third
season ; besides she got over one hundred pounds of nice
honey from the swarm I sent her the jirst season. Here
I wish to be clearly understood ; I do not wish to hold out
inducements which will never be realized, for the purpose
of causing any one to commence bee keeping; yet I be-
lieve bee keeping on correct principles should be
encouraged, until bees enough are kept to collect all the
honey now allowed to go to waste, and which if collected
by bees and stored in nice glass boxes, wouldadd millions
of dollars to the wealth of the country.

Since the day [ introduced my Controllable Hive and
new systemof bee manngement to the notice of tbe pub-
lic, the worthless bee hive swindlers and their tools have
been boiliag over with wrath against me, lying «and slan-
dering me through the pablic journals, and especially
through the Bee Journals, and all because, that I, a
woman, had succeeded in inventing a bee hive and new
system of bee management superior to anything yet pro-
duced, and which was fast coming into use on its merits
among bee keepers; consequently the sale of other hives
was decreasing in the same proportion. I first perfected
the hive and system of management for my own use,with
no thought of making it public, but through the kindness

12 PREFACE.

of my personal friends, and others who have visited me
to enquire into the new system, it has become known
from Maine to Oregon, and adopted by many of the most
intelligent bee keepers in the United States. And in com-
pliance with that command in the good book which
reads—*‘ Let your light shine,” I am determined to spread
the truth, regardless of all opposition from the ignorant
and selfish crowd which is constantly attacking me.

Without egotism I claim a thorough knowledge of the
habits and instincts of bees. Consequently I claim a
thorough knowledge of the requisites of a hive, and all
fixtures pertaining to it, as well as a knowledge re-
quired to make bee keeping successful and profitable; and
all this has been acquired in the school of experience and
practice.

Kind reader, I respectfully submit the following pages,
and ask fer them a candid and unprejudiced consideration.
Read carefully and wnderstandingly, and apply to hee
keeping, and I feel certain you will realize many times the
cost of this book in the increased profits of your bees,
managed as here directed.

The statements herein set forth are the result of many
years practical experience with bees with a view of making
the raising of honey for market profitable, and the general
management of bees successful.

MRS. LIZZIE E. COTTON.

West Gorham, Maine, Aug. 5th, 1880.

CHAPTER I.

HONEY BEES.

QUEEN BEE.

SWARM of bees contains one Queen, thousands
y of workers and in the summer season a limited
number of drones. The queen is the only
—wefully developed female in the swarm. She
never leaves the hive except on two occasions—when
leading a swarm, and when but a few days old, to meet
the drone, or male- bee, in the air, for the purpose of
fecundation. It appears from close observation that only
one impregnation is operative during life, as old queens
have never -been known toleave the hive for that purpose.

The natural life of the queen averages from four to six
years. Queens sometimes become entirely barren before
death; at other times the eggs of old queens are found to
produce only drones. No matter whether deposited in
drone cells, or worker cells, the progeny will be drones
invariably. When drones are reared in worker cells they
will be very much dwarfed in size, notwithstanding the
worker bees’ attempt to overcome the difficulty, by
lengthening the worker cells, to accommodate the mon-
strosities.

The queen has a sting, yet she may be handled with

14 HONEY BEES.

impunity, for she will not use it except when in deadly
combat with a rival queen. She receives the most
marked attention from all members of her family;
deprive a swarm of their queen, and they will, as
soon as the loss is known, manifest the greatest agitation
and alarm, and if the swarm is one just hived, and
only a few hours from the parent stock, they wiil
all return at once to the old home. They appear to
fully realize the vast importance of a mother, and that
with no means to supply her place they must soon perish ;
and to avoid their impending fate they return to the old
hive. With old stocks deprived of their queen the result
is different, as will be shown further on. Every one who
keeps bees should strive to become familiar with the
appearance of the queen, that they may be able to recog-
nize her at a glance among thousands of workers, as it
will often be necessary to look her up in my new system
of bee management. In looking for the queen in full
hives, she is usually found on the brood combs, unless in
opening the hive she may have been frightened, and taken
refuge in some hiding place, as the corner of the hive, at
the bottom ends of the comb-frames, or some similar
hiding place. After we become familiar with her appear-
ance and movements we are able to find her quite readily,
even when the hive is crowded with bees.

WORKER BEE.

The worker bee is much smaller than the queen. On
the worker devolves all the labor of the swarm. They
collect honey, pollen or bee bread, and propolis, or bee glue.
The workers produce wax from honey, and from the

HONEY BEES. ey

wax they build comb, in which to store the honey and
bee bread they collect, for their own use in time of need.
Wax is produced from honey, as butter is produced from
milk. Bees do not collect wax, but they collect honey,
which by a natural process in the stomach of the bee is
ebanged, and exudes from between the rings of the abdo-
men in minute scales of wax, which is detached by the
bee and moulded into comb. The worker bee possesses a
sting, and is ever ready to make use of it in defending
home and treasure. This isa wise provision of nature,
for were it otherwise, the other insect and animal tribes
would appropriate the treasures of the bee—honey, wax,
&¢e., and this industrious little insect would soon become
extinct. .

The worker bee possesses an instinct but little inferior
to reason in the human family. A few examples wil!
show their wonderful instinct: ‘Twenty hives of bees,
placed in arow, buta few inches distant one from the
other, all of like size, shapeand color; the bees to our per-
ception exactly alike, no difference in size, shape, color or
action ;—yet every bee of this vast number (which at
some seasons of the year would amount to more than six
hundred thousand bees). in these twenty hives knows its
own hive, and if let alone will not enter any other, except
it be for the purpose of securing the honey therein for its
own use,or in other words to plunder,and rob its neighbor.
There is no intercourse between swarms—each is a
separate colony governed by a queen. If through mis-
tuke the subjects of one enter the domain of another, a
war of extermination is commenced at ence. To test this
point, I changed two hives so that they were reversed, the
one occupying the place of the other. This was done while
the bees were out collecting honey ina warm day. The
first bees that entered the hive were instantly killed, and
this was kept up until the hives were set in their proper
places. The ground in front of the hives was covered with

16 HONEY BEES.

hundreds of dead bees. A bee is killed almost instantly
by the sting of another.

The young bee on its first excursion from the hive dues
not ieave its home without precaution. With «
view to a safe return, it turnsits head towards its home,
rises slowly on the wing, at first describing a circle of only
a few inches in diameter, as it recedes slowly backward,
seeming toso mark every object surrounding the hive
as to enable it to return and enter, without the sli htest
danger of entering any other hive. Bees in Spring, in
their first flight, mark their location in this manner.
After the location has been thus marked, the bees
leave the hive in a direct line, and return by their
way-marks, with perfect accuracy and regularity.

DRONE BEE.

The drone bee is a clumsy fellow. The drones are the
male bees. Where a dozen or more hives are kept, there is
uo necessity for more drones than one swarm would
naturally rear, yet each one of the twelve swarms carries
out its natural proclivities, and rears a large number of
these useless consumers, not one ina thousand of which
is ever of any use. Swarms should not be permitted to
rear a large number of these non producers. A few
are indispensable, yet we should take this matter into our
own hands. Not one drone in five thousand ever fulfils
the purpose for which it was created. Fifty drone cells
is enough for one hive, and when more than this number
is constructed (sometimes they will number a thousand
or more in a hive) cut out all but a very few, and fit ina

HONEY BEES. 17

piece of worker comb in their place—it is more profit to
raise workers than drones. Drones leave the hive, to
sport in the sunshine in large numbers, every fine after-
noon in June and July. When on the wing they make a
very loud, coarse buzzing. They have no sting and may
be handled without the least fear.

When the honey season is over, the worker bees drive
out the drones, and a prosperous swarm will not tolerate
a drone in the hive through the winter.

In September I have seen a quart or more of drones
clustered together near the entrance of the hive, from
whence they had been driven by the bees. The workers on
guard about the entrance of the hive, would not let one
pass into the hive, theugh they were constantly making
the attempt. As soon as one would approach the entrance
to the hive to pass in, ahalf dozen or more workers
wouid seize him, and drag him struggling to the edge of
the platform and pitch him off, at apparent great danger
to his portly and clumsy body.

I wish to impress strongly on the minds of all who
adopt my plan of bee management, the great importance
of cutting out all the drone cells, except a very few in
every hive. Don’t leave more than fifty, half that number
willdo. After you have once cut out the surplus drone
comb and fitted in worker comb, there is no further trouble:
with an excess of drones from that hive. It takes a great
deal of honey to rear a large brood of drones, and still
more to support them in idleness two or three months.

18 IIONEY BEES.

WORKER CELLS

This engraving represents a section of comb in 2
miniature comb frame, containing all the different cells
found in a hive. At the top are cells for storing honey.
At the extreme right, near the bottom, is a queen cell
complete, as it appears in queen raising, or in one week
after a swirm has been deprived of its queen, ina full
stock, or as itis found in stocks that swarm naturally,
at the time the first swarm issues. Though often found
in different places on the comb, and often to the number
of « half dozen or morein one stock or hive, yet its rela-
tive position is always the same. It will always present
the sime appearance, whether at the edges or. on other
parts of the comb. Near the queen cell is seen the
worker cells, containing brood in all stages of growth,
fron: the tiny eee just deposited by the queen, to the full-
grown grub, or young bee. Near the worker cells, at the
bottom, are the empty drone cells.

BREEDING.

The natural increase of the honey bee is very imper-
fectly understood by the great majority of bee keepers.
Very many suppose that young bees are raised only in
the warm summer months, and their ideas of the modus
operandi of increase are exceedingly vague. 1 find that

HONEY BEES. 19

strong stocks have maturing brood nearly every month in
the year—have found brood in stocks in December and
January.

The queen lays all the fertile eggs in the swarm; con-
sequently all increase is dependent on her. I say the
queen lays xll the fertile eggs, because occasionaly un-
der certain circumstances we find eggs laid by workers,
but under my observation such eggs never mature. Egg-
laying workers are known to besuch, by eggs being found
in stocks that have been deprived of their queen, and the
means of rearing another. This is one of the wonders of
nature, of which no satisfactory solution has been given.
The points established as to the sex of bees are these:
the queen is a fully developed female; the drones are fully
developed males; the worker, —whut is it2 The worker is
said by some to be neuter. If this last is true, how are the
egos produced? Others say the worker is a female with
generative organs not fully developed! A pretty nice
point—to credit them withthe power to produce eggs,
Without imparting vitality sufficient to germinate.

We will leave this knotty question, as it is of no conse-
quence in the practical management of bees for profit.
Suffice it then tu say, the queen is the mother of the entire
family, and without a queen no swarm of bees can long
exist. S

The time taken to perfect the three different kinds of
bees, queen, worker and drone, varies slightly. The queen
will mature in about sixteen days from the time the egg
is deposited in the cell. The drone and worker each in
abouttwenty days. This time is subject to some variation,
governed by the weather, and number of bees in the hive,
which causes the temperature of the hive to be greater or
less. A high temperature will forward, while alow tem-
perature will retard, the maturing of the brood.

Swarms with healthy prolific queens increase rapidly
through the spring and summer. The qucen at this sea-

20 HONEY BEES.

son will deposit from one thousand to fifteen hundred eggs
per day. Some writers estimate higher. . To secure so
large a number of «ges, and consequent increase of bees,
we must have healthy prolifie queens to start with, and
offer every available facility to encourage the desired
inctease. How to do this successfully is shown further
on.

If we wish to secure a good harvest of honey, we must
have the bees to collect it, and we must bave them at the
proper time, viz: when the harvest is ready. To do this
we must encourage breeding to the utmost in early
spring.

Early in the spring the queen enlarges the circle con-
taining the brood; perhaps, if the stock was very strong,
and everything favorable, she laid a few eggs in one or
two combs near the center of the cluster of bees in Janu-
ary. Perhaps the cells occupied at that time were less
than a “ozen, all compact together in a circle, occupying
less space than the size of a silver half dollar. As she
progresses, this circle is enlarged, and the cells on the
opposite side of this comb is used; then the next camb
and so on, at the same time enlarging the circle, keeping
the brood compactly together, so that the hees, by
clustering around it, can keep up the required warmth to
forward to maturity the brood. As the young bees hatch,
the queen proceeds with her duties of laying eggs, until
every brood cell is occupied, and as fast as a bee matures
nnd leaves its cell, she is on hand with an egg to occupy
the vacant place. This is kept up without cessation till
swarming time, when the hive becomes crowded with
bees, then, as preparation for swarming, the queen deposits
eggs, from which the bees by a special course of treatment,
rear queens. When they are sealed over, as shown in the
plate, the old queen leaves the hive with the first swarm
to seek a new home. In about ten days the young queens
hatch and lead out after-swarms—second, third, etc.

HONEY BEES. 21

When swarming is over, the strongest queen destroys the
others, and reigns over the old swarm till another swarm-
ing season. This is the process in natural swarming;
on my plan we improve upon the process, as will be
shown in thé proper place.

CHAPTER I.

THE CONTROLLABLE BEE HIVE AND NEW .
SYSTEM OF BEE MANAGEMENT.

T is now nearly ten years since I perfected the
Con:rollable Bee Hive and New System of Bee
° 2 Management. I commenced bee keeping with

—<7© the common box hive, with no knowledge what-
ever, of the habits of bees. IT was not long in learning
that I could not make bee keeping a success with the box
hive, and Talso found that the thousand and one patent
hives were no better, and the great majority of such hives,
inferior to the simple box hive. I found there was no
practical method of controlling the swarming propen-
sities of bees. All such hives would swarm or not, as
seemed to suit the caprice of the bees, which I found very
perplexing. Stocks under the old plan of management,
sometimes show every indication of swarming, suchas
clustering out, etc., yet they adhere pertinaciously to the
old stock through the entire summer, a peck or more of
them clustering idly on the outside of the hive, through
the season; and if one put on boxes, it is all the same,
they will do nothing. And such swarms often starve
early the next winter, : fter passing the summer in idle-
ness. Other stocks with apparently notso many bees
will swarm several times; often swarm so much as to
reduce the number of bees so low that the bee moth will
effect its destruction during the summer; there not being
bees enough to protect the combs from the attacks of this

THE CONTROLLABLE BEE HIVE a

destructive little insect. This swarming problem I found
very difficult to solve. There were so many conflicting
theories, I found I could gain no positive, reliable infor-
mation from any source, to aid me, and that I must solve
the problem by practical experiment.

Experience is a good teacher, but often a very costly
one. Some told me if I wished to prevent swarming, I
must cut out the queen cells, which the bees constructed
preparatory to swarming. This was simply impossible,
with the box hive, sol constracted a hive with movable
frames, so the bees, could build their combs in the frames,
and each comb of the hive could be lifted out separately.
But when I attempted to preventswarming by cutting out
the queen cells, I found if I was to thwart nature in
that way, I had, to say the least, a big job on my hands.
I could cut out the queen cells, but within twenty-four
hours after I had done this, the bees would have others
constructed, and be ready to swarm, and as I kept cut-
ting, they would keep building. They had the advantage
of numbers and position, and when I opened the hive every
day and destroyed such, to them, important work, they
were not long in declaring and proclaiming me to be an
enemy to them, and they would attack me whenever
occasion offered. I soon found that if not ¢mpossible it
was certainly dnpructicuble to prevent bees swarm-
ing by cutting out the aueen cells.» It was a surprise to
me that this plan should be recommended by bee keepers
claiming to be well skilled in bee management. After
proving this plan of no value, I was told if I would
contract the entrance to wy hives so the queen could not
pass, I coud th.reby successfully prevent swarming,
as the swarm would not leave without the queen. This
looked to me like a very mice operation, to say the least,
in fact, more nice than wise. However, I determined to
test the plan. I accordingly contracted the entrance to my
hives, and to! the drones being larger than the queen they

24. THE CONTROLLABLE BEE HIVE

could not pass ! so they clustered about the entrance, and
in their efforts to get out, completely blocked up the
passage, so the workers could not pass. Yet this plan of
contracting the entrance was claimed to be protected by
letters patent of the U. S. I found this plan for prevent-
ing swarming of no value whatever. Very many other
plans were tendered me and tested with like results. I
was all this time pushing my experiments, and learning
something from experience every day. I was determined
to arrange and construct a hive which would render bee
keeping successful and profitable, and I can say at the
present time, my labors have been rewarded with success.
I ought to go on and write out a description of all the
old methods of bee keeping, and all the patent bee hive
humbugs, with the thousand and one zon-patent hives
and fixtures, got up expressly to swindle bee keepers ont
of their hard earnings, by a class of rascals, many of
whom never owned a swarm of bees, and who care not
one cent whether bee keeping is a success or otherwise,
if they can pocket a round sum by their fraud. Were L
to write out minutely these points, this work would
become too voluminous and extended ; besides it would be
of no practical value to the bee keeper, who wishes to
keep bees for profit. I will not, therefore, give such
minute descriptions of all the old systems, hives, etc.,
but will confine myself more closely to such practical
information as will be of value to the bee keeper.

SwARMING CONTROLLED.

How to control swarming is truly an important question.
I believe that the successful controlling of swarming is
the key to success and profit in hee keeping. Now how
shall we do it? I will tell you. But first a few preliminary
words. If swarms are desired, we a.range in early spring
to have them issue in the swarming season, and at such a
time as will best suit our convenience. When no swarms

AND NEW SYSTEM OF BEE MANAGEMENT. 25

are wanted, we turn the whole force of bees to storing
surplus honey in smal] glass boxes, throughout the entire
season, and have nu swarms, yet have the same increase
of bees that would be gained if they swarmed. Then all
the bees work at storing honey in boxes, instead of
swarming out; and to any one who has not tested the
matter itis surprising to see the amount of honey which
a swarm of bees will store when not allowed to swarm,
and fed judiciously, ample box room being provided of easy
access, so that all the bees have room to work, and by this
plan we are not constantly watching and waiting for
Swarms with uncertainty throughout the entire summer,
for we know with certainty when and where to look for
swarms. In my plan, the swarming properties of bees are
effectively controlled, without frequently disturbing or
overhauling them, but by observing rules strictly in
accordance with the habits and instincts of bees.*

If you wish your bees in controllable hives to swarm
keep the partition in place at the sides of the brood sec-
tion, and the honey board over the top; or in other words,
keep the bees confined in their labors to the central or

*Here let me be clearly understood. [admit that bees willsome-
times swarm. with abundant room for workin their boxes. YetI
claim that on my plan all increase by swarming may be prevented
without great trouble or perplexity, such as has heretofore
attended all attempts to bring about this greatly to be desired
object. If a person commences bee keeping, witha certain number
of swarms in controllable hives, and in early spring gives the bees
access to the hive boxes, and later, after they commence work in
them, gives the bees access to the top boxes, giving them otherwise
ordinary care, (except to feed if desired,) but a smali propor-
tion will swarm on the average yearly. Much the larger portion
will work in the boxes without swarming out, and give a handsome
yield of surplus box honey, the yield of course being governed by
the amount of feed given them, and the yield fro: flowers, etc.
But if increase of stocks is preferred, rather thaz surplus box
honey—if the bees are not given access to the boxes, but confined
in their labors to the brood section of the hive, being fed as
directed, nearly every one will swarm, and swarm early.

