SF

ft. M. College Apiary.

Fred W. Mally, and
Wilmon Newell.

Edward J. Wick son

MAIN LIBRARY-AGRICULTURE DEJT.

BEE

GLLECT10N

REPORT

ON THE

A. & M. COLLEGE APIAET.

TOGETHER WITH PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS IN

MODERN METHODS OF BEE KEEPING AS

APPLIED TO TEXAS CONDITIONS.

FRED. W. MALLY,

PROFESSOR OF ENTOMOLOGY,

WILMON NEWELL,

ASSISTANT.

AUTHORIZED BY THE TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE.

AUSTIN, TEXAS:

VON BOECKMANN, SCHUTZE & CO., STATE PRINTERS,
1902.

REPORT

ON THE

A. & M. COLLEGE APIAET.

TOGETHER WITH PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS IN

MODERN METHODS OF BEE KEEPING AS

APPLIED TO TEXAS CONDITIONS.

FRED. W. MALLY,

PROFESSOR OF ENTOMOLOGY,

WILMON NEWELL,

ASSISTANT.

AUTHORIZED BY THE TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE.

AUSTIN, TEXAS:

VON BOECKMANN, SCHUTZE & CO., STATE PRINTERS.

1902.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

/•

..

LETTERS OF SUBMITTAL.

Dr. David F. Houston, President, College Station, Texas.

DEAR SIR : Herewith I beg to submit a report upon the work accom-
plished with the Apiary at the College the past six months, since the
establishment of the same this season. The year thus far has been a most
unfavorable one for surplus honey production and the colonies have been
brought in and established and bred up to a strong working force under
the greatest difficulties.

Mr. Wilmon Newell was selected as Assistant Entomologist in Febru-
ary and was given the immediate charge of the Apiary and its care and
development preparatory to experimental work. Much preliminary work
has been done under my direction and the basis for much valuable work
in the future prepared. Some important suggestions have already devel-
oped from the work upon honey plants and the studies made concerning
them the past season. Then, too, it has been found that there is a press-
ing demand for some kind of ready reference and guide for the farmers,
truck growers, and fruit growers, who have a few colonies, but who are
not familiar with up-to-date methods. For all of these reasons I have
asked Mr. Newell to prepare a complete report covering many of the
serious difficulties encountered. This will be of great value to the rural
bee keepers of the State. His report has been prepared with great care,
and I take pleasure in submitting the same herewith and recommending
it for publication as a portion of my annual report.

Respectfully submitted,

FRED. W. MALLY,
Professor of Entomology,
Agricultural and Mechanical College.

Submitted August 30, 1902.

Prof. Fred. W. Molly, Entomologist, College Station, Texas.

DEAR SIR: In compliance with your instructions, I beg to submit
herewith a report upon the Experimental Apiary, located at the Agricul-
tural and Mechanical College, which was created by act of the Twenty-
seventh Legislature.

The first part of this report deals particularly with the Experimental
Apiary, the expenditures made in establishing same, and the work accom-

4 LETTERS OF SUBMITTAL.

plished up to September 1, 1902. As directed by you, this report con-
tains also a summary of the studies made relative to the honey producing
flora of Central Texas, and experiments conducted with cultivated honey
plants, and the results of same. A synopsis, of experiments under way,
and contemplated for future work, is also given.

The second part of this report consists of notes and practical sugges-
tions upon modern and successful methods of bee keeping, for the guid-
ance of farmers, fruit growers, and others who are interested in the indus-
try of bee keeping in a small way, and as a guide for those desiring to
enter this industry.

Respectfully submitted,

WILMON NEWELL,

Assistant Entomologist.
August 30, 1902.

CONTENTS.

Acknowledgment -. 7

Report on the Experimental Apiary 9

Bee Keeping :. . . 15

Introduction 15

Food value of honey 16

Profit in bee keeping 17

Races of bees 18

Black, or German bees 18

Carniolans 19

Cyprians , 19

Holy Lands 20

Italians 20

Golden Italians 21

Hybrids 21

How to secure bees ...... 22

Life and habits of the bee 22

Hives 26

Other apparatus 27

How to open a hive 28

Location of hives and apiary . 30

Apparatus necessary for more extensive work 31

Transferring 33

Robbing 34

Preparation of bees for winter 34

Feeding 34

The honey flow 35

Supers 36

Cleanliness 38

Preparing honey for market 38

Grading rules 38

Standard packages 40

Marketing honey 40

Bees wax 40

Swarming 41

Prevention and control of swarming 44

Queen rearing 46

Enemies of bees 47

Diseases 47

Ants 49

Other insects 50

Birds and other enemies 50

Honey plants 51

Education 52

Supplies 53

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

Plate I. Experimental apiary at A. and M. College Frontispiece

Plate II. Worker, queen and drone 23

Fig. 1. Queen's egg 24

Fig. 2. Ten frame dove-tailed hive 25

Fig. 3. Hoffman self-spacing frames 25

Fig. 4. Method of inserting foundation 26

Fig. 5. Foundation roller 26

Fig. 6. Bee-veil 27

Fig. 7. Corneil smoker 27

Fig. 8. Handling frames — first position 29

Fig. 9. Handling frames — second position 29

Fig. 10. Hive stand 30

Fig. 11. Combined bottom board and hive stand 30

Fig. 12. Two-frame honey extractor 32

Fig. 13. Bingham honey knife 32

Fig. 14. Doolittle solar wax extractor 32

Fig. 15. Porter bee escape 32

Fig. 16. Division board feeder 35

Fig. 1 7. Bee- way section 36

Fig. 18. Hoffman shallow extracting frame 36

Fig. 19. Shipping case for sections 39

Fig. 20. Shipping case for extracted honey 39

Fig. 21. Root-German steam wax press 41

Fig. 22. Queen cells 42

Fig. 23. Manum's swarm catcher 43

Fig. 24. Alley queen and drone trap 45

Fig. 25. Entrance guard 45

Fig. 26. Japanese buckwheat 51

ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

The Department of Entomology wishes to acknowledge the following
favors and assistance given in the establishment of the Experimental
Apiary at the College, as well as in the preparation of the appended bul-
letin :

A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio, special discounts and prices on apparatus
necessary in establishing the Apiary, .as well as the loan of the greater
number of cuts used in this publication.