26 THE CONTROLLABLE BEE HIVE

brood section of the hive. Now, if you wish them to
swarm in any particular week of the swarming season,
ten days before, remove the old queen. (It is well to
kill her, and to do so, take with her about a pint of bees,
and put them in a small miniature hive, six or eight inches
square, with movable frames, like those in the central part
of the controllable hive. Keep them shut in, twenty-four
hours; then give them their liberty, and they will work
the same as a large swarm through the summer; but will
not winter. If such queens are known to be very old it
is best to destroy them when we take them from the
swarm. Keep only young, vigorous queens). The bees
in the hive, from which you have taken the queen, will
in nearly every instance, construct queen cells dmmediately
to replace the loss of their queen. At the earliest possible
moment, they seem to sense fully their loss, and to know
that if they do not get another queen at once, tlieir loss is
irreparable. They usually will construct a number of
cells, perhaps a half dozen or more. ‘These will hatch in
about ten days, and then swarms will issue.*

If you wish to devote but little time to your bees, and
are not particular as to the time of swarming, and wish
to have but very few swarms, or perhaps none at ail,
early in the spring, as soon as bees commence their work,
put on the boxes (sides and top,) and give the bees access
to them; side boxes first, top boxes later. By this course,
but a very small proportion of your stocks will swarm,
(if this plan is to be practiced each year, it will be
necessary to replace the old queens with young ones
every three or four years. If this is not done, queens will
die, or become barren from old age, and consequently loss

*Should any stock fail to swarm within two weeks from the time
the queen is removed, at the end of that time, examine such stock,
and if they have no queen they must be furnished with one. About
one stock in twenty, deprived of its queen as directed, will fail to
rear queens.

AND NEW SYSTEM OF BEE MANAGEMENT. 27

of stocks follows. Keep tbis point in your mind: young
healthy, prolific queens, are essential to success,) as they
will have ample room in the boxes for their labor.
Occasionally a hive treated in this way will swarm, and,
if you wish to have no increase of stocks whatever, if a
swarm comes out, hive it in a light box, and as soon as
this is done,go to the hive which they came from and smoke
lightly; if the bees are cross, lift out the comb frames
from the brood section with the bees adhering; examine
each and every comb carefully for queen cells, and cut
off all but one. Success here depends on care and
thoroughness, for if you leave more than one cell, your
bees my swarm out again in a day or two.

After this is done, spread a sheet on the ground; set a
light box, like the one in which you have the bees, near
one side; raise the edge towards where you will shake the
bees one inch or a little more, to give the bees a chance
to enter the box. Shake the bees from the hive, by a quick,
jerking motion, upon the sheet, the most of them some
two or three feet from the box. With a large spoon or
ladle, put x few up near the box, so they will enter, and
disturb the others gently witha quill or light brush.
When they commence to enter the box, they will set upa
loud and continual humming, or call, and the bees on the
sheet, if lightly disturbed with the quill or brush, will
spread out, and march towards the hive, while those on
the wing will alight, and join them in the march. Now
look closely for the queen, and capture her. If she is not
found before the bees get into the box, shake them out
again, and go through the same process, till you find her.
-As soon as you have secured the queen, the bees, in a few
minutes, finding themselves destitute of a queen, and not
having the means of raising another to take her place,
will rise on the wing, and return to the old stock from
which they came, and will not come out again, but will
work in the boxes throughout the season. I will treat of

28 THE CONTROLLABLE BEE HIVE

this subject of swarming no further in this chapter.
The merits of the Controllable Hive and New System of
Bee Management, will be fully shown further on in this
work, and the most explicit instructions given for rearing
bees with profit.

CHAPTER III.

PATENT AND NON-PATENT HIVES, BEE
JOURNALS, ETC. —

HAVE learned from bitter experience, as has
nearly every one, who has kept bees for any
y~ length of time, the dishonesty, and utter dis-
—<4e2 regard for truth, of a class of speculators who
prey upon the unsuspecting bee-keeper. Patent hives—
the great majority of them—are a curse and a hindrance to
successful] and profitable bee keeping. I have no time to
describe the multitude of worthless patent hives, and the
many tricks and swindles of the venders of the same,
but I advise every bee keeper to consult his own interests,
and have nothing to do with them. Ninety-nine out of
every hundred are aswirdle. I have tested their merits
and know whereof I affirm.

The non-patent hives against which I wish to caution the
bee-keeper, and particularly the beginner,-are those
offered by A. J. Root, publisher of ‘Gleanings in Bee Cul-
ture.” Root makes the “Gleanings” the medium for
advertising and palming off upon the public his wares.
Don’t invest in his trash if you wish to keep bees with
profit. Iam sorry to find thit many of the bee journals
and bee-keepers’ associations, are conducted on prejudiced
and selfish motives, and in the interest of some individual,
or company of men, for the sole purpose of making money
from the sale of some particular hive or fixture, without
regard to merit, or value to the practical bee-keeper. All

30 PATENT AND NON-PATENT HIVES,

honest discussion, with a view to bring out facts and
figures to guide the inexperienced bee-keeper in his labors,
I am sorry to say, is suppressed. The bee journals should
be the disseminators of wseful knowledge among bee-
keepers. Iam sorry to find the reverse true with many
of them. After a thorough investigation, I feel it my
duty to advise bee-keepers, and those contemplating bee-
keeping, not to take all for granted that they read in the
bee journals, for if you do, you will be very likely to
soon find yourself robbed of your money, and your bees
ruined.

Very many who write for the bee journals with high
sounding words, claiming to be adepts in bee culture,
have really no practical knowledge of the nature and
habits of bees. We have supported a host of speculators
in our business, for a long time; the object of this class
has ever been, how best to secure our hard earnings, and
with no desire or effort to aid in rendering bee keeping
more profitable and desirable. The couctry is full of this
class, and they always combine to crush out real merit
in anything pertaining 10 bee cuiture, brought before
the public by individual bee-keepers, who are laboring to
advance the cause by giving their experiences, gained
from hard every-day labor among bees.

For many years I have written articles on bee culture,
for the leading agricultural journals and newspaper. I
have thus given much of my experience in detail, with no
thought of further reward than the satisfaction of having
contributed to aid bee-keepers in raising bees with
greater profit, believing if all would so contribute of their
practical experience with bees, great mutual benefit
might be gained, and rapid progress made in successful
and profitable bee culture. In consequence of my course
in spreading information with a view to aid the cause,the
class referred to in this chapter, and their tools, are boiling
over with wrath towards me, lying and slandering me

BEE JOURNALS, ETC. ot

through the public press, and by every other means which
their depraved natures can invent. All because I have
succeeded by hard study in perfecting a hive and new
system of bee management, which is fast coming into
general use among bee keepers; consequently the sale of
their worthless trash is decreasing rapidly. But I am
anxious to get through with this part of my work, and
reach the practical part, where I have the greatest con-
fidence in my ability to give such information as will
vender bee keeping profitable and desirable.

CHAPTER IV.

FEEDING.

3 g EEDING bees, when judiciously managed,
ie is the stepping stone to large profits from
¢ 5 them.

—e7) Bee-keepers who have herctofure attempted
to feed bees have met with poor success.

A bee-keeper of my acquaintance paid fifty dollars for
a patent apparatus for feeding bees together in the
open air. The result was, soon after being fed, they com-
menced fighting among themselves. The weaker stocks
first fell prey to the stronger, then the stronger in turn were
attacked, and the final result was, nearly every stock was
ruined, and the plan abandoned in disgust after the first
season’s trial.

Now it is plain to every intelligent person, that in order
to receive the greatest possible profit from bees, they must
be fed. There can be no question as to the great benefit
to be derived from feeding bees. The only question is,
how, when and what to feed. It is as much a necessity
to feed bees, as to feed our domestic animals, cows, sheep,
&c., or to apply manure to plants, or any crop the farmer
cultivates, to stimulate growth and increase the product,
and consequent profit of the same. We should look up-
on that farmer as either a fool or a lunatic, who should
furnish his domestic animals no food, except what they
obtained by grazing in the pastures and fields, the year
round. And do you think his cows treated thus, would

>

FEEDING. 30

yield him a large product of butter, cheese and milk, and
consequently a good profit in dollars and cents? Do you
think he would find his cows, managed thus, so profitable
as to induce him to keep cows to any great extent? Let
a farmer manage thus—take his cows to the barn, milk
them, then turn them out the year round to graze and
provide for themselves, taking them up only to milk them,
furnishing them with no food excep! what they precure
by grazing—how long, think you, would such a farmer
have cows to milk? Yet this isa parallel case with the
bee-keeper who furnishes his bees with no feed except
what they can procure by their own industry. And is it
surprising that bees treated thus pay no profit?

Again, the farmer who should year after year plant his
corn, potatoes, etc., apply no manure, furnish no cultiva-
tion, yet expect to succeed in farming, harvest large
crops, and get a good yearly profit in dollars and cents,
and grumble because he did not, and at last abandon the
business, asserting that there was no profit in farming,
furnishes another parallel case to the bee-keeper who
lets his bees shift for themselves, and then grumbles
because they pay no profit, and at last abandons the
business, asserting that there is no money in bee-keeping.

Tt being self evident that it is profitable to feed bees, it
now remains to show how to do it with the greatest
possible profit. >

RECEIPT FOR FEED.

To eight pounds of coffee crushed sugar, add two
quarts of soft water, and whites of two eggs; bring to the
boiling point over a slow fire, being very careful not to
burn it. Skim off carefully all skum or sediment that
rises, so that the feed, when cool, will be perfectly clear
and about the consistency of new honey.

FEEDING.

1

INN

FEEDER.

Sil

To construct the feeder,* get a tin-workér to make you a
tin dish, with perpendicular sides, nine inches square
inside, three inches deep, without a bottom. Around the
iower edge turn the tin out about one half inch all round,
for the dish to rest on when placed on the hive for feeding

*With the aid of the engraving, there can be no mistake in con-
structing the feeder, partioularly as its position on the hive is
shown under head of Construction of Controllable Hive , Chapter

XVIII.

FEEDING. 30

the bees. Around the top of this dish put a stout wire to
keep it in shape Get another tin dish made 8 by 84
inches square inside, two and one-half inches deep, with a
bottom. Place the smaller dish inside the larger one, the
bottom of the inner dish even and level’ with the lower
edge of the outer dish, which brings the top of the under
dish one-half inch lower than the upper edge of the outer
dish; then when the outer dish is covered, (as it will be
in feeding,) there will be a halt inch space between the
cover over the outer dish, and the top of the inner dish.
Place one of the shorter sides of the inner dish against
the inside of the outer dish, in such a position that there
will be a half inch space all round between the outer and
inner dish, except at the side where you fasten them
together; across this one side join them firmly together
with solder; at the bottom near the opposite end solder
brass or tin about one inch wide, across the half-inch
space from the bottom of the inner dish to the edve of
the outer dish, to hold the dishes firmly in place. Near
the upper edge of the outer dish solder an some strips of
lead about one inch long, by one-half irch wide, to turn
down over the corner when put on, to hold it in place.
Now get out two pieces of half-inch board, eight inches
long, and two and one-half inches wide; with a thick saw,
cut channels crosswise of the pieces, three-eighths of an
inch apart and one-fourth inch deep; the whole length of
the pieces, being careful to run your saw square across
the piece every time. Next get out pieces to correspond
with the number of channels, eight inches long, two and
one-half inches wide, one-eighth inch thick, (sawed out so
the sides will be rough, to enable the bees the better to
hold fast to them, when takirg feed). These pieces are
to stand edgewise in the inner dish. With asharp knife
bring the ends of the pieces to a thin edge, so they will
easily slip into the channels in the half inch pieces. Put
the pieces with the channels, one across each end of the

36 FEEDING.

inner dish, the channels of each facing the inside of the
dish, then slip the ends of your pieces that are one-eighth
thick down through the channels, to the bottom of the
inner dish. Before you put them down into the dish, cut
out asmall noteh, in what will be the lower end of each
piece after it is put down into the dish, so the food when
poured in will flow to all parts of the feeder. The pieces
or slats when all put edgewise in the dish will reach to the
bottom and be on a level with the edges of the inner
dish.

Now for the cover: get out a piece of board a half-
inch thick, nine and one-fourth inches long, four inches
wide. In the centre of this piece, with a sharp bit, make
a one-inch hole; cover the hole with fine wire cloth, bent a
little convex. Put this piece of board over the outer dish,
with wire cloth next to the inside of the dish, (put it across
that end where the dishes are soldered together,) hold it
in place by turning up over it the pieces of lead soldered
on near the upper edge of the outer dish. Cover the
bottom of the dish with glass, held in place in the same
manner, by the leads.

Your Feeder is now finished. Set itover the brood sec-
tion on the top, at the rear, the wood cover next to the
back of the hive, the glass toward the front. Cover that
portion of the brood section of the hive, not covered with
the feeder, with a honey board, so no bees can get up into
the cap of the hive.

Now to feed, pour the feed in at the inch hole, in the
cover. The bees pass from the hive up between the sides
of the outer and inner dishes, in ‘the half-inch space,
over the sides of the inner dish, in the half-inch space be-
tween the cover of the outer dish and the edges of the slats
that are placed edgewise in the inner dish, and pass down
between the slats, after feed in the inner dish. The hole
in the cover should be kept closed with a cork, to confine
the heat to the hive, exclude insects, ete.

FEEDING. 37

When first commencing to feed a stock, scatter some of
the feed over the tops of the frames in the brood section;
also on the sides of the dishes on each side of the half-
inch space leading to the feed, and on top of the slats of
the feeder, so the bees may find the way to the feed.
After they once learn the road, they will need no coaxing
to induce them to take the feed given them. The first
warm days in early spring, as soon as the bees can fly a
few hours in the middle of the day, mix corn meal with
rye meal, equal parts, and set out, in pans or other shoal
dishes,near the hives. The bees will carry this to their hives
in considerable quantitics. It it used as a substitute for
pollen or bee bread, and is very essential in forwarding
the increase of bees in early spring. The meal should
be fed very early in spring, for as soon as the bees can
collect pollen from the natural sources—trees, shrubs,
flowers, etc., they will not take this meal.

FEEDING FOR EARLY SWARMS.

If you wish early swarms, keep the bees confined in
their labors to the brood section of the hive, or in other
words, do not give them access to the boxes, and com-
mence as early in the spring as the bees begin to fly in
the middle of the day, and feed each stock at evening
about one-half pound of the liquid feed. Continue this till
your swarms issue, then discontinue feeding.

‘ FEEDING FOR SURPLUS HONEY.

If you wish surplus honey instead of swarms, put on
your side boxes as early in the spring as the bees com-
mence brisk work on flowers,—as a general rule, say a
few days before fruit blossoms appear. Feed as directed
for swarms until about ten days before white clover
blossoms, then put on the top boxes, leaving room only

38 FEEDING.

for feeder. Then for ten or twelve days feed them all
they willtake. Feed at evening. They will at first, per-
haps, take from five to ten pounds every night. Crowd
them hard, for the object is now to get every part of the
brood section (not occupied by eggs and brood) filled
with honey ; and if possible, crowd the bees into the boxes
to commence the work of comb building, so that during
the yield of honey from flowers, you can get every ounce
collected, stored in the boxes.

By early and judicious feeding, we have encouraged
breeding so that now our hives are filled, almost to over-
flowing, with bees, ready to gather the harvest from the
flowers as soon as they commence to yield honey.

Discontinue feeding, while the yield of honey continues
in full supply from the flowers. At the close of the yield,
if you have boxes half filled or more, feed all they will
take up for a few days, or until your boxes are finished.

FEEDING FOR WINTER.

The last of September or first of October feed such
stocks as are short of stores, to winter them. Each stock
should have twenty pounds of honey in the brood section
to winter safely. If they have less than that, feed until
they have that quantity, or take a frame of honey from a
stock that has some to spare, and exchange with the one
that is short, and so proceed until all have sufficient
stores to winter safely.

In no case take out frames at the Close of the season,
and leave that space without a frame, or with an empty
frame. At the commencement of winter every hive must
(to winter safely) have its full number of frames filled
with comb, no matter if they are not filled with honey (if
the hive has the required number of pounds,) but each
frame must be filled, or nearly filled with comb, or there
is great danger of loss from sudden changes of tempera-
ture through the winter.

®

FEEDING. 39

In feeding for box honey, it often requires more than
one pound of feed to secure a pound in boxes, for the
bees consume some while storing it, and they often find
some place in the hive which, like the crowded omnibus
or street car, is not so full but that additions may
be made.

The reader will bear in mind this simple fact: Bees do
nol make honey, they simply collect it. Honey undergoes
no chemical change in the stomach of the bee.

Several years since,my bees had access to several molas-
ses hogsheads, and the result was, I found pure molasses
stored in my hives, in the same comb with nice white
honey. Iam satisfied that the bee does not make honey,
but collects it. - My feed is prepared and recommended in
view of this fact, and in perfect accord with all poixts
bearing upon this subject.

The feed is of the same color as the nicest, white clover
honey, and when put in boxes by the bees with the honey
cotlected from flowers, (I have no doubt¢ in many
instances in alternate layers in the same cell with honey
from flowers,) it cannot be distinguished, either in color
or taste, from honey collected wholly from flowers.

CHAPTER YV.

BOXES FOR SURPLUS HONEY.

N the last chapter directions were given, when
to put on boxes, but it is important to know
/ more about this matter, the kind of boxes to

Lees use, how made, etc. I shall- recommend 2
glass-box; that is, glass sides with wood corner-posts, top,
and bottom,* such as I use with the Controllable Hive.
The size and description of box is as follows, viz: get
out a piece of board six and three-sixteenths inches long,
by four and three-sixteenths inches wide; three-sixteenths
inch thick for the top of box; another, same size, for
bottom. For the top boxes, that is, the boxes that are to
be placed over the brood section, with a sharp bit make
four one-inch holes in one of the pieces, for the passage of
the bees from the hive to the top boxes; next get out four
pieces, five inches long, five-eighths square, for corner-
posts to the boxes. Rebate two sides of each post about
one-fourth inch square, to receive the glass sides and ends,
which are held in place by small tin points. Get glass
for the boxes 5x54 inches square for the sides, and 34x5
inches square for the ends. Nail the bottom and top to
the ends of the posts, having the corner of the post come
out even with the corners of top and bottom. A small

*These boxes are shown in engravings under head of Consiruc-
tion of Controllable Hive, Chapter XVIII, which, with the descrip-
tion here given, cannot fail to be understood.

BOXES FOR SURPLUS HONEY. 41

(half-inch) finishing brad will hold the posts in place.
While nailing, hold the box perfectly square.

For the side boxes, omit the holes in bottom, and leave
out the glass from one end, and in place of the glass put
in a piece of wood five inches long, two inches wide, three-
eighths inch thick; place this piece in the center at the
end, leaving an open space next to each corner post at
that end for the passage of the bees from the hive to the
boxes.

These boxes are just wide enough for twe combs run-
ning the longest way of the box. Before putting in the
glass, if you have any pieces of white, clean comb, it will
be a great advantage to stick two small pieces of this
comb in each box, where you wish the comb built. Place
the pieces in the top of the box two inches apart. Melt
the edge of the comb and apply in place where you want
it, while hot; hold it in place till it cools, and it will
remain.

The bees will commence work much sooner in boxes
with the comb than they would without, even if the
pieces of comb are not more than an inch square.

These boxes, when well filled with honey, will each
weigh about four and one-half pounds. Honey in the
boxes is very attractive, and is sought for in the market
by customers who have purchased in this form. Honey
put up in these nice glass boxes shows its superior quality
at a glance, and customers prefer to purchase in such
boxes, with no tare deducted for weight of box, to pur-
chasing in the ordinary wood box with the weight of the
box deducted.

In taking these boxes from the hive, when filled with
honey, in warm weather, I recommend the following
method: Take the boxes off early in the morning, and
carry them to some outbuilding, and put them in a clean,
tight box or barrel; place the boxes in such a manner
that the openings in the boxes will be free for the pass-

49 BOXES FOR SURPLUS HONEY.

age of the bees from them. Spread over the box or
barrel, a thin piece of cloth. The bees, will leave the
boxes, and collect on the under side of the cloth, which
must be turned every few minutes, until all are out,
except a few drones and very young Lees; these can be
taken out with a pencil. To facilitate the removal of the
bees from the boxes, if any are obstinate about leaving,
remove the glass in the sides of the boxes, if the cover is
not fastened to tt. The greater part of the bees from
these boxes will return to their hives; excepting a very
few young ones which had never before been away from
the hive; these will be lost. Thirty boxes like the ones
here recommended fit each controllable hive—ten on each
side, and ten on top over the brood section.*

When boxes-are to be taken off, use tobacco smoke
freely, to quiet the anger of the bees. Puff smoke in at
the entrance of the hive, before you touch it, then start
the top boxes from their fastening, giving the bees a puff
or two of smoke at every crevice about the boxes at the
top and sides.

*When the box frames or partitions are taken out in the honey
season, the bees will often, if the stock is strong, spread out over
the bottom, so that in putting the frame in, a large number will get
crushed. To prevent this,get out two pieces of wood, each about one
and one-half inches wide, and <« ne-fourth inch thick, one eighteen
inches long, the other twenty-two inches long; one edge of the
long piece bevel to a thin edge, about the shape of a carpenter’s
chisel. Nail the long piece in the center to the end of the short
piece at right angles with it, with the beveled edge down, so the
beveled edge will be level with the end of the short piece; also
bevel the lower end of the short piece. When the bees are spread
over the bottom of the box section, with this insirument push
them gently back tothe broolsection. To do this, thrust the mstru-
ment down into the box section with the beveled edge down; tak-
ing hold of the end of the short piece, or handle, work the bees
gently back to the brood section, and when close up to the combs
of the hive, let'it remain to keep the bees from spreading over the
bottom till you get the box frame down in its place, then remove
it, and push the box frame up close to the brood section, so the

BOXES FOR SURPLUS HONEY. 43

CARE OF HONEY IN BOXES IN WARM WEATHER.

Considerable care is necessary for the preservation of
honey in boxes removed from the hives in warm weather.
As soon as the bees are all out of the boxes, seal up all
openings to the boxes, and set them away (in the same
position they occupied in the hive, so the honey will not
leak from the cells) ina dry, dark, cool room. We must
now guard against the moth.

As in warm weather the instincts of the fly is directed
to the dead carcase, so is the moth directed to honey-comb
left without bees in the summer season, and by a similar
process is each destroyed. When the bees have been off
about ten days, or perhaps a little less if the weather is
very warm, examine closely for the first appearance of
the moth worms on the surface of the combs in the boxes.
Their presence may be known by small, thread-like
webs or cocoons on the surface of the comb, growing
larger as the moth worm enlarges in growth. If no
remedy is applied, these worms will completely destroy
the beauty of the honey in the boxes in a very few days.
Watch the boxes closely, and on the jirst appearance of
the least sign of worms in the boxes, fumigate with
burning sulphur, thus: open the passages in the boxes;
have ready @ tight, clean box; saturate some very dry
pine shavings with melted sulphur. After placing your

ends of the boxes will be as near the brood combs, as the inside
board of the partition was when the combs were built. If this is
not done, and a large space is left, the bees will either lengthen the
cells in the outer comb of the brood section, or build a new comb,
between the ends of the boxes, and the outer comb of the brood
section. In either case, we would find it very troublesome when
Wwe remove the boxes, and wish to put in the partition for winter-
ing. Be sure to put the targe box frame up close to the combs of
the brood section, that is, leave barely space enough for the bees
to pass between the ends of the boxes, and the outer comb of the
brood section.

44 BOXES FOR SURPLUS HONEY.

boxes of honey in the box, seta saucer or plate in the
box at the bottom, away from the honey boxes, so they
will not take fire.. Do not use too many shavings; if you
do, it will injure the honey comb in the boxes, by giving
it a green color, and imparting to it a disagreeable taste;
a half-dozen shavings each four inches long is enough.
Place them in the dish and ignite them, and cover closely,
so no fumes can escape; let them reimnain for a few min-
utes, (not more than five, less is often sufficient; it
depends something on the amount of sulphur adhering
to the shavings, as well as the size of box, number of
boxes to be fumigated, etc.) With a little practice you
will manage correctly and successfully. As soon as the
boxes are fumigated, seal up every opening carefully,
and set away as before directed, in a dry, dark, cool
room. Watch the boxes for a few days, to be sure
the worms are all killed. If you find they are not, give
them another dose of the sulphur. After the worms are
all killed, and every opening to the box sealed up, wrap
each box separately in paper, and they will be safe
through the summer.

How the eggs of the moth get into the boxes, has
always puzzled bee-keepers. It is hardly possible for the
moth miller to pass through a hive crowded with bees,
to deposit her eggs in the crowded boxes. How they
get there must be guess work—that they are there,
is well known to many bee keepers. I feel very con-
fident that the eggs are deposited there after the boxes
are taken from the hive, and while we ave getting the
bees out of the boxes.

CHAPTER VI.
SWARMING AND HIVING.

NDER the old systems of bee keeping,

| swarming was very imperfectly understood.
And even at the present time it is amusing
TD) to see how many old bee-keepers manage

la (
Si

their bees. Thisis a class of old fogies, who denounce all
improvements and progress in bee keeping, and who, year
after year, move in the same tracks in the management of
their bees, asserting that they know all about bees that is
worth knowing. It is, to say the least, amusing, to see
how this class of bee-keepers manage when their bees
swarm.

In the middle of some very warm day in June or July,
the alarm ‘* bees swarming,” issounded. Immediately the
whole household is turned out, some beating tin pans,
some sounding horns, some shaking cow bells—anything
and everything with which to make a terrible din is
caught up in the excitement, and every member of the
household works with the sole aim of making as much
noise as possible. This is done to make the bees cluster !
If this is not done, they will leave for the woods! I should
think the poor bees would leave any way, to get rid of the
noise and the foolish whims of their owner. But no,
they dislike to leave the place of their nativity, so in
ten minutes or less from the time they leave the
hive, they settle in a cluster on some object, generally

46 SWARMING AND HIVING.

within a half-dozen rods of the hive. And they would
have done so in this case if no noise had been made. The
noise did not affect them in the least.

Now the bees are to be hived, and we will see how it is
done in the old way.

The bees in this case have clustered on a limb of a
valuable pear tree. ‘Very sorry they have pitched there,”
says the man of perfect knowledge in bee keeping; “I
dislike to injure that tree, but there is no help for it.”

But firsta hive must be prepared. It is not quite ready.
(This is bad management.) It must be washed out
thoroughly on the inside with salt and water, and rubbed
over with some sweet-scented herbs. A bottom board
must be got ready etc., etc. At last the hive is ready.
Now this wise bee keeper places a table near where the
swarm clustered, sets his hive on the table, raises one
edge four or six inches, takes his saw—Oh, it is a pity to
cut that nice limb full of fruit from the pear tree; but
it must be done, thinks this man of perfection in bee
management.

He grasps the limb firmly near the cluster of bees.
They are very cross, and uneasy. They have been
clustered an hour or more, while he has been getting
his hive ready. He saws off the limbs on which the
bees are hanging, and places it carefully, with the bees
adhering, on the table, by the side of the hive, covers all
very nicely with a clean sheet, and leaves them alone to
enter the hive. At about sunset he will place the hive
with the bees in it on the stand it is to occupy.

At the time designated (about sunset) he goes out to his
hive on the table. It has been a very hot afternoon, and
the hive was where it received the full force of the sun’s
rays. He carefully raises the sheet. There is the limb on
which the bees clustered, but where are the bees, they
are noton the limb? Why, in the hive, of course. Thatis
where he expected to find them. He peeps carefully under

SWARMING AND HIVING. 47

the hive to see how they are getting along, but astonish-
ment is depicted on his countenance when he discovers
that his hive is empty. His bees have left for other parts
beyond his knowledge. He tries to think of some
reason why the bees have gone, and seeks to lay the
blame upon the hive. “Oh!” he says “I guess they did
not like the hive, but I guess I shall have better luck
next time.”

To 2 progressive bee keeper, one who has correct and
practical knowledge of the natural habits of bees, it is
very plain why they left. They were actually driven
away by mismanagement. The heat of the sun pouring
down upon them, was enough of itself to drive them off.
Then placing the limb, with the cluster adhering to it,
on the table near the hive, showed lack of knowledge
of the natural habits of bees. The hive might as well
lave been in the house, as placed where it was. Then
the hour or more taken to get the hive ready, gave the
bees time to send out their scouts, to look up a location
of their own, and when these scouts returned, they left
with them for a new home. TI contend every swarm does
this, viz: They swarm out of the old parent stock, led
by the old queen. They cluster on some object, as a tree,
brush or vine, near the old home. Then they immediately
send out a féw bees or scouts to look up a new home.
These scouts may be gone a longer or shorter time.
When they return, if they find the bees clustered where
they were when they left, they soon lead them off to the
new quarters, but if before the scouts are sent out, or
before they return, the swarm is hived and placed on the
stand it is to occupy, then the swarm will not leave, for
the scouts know not where to find them, or if they should
find them, the bees would seldom leave a good clean hive,
for a home in the woods. These scouts may often be
seen playing about the place where a swarm has clustered,
for several days after the swarm has been hived.

48 SWARMING AND HIVING.

Had this bee keeper placed his hive on the table, as
soon as the bees were clustered, and raised the front edge
one inch, instead of four or six inches, and then, instead of
cutting off the limbs, if he had taken a basket or pan,
placed it beneath the cluster of bees, and by a sudden jar
of the limb dislodged them from it into the basket or
pan, then emptied them down in front of the hive, and
sprinkled lightly with a little water, at the same time
disturbing them gently with a quill or light brush so
they would not collect around and block up the entrance,
except a very few that may be flying in the air (and these
will return to the old hive,) in this way getting them
all into the hive, and immediately carrying it to the
stand it was to occupy, covering it with a board to
shade it from the hot rays of the sun, cr placing it in the
shade of atree, he would have saved his bees, the damage
to his pear tree, and much perplexity.

By the old methods of managing bees, there were no
means of knowing when to expect swarms; consequently
the bees were sometimes watched all summer, in expecta-
tion of swarms any pleasant day, as outside indications
were favorable for them; yet they would often adhere to
the old hive throughout the entire summer.

With the controllable hive and new system of bee
management, as shown in this work, swarming is brought
completely under the control of the bee keeper. It is
well for him to understand correctly what are the requisites
and preparations for natural swarming by the bees,
when left to themselves in a natural state. They are as
follows: The bees must be obtaining honey freely, either
from flowers, or from feed supplied them. The combs
mus! be filled with brood in all stages of growth, from
the egg just deposited in the cell, to the perfect bee just
emerging. (And from this, bee keepers will note what
conditions are required at the time swarms are forced,
as recommended in my plan.) When this condition of

SWARMIMG AND HIVING. 49

affairs is reached, the bees construct queen cells, (that
is, if they decide to swarm; they will do as they like about
it, if left entirely to themselves,) from which in about
sixteen days the queens will hatch, unless the bees should
change their intentions, and decide not to swarm, and
destroy all the queen cells. Remember, they are having
it all theirown way. When these cells are seaied over and
finished is the time (if everything is favorable), when the
first swarm leaves, led off by the old queen. Some of
the most reliable works on bees have taught that the
queen cells must be half finished before the queen will
deposit the egq that is to produce the queen; but this, I
find by close observation, is a mistake; for if you take
the queen away from a stock, with no queen cells in any
stage of formation in the hive, the bees will rear a queen
from a worker egg, deposited in an ordinary worker cell.
And who shall say they do not do this when the queen is
present? Iam satisfied they do.

Thus we see in natural swarming, with the bees left to
themselves, the old queen leaves with the first swarm, at
about the time the queen cells are sealed over and
finished, which is about eight days before the young
queens hatch.

When the young queens hatch, after-swarms (as sec-
ond and third issues, or all after the first,) will issue.
Second swarms may be expected in about eight days after
the first. This time will sometimes vary, as the hatch-
ing of the queen somewhat depends on the weather,
the number of bees left in the old stock, etc.; a low tem-
perature retards the hatching, while a high temperature
forwards it.

At evening of about the eighth or tenth day after the
first swarm, by putting your ear close to the hive you will
hear, very plainly, every few minutes, several clear and
distinct ‘‘peeping” sounds. very sharp at times, then
hoarse and dull. This sound proceeds from the young

50 SWARMING AND HIVING.

queen just hatched. When itis heard, look out for a
swarm the next day; though it sometimes happens that
one or two days will intervene before they will issue.
But as long as the sound continues, be on the lookout for
swarms. This ‘‘peeping’” can always be heard before a
second swarm issues, if we will take the trouble to listen.
The time between second and third swarms is invariably
from one to fourdays. It is useless to look forafter-swarms
from a stock after twenty days from the first. They are
generally all out within sixteen days from the issue of the
first swarm. I have given in another place, under the
head of “Swarming Controlled,” instructions how to
manage swarming under my new system. Some
additional information I will give in this connection.

Just before swarms are expected, if there are no trees
near your hives, or if there are large trees from which it
would be difficult to take a swarm of bees were they to
cluster on the branches, procure several evergreen trees,
such as spruce or fir, three or four feet high. Leave the
limbs on, excepting about a foot at the bottom. Shapen
the trunks, so they can be set in the ground and lifted out
with ease. Witha bar make large holes, about a foot
deep, in front of your hives, some distant about six feet,
others from twelve to thirty feet. Set a half-dozen or more
of these trees in these holes, putting in by the side of
them a small stone or piece of wood, to hold firmly in place
and prevent swaying by the wind. Wher your swarms
issue, they will be very likely to cluster on some of these
trees, when they can be conveniently gathered in the
Controllable Hive.

In hiving, if the bees have clustered on some one of
the trees set for them, place the Controllable Hive on the
stand itis to occupy, allowing the stand to project two
feet in front of the hive. Draw back the bottom board
under the brood section ten or fifteen inches, to give the
bees a good chance to enter the hive. Shade the hive well.

SWARMING AND HIVING. 51

Now go to the tree on which your swarm is clustered.
Remove the stone or piece of wood that holds it in place;
lift the tree, carefully avoiding any jar, carry it to the hive,
and hold the cluster down to the stand and close up to
the hive, as near the entrance as possible. Then give the
tree a sudden jar, sufficient to dislodge the cluster of bees.
They will fall directly at the entrance of the hive, and
immediately commence to enter. Sprinkle lightly with
water, and gently disturb those that stop about the
entrance, with a quill or brush, till all are made to enter
the hive. Then slide the bottom board forward to its
place and the work is done.

Should the bees cluster on some large tree or other out
of the way place, the manner of hiving must be varied.
Set your bive near by with a wide board in front to keep
the bees out of the grass and dirt. Arrange the hive as
before directed. If the bees are clustered on a small
limb, high above your reach, secure a basket to a pole,
and raise it directly beneath the cluster. Dislodge the
bees from their position, when they will fall directly
into the basket, which you should take down quickly and
shake the bees from it down to the entrance to the hive,
and proceed as before. Keep the limb on which they were
clustered in motion for a few minutes, to prevert their
return. Should they cluster on the body of a tree, ora
large limb, where they cannot be shaken off, sct your
hive near by, as before directed, and with a handled dipper
dip them off and turn them down in front of the hive near
the entrance. Dip very carefully, so as not to crush any
of the bees. They will not attempt to sting if you treat
them well, and prove to them that you are their friend.
After you have dipped off a portion of the bees, and got
them moving into the hive, if the queen is with them,
they will all leave the cluster and join their companions
who are entering their new home. But if the qucen
remains with the cluster, as soon as those entering the

52 SWARMING AND HIVING.

hive discover that she is not with them, they will leave
the hive and rejoin the cluster. So it is well to keep
dipping as long as you can get any of the bees, or till
you are certain the bees are leaving the cluster and enter-
ing the hive of their own accord

It sometimes happens in natural swarming, that when
a swarm issues, led by the o/d queen, which has occupied
the hive for a year or more, that she finds herself unable
to fly, and drops down in front of the hive. In this ease,
if left to themselves, the bees, after flying about for per-
haps five or ten minutes, will return to the hive from
whence they came, and remain until the young queens
hatch, issuing again, about the time a second swarm
would have come out, or perhaps a little earlier.

If you are on hand you can prevent the swarm return-
ing, but you must be lively. If you find the bees are
flying longer than usual without clustering, and appear
scattered and disorganized in their movements, look in
front of the hive from which they issued, for the queen.
You will p.obably find her within two or three feet of
the hive. Put her in a tumbler, and cover closely, to
prevent her escape. As soon as you find the bees have
commenced to return to the old hive, set it back out of
the way, and throw a sheet or some other covering over it.*
Then set your Controllable Hive in its place, with the
bottom board drawn back as directed in hiving a new
swarm. Set the tumbler containing the queen over the
brood section, so the confined queen can pass down into
the hive, but leaving no chance for her to escape by any
other way. The bees will then enter the hive readily.
And as soon as all are in, which will be in a few minutes,

*If other hives are near, on each side, it will be well to throw the
covering over them also, to prevent the swarm entering any other
than the designed hive, as they might possibly do, if the hives
were only a few feet distant.