W. M. Crook, Cresson, Texas, one colony of bees.

Hyde Bee Co., Floresville, Texas, one tested queen.

W. 0. Victor, Wharton, Texas, two tested queens.

J. W. Ross, Velasco; T. J. Adams, Velasco; G. F. Davidson, Flores-
ville; W. H. Laws, Beeville; Louis H. Scholl, Hunter; J. K. Hill,
Uvalde; and many other prominent bee keepers throughout the State,
have rendered valuable assistance in the work of compiling data relative
to the bee and honey statistics of the State, as well as in the study of the
native honey-producing flora of their localities.

Throughout this report, quotations have been made from various au-
thorities, credit for which is given as these quotations appear in the text.

REPORT UPON THE EXPERIMENTAL APIARY
AT THE AGRICULTURAL AND ME-
CHANICAL COLLEGE.

FRED. W. MALLY AND WILMON NEWELL.

The Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Texas appropriated
the sum of $750 for the establishment and maintenance of an experi-
mental apiary at the Agricultural and Mechanical College, for the pur-
pose of giving instruction in bee culture to the students of that institu-
tion, and for investigating such problems of bee keeping in Texas as
would benefit those engaged in this industry. The task of establishing
and maintaining this apiary was assigned to the Department of Ento-
mology. Of the $750, $500 was appropriated for use during the year
ending September 1, 1902. Owing to inability to secure competent
assistance for this department, the establishment of the Experimental
Apiary was not begun until March 1, 1902. Even then, owing to a rush
of orders at the factories, it was impossible to secure the necessary sup-
plies for this work until about May 10th. The forepart of the season of
1902 was, in the vicinity of the College, exceedingly dry, and hence unfa-
vorable for the best success in the breeding and care, of the bees, as well
as making it impossible to get the best results in the experimental work
with cultivated honey plants. In all its phases, the work has been sub-
ject to unavoidable and vexatious delays.

One of the first things done was to enclose a tract of land of about ten
acres for the purpose of securing a proper place for the honey house and
apiary, as well as for sufficient ground for carrying on experiments with
honey-producing plants. The tract enclosed has running through it a
fine wooded ravine, and also encloses a natural grove, making a most
ideal location for an apiary. In addition to this, about six acres of
ground, which were formerly in pasture, have been broken and put in
condition for experimental work.

The sum of $500 available for the first year's work has been expended
as follows :

Bees and queens $ 33 88

Freight and express 46 76

Bee hives and apparatus : 186 18

Books and technical magazines 11 95

Seed of honey-producing plants 6 31

Lumber and fixtures for honey house 149 02

Tools 53 25

Incidental expenses 12 65

Total.. $500 00

10 A! AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

These expenditures were for the raw material in the shape of lumber
for the honey house, hives and supplies knocked down, etc. The honey
house, including a well-equipped workshop, has been built, painted and
thoroughly equipped, and all hives, supers, and other apparatus put
together and painted ready for instant use. In addition to this the bees
purchased, consisting of six colonies in all, together with one colony
kindly donated by Mr. W. M. Crook, of Cresson, Texas, have been in-
creased to twenty-one colonies, and a number of pure Italian queens for
these new colonies have been reared. It will be seen that this would
result in a marked increase in the valuation. As a matter of fact, the
present inventory (September 1, 1902) shows a cash valuation of
$729.10, or an increase in value of $229.10 between March 1 and Sep-
tember 1, 1902."

The outfit of supplies purchased includes nearly all patterns or models
of hives, supers, frames, and sections of standard manufacture which are
in common use among bee keepers. These various models are being care-
fully tested to determine their relative value under Texas conditions, for
such qualities as protection from heat, honey-storing facilities, etc.

As rapidly as possible the bees in this apiary are being bred to the
highest possible standard of excellence, both by purchase and by impor-
tation of the best three-banded Italian queens, and by careful selection of
drone mothers when breeding, and by carefully selecting only the best
queens in the yard for breeding purposes. Of each colony a careful rec-
ord is kept which shows the qualities of that colony relative to honey-
gathering ability, productiveness, vitality, docility, purity, comb-build-
ing ability, and ability to withstand drouth and unfavorable conditions.

At the annual meeting of the Texas Bee Keepers7 Association, held at
the Agricultural and Mechanical College in conjunction with the Farm-
ers' Congress July 16 and 17, 1902, by request of the entomologist, the
Association appointed a special committee to investigate thoroughly this
experimental apiary. The Committee reported as follows:

"Your committee has investigated the apiary upon the College grounds
and has found the bees in good and healthy condition, a very neat honey
house and in it all necessary implements for the apiary. Our opinion
is that the small sum of money at the command of Prof. Mally was
invested in a very proper way for the purpose of creating the apiary, the
object of which is to serve as a medium of instruction to the students of
the Agricultural and Mechanical College. Especially were we pleased
with the orderly and systematic arrangement of the whole. We hereby
recommend that more money be expended upon this apiary, so that it
will contain at least fifty colonies and the necessary implements, as we
think the present number is not sufficient for the proper carrying on of
experiments.

(Signed) "L. STACHELHAUSEN,

"FRANK L. ATEN,
"MRS. C. E. WEST,

"Committee."

It is proposed, during the coming year, to make a study of the different
strains or races of bees. In Texas at the present time there are in use by
the various bee keepers the races known, respectively, as Three-banded
Italians, Golden Italians, Cyprians, Carniolans, Holy Lands, and the

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 11

common Black or German bee. It is proposed to determine as nearly as
possible the comparative length of life of the bees in these different races.
This will be of immense value, especially if it be shown that any one race
of bees be longer lived than another. Other things being equal., that race
having the longest life will be best enabled to withstand the severe
drouths which at times afflict many of the very best honey-producing sec-
tions of the State. The main drawback to these honey-producing sections
lies in the fact that during a drouth the colonies become weakened.
When the honey flow again starts, if the bees have not perished in the
meantime, a considerable time is required for them to breed up to a prof-
itable working strength, during which time much honey remains in the
flowers ungathered and constitutes a heavy loss. To overcome this is one
of the problems to be solved, and it is proposed by experiment to deter-
mine the race or races of bees best adapted to such conditions. In addi-
tion to this an attempt is being made to find and cultivate some honey
plant, which during such dry seasons will yield sufficient honey to keep
up the strength of the colonies until the following honey flow. With this
object in view, one of the first lines of investigation inaugurated by this
department was that of making a close and critical study of the native
honey plants of Texas. To complete such a study will, of course, require
several years, but the work is now being carried on as rapidly as the time
and money at command will permit. At the outset, realizing the impor-
tance of finding some drouth-resistant plant worthy of cultivation for
honey, varieties amounting to forty different kinds and species were sown
each month during the season, and their adaptability to Texas climates
and soils, as well as their honey-producing qualities, carefully noted.
The greater number of these were found unable to withstand the drouth,
and therefore not adapted to the purpose. Those which were partial or
total failures were as follows : Astragalus sinicus, American varieties of
buckwheat, Alsike, Sweet, Crimson, Japan, Mammoth Ked, Eed, Sand,
Suckling, and White Clovers, Yellow Trefoil, Japanese Delchos, Euphor-
bia marginata, E. Heterophylla, Asdepias tuberosa, German Rape, Eng-
lish Eape, Soja Bean, Velvet Bean, Vicia sativa and Vica villosa. Austra-
lian Salt Bush was found to grow well and to withstand the drouth, but
it did not, under the prevailing conditions, yield honey. It would doubt-
less form a valuable plant for grazing and for forage, especially in those
sections where the soils contain a small or medium amount of alkali. Of
all plants tested, Japanese buckwheat gave the best results. With
medium or even poor soil, and a very small amount of moisture, this
plant can be depended upon to begin blooming thirty days after planting
and will continue to bloom for thirty days, at the end of which time the
seed is ready to gather. It will be seen that it is a very easy matter to
regulate the time of sowing, so that a honey flow will be had from this
plant at the beginning of a dearth of natural forage for the bees. In
addition to its value as a honey producer, the seed of this plant is made
into a flour which produces, among other things, fine cakes, highly
esteemed in the buckwheat regions of the North. Japanese buckwheat
thrives best when drilled in rows about three feet apart, and cultivated
during growth. The seed brings from $1.00 to $1.50 per bushel. In case
seed is not desired the buckwheat can be cut and cured as is other hay,
and is found to make valuable feed for farm animals. If grown more
extensively there is no doubt that such hay would bring a good price in

12 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

the open markets: Continued experiments with this plant showed that
it is possible for the season to become sufficiently dry during August to
retard its growth and prevent its making seed. It is, however, as drouth
resistant as any of our cultivated crops, cotton not excepted. Three vari-
eties of cowpeas, i. e., the Wonderful, Clay, and Speckled, have been
tested. The Speckled cowpea gave the best results. When the native
honey plants had entirely ceased yielding nectar the bees continued to
work heavily upon the cowpeas and secured ample honey therefrom to
continue brood rearing, despite the fact that comparatively only a small
acreage of cowpeas was available. The value of the cowpea as a forage
plant and soil renovator is too well known to need discussion here. It
has been conclusively demonstrated by our most progressive farmers that
the cowpea is one of our most valuable farm crops. Its honey yield,
therefore, is an absolute gain. The clovers, as above stated, were not
found able to flourish under the conditions of soil and drouth existing in
Central Texas. By way of explanation, however, it may be said that this
department has thus far tested alfalfa only on the upland soils of the
"timber belt." On such soils alfalfa was found to grow sparingly but
not luxuriantly enough for either forage or honey. On irrigated lands its
value both for forage and honey is undoubted. On rich bottom lands,
such as prevail along the Brazos river, it is found to grow well, but its
honey-producing qualities under these conditions have not as yet been
tested. Giant Beggarweed (Desmodium tortuosum) was found to grow
well, but did not yield honey as was expected. Black Mustard, Mignon-
ette and Borage gave good results. With the varieties which have
grown favorably, still further experimental work will be done. About
thirty additional honey plants, as yet not cultivated in Texas, have been
secured from the North and East, and will also be tested. After careful
tests have been made at the College with these various honey-producing
plants, seeds of those found to be worthy of cultivation will be distrib-
uted free to bee keepers in different sections of the State, to be tested by
them in the soils and conditions prevailing in their localities.

It seems likely that if a perfect drouth-resistant honey plant is to be
had, it will eventually be found in some of the arid portions of tile coun-
try, such as Western Texas, Mexico, or Arizona. For a long time it has
been the ambition of bee keepers everywhere to secure some plant which
could be profitably cultivated for surplus honey. In Southwest Texas
are many plants, such as Guajilla and Cat-claw, which at times give an
enormous yield of honey. Therefore, an investigation of such plants
with a view to testing them under cultivation has been taken up.

In the manipulation of hives and colonies, much has been learned the
past few years, which has enabled the progressive bee keeper to increase
and often double his honey production. This manipulation is as yet only
partially developed and further studies along this line with a view to
increasing present honey yields in Texas is being taken up.

Queen rearing, a more specialized branch of bee keeping, is still an
industry in its infancy, and so far as time will permit, studies along this
line and improvements upon present methods are being planned.

Texas excels every other State in her honey production, yet to one
who has studied the situation and the vast territory and vegetation
of this State, it is evident that as yet Texas does not produce one-tenth
the honey which it might through proper management and further devel-

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 13

opment. A careful estimate shows also that at least 90 per cent, of the
bee keepers of the State are not practicing up-to-date or modem methods
of bee keeping, thereby getting less than one-half of the possible amount
of honey from the colonies already on hand.

Expert bee keepers find it very difficult to secure competent labor in
their apiaries. For the purpose of supplying this want, and for educating
the bee keepers and farmers in general, a complete set of apparatus has
been provided at the College for giving instruction, not only to students
of the institution, but to such bee keepers and farmers at large as may
desire to acquaint themselves with modern methods or increase their
present working knowledge along apicultural lines.