SWARMING AND HIVING. 53

remove the hive to a new stand and shade as directed
before. Set the old stock back in its former place.

The foregoing circumstance often happens when bees
are managed on the old swarming plan, and queens that
are unabie to fly are usually very old. On my plan of
management such cases are of rare occurrence.

Natural swarms usually issue between nine o’clock in
the forenoon, and one o’clock in the - afternoon.
Oceasionaily one will issue earlier in the forenoon or
later in the afternoon; but as a general rule they make
their appearance between the hours specified.

Very early swarms hived in Controllable Hives should
have access to the boxes on one side only. In about ten
days after being hived, and as soon as the bees are well at
work in these, give them access to the other side.
Swarms that are hived late in the season, will not require
boxes, until the next season, as it is necessary to have
the brood section filled, or nearly filled, before the bees
have access to the boxes.

It is important that we have the combs in the brood
section built straight in the frames, so as to be easily
lifted out separately. To aid in securing this object,
when a swarm is first hived in a controllable hive, raise
the rear of the hive four inches, by putting under ita
piece of joist,-having the hive perfectly level from side to
side. This gives the frames a pitch forward, and will
greatly aid in securing straight combs. Let the hive re-
main in this position for a week or ten days, then set it
down level. If you have it to spare, one frame filled
with comb placed in the brood section near the center will
insure straight combs in the balance. If no precaution is
taken in this direction, the bees will sometimes build the
comb crosswise of the brood section, notwithstanding the
triangular comb guides in the frames of each controllable
hive. As straight combs in the brood section are very

54 SWARMING AND HIVING.

important, we should employ every available means to
aid in securing them.

It is well to keep on hand a few plain boxes, each with
four movable frames, like those in the controllable hive.
If at any time a swarm comes out at the very last of the
honey season, hive them in one of these boxes. They
will probably enlarge or quite fill the four frames with
comb, and perhaps store a little honey. Then, in the fall,
put these four frames, with the bees and comb, in a con-
trollable hive, and add two frames, well filled with honey,
from a stock that can spare it. In this way you will
build up a good stock for winter, whereas if you had
hived them in a full sized controllable hive so late in the
season, they would probably have put a little comb in
each of the six frames, but not enough to winter, render-
ing it necessary for you to feed with the liquid feed in
the fall. It is better to have four frames nearly or quite
filled with comb, than to have six frames with a very
little comb in each.

It sometimes happens that a swarm of bees, which has
worked well in boxes through the entire honey season,
will swarm out about the time the yield of honey ceases.
If managed on the old plan, such swarms are worthless,
but by hiving them in a box with four movable frames,
as directed, they make valuable stocks. All such swarms
may be returned to the old stock, as directed in another
chapter, yet we sometimes wish to increase the number
of our stocks to the utmost, and it is convenient to know
how to make valuable stock of these late issues. Then they
can either be returned or hived, whichever the bee keeper
thinks is most for his or her interest.

CHAPTER VII.

ANGER OF BEES.

SY HE anger of bees, when once thoroughly
e i aroused, is much to be dreaded, xs the

ce Z@) results which follow are often of a very
serious nature. In my own case, I can handle bees with
perfect impunity. They rarely make any attempt to
sting, no matter what liberties I take with them. I
always intend to be very careful, and handle them gently,
making them understand thatI donot mean to harm
them. In my first efforts in handling bees they were
very apt to sting me, for the reason that I did not under-
stand their nature; consequently they mistook my
intentions, and often forced me to seek shelter from their
attacks. Now I seldom use any protection when working
among them. Often, in transfering the bees and comb
from the old box hive to the Controllable Hive, I roll up
my sleeves, and with no protection whatever, for the
hands or face, cut out the comb from the old hive, with
the bees adhering to it, and arrange and fasten it in the
new hive, without the bees making any attempt to sting
me.

I would not recommend any one to do this, until they
are so well acquainted with, and accustumed to handling,
the bees, as to understand perfectly their every character-
istic, and be quite certain that they will not make an
attack. Itis better to protect the hands and face from

56 ANGER OF BEES.

their attacks, as you will thus feel greater confidence in
yourself, and can perform all operations without fear of
stings. It is well to understand what will arouse the
anger of bees, and cause them to sting. If we breathe
upon them, when they are in or about the hive or boxes,
they deem it an insult, and will dash at and sting us at
once. Any sudden jar of the hive is instantly resented.
All quick, spiteful motions about the hive, such as run-
ning, jumping, etc., is noticed, and quite sure to be fol-
lowed by a sting. The finger pointed at them with a
quick, spiteful motion when they are standing as sentinels
about the entrance of the hive, often provokes stings. If
they come buzzing around, threatening to sting, perhaps
striking your hat almost like a bullet, and should you
return the compliment by striking at them with your
hand, they will be quite sure to sting you. The better
way is, if unprotected, to hold down your head so as to
protect your face, and move away from the hive as
quietly as possible. When the bees find you are retreating,
they will not follow you far. Always remember that if
one bee stings you, others are very sure to immediately
follow, unless you retreat. I believe that bees have a
language by which they make known to each other their
wants and wishes; and I feel certain they know those
who have the care of them, and become accustomed to
the motions and appearance of those who are seen by
them daily. .

The members of my family are seldom stung by the
bees, notwithstanding I sometimes have fifty hives or
more where we pass within twenty feet of them many
times a day, while the bees are flying in thousands about
each hive. In the middle of the day, in the honey season,
the air for many rods about the hives is full of bees. I
find my bees are much more likely to attack strangers
who come to see them, than members of the family.

am

ANGER OF BEES. YA
To SUBDUE THE ANGER OF BEES.

I have tested every means recommended for subduing
the anger of bees, and have found tobacco smoke the
thing, when rightly applied.

Have a tin-worker make you a tin tube, one inch in
diameter, six inches long, and fit stoppers of soft wood
closely in each end, two and three inches long respectively,
with a hole through each, one-fourth inch in diameter.
Fit one end of the longer stopper to hold inthe mouth.
Before placing the shorter piece in the tube, cover the
inside end with wire cloth, bent a little convex, to pre-
vent the ashes and tobacco filling the quarter-inch orifice.
Taper the outer end of the short piece nearly to a point.
Remove the mouth-piece, and fill the tube nearly full of
tobacco (cigars are best, for they burn freely.) Dip with
live embers, replace the mouth-piece and blow the smoke
from the pointed end.

With this instrument smoke may be forced among the
bees in any part of the hive or boxes. Jn all operations
likely to arouse the anger of the bees, as taking off and
putting on boxes, lifting out comb frames, putting on
and taking off feeder, removing the honey board, examin-
ing the rearing boxes in queen raising, etc., smoke the
hive well. In-short, use smoke freely when about to pey-
form. any operation upon the bees. Before touching the
hive give the bees two or three smart puffs at each entrance
of the Hive; then commence your operations immediately.
If the honey board is over the brood section, and your
operations are to be performed in that part of the hive,
raise the board just enough to puff in the smoke, but not
enough for the bees to come out. Give them the smoke
here freely for about one minute, before you remove the
board. They will show their submission by a loud hum-
ming throughout the hive. When they set up this hum-
ming noise is the time to proceed with your work.

58 ANGER OF BEES.

Remove the honey board entirely, keeping the smoker at
hand ready for use, and giving them a, puff of smoke
occasionally to keep them under submission.

It is best for the inexperienced bee raiser to protect the

hands and face in all operations, at least until he feels ,

perfect confidence in his ability to avoid irritating the
bees sufficiently to cause them to sting. To protect the
hands, wear thick woolen mittens, with very long wrists,
so they will come up over the dress or coat sleeve, thus
protecting the hands and wrists completely from stings.
To protect the face and neck, get coarse black lave, one-
half yard wide anda yard and a quarter in length. Take
three-fourths of this piece for the front breadth, and the
balance for the back breadth. Seam together at the
selvedges, and gather the upper edge on an elastic cord so
as to fit closely, and draw around the crown of the hat.
When putting on the hat ready for use, leave the longer
part in front, to button beneath the coat or vest of a gentle-
man or the sack of alady. At the back the lace tucks
beneath the collar. Thus protected, we are perfectly safe
from stings, and can see as well, and perform all opera-
tions nearly as well, as when uncovered.

The best antidote for stings is the application of water
in which salt has been dissolved—a heaping teaspoonful
of salt toa teacupful of water. Bathe the affected part
freely, and in severe cases take a swallow of the salt and
water into the stomach. Avoid rubbing or irritating the
stung part. Be sure to extract the sting immediately,
as the longer it remains the more serious will be the
consequences.

CHAPTER, VEHL.

THE BEE MOTH.

@-¢/N some localities the bee moth is said to be very

c al destructive, yet I regard the depredations of this

*¢(@~- insect as much less to be feared than some bee-

—ee keepers suppose. The bee moth is the agency
provided by nature for returning back to the earth the
contents of any hive when left by the bees, in the same
tanner that the flesh fly is the means provided for
returning to the earth the carcase of any animal.

I do not believe that a strong, healthy stock of bees was
ever attacked and destroyed by the bee moth. The stock
must from some cause become reduced in numbers, so
there are not bees enough to cover all the comb, before
the moth will make an attack. But when the comb is
unprotected, the moth follows the instinct of its nature,
and deposits her eggs in it. The bees from some cause
keep decreasing, and the moth continues depositing her
eggs in the vacated comb, until the entire comb of the
hive is a complete mass of vile worms, the progeny of
the bee moth.

About this time the bee keeper notices for the first
time, (for, if he is keeping bees on the old plan, he lets
them take their own course, believing if he meddles with
them, they will ‘run out,”) that something is wrong
with that hive. So he examines them, and finds the
combs a mass of webs, with hundreds of moth millers

60 THE EEE MOTH.

among the combs, and the combs themselves filled with
vile worms. ‘‘Ah!” he says, ‘‘the bee moth has destroyed
that swarm of bees;’? when in fact the bee moth had no
more to do with bringing about the loss than the mag-
gots, found in the carcase of a nice lamb destroyed by
dogs, had to do with destroying the life of the animal.
“Oh,” says some wise bee keeper, ‘‘I know better than
that, for I have seen the bee moth flying about my hives
and trying to get in.” Very well; I have seen the flesh fly
circling about live animals, but think you there was any
danger frum them, as long as the animal was in health?
Not abit. Neither is there any danger from the bee moth,
if you keep your stocks of bees strong and healthy. But
if you have weak or diseased stock, or have honey in
boxes in warm weather wnprotected by the bees, look out
for the bee moth.

Fumigate with sulphur all combs taken from hives in
warm weather; immediately after which, seal up closely
in well-made hives or boxes, to prevent access by the
moth miller. All combs taken out late in the fall, and
kept through the winter in a place where they will be
liable to freeze, may be sealed up so the moth cannot
gain access to them, and the contents will keep safely
through thenextsummer. Freezing destroys the vitality
of the moth eggs. Fumigating with sulphur, as
directed in “Care of Box Honey in Warm Weather,”
will destroy the moth worms, and prevent damage
to the combs, if they receive attention within a few
days after the eggs are hatched; but if the worms are
suffered to remain for any considerable length of time,
the combs will be badly damaged, if not entirely ruined.
In protecting honey or empty comb from the bee moth in
warm weather, every bee keeper should recollect that
eternal vigilance is the price of success! With the Con-
trollable Hive and new system of bee management, the
true condition of stocks is known at all times. The

THE BEE MOTH. 61

stocks are very populous in July and August, which is
the time the bee moth is most numerous about the hives.
I never had a stock damaged by the bee moth since I
adopted my present system of bee management.

CHAPTER IX.

ROBBING.

3 ) OSS of stocks by robbing shows carelessness,

> ova lack of knowledge as to the proper care
2 : of bees. Not one strong, healthy stock of bees
—ey ina thousand will be robbed, if proper precau-

tion is taken. During a copious yield of honey there is very
little danger of robbing. | When there is a slack in the
yield, the bees wil! search about for plunder, and if a
weak stock is found, they will be very likely to attack it.

It is the duty. of every intelligent bee-keeper to know
the exact condition of his stocks at all times, and if from
any cause he has a weak stock, be sure to ascertain the
cause of their weakness, and if they are healthy stocks,
contract the entrances, in accordance with the number
of bees to pass. But if they are found to be diseased, re-
move them. ‘The bee, like the human race, is much better
able to defend itself agginst the attacks of an enemy when
there is but one avenue of approach, than if there are
several.

No refuse honey should be placed in the open air,
accessible to all the bees alike, as this would be very
likely to create a desire for plunder, and incite robbing.

Never, when a stock is being robbed, change it from
one stand to another a few reds distant, to prevent rob-
bing; for this is a very great injury to the stock, as all the
bees that have marked the location (at the season when

ROBBING. 63

robbing will most likely occur,) will return to the old
stand, and be lost. The best remedy, or rather preventa-
tive against robbing, is to contract the entrances to the
hive. After bees have once commenced robbing, and
have been successful in capturing and plundering one
stock, they will, as soou as they have secured the honey
from that one, attack some other with great impetuosity.
Success in plundering renders them very courageous; but
if you have contracted the entrances as directed, they
will be very likely to meet their match, and learn a good
lesson. A little punishment is necessary to teach them
their proper place.

I knew one of these old wise-heads—such a one as
spoken of in the chapter on ‘* Swarming and Hiving”—
to use his familiar logic: **What he didn’t know about
bees wasn’t worth knowing. He didn’t want any book
larnin’ to know how to keep bees; he had allers kept ’em,
and his father before him.” Well, this Mr. Wiseman
found, or thought he had found, that his neighbor’s bees
were robbing his stocks. ‘‘Zounds!” says he, “Ill fix
’em!” So he goes early in the morning, before the bees
are flying, and confines his stock, which he thought was
being robbed, by nailing a piece of board closely over
~ each entrance to the hive, so no bees could pass in or out.
About sunrise, or a little later, the robber bees begin to
collect on the front of his hive, seeking to gain access.
He waits until a quart or more have collected, and then
he takes two or three quarts of boiling water, and dashes
it upon them. This he continues through that day, and
the next, at intervals, as often as there are any bees col-
lected on the front of his hive. During this time he has
killed more than @ half bushel of bees. The third day
he opens his hive, but to his great surprise, no bees
appear, and on examination he finds the bees all dead.
They had saffocated. Want of air, and the boiling water
upon the hive, had destroyed them. And to crown all,

64 ROBBING.

and make his loss still more severe, he found it was his
own bees that were engaged in plundering his stock,
and his neighbor’s bees had nothing to do with it. The
vast number of bees slaughtered with the hot water, so
reduced in numbers several of his stocks, that they never
recovered, but fell prey to the moth miller that, season.
And that was the way he “‘fixed ’em.’”” There are so many
whims and false notions about bees, that great care
should be exercised in adopting plans recommended by
inexperienced bee keepers, or that class who claim to
know everything about bees, yet by their practice show
that they know very little.

There is one other plan, aside from contracting the
entrance, which will prove successful, but which is a
little more trouble to apply. If you find a stock is being
robbed, look them over, and be sure that they havea
fertile, healthy queen. If the queen is found to be all
right, but with few bees, take from this hive two comb
frames filled with comb, with no eggs or brood, and go to
a populous stock, and exchange these two combs for two
others filled with brood. Select such as have most of
the brood sealed over, as you want that which will hatch
the quickest. Put these two combs in the hive that is
being robbed, fasten up the stock by putting wire cloth
over the entrances, giving them air yet preventing the
passage of bees.* When you put in the two frames with
brood, if you find but little honey in the hive—not enough
to last the bees a month or more—put in one frame con-
taining honey. Put on the feeder and carry the hive to a
dark and quiet room, and fill the feeder with pure, sofé

*It is well to confine the bees when a large number of robbers
are inside—a iarger number if possible than the swarm itself, for,
being confined a tew days, they will make that hive their home,
and aid in defending its stores against other robbers with as
much energy as the bees of the original swarm.

ROBBING. 65

water. Let the bees remain in this room four days; then
about one hour before sunset, set them on the old stand,
giving them their liberty, with the entrances to the hive
contracted—the lower entrance closed entirely, and the
upper one half closed. Intelligent bee keepers will
readily understand why this plan should prove a suc-
cess :—First, the bees that hatch from the brood comb
given the weak stock, will bea great encouragement to
the few bees in the hive; and ina very few days they will
aid in defending the hive against the attacks of robbers.
Again—removing the hive from the stand seems to dis-
organize the robbers, for after they have visited the stand
for several days, and find no plunder, they will give up
the search in that direction.

Before taking the trouble to remove a hive as here
directed, care should be taken to be certain that the bees
are being robbed. You can be sure whether it is your own
bees or others that are robbing, by sprinkling them with
flour as they come from the hive which you suspect is
being robbed, and watching your other hives, to see if
those you have marked enter them, being very careful
that you are not deceived by the dust from some species
of blossoms, which adheres to the body of the bee, and
might be mistaken for the flour.

Bees when~plundering a stock will often keep at their
work until dark, some of them being, unable to find their
hive by reason of the darkness. Honest workers are not
found abroad at that time, and, by the way, this is a very
good test of robbing. In concluding this chapter, I
advise again: Know the condition of your stocks at all
times. If any have too few bees, contract the entrances
in accordance with that number of bees to pass. Preven-
tative is much better than cure in this case.

a Es a ee

CHAPTER x.

PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING.

po 4 fy vate years ago, and even at the
LBS DG present time, by the ordinary methods of
“Cal:Z@ bee keeping, if a profit of five dollars from
one hive of bees in one season was gained it was considered
‘good luck.” You know there is no system in the ordi-
nary methods of bee keeping. It is either ‘‘good luck” or
“bad luck ;”—all “luck” and ‘“‘chance,” anyway.

In one year they get five dollars profit from a stock of
bees; the next honey season they get nothing, and the
bees all die in the winter; or perhaps they will survive
that winter, and the next season swarm, and fly away to
the woods; or perhaps refuse to swarm, and remain idly
clustered on the front of the hive throughout the entire
honey season, and die from want of food before the
winter is half gone.

Bee keeping by the ordinary methods is a very pre-
carious and uncertain occupation. The profits are small
at best, and losses large and frequent.

With my Controllable Hive and common sense system
of bee management (as described in this work,) founded
on correct and scientific principles, bee keeping is reduced
to a science. There is no “luck,” no ‘“guess-work,” no
“chance” about it. There can be no loss in bee keeping
without a cause; there can be no gain without a full and
correct understanding of the natural habits and require-

PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING. 67

mentsof bees. A correct knowledge of the subject insures
success.