Some of the possibilities of honey production in Texas may be better
understood from a study of Uvalde county, which is practically the only
county in which bee keeping has been developed to anything like its pos-
sible extent. In this country and immediately adjoining, according to
Mr. J. K. Hill, of Uvalde, there are located about fifteen thousand col-
onies of bees, representing, with apparatus and fixtures used in their
care, an investment of at least $120,000. In average seasons, under com-
petent management, these colonies yield from 100 to 220 pounds of honey
each. Aside from the honey sold and consumed locally, there is shipped
from Uvalde annually an average of 546,000 pounds, representing from
$54,000 to $60,000. There are in Southwest Texas at least thirty coun-
ties that would, if properly developed, equal or exceed this yield. In
addition to this there is valuable honey-producing territory along the
Colorado, Guadalupe, Brazos, Trinity and Sabine rivers that is as yet
almost totally unoccupied. The entire East Texas territory, some parts
of North Texas, as also the timber belts, are promising for future devel-
opment.

Nor should we be content with the money value of the wax and honey
produced in the State, or that money represents the value of bee culture
to the commonwealth at large. He who would raise fruits of any descrip-
tion must depend upon insects for pollenation of the fruit bloom. While
there are many native insects that take part in this work, there are none
which do it as rapidly or effectually as the honey bee. It has long since
been demonstrated that it is to the interest of the fruit grower to make
conditions as favorable as possible for the bees and bee keepers in his
locality. The service rendered to the fruit industry, and the greatly
increased fruit production resulting therefrom cannot be estimated in
dollars and cents. The idea, prevalent in some localities, that bees will
injure growing or ripening fruits, is entirely without foundation. As a
matter of fact, the mouth parts and honey-gathering apparatus of the
bee are of such a nature that puncturing or biting the skin of any fruit,
no matter how tender, is an absolute impossibility. When fruit has been
damaged from any cause, the bees will frequently be seen sipping up the
juice that exudes, and this has doubtless given origin to the popular fal-
lacy mentioned above. In Central Texas the growing of alfalfa is being
recognized as an important industry, ' and in the development of the
State it is certain that many localities peculiarly adapted to this plant
will be devoted largely or exclusively to its culture. Alfalfa cannot be
raised without seed, and alfalfa seed cannot be produced unless the honey
bee is present to fertilize the alfalfa blossoms. Thus we see that what
in the future promises to be a most important and extensive industry, as

14 A. AND M. COJLLEGE APIARY.

it is already in parts of Colorado and other Western States, is
dependent upon the bee and the bee keeper. In considering the value of
the bee keeping industry to the commercial interests of the State, these
points should not be overlooked.

In short, this industry in Texas is comparatively in its infancy, and
the amount of popular educating which should be done, and investiga-
tions which should be made, are practically unlimited. It is also assured
that careful investigation along bee keeping lines will yield as great
returns as any other line of experimental work in agriculture.

In the previous pages, mention has been made of the large number of
people in the State who are at present not familiar with modern bee keep-
ing methods. It is for the purpose of making a few practical sugges-
tions to such, that the author begs to append hereto a brief treatise on
bee keeping. No attempt has been made to make this a text-book, or
even a bulletin or manual for the experienced bee keeper or specialist.
It is rather for the small bee keeper or the farmer with a few colonies —
in box hives perhaps — who is anxious for information regarding his lit-
tle workers, that these paragraphs are appended.

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. IS

BEE KEEPING.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRINCIPAL METHODS AND APPARA-
TUS USED IN SUCCESSFUL BEE CULTURE.

INTRODUCTION.

As stated in the above report on the Experimental Apiary at the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College, there is a large call for reliable informa-
tion from farmers, fruit growers, and others who are keeping bees in a
small way, also from those who have a desire to enter this interesting
and usually profitable industry. As no publication has heretofore been
available for distribution in response to this call for information on
the subject, it is here proposed to give a brief description of the princi-
pal tools, hives, and other apparatus used in modern bee keeping, and a
brief discussion of their uses.

In almost any locality of the State may be seen in many of the door-
yards a few "bee-gums" or box hives, as they are popularly called. These
are no more nor less than upright boxes, about twelve inches square and
from one to three feet in height. In each of these will be found dom-
iciled a colony of bees, with the earth for a floor, and a few auger holes
for doors. There is no way of examining them or ascertaining the con-
dition of the colony without first making a determined attack with
hammer and cold chisel in order to remove the top of the box -hive. This
done, a mass of combs, usually crooked, irregular and promiscuously
attached to the walls, greets the eye. The brood chamber, in which will
be found the queen, the young bees or larvae, and in which the household
work of the hive is carried on, is in the lowest part of the hive. To
reach this, one must cut out the combs in the upper part, which
results in the honey flowing down over the bees below, and fre-
quently in severe mashing and breaking of the brood combs themselves.
Once opened, the combs cannot be replaced and the inhabitants must
right matters as best they can, often requiring for them weeks or even
months of time and labor. In many cases the result of "robbing," as
this process is called, is to so weaken the colony that the wax-moth
gains access to the hive and deposits eggs, which later hatch into
"worms," or larvae, that destroy comb and honey so rapidly that the col-
ony in a short time dies out. The owner has no means of assisting the
bees in their battle against the "worms" and the result is that the latter
win the battle. In a southern climate, such as prevails in Texas, the
wax-moth is peculiarly abundant, and its growth and reproduction is
rapid. In many localities its ravages have been so severe that it has
destroyed more "than the natural increase of the bees resulting from
swarming. The author recently asked a bee keeper how many colonies
he had. Reply : "Seventeen in box hives. * * * Had sixteen three
years ago. * * * Worms killed them out. * * * Think I have
done well." The natural increase from sixteen colonies in three years

16 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

would under average conditions amount to no less than 128 colonies at
the lowest calculation. Here, then, is. a loss of 111 colonies due to the
wax-moth, or a loss of 69.3 per cent., as compared to the original sixteen
colonies. The use of modern bee keeping methods and frame hives
disposes of the wax-moth. Further argument in favor of the frame
hive, or "patent gum/' and in favor of .intelligent, management is
unnecessary. The fact that any man or woman of average intelligence
can with a little study of literature easily available, and with a small
expenditure of money, install the proper apparatus and conduct bee keep-
Ing in a profitable way, is assurance that there is no possible excuse for
the continued existence of the box hive. With the latter the farmer con-
siders himself lucky if he gets an average of fifteen pounds of honey per
year from each colony. With frame hives the experienced and enlight-
ened bee keeper considers himself unlucky if he does not get an average
of at least forty pounds per colony. Yields of 120 pounds per colony
on an average are not unusual in certain localities, and individual col-
onies have produced as high as 600 pounds in a single year. It will thus
be seen that with antiquated methods the best results cannot be obtained.
With bees as with other farm stock, intelligent management and proper
accommodations must be provided in order to secure profitable returns.
This does not necessarily mean that a large amount of capital must be
invested. Ten dollars properly expended will provide everything neces-
sary for. one to begin intelligent bee keeping with the best of hives and
supplies. Nor is a previous knowledge of the industry necessary for the
beginner. The great majority of the successful bee keepers of today were
without instruction of any kind at the outset and by study of such liter-
ature as they could obtain, and more especially by a careful study of the
bees themselves and their habits, they have met with success and profit.