I will now present a few statements, exhibiting the
practical results which follow the use of my Controllable
Hive and new system of bee management, and showing
the great contrast in profits and general success in the
care of bees.

In the season of 1870, one of my hives of native bees
yielded two hundred and fifty-three pounds of surplus
honey, in glass boxes, from the 20th of May to the 1st of
July. In 1875 one hive yielded three hundred and eighty
pounds of surplus honey in glass boxes during the season.
This was the largest yield I ever had, and shows what is
possible by liberal feeding with a thrifty stock of bees,
giving them every facility, with a view of securing the
largest possible amount of surplus box honey. In this
case, I selected, in early spring, the very best stock I
could find, and pushed it as hard as possible throughout
the entire spring, summer and early fall. My suc-
cess exceeded even my most sanguine expectations.
As it may serve to aid others in producing large yields
of honey, I will describe mivutely the method pursued to
secure this large and extraordinary yield.

Very early in the spring I selected the most populous
stovk in. my possession. It was ruled by a young
and exceedingly prolific Hybrid queen, a mixture of
Italian and Native blood. I commenced early in the
spring to feed this stock lightly but regularly, every day
at evening. I fed about one-half pound of feed per day,
until a few days before the flowers were in bloom pro-
fusely. This was done to encourage breeding. Very
early in the spring they were fed corn and rye meal, as
directed in this work.

For a few days before the fowers were blooming pro-
fusely, I fed liberally—in fact, gave them all I could
possibly induce them to take up; the object being to get

68 PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING.

the store comb in the body of the hive, not occupied with
brood, completely filled with honey. The glass boxes,
twenty-six in number (with the Feeder,) each holding
about four and one-half pounds of honey, were arranged
in connection with the hive (sides and top,) several weeks
prior to the appearance of the flowers, that the bees
might become accustonied to them, and the more readily
enter them, and commence work. When I ceased feeding
(which was on the appearance of the flowers yielding a
good supply of honey,) the boxes were filled with bees,
and comb-building had commenced. The hive was at
this time filled to overflowing with bees, and the combs
had brood in all stages of growth, from the egg to the
perfect bee. I had taken the precaution to cut out nearly
all the drone comb, and fit in its place worker comb, so
I had but ve:y few drones to consume the honey. I had
also arranged so as to have no increase by swarming,
but to have all the bees employed storing surplus honey
in the boxes throughout the season.

As fast as the boxes were filled, they were removed,
and empty ones substituted in their place. I never saw
bees work with such determined industry, early and la‘e,
and in all kinds of weather. When honey failed at the
end of the season, there was a set of boxes on the
hive partially filled. I immediately gave the bees feed
until these too were finished. I found, on weighing the
product of this hive in the fall, that they had given me a
fraction over three hundred and eighty pounds of surplus
honey in boxes. This honey I sold at thirty-five cents a
pound, a little over one hundred and thirty-three dollars,
for surplus honey sold from this one stock. Reader, go
thou and do likewise.

I had one stock of bees which occupied the same stand,
winter and summer, for six years, and during that time
they swarmed but once, and from it I sold every year
over fifty dollars’ worth of surplus honey in glass boxes.

PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING. 69

A neighber several times offered me fifty dollars for this
stock, early in the spring before the bees commenced
their labors.

In 1874 I purehased a swarm of bees in an old box
hive. They had not paid their owner a dollar in profit for
years. Some seasons they would swarm and fly away to
the woods; in other seasons they would remain clustered
on the front of the hive through the entire season, refus-
ing to swarm, or enter the two small boxes covered with
2 cap on top of the hive. I transferred the bees from
this hive to the Controllable Hive, and they gave mea
profit of over forty dollars the first year.

I sold my honey in 1874 for from thirty-three to thirty-
five dollars per hundred gross weight—that is, no tare
deducted for weight of the box. The boxes weigh each
about one pound, empty, and when well filled with honey
about four and one-half pounds, gross.

The present season (1880,) one stock in a Controllable
Hive, in themonth of June, without being fed or having
extra care, yielded seventy-two pounds of surplus honey
in glass boxes. Another, treated in the same manner,
yielded over eighty pounds surplus, in the same time.
Another new swarm, since the first week in June, filled
the brood frames with honey, and produced thirty-eight
pounds of surplus in glass boxes, (filling eight boxes as
full as they could be crowded,) and gave me a large
swarm the last week in June.

When box honey brings from thirty-three to thirty-five
cents a pound, gross weight, my usual yearly average is
a little over fifty dollars clean profit from the sale of
box honey, from each stock of bees I keep. I intend to
keep about twelve stocks each season. I sometimes
have a much greater number; yet it is my purpose
to keep only this number each season, for the
production of surplus honey, swarms, etc. My average
yield of surplus box honey is about two hundred pounds

70 PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING.

(perhaps a trifle less) from each hive of bees that I keep,
during each season, when swarming is prevented and each
stock liberally fed.

I will here give the testimony of a few of the many,
who have adopted the plan of bee management recom-*
mended in this work. I should give the name and post-
office address of each, were it not for the fact that they
would. receive so many letters of inquiry, as to make it
very disagreeable to them. TI have the original and com-
plete letters in my possession, and such letters Iam pre-
pared to show at any time. My object in presenting this
testimony here, is to show that the system of bee man-
agement recommended herein is not only successful with
me, but with all intelligent bee keepers, as well.

A gentleman from Vermont writes me, under date of
September 15, 1879, as follows: ‘I take this opportunity
of informing you of the experience I have had with
the bee hive received from you. About the 10th of May
I transferred a swarm of bees from a box hive to the Con-
trollable Hive. I transferred all the brood combs, and
about eight or ten peunds of honey. I fed them until
flowers were plenty, which encouraged them to build
rapidly. About the 25th of May I put in surplus boxes
on the sides, which they soon entered, and went to work.
The middle of June I put boxes on tup, as the bees showed
symptoms of swarming. By the 10th of July the side
boxes were nearly all filled, and the bees were at work in
the top boxes. July 15th I took off sixteen of the twenty
side boxes, well filled and capped, and placed empty
ones in their places. August 5th, I took six of the ten
boxes off the top, well filled. Then the dry weather set
in, and the bees came to a stand-still (thinking the honey
season over,) but the basswood revived it for a short
time, enabling them to fill up the boxes pretty full. I
obtained in all from this swarm twenty-eight boxes,
weighing one hundred and te: pounds. I shall have ten

PROVITS OF BEE KEEPING. 71

hives made this winter for use the coming spring.”

A gentleman writes from New York, under cate of
April 2d, 1879: “I have received your hive, which meets
my ideas of what a bee hive should be. It contains all
that is required in a bee hive, or in other words it is just
the thing I have been wanting. I have been using the
Quinby hive, so callec, but Iam now goirg to keep bees
in earnest on your plan. I have the fullest confidence of
success with your hive and plan of management. Your
plan for wintering is a good one, on scientific principles,
und the arrangement for feeding, and surplus honey,
can’t be beat.”

A gentleman writes from New Hampshire, under date
of April 26th, 1879: “I have tested your hive, and my
bees have done first-rate. I believe the hive is just what
it isrepresented. One strong reason why I think so much
of your hive is, there were not a dozen. bees died in the
hive last winter, while three of my first swarms in other
hives all died—some of them with fifty pounds of honey
in the hive. I have lost some winters as many as fifteen
* or twenty swarms. I have now tested your hive to my
satisfaction, and I do not believe bees will die in it, if
your instructions for wintering are carried out. I think
your hive is what every bee keeper should have to make
a success of bee keeping.”

A gentleman writes from Missouri, under date of May
Ist, 1879: ‘*Your bee hive I like very much. I putin
the swarm iast season. They*did much better than any
swarm I had in the American hive. I took away more
surplus honey than from any of the others. I can recom-
mend the Controllable Hive.to all bee keepers. This
spring I have put up fourteen more Controllable Hives,
and shall use no other hive in future.”

A lady bought a swarm of Italian bees of me in 1874,
and from that one stock she increased to over twenty the
third seasor, besides obtaining over one hundred pounds

72 PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING.

of nice surplus honey from the swarm I sent her in the
first season.

Here I desire to be clearly understood. I do not wish
to hold out inducements which will never be realized, for
the purpose of causing any one to commence bee keeping
with unreasonable expectations of profit. There is labor
and care required to bring success in any enterprise; and
usually the greater the care and labor bestowed on any
business, the greater the reward in profits. Bees give
ample return for each little care and attention bestowed
upon them; and if neglected and permitted to go uncared
for, there is corresponding loss. I believe that bee keep-
ing on correct and scientific principles should be
encouraged, until bees enough are kept to collect the
honey now allowed to go to waste, and which, if collected,
would add millions of dollars to the wealth of the
country.

The statements of large yields of Loney here presented,
show what it is possible to do; yet no reasonable person
would commence bee keeping with the expectation of
realizing, on each of a dozen or more stocks kept, the
large yields above specified. Some stocks will pay a
much greater profil than others. And it is only under
the most favorable circumstances, with our very best
stocks, that we secure the results here named, such as
three hundred and eighty pounds of box honey from one
stock inaseason This serves to illustrate what may be
derived (but not what we may reasonably expect) from
each stock, where a dozen or more stocks are kept. Two
hundred pounds from each stock on the average is about
right. And this last is only secured with good care and
attention, perseverance and labor, judiciously applied to
the work.

The question is often asked: ‘“‘How many stocks of bees
can be kept in one place on your plan?” This depends
on the number of honey-yielding plants and flowers.

——

PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING. ich

Some localities furnish a much greater number than others.
In some localities, fifty stocks would do well, and pay
yearly a handsome profit; in others, it would not be
profitable to keep half as many. Iam in a place said
to be very unfavorable to bee keeping. I find twelve
stocks about the right number for me to maintain. Bees
will go seven miles or more to collect honey, but the
shorter the distance, the more honey will be collected, in
a season; consequently the greater profit will follow.

It can only be learned by practical test how many
stocks of bees may be profitably kept in any locality.
Commence with a few, and increase the number moder-
ately, until you find you have as many as you wish to
keep, or as many as the locality will support, with good
profit, when managed judiciously.

l | oS
ti

sally
Yi

CHAPTER AI:

CHANGING OLD QUEENS FOR YOUNG ONES.

x
LG N my plan of bee management, if a

=> stock does not change its ueen for three
“<7 years in succession, the fourth season the
old queen should be taken away, if she shows the least
sign of failing, and a young, laying queen substituted in
her place. It often happens, if the queen in a stock dies
or becomes seriously injured, that the bees will, of their
own accord, rear another to take her place. But if her
failure has been gradual, the bees may not have the means
to do so, when she at last fails entirely, for the reason
that she may cease laying, for several days or weeks pre-
vious to her death, in which case it would be impossible
for the bees, without assistance, to rear another queen to
take her place. They must have an ege not over
five days old, from which to rear a queen. The great
necessity of close observation, in order to keep each stock
always supplied with a healthy, prolific queen, cannot be
impressed too strongly on the mind of every bee keeper.
Be sure not to neglect this very important point in sue-
cessful and profitable bee keeping.

But very few seem to know the average duration of
life of the honey bee. The average term of life of the
worker is only a few months—net more than from two
to four—a great many do not live out half that time. So

CHANGING OLD QUEENS FOR YOUNG ONES. 75

it will he seen that it is only by keeping healthy and pro-
lifie queens in each stock, that we can have populous
stocks, such as will pay a good profit.

In my experiments I haye in several instances taken
from a vigorous and very populous stock their queen,
and at the same time deprived them of the means of
rearing another. This was done in the honey season.
In such cases the bees kept on with their labor, though
with visible reluctance and an appearance of discourage-
ment, the number of bees decreasing very rapidly, and in
from two to three months nearly all had disappeared, not
more than two or three hundred remaining, where there
had been from thirty thousand to fifty thousand all in a
prosperous condition.

Other instances have come under my observation, clear-
ly showing that the life of the worker honey bee is only
of few months duration. One case in fact will show: I
removed the native queen from a very strong stock of
native or black bees, in the honey season, and introduced
an Italian queen, in order to change the stock from native
to Italian. The reader will readily understand that every
egg deposited by the Italian queen, after her introduction,
will produce the Italian variety, the workers of which
are entirely distinct in color from the natives. Ina few
days after tlie introduction of the Italian queen I found
the natives were disappearing, and soon after the Italians
began to appear. The change was very rapid. In about
two months not a native or black bee could be found
about the hive—all were Italians. The natives had grad-
ually decreased, until all hai disappeared, showing con-
clusively that they had died in the same ratio that they
would have passed away from a stock naturally. During
the winter season, as the bee is in a dormant state for the
greater part of the time, they are given a longer lease of
life.

When it is discovered that a stock has a barren queen

76 CHANGING OLD QUEENS FOR YOUNG ONES.

or has lost its queen, or from any cause she has ceased
to be prolific (and in consequence the bees are dwindling
away,) take means immediately to substitute a prolific
and healthy queen in her place, and at the same time
re-enforce the stock, by taking one or more frames filled
with hatching brood from a populous stock, and exchang-
ing for those destitute of brood. In this manner the bees
will be increased so as to insure safety for a few days,
after which the stock, having been furnished with a pro-
lific, healthy queen, will regain their former}prosperity and
vigor.

The queen being the mother of the entire swarm, and
consequently all increase being dependent on her, every
intelligent bee keeper will readily understand that in
order to succeed, he must be sure that each stock has a
proiific queen.

CHAPTER XII.

REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS.

N commencing to rear queens, you will first
*7 fA want some small rearing boxes, or miniature
‘eae hives, about four and one-half inches wide, by
eight inches long, and five inches deep, inside measure-
ment. Use inch board for the hives. Make for each hive
three movable comb frames,* suspended the same as in
the brood section of the Controllable Hive. Make the
under side of the top bar, flat, instead of triangular, as in
the large comb frames. Take a piece of old comb, and
cut to fill each one of these small frames. Take from a
pint to a quart of bees from a populous stock (in the
height of the breeding season this will do no harm) with-
out the queen. Confine these bees in a light box, in the
top of which there is an inch hole, closed, to confine
them to the box, for if not confined they would return to
the old stock, as the queen is not with them. Having
secured your bees in the box, go to a stock, and lift out a
comb containing eggs, just deposited. They may be
known by their appearance. They are buta tiny speck at
the bottom of the cell, about one-sixteenth of an inch in
length, slightly curved, and perfectly white in color.

*This frame is shown in the engraving representing the different
kinds of cells, in Chapter I.

78 REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS.

They remain in this form from two to three days, at the
end of which time they change to the form of a grub or
maggot. After this change it is a risk to depend on them
for queen raising, so be sure to secure for your purpose
eggs. Cut from the brood comb a piece about two inches
long and one-half inch wide, using a very sharp, thin
knife, so not to mutilate the comb. Cut out a piece from
the center comb of the miniature hive, and fit in its place
the piece containing the eggs. The middle of a warm
day is the best time to do this work. It is best to have
one of the comb frames of the miniature hive filled with
honey, to furnish food for the bees for a few days. _

As soon as you have fitted the piece containing the
egos in its place in the miniature hive, put on a close-
fitting cover. Do not nail it, as you will want to look
atit every few days. Close the entrances to the miniature
hive, so no bees can escape. Now open the hole in the
top of the box in which the bees are confined, and set the
miniature hive containing the eggs over it quickly, allow-
ing no bees to escape. The bees will then pass from the
box up into the miniature hive, cluster on the comb con-
taining the eggs, and immediately commence the rearing
of queens from the eggs thus furnished them. Keep the
bees confined to the miniature hive for about thirty-six
hours. Give them their liberty at first about one hour
before sunset. If you do not confine them for the time
stated, they will return to the hive from which you took
them, but if so confined, they will forget their old home,
and adhere to the miniature hive, the same as an ordinary
swarm hived in the usual way. They will rear queens
from the eggs given them by constructing queen cells, so
arranged as to take in one of the eggs in the piece of
comb furnished them, often constructing three or more
cells. In about six days, open the miniature hive, and
you will find these cells nearly or quite finished.
Occasionally a case occurs where they do not rear queens

Led

REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS. 79

when thus furnished with the means, but such cases are
rare. If you find each one made separate, you can, if
you choose, with a sharp, thin knife cut out all the cells
but one, and give them to other rearing boxes not supplied
with eggs, or which have failed to rear queens from the
egos furnished them. If you leave all the cells in the
miniature hive as constructed, the first queen that hatches
will destroy all the others. She will visit each cell, gnaw
an opening in the side, curve her abdomen and insert
her sting into the opening, and sting the rival queen to
death while yet in her cradle. The worker bees will then
enlarge the opening, and drag out the lifeless body. The
victorious queen now reigns over the little colony, the same
as in a large and natural swarm.

In from three to five days after hatching, if the
Weather is fine, the young queen will leave the miniature
hive, and take a flight in the open air, to meet the drone
for the purpose of fecundation. If successful, she will
commence to lay in about two days. She may then be
introduced to a full stock at any time desired. Recollect,
it will be useless to rear queens where there are no drones.

When stocks are liberally fed early in the season, drones
will appear correspondingly early. And if from a stock
well supplied” with drones, you remove the queen, the
workers will not destroy the drones in that hive until
they have obtained another fertile laying queen. With
this idea in view, viz:—early and liberal feeding to pro-
duce drones early, and deprising a populous stock (well
supplied with drones) of its queen the last of the season,
we can have drones sufficient for our purpose from early
spring until late in the fall.

I have in several instances, for the purpose of securing
drones very early in the spring, deprived a populous
stock, containing a large number of drones, of its queen,
very late in the fall, and wintered them queenless. In
this manner the drones were permitted by the bees to

80 REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS.

remain and winter with the swarm. Early in the spring

they were re-enforced with hatching brood from populous”

stocks, but were permitted to rear no queens, in order that
the drones might be preserved. As soon as drones appear-
ed in the other stocks, this stock was furnished with a
laying queen, and it was as prosperous as the best.

By this plan drones may be kept through the winter,
if their services are required very early in the spring,
before we can raise them from the best stocks by judicious
feeding, which very rarely can be done.

The bees for rearing queens are usually obtained from
populous hives, such as will hardly miss a pint or 2
quart from their numbers, great care being exercised not
to remove the queen. The best time to get the bees is
in the middle.of the day. Go toa stock and first find
the queen. Setthe comb she is on, to one side. Put your
light box (prepared as before described with a hole in the
top) on a sheet near by, with one edge raised an inch.
Take one or more combs from the hive (being careful
not to get the one with the queen,) and shake the bees
from them, down beside the box, which they will readily
enter. When you have bees enough in the box, close it
so none can escape. You now have the bees ready to put
in the miniature hive, as before directed.

I think I have given such instruction as will enable
any one, after a little practive, to rear queens successfully.*
I will follow it with such information as will insure
success in introducing queens into full stocks of bees.

*By taking brood for rearing queens only from such stocks as

exhibit the greatest industry, mildness of disposition, vigor in ©

withstanding the cold, etc., I find Iam able to greatly improve
the desirable qualities of my bees from year to year. This system-
atic course of treatment has produced swarms possessing very
valuable characteristics. It is surprising to note the difference in
profits and ease of management, between bees that have always
been left to take their own course, and such as have had their most

REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS. 81

Here let me caution bee keepers never to attempt to
introduce a queen into a full stock of bees, until she has
begun to lay. A young queen, not fecundated, will be
destroyed in nine cases out of ten, in spite of every pre-
caution. Before introducing a queen, the old queen in
the stock, if any exists, must be taken away. Make
your search for her in the middle of the day, as at that
time most of the workers are away. Use but very little
smoke, and that only at the entrance, as the bees should
remain spread over the combs as evenly as possible. If
you use much smoke they will rush to the bottom and
the corners of the hive, and it is very likely the queen
might seek a hiding-place with the others, where you
could not find her. If not disturbed, the queen will be
found in the comb among the bees. When ready to pro-
ceed, having smoked them lightly at the entrances (a
puff at each entrance is sufficient,) lift out the comb care-
fully, avoiding any jar, and look them over for the queen.
It is said the Italian queens are more readily found than
the natives, but I could never see any difference. Hold
the frame up in front of your face, so as to have a good
view, and look each comb over carefully till you find the
queen. When found, remove her. Always return the
combs so they will occupy the same position as before.

As soon as the queen is removed, and the bees are
aware of their loss, they will usually commence to rear
another queen from the worker eggs to take her place.
To make a sure thing of it, they often start to produce a
half-dozen or more.

In six days after removing the queen, smoke the bees
well, to get the combs as clear of them as possible. Do

desirable traits cultivated and improved to the greatest possible
extent for aterm of years. The difference is almost as marked as
between the savage in his native wilds, and the most intelligent
and highly educated member of society.

82 REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS.

this in the middle of the day. When you have driven
the most of the bees from the comb to the bottom and
into the corners of the hives, lift out the combs, and look
sharply for queen cells, (success depends on thorough
work here.) With a sharp knife cut out and destroy every
such cell that is finished or commenced. Don’t leave any
part of a queen cell in the hive, for the bees will not
accept a strange queen if they have the means of raising
one of their own. Having destroyed every queen cell,
finished or unfinished, return the combs to the hive; but
before putting the honey board over the brood section,
cut a hole in it a little smaller than the top of a tumbler.
Cover this hole with a light piece of board, simply laid
on, (not nailed, for you will need to remove it without
jar.) Then put the honey board in its place over the brood
section.

Let the hive remain until near sunset, for the bees to
get quiet, and to learn that they are without a queen and
without the means of rearing another. Just before sun-
set, take the queen you propose to introduce, and with
her a score or more of workers, and put them ina tumbler
with a piece of wire cloth over the top to keep them in.
(To get her from the miniature hive, where she was reared,
to the tumbler, take it to a close room, before a window,
so if she takes wing she may alight there.) Go to the
hive into which she is to be introduced, and remove the
cap, avoiding any jar that may irritate the bees. Take
off the board over the hole in the honey board, and turn
the tumbler containing the queen bottom up over it, keep-
ing the wire cloth between the queen in the tumbler and
the bees in the hive. Replace the cap to the hive, and let
the queen and her attendant bees remain in the tumbler,
in communication with the bees in the hive through the
wire cloth, until the next day, near sunset. Then take a tea-
spoonful of honey, go to the hive, and remove the cap,
this time with the greatest possible care, as the slightest

oo

REARING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS. 88

jar will endanger success. Raise the tumbler carefully
from off the queen, and with the honey smear her
completely over, then turn the wire cloth over carefully,
and let the queen and her attendant bees down through
the hole in the honey board, among the bees of the hive.
Replace the cap as quietly as possible, and the work is
done. In about one week examine the combs of this
hive for eggs, and if they are found, you can consider
your work crowned with success. If no eggs are dis-
covered, you must go over the ground again. But be
sure there are no eggs in the combs before you repeat the
work.

This plan of introducing queens is the most successful
of any I have ever tested. It rarely fails. When a lay-
ing queen is removed from one of the miniature hives,
the bees will usually rear queens from the eggs left when
the queen is removed.

CHAPTER XIII.

SOURCES OF HONEY.

yes [WHE sources from which bees collect honey
at rae ) are various and almost innumerable.

Sefza) Almost every flower, tree, plant, shrub and
vine, in field, forest, pasture and garden yield honey to
some extent. White clover, is, perhaps, the greatest
source of honey in the New England and Middle States,
it being found to a greater or less extent in almost every
field and pasture. South and west there is, in n.any locali-
ties, a profusion of wild flowers, producing considerable
quantities of honey. In some sections buckwheat affords
a rich harvest. Basswood yields a very nice quality of
honey, and in sections where it abounds, great quantities
are collected from it. Fruit blossoms—apple, pear,
peach, and all the different varieties of plums, cherries,
etc., are very important sources of honey.

Pollen is the first material gathered by the bees in early
spring. Several varieties of alder, willow, red maple,
etc., produce pollen in great abundance. Raspberry,
blackberry, catnip, dandelion, etc., all contribute largely
of honey in theirseason. Corn, and most kinds of grain,
furnish polien in abundance late in the season. Mustard
and sweet clover are great favorites with the busy bee,
yielding the most beautiful honey, clear as crystal and
white as snow. The sugar maple produces honey of
excellent quality, and where forests of this tree abound,

SOURCES OF HONEY.

large quantities of honey are stored, “'
blossom in early spring.* Locust, whitewood, miguon-
ette, golden rod, sumach, etc., all produce honey.
When we take into consideration the fact that the bee
will go seven miles or more to collect his sweets, it is
easy to understand that a certain number of swarms will
succeed in almost any locality, even without feeding.
To make this still more clear, we have only to take into
account the vast number of honey yielding flowers, trees,
plants, shrubs, etc., within a circle of fourteen miles in
diameter, the hives occupying the center, and the bees
flying to collect heney seven miles in every direction from
the hive. Those who have not tested the matter, will be
likely to dispute the statement, that a bee will go seven
miles to gather honey. But on this point I am able to
offer ample proof, to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt,
the fact that the Italian bee will go that distance. The
proof I offer is this: The first Italian bees brought into
the New England States, I had the honor of receiving.
The Italian bees being entirely distinct from the native
or black bees in color and size, I determined to avail my-
self of the opportunity offered to satisfy myself on the
long-disputed question—‘‘How far a bee will go to collect
honey.” I therefore made close and repeated examina-
tions, at different times during the honey season, and it
was no uncommon occurrence, to find the Italian work-
ers seven miles from their hives. As there were no
Italian bees except mine within hundreds of miles, I con-

*Climate and soil are so variable, it is impossible to give the
sources of honey so as to apply minutely to every locality. I shall
strive to designate the principal sources. Thebee keeper will very
soon learn from experience and observation, what are the prin-
cipal sources of honey in that particular locality. Many different
flowers, trees and shrubs are found in one section yielding honey
profusely which do not exist in another.

SOURCES OF HONEY.

positive proof that that variety will travel
seven miles from its hive in its search for honey-producing
flowers. As the native or black bee is, to some extent,
found in all parts of the country, it is impossible to
prove conclusively the distance they will go from the
hive; yet my observations give very strong evidence that
they journey five miles or more after honey.

When the distance a bee will go for honey is so weli
established, and having found from repeated tests that
the flowers, when yielding honey, may be visited many
times each day by the bee, and yield at each visit a bounti-
ful supply, we can form some idea of the vast amount of
honey now permitted to go to waste, which might be col-
lected by bees and stored in nice boxes, and thus add wealth
and enjoyment to the buman family.

The bee keeper sometimes finds his bees idle, when
the flowers are in bloom in profusion, the sun shining
brightly, and, to the superficial observer, everything in-
dicating honey in abundance. And yet the bees are dor-
mant, and scarcely a one flying about the hives, notwith-
standing the hives and boxes are full of them. The truth
of the matter is, there is no honey in the flowers, although
they are in full bloom. The air is dry and clear. Sud-
denly there is a change, the atmosphere becomes moist
und charged with electricity, with occasionally light
showers. Immediately all is activity about the hives.
The greatest show of industry is manifested; scores of
workers, and in some cases a hundred, coming into each
hive every minute, loaded with honey, many of them so
heavily weighted that they fall to the ground before they
reach the hive, where they rest a moment, and then try
again, usually succeeding in entering with their load.
I have seen a change, as here described, brought about
in a half-hour’s time in the middle of the day, viz: The
bees pass from an idle, almost entirely dormant state, to
the greatest activity and industry. And all because a

SOURCES OF HONEY. 87

change in the atmosphere had caused the flowers to secrete
honey. The question arises, How did the bees know at
that particular hour there was a change, and that the
flowers, which a few minutes before were destitute of
honey, were now bountifully supplied? I answer, the
bee was aware of the change almost the moment it took
place. The bee is very sensitive to all atmospheric
changes. A case in point will show this: The bees are
eollecting honey abroad in the fields. The day is warm
and balmy. Suddenly there is the appearance of a shower,
and distant thunder is heard. Immediately the bees
vaine rushing in from the fields, in clouds. They cover
the entire front of their hives, in their eagerness to gain
a shelter from the approaching rain. Again, if the
morning is cloudy and dark, with every appearance of
rain, and you find the bees leaying their hives for the
fields, you may be quite certain that rain is not near, and
may expect soon to see the sun break forth and the
clouds disperse. If, on the other hand there is an appear-
ance of rain, and the bees are quiet in their hives, it is
quite sure to rain ina very short time. How wonderful
are the workings of nature. How great the sagacity of
the little, busy bee. Who dares say that this wonderful
little insect does not possess the power of reasons?” But
I am digressing from the subject.

Bees, in their journeys to collect’ honey, seldom visit
more than one species of flower, plant or shrub, at one
excursion; and this is a wise provision of nature, for
were it otherwise, and any and all species visited pro-
miscuously, the vegetable world would be thrown into
chaos, by the fertilizing dust of one species being im-
parted to another, through the medium of the bee.

Pollen as fast as collected is deposited in little basket-
like cavities on the inside of the bee’s posterior legs. It
is packed in little pellets, varying in size from that of a
pin’s head toa small pea. In color it is usually yellow,

88 SOURCES OF HONEY.

but sometimes green or red. Hundreds of bees may be
seen entering the hives with pollen at almost any time in
the honey season, particularly in the morning before the
dew is off the grass. It is easier for the bees to collect
it at this time, as the moisture causes it the more readily
to adhere to the cavities of the legs. Honey when col-
lected is deposited in the stomach of the bee, in which
it is borne to the hive, and there deposited in cells in the
comb. The bee has the power of raising this honey from
its stomach, in the same manner that all ruminating ani-
mals raise the cud.

Some have contended that bees cause an injury to all
kinds of fruit, such as apples, peaches, plums, etc., by
taking away the substance and sweetness, in the form of
honey, which otherwise would be absorbed, and eaten
with the fruit. This isa great mistake. The provisions
of nature are wise in this respect as in all others. There
is the strongest evidence to prove that honey, once secreted
in the cups of the tiny blossoms, never returns to the
flower or fruit, but evaporates and passes into the air.
Who, in passing an apple or peach orchard in full bloom,
has not noticed the delicious fragrance; which is undoubt-
edly honey which has evaporated from the myriads of
blossoms. It is very plain to the close observer that
nature has placed in the cups of flowers this honey, ex-
pressly as food for the honey bee, and that it is in harmeny
with all her great and wonderful works.

CHAPTER XIV.
LOCATION OF HIVES.

{@N locating your hives, place them on the south
I side of buildings, or a close board fence facing
south, south-east or south-west. If possible,
ee locate in the shade of some trees, where they
will be shaded from the sun from nine o’clock in the
forenoon until one in the afternoon, or a little later. If
no trees afford shade, arrange a roof over each hive, which
shall shade the entire hive, and especially the front, in the
summer season. But in spring and fall it is better to let
the bees have the full benefit of the sun’s rays, shining
directly upon the hive. Construct a separate stand for
each hive, as follows: Cut boards about three feet long,
and joists three by six inches square (two pieces of the
latter two feet long;) nail the ends of the boards to these
pieces, so as to form a stand, when placed on the ground,
three feet long, two feet wide and six inches high. This
cives a free circulation of air beneath the stand. Set your
hive on this stand, the rear of the hive even with the rear
of the stand, which leaves the stand projecting a foot or
more in front, making an admirable place for the bees to
alight before entering the hive. Set your stands three
feet apart, and make them perfectly level before placing
your hive upon them.
Place an alighting board in front of each hive, Get a
board about eighteen inches wide and two feet long.

90 LOCATION OF HIVES.

Nail on some cleats at each end, to prevent warping.
Rest one edge of this board on the ground, the other edge
on the end of the platform in front of the hive. By this
arrangement many bees will be saved in early spring
which would otherwise be lost. By the old plan of set-
ting the hives two or three feet high, with no alighting
board, and a free draught cf wind beneath, the loss of bees
was very great, especially in the early spring months, on
chilly afternoons following a very warm forenoon. The
bees, returning Joaded with pollen, are unable to reach
a hive placed so high, and are blown to the earth by the
hundreds, and becoming chilled, die. The death of a few
bees is a great loss in early spring, for they are required
in keeping up the animal heat in the hive to forward
breeding.

The location of bees as here recommended will be
found greatly superior to any other, for other reasons than
those mentioned, and which are too numerous to herein
specify.

Every one who commences bee keeping should ever
remember, that bees always mark the location of their
hives. The young bee the first time it leaves the hive
invariably does this. The same is true with all swarms,
in the first flight in early spring, after being dormant in
the hive through the winter months.

In marking the location, the bee comes from the hive,
and at the entrance rises on the wing. Turning its head
toward the hive, it recedes in circles, backward, at first
describing « circle so small as to be scarcely perceptible,
but enlarging as the distance from the hive is increased.
They thus take into view all objects surrounding the hive,
so that they are able to return to their own Lives without
difficulty. After one or two excursions begun in this
manner, the bee leaves the hive in a direct line for the
fields, without taking any further precaution whatever,
and returns by its knowledge of the objects in the vicinity

LOCATION OF HIVES. 91

of the hives, without difficulty.

Notwithstanding there might be a hundred hives stand-
ing in a line, with only a few inches space between each,
and all of the same color and appearance, if left to itself
no bee would enter the hive of its neighbor, although
there might be hundreds of thousands of the busy work-
ers, from all the hives, flying promiscuously about in the
air. Each bee knows its own hive perfectly, and if from
any accident it enters its neighbor’s house, immediate
death is usually the result; or possibly it may escape,
after being roughly handled, and made to understand that
it is trespassing on forbidden ground.

Some bee keepers, with little knowledge of their occu-
pation, often remove a hive of bees several rods, in the
working season. The result is, all the bees that had
marked the location (and all the old bees had done this)
are lost. They would continue to leave the hive ina
direct line, after its removal, not taking the precaution to
mark the location, as they were unaware of the change,
and when they were ready to return, they would return
to the former place.

Bees may be safely moved a dozen miles or more, at
any time, as this takes them beyond their knowledge of
country; but- in such cases set the hives six feet apart at
least. If this precaution is not taken and the hives are
set close together, the bees will rush from the hives on
being let out, not knowing the location has been changed,
and when they return, many will enter the wrong hive,
and be slaughtered without mercy.

Therefore, let stocks be placed, early in the spring,
before they have marked the situation of the stands they
are to occupy for the summer, and not change them after
the bees have commenced their labors—at least change
them no less distance than twelve miles.

CHAPTER XV.
WINTERING BEES.

Cw
\s eg Ke est importance, and one which is generally
ce ‘ery imperfectly understood, if we may
judge from the large number of swarms lost every winter
and spring. There are many methods recommended as
‘tthe best” for wintering bees. One will tell you to keep
them cold; another to keep them warm. One will say,
put them in the cellar; another, bury them in the ground ;
another put them in the attic. Is it any wonder that the
beginner becomes confused and disgusted at so much con-
flicting advice ? That bees have been wintered safely by
any and all of these old plans I shall not dispute. But I
am certain that neither plan will, alone, prove successful
in the majority of cases.

By all the methods heretofore recommended, a large
number of bees die from each stock, during the winter;
so reducing them in numbers that it takes nearly the
entire summer for them to regain in numbers what they
have lost; while a very large number of stocks are lost
entirely.

It will be readily understood that the greater the num-
ber of bees in a hive in early spring, the more warmth
will be generated ; consequently the more rapidly will the
brood mature and the bees increase in numbers. It is of

HE subject of wintering bees is of the great-

WINTERING BEES. 93

the greatest importance to have strong stocks in early
spring. This is one of the strong points of the new
system of management, taught in this book.

In nearly all the hives now in use, there is no proper
ventilation, consequently the honey in such hives becomes
sour, the comb mouldy, and the bees diseased. It is
impossible, in our variable climate, to winter bees suc-
cessfully, for any number of years, with any degrée of
certainty, in the great majority of the ordinary hives.

Some, who have met with heavy losses in winter, have
taken the ground that the loss was caused by a poor
quality of honey, stored by the hees in a wet season, or a
large yield late in the fall. But this is a great mistake.
Bees will not collect and store honey not suited to their
use as food; they make no mistakes on this point.

I might discuss in detail all the different methods of
wintering bees, and show the great losses attending each,
with causes, etc., but by so doing I should consume more
space than I can give in this work. I shall therefore
confine my remarks to ordinary conditions of bees in
winter, and the requisites to insure uniform success in
wintering.

In the winter bees cluster as closely together as cir-
cumstances admit, and the severity of the cold demands.
The more severe the cold, the closer they cluster together,
in order the better to keep up the animal heat necessary
to maintain life.

By all the old methods, the cluster of bees is divided by
the sheets of comb, which is a great hindrance to suc-
cessful wintering. In such cases the bees cannot cluster
compactly together, but are spread out between the dif-
ferent sheets of comb. In the Controllable Hive, and on
the plan of wintering here recommended, the bees in very
cold weather cluster in the space between the wire cloth
of the ventilator and the top of the frames of the brood
section. They are here able to keep up the required

94. " WINTERING BEES.

amount of animal heat, as they can cluster compactly,
without anything to separate them.