Every farmer should have at least a few colonies of bees. Almost any
locality in the State of Texas will support a small number of colonies,
even though that locality may not be adapted to the industry on an exten-
sive scale. Many towns and cities afford a profitable location for a few
colonies. Only a small amount of room is needed for the hives, and the
cultivated and ornamental plants, as well as the flower gardens found in
the typical town or city, afford a no inconsiderable source of honey.
The keeping of bees also affords a pleasant recreation for the business or
professional man. The taste for honey and its value as a table delicacy
are known to all. As a sweet its purity cannot be approached by any
sugar or syrup. Honey is composed for the most part of two sugars, lev-
ulose and dextrose, which are considered as healthy as any other form
of sweet. The fact that honey comes direct from the bees, without being
exposed to the contamination incident to factories, transportation, etc.,
shows its undoubted purity and cleanliness.

FOOD VALUE OF HONEY.

Relative to the healthfulness and food value of honey we take trom a
booklet entitled "Food Value of Honey," published by the A. I. Eoot Co.,
of Medina, Ohio, the following :

Dr. C. C. Miller says: "About sixty pounds of sugar on the average
is annually consumed by every man, woman and child in the United
States. It is only within the last generation that refined sugars have

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 17

become so low in price that they may be commonly used by the poorest
families. Formerly honey was the principal sweet. It "would be greatly
for the health of the present generation if honey could be at least par-
tially restored to its former place as a common article of diet. The
almost universal craving for sweets of some kind shows a need of the
system in that direction ; but the excessive use of sugar brings in its train
a long list of ills. Besides the various disorders of the alimentary canal,
that dread scourge, Brighfs disease, is credited with being one of the
results of sugar eating."

Prof. Cook says: "There can be no doubt but that in eating honey
our digestive machinery is saved work that it would have to perform if
we ate cane sugar; and in case it is overworked and feeble, this may be
just the respite that will save from a breakdown."

Mr. A. I. Root says : "Many people who cannot eat sugar without hav-
ing unpleasant symptoms follow will find by careful test that they can
eat good, well-ripened honey without any difficulty at all."

"Not only is honey the most wholesome of all sweets, but it is the most
delicious. No more tempting dish can grace the table at the most lavish
banquet; and yet its cost is so moderate that it may well find a place on
the tables of the common people every day in the week. Often a prime
article of extracted honey, equal to comb honey in every respect save
appearance, can be obtained for half the price of butter or less. Butter
is at its best only when fresh, while honey properly kept remains good
indefinitely — no need to hurry it out of the way for fear it may become
rancid."

Prof. Cook further says : "We all know how children long for candy.
This longing voices a need, and is another evidence of the necessity of
sugar in our diet. Children should be given all the honey at meal time
that they will eat. It is safer ; will largely do away with the inordinate
longing for candy and other sweets; and in lessening the desire will
doubtless diminish the amount of cane sugar eaten.

"Sugar is much used in hot drinks, as in, coffee and tea. The substitu-
tion of a mild flavored honey in such cases may be a very profitable thing
for the health. Indeed, it would be better for the health if the only hot
drink were what is called in Germany 'honey-tea' — a cup of hot water
with one or two tablespoonfuls of extracted honey."

In commercial bakeries, honey is the principal sweet used in the manu-
facture of the cookies, cakes, and biscuits commonly found on the mar-
ket. Honey is practically the only sweet adapted to this purpose as it
has the property of "keeping" the cakes moist and fresh for a compara-
tively long time. In domestic cooking honey can be used in a variety of
ways, but the general substitution of honey for sugar in cooking is not to
be recommended, as such attempts are sometimes disastrous. Properly
used, however, many choice delicacies can be made with honey as the
chief ingredient. In the booklet mentioned above are given no less than
twenty-two recipes, all of which have been thoroughly tested and "found
to be good."

PROFIT IN BEE KEEPING.

Where -fruit is grown the yield is materially increased by the presence
of honey bees to fertilize the blooms. Practical orchardists, realizing
the importance of this, in many places furnish locations and facilities

2-A

18 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

rent free to bee keepers for locating bees in their orchards. In fruit
growing localities it would be profitable from the orchardist's standpoint
to keep bees, even were no surplus honey produced whatever.

Last, but by no means least, the question of commercial profit must be
considered. In well-favored localities, bees properly managed will pro-
duce not less than sixty pounds of honey per colony each season, on an
average. Considering this to be sold at the very low price of 6 cents per
pound, the return will be $3.60. From this should be deducted, in
order to secure a conservative estimate of the profit, say possibly as much
as $1.10 for time expended, wear and tear on apparatus and hives and for
capital invested in other apparatus. This leaves $2.50 as profit on the
original amount invested in the colony, which should not exceed $5.00.
It will be seen that this results in a net profit of 50 per cent, on the orig-
inal investment. However, it must be kept in mind that figures are not
always verified in actual practice. While under proper management and
in favorable localities each colony may confidently be expected to yield
an average profit of $2.50 per year, we would strongly emphasize the
point that beginners at least should not "plunge" into the bee business.
To be a specialist and a successful one requires good management, knowl-
edge of economy in time and money, and a strict familiarity with the
technical features of the industry. He who would become a successful
bee keeper, and a bee keeper to the exclusion of other business interests,
should begin with a few colonies — not to exceed five or ten — and care-
fully study them. As they increase, his knowledge and experience should
keep pace, and it may be depended upon that in this advance the bees
will increase in numbers fully as fast as the average man can increase in
knowledge and experience. In other words, one should grow into the
industry, rather than enter it suddenly, thereby preventing heavy losses
and disappointments.

In making the above estimate the price of 6 cents per pound was given.
This is below the average price, even where honey is sold in a wholesale
way. When sold locally or retailed by the bee keeper himself honey of
good flavor and color, well ripened, should bring not less than 10 cents
per pound. In many cases bee keepers have built up their own trade in
their own localities and in adjacent towns and cities; in many cases by
offering only a superior article they are able to command a price of from
15 to 25 cents per pound.

RACES OF BEES.

For the benefit of those who may be undecided as to the best variety or
race of bees to select, a brief discussion of these is here given.

Black, or German, Bees. — This is the bee that is most commonly found
in box hives, bee trees and in many of the extensive apiaries in Texas.
This bee originally came from Germany, being brought to America by the
first settlers. Swarms escaping from their owners established themselves
in hollow trees in the woods and have since been gradually increasing and
spreading across the continent. Their numbers have been from time to
time swollen by the additional swarms escaping from their owners, until
now in some sections "bee trees" are comparatively abundant. Of late
years many Italian bees have thus escaped to the " woods, and it is not
uncommon to find a bee tree containing hybrids and occasionally pure

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 19

Italians. Throughout, the bee has been the warning of the advance of
civilization, invariably preceding the white settler by many miles. The
appearance of a swarm of bees, in the early days, was considered by the
Indians as an invariable sign of the white man's approach and signified
to them the ultimate loss of their hunting grounds. The Black or Ger-
man bee is too familiar to need any detailed description, suffice to say
that in many cases colonies are found that equal in honey-producing
ability any of the other races, and while, as a rule, their production does
not average as high as that of the Italians, it is not advisable for the aver-
age bee keeper to dispose of individual colonies of black bees which make
good or exceptional crops of honey.

Carniolans. — These bees at first sight appear much like the black bees,
but close examination shows them to be more of a gray color and to have
the rings of the abdomen a marked light gray. They are about the same
size as the Blacks, the drones, if anything, being larger than those of the
Blacks, and most decidedly larger than the Italian drones. The workers,
and to a more marked extent the drones, have a gray pubescence or hairy
covering over the thorax ; and in the case of the drones covering also the
under side of the abdomen, except on the median line. The Carniolans
are noted for their docility and can be handled in the majority of cases
without a veil or even without smoke. They sting but rarely and show a
remarkably constant temperament. Mr. A. I. Eoot, however, reports the
case of a colony which was fully as vindictive as the Cyprians. The
same authority states that they gather but little propolis. Our personal
observations bear out this fact, but there also seems to be a somewhat
greater inclination to build brace combs, even when the frames are cor-
rectly spaced. This, however, is not a serious objection. In capping
honey the Carniolans are superior to any other race, making thin caps of
snowy whiteness. This is a decided point in their favor as it improves
the marketable appearance of the product, especially in the case of sec-
tion honey. In this respect the Carniolans are closely followed by the
Blacks. The Carniolans are noted for their swarming propensities, and
if this swarming impulse should prove to be uncontrollable, it would be
a serious objection to them, as overswarming is most detrimental to the
production of surplus honey. Mr. G-. F. Davidson, of Floresville, Texas,
however, reports that he can control swarming with this race as well as
with other races by means of the "shook-swarm" method, which will be
discussed later. The Carniolans have several times been tried in the
North and East and have in most cases been abandoned as presenting no
advantages over the Italians. They are at present being tested by several
expert Texas bee keepers and the results thus far have been gratifying.
While this or any other race may be found totally unadapted to Northern
or Eastern conditions, the much different climate and conditions of honey
flow prevailing in parts of our State may prove them to be of much value.

Cyprians. — In color and general appearance these much resemble Ital-
ians, but on the average are somewhat smaller and have a more glistening
appearance, especially when exposed to direct sunlight. They are excel-
lent honey gatherers, but have the drawback of a very excitable tempera-
ment. In fact, their distinguishing characteristics lie not in appearance,
but in their actions. Always nervous and easily aroused to battle, they
must be handled with but a minimum amount of smoke, and with even,
almost slow, movements. The jarring of a frame against the hive, or

20 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

the dropping of a tool upon the frames, is often sufficient to send a veri-
table swarm out on the operator. Even without any apparent aggrava-
tion whatever they will sometimes fly out in this way in a sudden attack.
In entering or leaving the hive the flight is quicker than that of the
Italian, and is jerky and fidgety in its nature. In ordinary flight, also,
the tone or hum of the wings seems to be of a higher pitch than that of
other races. Being of a combative temperament, this race is especially
capable of protecting itself against robbers, whether bees, human, or
otherwise. Every bee as he alights at the entrance of the hive is at once
pounced upon by the guards and critically examined before being allowed
to proceed into the hive. The Cyprian is a prolific -breeder, this being a
marked advantage in some localities.

For the expert bee keeper who has nothing in view but the size of his
honey crop, and in a climate like that of Southwest Texas, and for him
who enjoys stings in abundance, the Cyprians will be found well adapted.
The fact that they are not susceptible of rapid manipulation/and there-
fore require more time, is in the opinion of some a drawback that more
than offsets their advantages as honey gatherers. Messrs. 0. P. Hyde &
Sons, of Floresville, Texas, who have experimented extensively with them,
state that they have equaled and in many cases exceeded the yields given
by the Italians. The Cyprians were first imported from the Isle of
Cyprus and are regarded as being descended from the same stock as the
Italians, but owing to their isolation have developed traits distinct from
those exhibited by the Italians from the mainland.

Holy Land Bees. — The Holy Lands are a comparatively recent intro-
duction into this country and have not as yet been extensively studied or
tested. They come originally from the vicinity of Jerusalem and doubt-
less, judging from their appearance and habits, are also descended from
the same original stock as the Italians and Cyprians. While, however,
the development of the Cyprian branch has been towards a vindictive
temperament, the development of the Holy Land has been towards a
marked docility.. Nor do the Holy Lands seem to be as closely related
to the Italians as do the Cyprians, for they are smaller and darker
in color, being in fact of almost an ashy appearance Especially when
clustered on a comb is this ashy appearance very noticeable. According
to Mr. W. H. Laws, of Beeville, Texas, who uses them almost exclusively
in his honey apiaries, and who rears many hundreds of Holy Land queens
annually, they are more prolific breeders than Italians and at the close of
a honey flow will continue breeding for some time, gradually decreasing
their operations in this direction. After finally suspending brood rear-
ing for some time, they will again resume, even "though no honey is to be
had in the fields, rearing their" larvae entirely from honey stored the pre-
vious season. In localities where honey flows alternate with periods of
absolute absence of forage for the bees, this point is of immense advan-
tage as the strength of the colony is kept up and they are better prepared
for work when the honey flow arrives. They can be handled easily with
only a small amount of smoke and in many cases with none at all. Those
of direct or recent importation show a more nervous disposition than
those which have been bred in this country for several years.