By the ordinary plan, in sudden turns of very cold
weather, the bees between the outer combs are often frozen
to death. “Oh!” says some one, “that’s all humbug;
you can’t freeze a bee.” Certainly you can. To satisfy
yourself of this, after a very cold turn of weather, look
under your box hives, if you have them, or any patent
hive having a loose bottom board to admit of an exami--
nation, and see if you do not find hundreds of bees which
have fallen dead from the outside combs. I have ex-
amined hundreds of stocks, and found them as here
described. If youdon’t believea bee will freeze, take out
a dozen from a hive, in a severely cold spell of weather
in mid-winter, confine them in a box, and set them out
doors, letting them remain only one night. See if they
are not dead beyond resuscitation, the next morning.
This notion that bees will not freeze is a great mistake,
and has led tosome very foolish experiments in wintering
them.

A swarm of bees of avcrage size, put in proper con-
dition for winter, will not freeze; but from this it does
not follow that a bee is proof against the greatest possible
degree of coid. When bees are prepared for winter, as
herein directed, they will, as before stated, cluster com-
pactly together. And as the cold increases the cluster
will contract, in accordance with the increasing of the
cold, and consequently no loss of bees occur.

Another great cause of loss in winter is is.proper ventil-
ation, or no ventilation at all. Every swarm of bees
throws off a considerable amount of moisture from their
bodies. In very cold weather, if the hive is not properly
ventilated, this moisture collects on the combs at the
sides and top of the hives, in the form of frost and ice.
In moderate weather this frost and ice melts, and runs
down into the hive, completing saturating the bees, and

WINTERING BEES. 95

then, if a sudden change to extremely cold weather takes
place, all are destroyed by freezing; or if they chance to
survive the winter, the moisture causes the combs to
mould, the honey becomes sour, an‘ thin like water,
rendering it unsuitable food for the bee, and bringing on
diseases—dysentery, bee cholera, foul brood, etc., and
in a short time the bees are all destroyed. Thousands of

- good swarms are lost every winter by improper manage-

ment, and from being kept in hives not suitable for winter-
ing. I give directions for wintering on my plan, in Con-
trollable Hives, and I feel confident, if directions are
carefully followed, that many stocks will be saved
annually, which otherwise would haye perished.

How To WINTER BEES IN CONTROLLABLE HIvEs.

Bees are wintered in Controllable Hives on their summer
stands, by my plan, without loss, by maintaining an
even temperature in the brood section, and disposing of
all moisture or perspiration thrown off by the bees in
cold weather. I have never lost a swarm of bees in
Controllable Hives in the winter. I attempt to winter
none, except strong, healthy stocks. I have no mouldy
combs, nosour honey. The combs are kept perfectly dry,
and the hives in a healthy condition. I do not lose a tea-
cupful of bees, on the average, from each of my hives
during the winter.

To winter in Controllable Hives, prepare as follows:
At the commencement of steady cold weather, which, in
the New England States, is usually near the close of
November, put the bees in condition to winter by entirely
closing the upper entrance to the hive, and the lower one
shat up about one-half.* Take out the box frames at the

*To secure a slight upward draught of air, to carry off the moist-
ure arising from the bees, make a hole a half-inch in diameter in
front and rear of the cap, in the center, close to the top or roof

96 WINTERING BEES.

sides of the brood section, and put the movable partitions
in place. Remove the boxes and feeder, or honey board,
(whichever is in place) from over the brood section.
Place the ventilator (described elsewhere) over the brood
section, so the lower edge of the ventilator, at the sides,
will rest on the upper edges of the movable partitions, on
each side of the brood section. Pack the sides of the
hive (that part occupied by the side boxes in summer,)
closely with very tine hay or straw. Pack the cap as
full of the same matter as it can be crowded. Then put
the thickness of one or two inches over the ventilator,
filling up evenly, so when the cap is placed ever the upper
part, the cap and sides will be compactly filled. There
must be no spaces left unfilled, the object being to
secure an even temperature in the brood section, and
absorb all moisture thrown off by the bees; and to do this
successfully, the cap and sides must be closely packed
throughout. When you have the cap and sides well
packed, replace the cap, and the work is done. Shade the
front of the hives during the winter months. No matter
if the snow drifts over the hive so as to completely bury
it from sight, let it remain ;— your bees are safe.

A neighbor of mine had fifteen stocks in Controllable
Hives completely buried in snow over six feet deep, and
the crust formed over them so it would bear a horse.

They remained under the snow from January until April, —

when they thawed out, and every stock was found to bein
first-class order.

When there is only 2 small quantity of snow about the
hive, say only enough to cover the lower entrance, and

boards. (And here let me say, the roof boards, or boards covering
the cap, should project about an inch, as they can be more firmly
nailed, and make better joints; for driving rains must not beallowed

to penetrate to the inside of the hive.) Theinside of each hole ©

should be covered with wire cloth, to keep out insects, ete.

oa oe

WINTERING BEES. 97

there should come a very warm spell of weather, which
would bring the bees out, be sure to clear away the snow
so they need not be kept back by it. But it will take an
exceedingly warm day in winter to rouse the bees from
their dormant state in the Controllable Hive, and bring
them out fora turn in the open air. If the air is warm
enough to induce them to come out, it is always warm
enough for them to fly briskly. In this respect there is a
great contrast between my hive and others. With other
hives, an hour’s warm sun will bring out the bees in
winter, when the air is cold, and the consequence is, they
fall into the snow and perish by hundreds. In this way
stocks are often reduced in numbers until all are lost.
The dysentery generally attacks such stocks (brought on
by the sudden changes in temperature in the hive,) and
hastens their destruction, by causing them to leave the
hive, when they would not do so if in a healthy condition.
Bees, when wintered in Controllable Hives as directed,
will come out in the spring, strong in numbers, and in a
healthy condition—in great contrast to the weak and dis-
eased stocks which have been wintered in the ordinary
manner. I have perfect confidence in the method of

wintering here recommended, for I have had it in practical
use for many years, and have never lost a stock, notwith-
standing some winters have been very destructive to bees

in this section, some, who practice the old methods, losing
their entire stocks. I learn from my correspondents in
all parts of the United States that there is great loss of
bees in winter; so great in fact as to discourage many
from attempting to engage in apiculture.

My plan of wintering is very simple, and commends
itself to every intelligent person. In a few words it may
be expressed thus: ‘The brood section is secured against
the effects of sudden changes in the weather, (this keeps
the bees dormant throughout the winter season, which is
as nature designed,) and provides for the absorption of all

98 WINTERING BEES.

moisture and perspiration arising from the bees, while
in a dormant state. These two points are the foundation
of successful wintering.

CHAPTER XYVI.

TRANSFERRING BEES.

3 S some of my readers may have bees in ordi-

oe nary hives, which they would like to transfer

A to the Controllable Hive, I will devote a chap-
ee ter to Transferring.

If you have bees in a box or patent hive, or any of the
thousand and one bee hive humbugs, which are of little
or no profit, and cause you much trouble and perplexity
in swarming time, and frequent and heavy losses in
winter, you can move them into Controllable Hives—
comb, honey and bees together—and manage them on
the plan here recommended, and they will winter well,
come out strong and healthy in the spring, and cause com-
paratively no trouble in swarming aos yielding you a
good profit yearly.

The best time to transfer is as early in spring as the
weather becomes warm enough to keep the bees active
every day, which, in the New England States, is usually
in April. It is a good time to transfer about twenty-four
days after the first swarm issues from a stock, as at that
time there is but little brood, and usually but few bees.
October is a very good time to transfer, but not as good
as either of the times before mentioned. Great care is

required to prevent robbing, and also to have the comb
' frames all filled with combs, and in good position for the

100 TRANSFERRING BEES.

bees to winter. As cold weather is so close at hand, the
bees will have but little time to arrange for winter.

Ta transferring, construct the Controllable Hive ag
directed, with exception of the comb frames, from which
leave off the triangular piece, as the comb can be better
fitted to a flat surface. Make several holes one-fourth
inch in diameter through the top, bottom and ends of
frames, and a like number of sharp wooden pins about
two inches long to fit these holes.

Early in the morning, before the bees begin to fly, pre-
pare your smoker, go to the hive you propose to transfer,
and before you touch it, smoke the bees at the entrances
moderately, giving them two or three puffs, waiting about
a minute and giving them two or three more. Then stop
the entrances, so no bees can escape. Take the hive from
the stand and carry it to some out-building, so the bees
from the other hives will not trouble you, and get a taste
of the honey, thereby inciting them to robbery. Turn
the hive bottom up, and with twosticks, each about a half-
inch in diameter and twelve inches long, strike the hive
lightly half a dozen times, and then wait for two or three
minutes. Then with the sticks on each side of the hive
drum briskly (but lightly, so not to break the comb,) for
about five minutes. Then puff smoke under the bottom
board on all sides. Much of this preliminary work is for
the purpose of confusing the bees, and inducing them
to fill themselves with honey from the cells of the hive,
as a bee gorged with honey will never volunteer an attack
for the purpose of stinging. The bees are nuw ready to
be transferred. You will need some one to assist you,
and it will be necessary for you to put on your ai ticles of
protection, and keep your smoker in readiness for use, as
occasionally a swarm is hard to subdue, though the great
majority of them are perfectly docile after the treatment
recommended. But we are to “beard the lion in his den,”
and to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

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TRANSFERRING BEES. 101

The bees usttally manifest their submission by a loud
humming noise. If after you commence operations (be-
fore you get the side of the hive off) they show a dispo-
sition to be cross, replace the bottom board, close the
entrances, if open, and give the insects a good smoking,
at the entrances, and by raising the bottom board enough
to introduce the smoke; give them the smoke freely for
several minutes. Then again remove the bottom board.
(These directions apply to the common box hive. If
hives of a different pattern are operated upon, vary the
operation to conform to the requirements of the case,
applying the same principles.) Then with a chisel and
hammer remove one side of the hive (the side to which
the bees have attached the least comb,) and with a thin,
sharp table-knife, cut the edges of the comb from the
sides of the hive. It is well to havea table or stand near
by, with a cloth folded in several thicknesses, on which
to lay the sheets of comb with the bees adhering, if
necessary. The cloth prevents crushing. Cut out a
comb from the hive with the bees adhering, and cut off
the edges, if required, so it will fit the new frame closcly
at the top and bottom. No matter if it does not go the
whole length of the frame from front to rear, as the bees
will finish it.* Have the comb occupy the same position,
relatively, in the new hive, that it did in the old. When
the comb is in place in the frame, secure it by putting the
wooden pins through the holes in the frames into the
combs, and having fastened it firmly in place by means
of the pins, place it in the Controllable Hive in its proper
position.

Thus proceed, till all the frames of the Controllable
Hive are filled, or the comb in the old hive is exhausted.
In transferring, very old, black combs should be discarded

*But very few hives are large enough for their combs to fill the
movible comb frames of the Controllable Hive.

102 TRANSFERRING BEES.

even if you do not have your new hive more than half
full. Get all the bees, if possible, in the new hive, and
when you set it on the stand, close the lower entrance
entirely, and let the upper one remain only one-half open,
for a few days, until the bees get well located in their
new home. Be careful not to crush any of the bees, and
take special care not to injure the queen.

As you will probably complete the operation of trans-
ferring at about the time that bees will be flying briskly
about the other hives, it will be better to put wire cloth
over the entrances, to confine the bees you have trans-
ferred, and let them remain in the outbuilding until about
an hour before sunset; then set them on the stand and
give them their liberty. Keeping them shut up for the
time named, gives them a chance to take up the honey
which runs from the transferred combs, and which might,
if the bees were carried immediately to the stand, incite
robbing.

Transferring is by no means so formidable an operation
as at first appears. I have transferred a very large num-
ber of swarms from the old box hives, without any protec-
tion for hands or face, and now the bees seldom show any
disposition to sting. Yet I would advise beginners
to protect themselves, until by practice they become
familiar with the work. ‘Practice 1nakes perfect” is an
old and true saying, and it applies to all operations with
bees, I assure you. In my first attempts at this work I
thought I must be protected, and I would not for the
world proceed without a protector, and that of the most
invulnerable ki.d. Now, having had much practice, I
feel no necessity for any covering whatever. I trust I
have made my method of transferring perfectly plain,
so that every one who wishes may avail themselves of its
advantages,

CHAPTER XVII.

ITALIAN BEES.

WY He Italian Bee is a native of the Alps, and

\=) was first imported to this country about the
D)Z@) year 1860. The Italian being a native of
mountainous regions and a high latitude, they were
reported to be extremely hardy and vigorous. Those
who were first to obtain them, were unanimous in their
praise of the Italian bee, and fully agreed that it was
superior to our native or black bee in very many respects.
The good reputation which preceded the introduction of
the bee to this country, by time and experience in their
care, has been fully vindicated.

The pure Italian bees are superior to the natives in the
following characteristics: They are more hardy and
vigorous, withstanding our severe winters, with ordinary
care, better than the natives; they are more industrious
than the native bee, being very active in storing honey in
cool, windy, or cloudy weather, such as keeps the native
bees quiet in the hives.

The pure Italian, being larger and more vigorous than
the natives, go greater distances to collect honey, and
as they are larger, they carry more at atime, and being
swifter of flight than the natives, they go the same dis-
tance in much quicker time. Then, too, the pure Italian
bee is very beautiful, nearly the entire body being of a

104 ITALIAN BEES.

golden color, so that some of its admirers have given it
the name of *‘ golden.bee.” It is very mild in disposition,
seldom offering to sting unless unreasonably irritated.
They show great activity in protecting their hives from
the bee moth, even when weak in numbers. They also
show the same trait in defending their stores from the
attacks of robber bees. When the native bees have come
buzzing around a hive of Italians in search of plunder, I
have seen an Italian dart from the hive like a bullet, and
seizing a native, while on the wing, bear him to earth and
dispatch him with a sting. This feat I never saw a native
bee accomplish. Being larger than the natives they are.
able to reach the honey in the red clover, and many other
flowers not accessible to our common bees, which makes
an essential difference in the amount of honey collected.

Rev. L. L, Langstroth says of the Italian bees: ‘* They
gather more than twice as much honey in the same
localities, in the same time, as the swarms of native bees.”

I consider the pure Italian Bee a valuable and very
desirable acquisition. I have furnished several of my
lady friends with full colonies of them in Controllable
Hives, and they have expressed themselves as very much
pleased with their gentle disposition and great beauty.

I think the points of superiority here designated will
be found in the pure Italian bee. Very many, who have
purchased bees purporting to be Italians, have been grossly
deceived, having received simply a native swarm of bees,
the queen of which, a pure native, had been impregnated
by a drone having a slight tinge of Italian blood; such
stock was but very little, if any, better than a pure native
swarm.

I find I can make an improvement, even in the pure
Italian stock, by selecting queens for rearing to supply
my full stocks and with eggs and drones, frem such stocks
as show the superior characteristics in the fullest degree.
This course persevered in for a term of years will show

ITALIAN BEES. 105

marked results in the improvement of the desirable points
of superiority found in the Italian bee.

I take great pride in my Italian bees. I believe they
are as beautiful specimens of this variety as it is possible
to produce, and possessing the characteristics of superior-
ity of the Italians in the fullest degree. The points which
I strive to cultivate and develop fully, are: Industry,
mildness of disposition, beauty of color, vigor of con-
stitution, etc.

I have here given in brief my views of the Italian bee,
as I receive many ietters of enquiry in regard to them.
I base my statements on practical experience. I would
advise all who wish to procure the Italian bees, to exer-
cise great care in selecting them, and purchase only of
those who are known to have pure stocks, for the best is
the cheapest in the end, no matter if the first cost seems
high. If the worth of the money is in the bees, the
higher the price paid. the better you will be satisfied.
But do not pay even a low price for inferior stock, for you
will not be satisfied.

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CHAPTER XVII.
CONSTRUCTION OF CONTROLLABLE HIVES.

a& aAi& N the opposite page is given Figure I. of a

J perspective view of the Controllable Bee
Z> Hive, with the measurements of its exterior
=< parts. The body of the hive is made in two
parts, A and B. The lower edges of the upper part B
rest upon the cleats C, attached to the outside of the
lower part of A, near its upper edge—as will be seen by
reference to Figures I. and II. The middle board D of
the bottom is loose, and is held in place by hooks E. The
middle board F, at the sides of the lower purt A, are loose,
hinged at their lower edges, and are held in place when
closed by the buttons G. In front of the lower part A,
near both its lower and upper edges, are formed slots, or
bee passages, H. The lower part A is divided longitudi-
nally into three compartments by two movable partitions.
The side compartments are designed to receive the honey
boxes J; and the center compartment forms the brood
section. To the inner surfaces of the front and rear
walls of the brood section are attached boards, forming a
double thickness, to secure a more even temperature,
keeping out the heat in summer and the cold in winter.
The grain of the inner board runs crosswise of the outer
one to prevent warping. The upper edges of the inner
boards are rebated out five-eighths inch square inside, to
receive the ends of the comb frames of the brood section,

CONTROLLABLE Hive. Fie. II.

CONSTRUCTION OF CONTROLLABLE HIVES. 109

Figure IT. is a perspective view of the Controllabe Hive,
with the upper part of the case removed, showing the
position of the glass honey boxes at the top, with the
feeder T in the rear, and also showing the position of the
side boxes J, in the large frameO, as shown more clearly
in Figure III. The inner ends of the side boxes J, next
to the brood section, are formed of boards C, narrower
than the boxes, leaving side spaces, to allow the bees to
pass in and out freely from the brood section to the side
boxes. When top boxes and feeder are not on, a board
called a honey board is placed over the brood section,
fitting very closely, so as to confine the heat, generated by
the bees, to the brood section. In winter the brood section
is covered by a ventilator made as follows: Take a piece
of fine board one-half inch thick. Get out two pieces,
each one inch wide and twenty-two and three-eighths
inches long, and two pieces of same width each ten
inches long. Nail the short pieces on to the ends of the
long pieces, forming a frame nine inches wide by twenty-
two and three-eighths inches long, inside measurement.
Over this frame tack a piece of wire cloth twenty-three
and three-eighths inches long, by ten inches wide, of a very
fine mesh. This frame will just fit over the brood section,
and give aspace between the wire cloth and the top of the
comb frames of about one and three-eighths inches. Tack
the wire cloth on closely, so no bees:can escape when the
ventilator is in place. This ventilator is to be used only
in winter, as directed under the chapter on Wintering.

Figure III., on next page, is a perspective view of a
set of side surplus honey boxes and their inclosing frame,
with measurements of the different parts.