Italians. — The favorite bee with the majority of bee keepers, and espe-
cially with Northern bee keepers, is the Italian. This bee comes orig-

A. AND M. COLLKGE APIARY. 21

inally from Italy, is of medium size, and the workers have three distinct
yellow or golden bands upon the abdomen, the remainder being of a dark
leather or brownish color. The thorax (that part of the body to which
the wings and legs are attached) is covered with a dark yellow pubescence
— a coating of fine hairs closely set. They are as a usual thing of a
remarkably even temperament, and can be handled readily with the use
of smoke. When handled rapidly and roughly, as is frequently the case
during a heavy honey flow, they are not nearly so quick to battle as are
both the Cyprians and Blacks, and can be depended upon to give a better
average honey crop than the latter. While Italians are usually easier to
handle than Blacks they are found to better defend themselves against
natural enemies, and especially against the wax-moth. In fact the Ital-
ian bee is the best bee for the beginner to select and better adapted to a
greater variety of conditions than any other. Where it is not practicable
to make a start with pure Italians the ordinary Blacks can be easily Ital-
ianized by giving each colony a tested Italian queen.

Golden Italians. — These have been produced by selective breeding from
the regular Italian, special reference being given to securing as much
yellow as possible on the abdomens of the workers and drones. The best
Goldens show distinctly five yellow bands upon the abdomen, and at a
short distance appear to be of a pure golden color entirely. The Golden
has been bred exclusively with a view to appearance, and while Mr. W. 0.
Victor, of Wharton, Texas, has produced a strain that proves to be excel-
lent honey gatherers, the breeding process has often been at the expense
of honey gathering and other qualities, and has doubtless in many cases
resulted in a reduced vitality. For the bee fancier they are well adapted,
but for the average bee keeper the regular three-banded or imported ItaLr
ian is to be preferred. The latter differs but little from the familiar
three-banded Italian, but as a usual thing the direct descendants of an
imported queen show a darker color than those which have been bred in
this country for some time. For this reason the recently imported bees
are often designated as "leather-colored" Italians. They are preferable
to the Italians that have been "American-bred," except in cases where
the breeding of the latter has been of a strictly selective nature with
a view to producing the best bee possible.

Hybrids. — Having given the five distinct races — Carniolans, Cyprians,
Holy Lands, Blacks and Italians- — there are possible ten distinct hybrids
as the result of the first cross, one race with another. Owing to the
abundance of the Italians and the Blacks, the cross between these two
races is the one most frequently met with, and the one popularly desig-
nated as hybrid. In many cases these hybrids are found to be as good
average honey gatherers as the pure Italians, and in many cases excep-
tionally energetic workers. This doubtless results from the stamina due
to the addition of foreign blood. While reputed generally among bee
keepers to be of a cross disposition, our own experience is that they are
not crosser than the Italians, and in many cases a colony is found that
is much more docile than the average colony of the latter race. The
amateur bee keeper, in Italianizing an apiary of Blacks, will invariably
get Italian queens mated to Black drones and in the resulting bees he will
have a vast opportunity for observation on these points.

22 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

HOW TO SECURE BEES.

If the beginner does not happen to have bees in box hives, his best
plan of obtaining bees will be to purchase them, provided, of course, that
he can get them at a reasonable price. What constitutes a reasonable
price must depend upon locality, condition and amount of the honey
crop, as well as upon the strength of the colony, amount of honey con-
tained in the hive, and the style or make of the latter. As a general rule
it may be considered that for either Italians or Black bees in box hives,
with a reasonable amount of honey, a price of $1.00 to $1.50 is amply
sufficient. For colonies in frame hives of antiquated or worthless pat-
terns, and the frames of which are of such a size as to fit the regular ten-
frame dovetailed hive, a price of $2.50 to $3.50 usually prevails. Black
bees or hybrids, with queen of the same kind, in dovetailed ten-frame
hives are worth on an average of $3.50 to $4.00 per colony. Colonies in
new or perfect ten-frame dovetailed hives with ten frames of honey and
brood, a strong force of working bees, and a good Italian queen, com-
mand the uniform price of $5.00 each. These prices may be higher or
lower according to demand, and according to whether the purchase is
made just previous to a honey season or just after it. In more favored
parts of the State, strong colonies in early spring often sell for as high
as $10.00 each, while in late summer they may not bring more than $3.00.
Colonies in bee trees as a usual thing are worth no more than the time
and labor required to take them out and transfer to frame hives. At
times, however, the honey obtained in addition to the bees is sufficient to
pay handsomely for the work and the bees remain as profit. While it is
not generally profitable to pay parties for bee trees, a quarter or half
dollar invested in their good will may ultimately be found profitable.

LIFE AND HABITS OF THE BEE.

In order to be a successful bee keeper one must understand at least
something of the domestic economy of the hive, and must have a knowl-
edge of the way in which bees are reared, honey stored, combs built, etc.,
A knowledge of all this will make clear to the novice how he may perform
certain work and operations without disturbing the domestic arrange-
ments of the bees and how he may in many cases aid them in their work,
thereby increasing the honey yield and avoiding losses of both bees and
honey. Inside of the hive will be found three distinct forms of adult
bees, namely, the queen, workers, and drones (see Plate II). Only one
queen is found in each colony, and her sole duty is to deposit the eggs
from which all bees are hatched. She alone is the egg layer and is the
mother of all bees hatched in the hive. Having no other duty to perform
she is specially adapted by nature for her egg-laying duties. She is even
fed by worker bees, who accompany her constantly and see to her wants.
From cell to cell she goes quietly at her work, depositing in each a small
white egg, cylindrical in form and approximately 1.8 millimetres (about
7-100 of an inch) in length. In appearance the queen is much longer
than the worker bees and is also slightly thicker and broader. However,
on account of her lengthened abdomen, she appears much more slender.
Her abdomen is not as distinctly banded as that of a worker and is
usually of a uniform tawny or dark color throughout. The thorax is

24 A. AND M. COLLKGE APIARY.

almost devoid of hairs and presents a shining appearance. A good queen
will, during the honey season, lay as high as 1500 to 2000 eggs per day.
Usually she will continue active egg laying for two years, often three,
after which time she is usually superseded by a young queen.