The brood section of the hive is twenty and one-half
inches long, nine inches wide and twelve inches deep,
inside measurement. The brood section contains six

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CONSTRUCTION OF CONTROLLABLE HIVES. ae

movable comb frames, resting on rebatings, and held at
the proper distance apart at the bottom by a brace. The
only place where these frames touch the hive, is where
the top bar of the comb frames rests on the rebating at
the ends. To the top bar of each comb frame (on the
under side) is naiied a triangular comb guide to aid in
securing straight combs. Each side of the triangle is
one inch wide. A piece of board one inch wide and
three-eighths inch thick is laid on top of the comb frames
Jengthwise in the centre on this piece. The ends of the
top boxes rest in the center where they come together.
Notches are cut on the underside, crosswise, to admit of
the passage of the hees.*

In the construction of hives use the best dry pine
lumber, free from flaws or cracks, and put on a good coat
of paint to protect from the weather. As the hives are to
remain in the open air the year round, the best of lumber
is required, and that to be well protected with a heavy
coat of the most durable paint. Make close-fitting joints
and nail thoroughly.

These hives, if properly constructed of sound lumber,
will last many years. I have had the same hive on one
stand incessantly for six years, and at the end of that

*T have exercised great care, and incurred considerable expense,
in giving drawings with measurements and directions for construct-
ing Controllable Hives, glass boxes, etc., that such of my readers
as wish may be able to construct the hives and manage becs
according to the new system as taught in this work. I have no
time or desire to estaklish a business in the manufacture of hives,
but if any of my readers want a full sized Controllable Hive,
ready for a swarm of bees, the better to enable them to make the
Controllable Hive, I willfurnish them. Price eight dollars. In no
case will I furnish more than one to the same address. The hive
is not patent, so any one can manufacture and use as many as they
wish. They can make them at their home, especially in the winter
season, much cheaper than I can furnish them.

112 CONSTRUCTION OF CONTROLLABLE HIVES.

time it is as good, to all appearances, as when first put
there.

All who desire to construct Controllable Hives, and
adopt the plan of bee management recommended in this
book, can do so freely, as there is no patent on the hive,
or any of its parts or fixtures.

CHAPTER XIX.

MONTHLY DUTIES.

requires forethought and preparation for

1) all labor and care bestowed upon them, if
we « desire to bestow it at the proper time, and in the most
judicious manner. I have in this chapter given only brief
hints as to the work to be performed. Such of my
readers as are located in a climate essentially differing
from that of the New England States, will perceive the
necessity of varying their management to correspond
with the difference in climate, etc.

I shall repeat some of the statements already made, in
order to impress them more thoroughly upon the bee
keeper. The object of this chapter is to bring to the
mind of the bee keeper the more important duties required
in the successful use of the system recommended in this
work.

JANUARY.

We will commence with January as it is the first month
in the year.

In this month construct hives, glass honey boxes, etc.
Give the new hives a good coat of paint. They will last
longer, and as they are to remain out of doors the year

114 MONTHLY DUTIES.

around, it is very essential that they be preserved against
the weather. A good, heavy coat of paint, spread over
good lumber, will prevent cracking and warping.
Employ the time, in this month of comparative leisure,
in getting eve.ything in readiness for the approaching
honey season.

FEBRUARY.

February like January is not a busy month with bees
in the Northern States, neither do they require much care.
If not finished last month, continue the work of January
by making hives, glass honey boxes, snd all fixtures re-
quired in the management of the bees in the coming
season. In some sections bees will fly briskly the last of
the month. Clear away the snow from the foot of the
hives at that time. Set out meal feed for the bees, pro-
vided they fly briskly.

MARCH.

At the commencement of this month, clear the snow
away from the front of hives; raise the hives up on blocks
at the corners, remove the bottom board under the brood
section, and brush out all accumulations, which might
invite the bee moth to deposit her eggs, if suffered to
remain through the summer. This accomplished, set
the hive back in its place. The first day that the bees
fly, set out the meal as heretofore directed. Commence
to feed liquid feed as early as the bees will take it. Feed
regularly every day, or every other day, at evening.
When you commence to feed, remove the packing from
the cap, and also take off the ventilator. The space over
the comb frames not covered with the feeder, cover with
a small honey board. Let the packing remain at the

MONTHLY DUTIES. ale

sides until you have put on the side boxes, or until some
time in May, as it keeps the brood chamber warm, which
is essential in forwarding breeding. Open a small portion
of the upper entrance (about one-third) and keep the
passage open at the bottom, the same as during the
winter.

APRIL. |

Early in April—the first warm, sunny day—examine
your stocks, and see if they have fertile, laying queens.
If the queen is all right, there will be eggs and brood
in the brood cells. Don’t keep the hives open any longer
than is necessary, as the cold air might chill the brood.
At this time, if some stocks have a large amount of honey
in the combs of the brood section, exchange such with
some stock that has but little; as it is a disadvantage
to have too*much sealed honey in the brood combs in the
spring. It sometimes happens that all the brood combs
will be filled with sealed honey nearly down to the
bottom, leaving but a very small place cn two or three
combs near the bottom for breeding purposes. In such
cases, take out two or three combs, and exchange with
other stocks having empty combs, leaving in each such
as have brood and eggs, in every stock. Don’t take out
any bees. In this manner equalize your stocks, and all
will be benefited. If any stocks are found queenless, or
with diseased or worthless queens, take means to furnish
them with a fertile, laying queen, as soon as possible.
In the meantime, keep the entrances to such hives con-
tracted very small, so but very few bees can pass at one
time, to prevent attacks from robbers. Queenless stocks,
or those which have diseased or drone-laying queens, will
not resist an attack from robber bees with as much vigor
as a stock having a fertile and prolific queen.

116 MONTHLY DUTIES.
MAY.

If surplus honey is your object the coming season,
early in this month put on the boxes at the sides, and the
last cf the month, or as soonas the bees commence work
in the side boxes, remove the small honey board over the
brood section, and put on the top boxes, except at the
place occupied by the feeder. It may be well to feed
liberally for about ten days before fruit blossoms appear,
in order to get the bees at work in the boxes. You can
judge what is best. If the stocks are backward in breed-
ing, the comb not filled with eggs and brood in nearly
every part, it will be best to defer liberal feedirg until a
little Jater. You should have had the brood combs filled
with brood and eggs, before liberal feeding is begun,
else the bees will fill with honey what should be filled
with eggs and brood; and thus the number of bees will
be reduced from what there would be if the queen depos-
ited eggs in all the cells. You want all the bees possible
to gather the honey harvest of June, July, August and
September.

If you want swarms, don’t put on any boxes.

About the time fruit blossoms appear, or a little before,
open both entrances to their full extent, in all strong and.
healthy stocks.

JUNE.

This is the month for swarms. It is also the month,
in most localities, when the best quality of box honey is,
collected. If you have arranged for swarms to appear
this month, have everything in readiness forthem. If you
are arranging for surplus honey, remove the boxes as fast
as filled, and replace with empty ones. Hive the swarms
as soon as clustered. Be sure not to let them remain in
the hot sun for any length of time. Have your hives all

MONTHLY DUTIES. 117

ready. This month is a good time to rear queens in the
miniature hives. Keep the grass and weeds about the
hives cut down. They harbor the moth miller, when
suffered to grow about the hives.

JULY.

Continue to take off boxes as fast as filled. Keep a
sharp lookout that the moth worms do not get in and
injure the honey in the boxes which you have removed.
If the supply of honey fails when the boxes are only
partially filled, feed the bees liberally, until the boxes are
finished. Do this as soon as honey fails, as the bees will
store faster in boxes if fed as soon as the natural
supply of honey ceases. It will be well to put on a few
boxes—say, one side to each new swarm which has been
hived early; and also on old stocks that swarmed early.
Put the boxes on one side first; then if the bees go to
work in them, put in the other side.

AUGUST.

If you have a market near home, the surplus honey in
glass boxes wil] sell very well the last of this month,
before honey is brought from away; but if you are to
ship a great distance, the weather will be too warm in
this month. Keep a close watch that the boxes you have
taken off do rot get wormy. Eternal vigilance is the
price of success.

Keep boxes on your hives through this month and next,
for surplus honey. Keep down the grass and weeds
about the hives.

118 MONTHLY DUTIES.
SEPTEMBER.

In some localities September gives a very goud yield of
honey. J recollect one season in particular, since I
adopted my present system of bee management, when
the yield of box honey in September was very remarkable.
Some of my hives of bees filled their full set of boxes
almost entirely in a few days. I think that it was in con-
siderably less than two weeks, that they finished them up,
and they had only a light start—a few small pieces of
comb in some of the boxes, and in the others none at all.

Feed at the last of this month, to complete all partially
filled boxes, and at the very last of the month, or first of
October, feed such swarms as may be deficient of stores
for winter, if you prefer to do this rather than to equalize
by exchange of comb frames, as directed in another place.
If you decide to thus equalize, do it the last of October or
the first of November.

OCTOBER.

At the commencement of this month, continue to feed
such stocks, if any, as are short of honey, yet are supplied’
with a good*amount of comb in which to store honey.
As the yield of honey from flowers closes this month, at
its end remove all boxes from the hives. Such as are
partially filled with comb or honey may be set in a cold,
dry place, and remain for use another year. If placed
where they will freeze, and then sealed up carefully, so
the moth miller cannot get in, they will be in good con-
dition when wanted next season. Boxes that have comb °
about a third full or even Jess, are finished very quickly
by the bees. Be sure to keep all such boxes for the next
season. You probably have a few queens in your min-
iature hives. Look over your stocks, and if any are
found queenless, or with diseased queens, give them a
new and vrolific one.

MONTHLY DUTIES. 119
NOVEMBER.

The first of November, if not already done, exchange
comb frames, from stocks deficient in stores to winter,
with such as can spare a frame of honey. Deo this until
all have stores sufficient for winter. Twenty pounds of
honey will render them safe until you begin to feed in
the spring. From the middle to the last of November is
usually the time to prepare the hives for winter, by pack-
ing with hay or straw, as directed in another place. This
should not be done until a few days before steady cold
weather sets in. Care should be exercised not to put it off
until it is too cold; neither should it be done too early.
Be sure to pack thoroughly. Success in wintering
depends in a great degree upon thorough work in packing
the hives.

DECEMBER.

In this inonth procure your lumber and all material for
making hives, boxes, ete., to be worked up during the
winter. If thereare small villages or large cities near by,
you will find this morth a good time to market your
honey, if you have any on hand. With a little effort, you
ean have ready customers for your goods, or at least a
portion of it. Honey in glass boxes is in such nice shape,
that any one who likes a fine article, will pay a liberal
price for it, after they have once tested its quality. In a
few years you will have established a trade with ready
customers, near home, at remunerative prices.

CHAPTER XX.
CONCLUSION.

E often hear this question asked: ‘* Are
bees profitable?” and the replies given
are various, contradictory and amusing,
varying in accordance with the, honesty, experience, skill
and success of the bee keeper. Such as have attempted
bee keeping with the old fashioned square box hives,
under the old system of management based on fire and
brimstone, will say there is no profit in bees, and that you
must not molest them at all; if you do. ‘‘ they will run
out, and you will loose your luck.”
There is another class, who have adopted all the ex-
travagant fancies of the patent bee hive venders, paying
large sums of money for hives worse than useless, with
what are claimed to be patent fixtures—expecting a sud-
den fortune as the result, and found the whole thing
a fraud. Perhaps they have been duped in this way a
half-dczen times or more, and always with the same re-
sult. This class will tell you emphatically, that every-
thing pertaining to bees is a humbug and a cheat—no
money in them, etc.
In presenting the statements made in this work, I am
not blinded nor influenced by any selfish motive, in con-
demning or recommending any one system of bee man-

CONCLUSION. 191

agement.or hiye. I only wish to present facts, and do
what little I can to make bee keeping safe and profitable
to allwho engage init. There is much written on the
subject of bees—their habits and management, construc
tion of hives, etc., which is mere guess work. A great
deal is written, too, for no other than selfish or prejudiced
motives. What is wanted is practical instruction on the
subject—such instruction and statements as are based
on experience, and will stand the test of application,
when brought into active, every-day use.

The ieal, practical experience of the bee keeper, who
has devoted many years to the work, and will tell what
has come under his or her personal observation, is worth
much more than the finest spun theory of the most
learned and talented theorist; or in other words, mere
conjecture is a poor and uncertain guide in bee keeping.
It is an old but true saying that ‘Practice makes Per-
fect.” In no business will this saying apply more closely
or with greater force than to bee keeping.

That bees are profitable when rightly managed, I think
I have shown in this little work; and that they can be of
no profit, as often managed, I think is equally made clear.

The natural habits of bees have not been sufficiently
understood. by the majority of bee keepers. This has
rendered then an easy prey to the many speculators in
bee hives of peculiar shape and construction, who are
constantly urging their claims to possessing great knowl-
edge of bees, when perhaps they never saw a bee; and
care not one straw for the advancement of successful
bee culture. I find, with the great majority of hives now
in use, there are many obstacles to successful and profit-
able hee keeping. There is too little room for storing
box honey inthem. Boxes are often difficult of access to
the bees, so that they manifest much reluctance about
entering them, often clustering on the outside of the hive
through the honey season, when they should be at work

122 CONCLUSION.

in the boxes. Then, too, the boxes are usually too large,
which renders the honey unsalable. Honey in large boxes
often cont ins cells of brood, and bee bread, or pollen,
interspersed among the honey cells, which area great
damage to it, rendering it very unsalable. Glass boxes,
each holding about four and one-half pounds, is the
proper size. A swarm of bees in a hive with thirty of
these boxes, judiciously arranged, will fill them nearly as
quickly as they would half the number, as the bees have
ample room to work without crowding.

There are a vast number of bee keepers who now have
becs which are of no profit to them, but instead are only
a perplexity and trouble. If such would manage their
bees on correct and scientific principles, in accordance
with their natural habits and instincts, with judicious
care and attention bestowed at the right time, and in the
proper manner, using a hive constructed in accordance
with those principles, they would be surprised at the
results which would follow.

To succeed with bees, we should recollect that personal
experience is the best guide; and next to this is the in-
struction of those engaged in the business, who prove
by the results which follow their management, that they
make bee culture profitable. In commencing bee keeping,
if you purchase bees, use great care in doing so. Buy
none but strong, healthy stocks. If you purchase in
box hives or patent hives, you will be very likely, if not
acquainted with bees, or unless purchasing of some
reliable person, to get diseased stocks; and again, a per-
son who keeps bees by the ordinary methods, is very
likely to have diseased stocks which he thinks are all
right. So, great care is necessary in buying your outfit
to commence bee keeping. Diseased stocks are dear at
any price. You want the very best to start with, if you
can possibly get them. Be sure to get such stocks as
have young queens, for if the stock has a queen four

CONCLUSION. 125

years old or more, (and they are likely to be that old in
box or patert hives, under ordinary management,) such
a queen is liable to fail at any time, and loss of the stock
follows. ;

In commencing to keep bees, if possible start with
good, strong, healthy stocks, in the right kind of a hive;
then you will have no difficulty in changing them. But
if this cannot possibly be done, be sure to start with
strong, healthy stocks. If you must take second-class
hives, of this class the plain movable comb and box
hives are best. Butbe sure to let the patent hives entirely
alone; they are a curse to the bee keeper. If you get
your bees in second-class hives, transfer them to Con-
trollable Hives, or as fast as they swarm put them in Con-
trollable Hives. In this way you will soon have your
bees in shape to pay you a good profit.

When you begin keeping bees, study closely their
natural habits and requirements. Give them such care
and attention as your judgement and present knowledge
teaches they require. Persevere, and ultimate success
is certain.

Every one who attains success with bees, will find that
there is something more to be done, than simply to stand
with folded hands, with the expectation that a fortune
must inevitably follow. Know. the precise condition of
your bees at all times— whether they are weak or strong,
whether they are without a queen, or whether the queen
has become so old as to have passed her usefulness.
After a period of years, queens become barren, and unless
they are removed, and a young queen substituted, the
bees will rapidly decline in numbers, and all disappear
from the hive in a few weeks or months.

It cannot be too strongly urged npon the beginner,
this great necessity of securing strong, healthy stocks to
begin with; and if possible, get them in the Controllable
Hives. All whodo not fully understand the management

124 CONCLUSION.

ard nature of bees would save themselves much trouble
and perplexity, by procuring, to begin with, one or more
healthy colonics in the Controllable Hive. Your chances
of success in the end, and your profits of the first season,

are grenter from one swarm in this hive, than from six in’

second-class hives. Ifyou purchase bees in inferior hives,
you will need to exercise great care that they are not
diseased. There is not one box or patent hive in fifty (as
ordinarily managed) but that is deceased. They are
either badly infested with the bee moth, have old, mouldy
black combs, an old and diseased queen, or are in some
way diseased. No matter how low the price paid for
such stocks, they will be found expensive. Be sure to
get none but the best to commence with; they are the
cheapest in the end.

I might illustrate this with many cases that have come
under my observation. One or two I will mention: A
gentlemen in Connecticut ordered of me a swarm of
Italian bees in the Controllable Hive, in the spring of
1880, for which he paid me twenty dollars. He wrote
me in June that they were doing finely, and that he never
saw bees work so well—they were at work in all the
boxes, some of them being nearly filled with honey, and
all the combs being filled with bees at work storing; and
from appearances he should get a large amount of sur-
plus box honey from them.

Another gentleman wrote me, almost the same time,
asking my price for a swarm of Italian bees, and when
informed that it was twenty dollars, he wrote me that as
he could get the Italian bees nearer his home for ten
dollars, he would not order of me, but would invest his
twenty dollars and get two swarms instead of one. He
has since written me that one of the swarms for which
he paid ten dollars he has lost outright, leaving him only
a mass of moth worms in old and mouldy black combs.
The other has proved to be queenless, and has caused him

on OC age

CONCLUSION. 125
more trouble and perplexity than it is worth, to say the
least. There is now nof over a pint of bees in the hive,
but he has put in aqueen and hopes to save them from
total loss.

I know of another case where a gentleman bought six
swarms of bees in box hives. They were very heavy
and he thought of course they were all right. He knew
nothing of the diseases of bees, and supposed if they were
heavy, and had honey enough, that was all that was
necessary. He bought them in the fall at a very low
price, and was much elated over his purchase. Five
of the six swarms died during the winter, and the re-
maining one came out in the spring so weak as to be no
profit whatever the next season; and the next winter that
also died.

It is an established fact that to succeed well with bees
they must be kept in hives suited to their habits and
requirements, and with the view of rendering them profit-
able. Such is the Controllable Hive. And they must be
managed on principles in accordance with nature’s laws,
and the instincts and habits of the honey bee. Such is
the new system recommended in this book—BEE KErEp-
ING REDUCED TO A SCIENCE; no “luck,” no “guess-
work,” no ‘chance ” about it.

Trusting that this little work may be the means of
greatly increasing the profits of bees, I bring it toa
close. ;