The workers are by far the most abundant individuals in the hive,
numbering in strong colonies about 40,000. They are the units of organ-
ized labor and to their lot fall all the duties of the hive, except the egg
laying and fertilizing of the queen. They build the comb, gather the
honey, keep up the temperature and ventilation of the hive, brood over
the eggs, feed the young bees or larvae, and protect the community from
robbers and other enemies. In appearance they differ from the queen by
their shorter and somewhat smaller body, and by marked pubescence iipon
the thorax. Both the queen and workers are provided with stings, but
the queen rarely makes use of hers, even when roughly handled in the
fingers or perhaps mashed, and it is supposed that she only uses that
weapon when in a fight with a rival queen. The workers when angered
do not hesitate to use their stings. The drones will be found more abun-
dant at certain seasons than at others, and especially are they plentiful
at the approach of swarming time in the spring. Hardly to exceed two
or three hundred are to be found at a time in each colony, and as a usual

Fig. 1.— Queen's egg, highly magnified. (From A. I.
Boot, A B C of Bee Culture.)

thing fifty to seventy-five will nearly be the correct number during the
summer and autumn. They may be readily recognized by their immense
size as compared with the workers, and by the fact that their abdomens
are blunt and rounded, instead of sharp at the apex as are those of the
queen and workers. (See Plate II.) Big and clumsy appearing fellows,
they have no part in the economy of the hive, and their sole object of
existence is to fertilize the young queen which, under natural conditions,
appears in the colony about once a year. They gather no honey, do no
work, and merely consume stores. At the approach of winter or upon a
dearth of honey they are one and all ruthlessly killed or expelled from the
hive to perish, by the workers. The drone develops from an unfertilized
egg, and as the queen seems to have the power of laying fertilized or
unfertilized eggs at will, drones are produced whenever needed, as at the
beginning of the next honey flow or at the approach of swarming time.
The egg described above (see Fig. 1) when seen under the microscope
presents a beautiful appearance, being covered with a net-work 01 fine
lines. At the end of about three days after deposition the egg hatches,
having been previously surrounded with a milky food by the worker bees.
The egg produces a very small, pure white larva, the growth of which is
very rapid. For six days it is fed by the worker bees and at about the

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

25

tenth day after egg deposition is sealed over with a thin covering and left
to gradually molt and take on the form of the adult bee. Twenty-one
days after the egg was laid in the case of the young worker bees, and
twenty-three days in the case of the young drones, the bee has completed
its growth, gnaws open the covering of its cell, and crawls out, a per-
fectly developed bee, but nevertheless looking a bit rough, fuzzy and
clumsy. Soon it grooms out the small hairs covering its body, rapidly
gains command of its legs and goes to an unsealed cell of honey for its
first meal. After the first or second day out of the cell, the young worker
takes up the duties of "nurse" and prepares and gives food to the larvae.
Under average conditions, according to Mr. A. I. Eoot, this may be con-
tinued by the young bee up to any time from the sixth to the fourteenth
day, after which it engages in comb building, honey gathering and the
other duties of the hive, now being a fully developed bee in every way.

Fig. 2.— Ten frame dove-tailed hive. (From
A. I. Root, A B C of Bee Culture. )

Fig.

—Hoffman self-spacing frames. (After
A. I. Boot Co.)

The younger bees do not do much in guarding the hive until they reach
at least middle age. The younger bees can be handled with impunity and
will not sting, and it is the old bees in the hive that make trouble for the
operator when the hive is opened or disturbed.

In looking over the combs in a hive the majority of the cells will be
found of a uniform size and making up the bulk. These are the worker
cells. In spots, and sometimes occupying entire frames, will be noticed
cells that are markedly larger than the rest. These latter are the drone
cells, making up what is termed the "drone comb." It is in these cells
that the drones, being larger, are reared. No material difference is noted
in the larval history of the drone, from that of the worker, except that
twenty-three days instead of twenty-one are required for the attainment
of maturity.

The life history of the queen will be discussed under the head of
"Swarming," to be mentioned later on.

26

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

HIVES.

That the bees may be properly observed, that queenlessness may be
avoided, and remedied when it does occur; and in order to see^that the
bees do not run short of stores, as sometimes occurs in an unfavorable
season, it is necessary that we use a hive in which the combs are readily
movable, so that they can be removed for examination at the convenience
of the bee keeper. We, therefore, have what is designatd as the "frame
hive." Many different sizes and designs have been manufactured for
this purpose and a large variety are in use today by the various bee keep-
ers, each particular kind having its advocates. The hive in most exten-
sive use, and above all others best adapted for the beginner, is known as
the ten-frame dovetailed hive. This is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of a
movable bottom-board upon which is fastened, on top of both sides and
one end, a cleat. The ffhive-body" proper, consisting of an oblong dove-
tailed box, is next placed on the bottom-board and the cleats above men-
tioned leave an opening at one end, designated as the front. This open-
ing constitutes the entrance to the hive and is the only passage way used

Fig. 4.— Method of inserting foundation into Hoff-
man frames. (After A. I. Boot Co.)

Fig. 5.— Foundation roller for fastening in frames.
(After A. I. Root Co.)

by the bees for entering or leaving. Inside the hive-body are ten frames
having protruding top bars, which rest upon tin rabbets within each end
of the body. In each of these ten frames a comb is built by the bees, a]l
being readily removable. As with hives, we have also a variety of frames.
The one most popular and best constructed is designated as the "Hoff-
man" frame. Two of these are shown in Fig. 3. It will be noticed that
one side of the end of each frame has towards the top a V-shaped pro-
jection; while the opposite side of the frame has a plain surface. When
placed side by side in the hive, these V-shaped projections keep the frames
the right distance or a "bee space" apart. This is an important feature,
as when the frames are placed too close together insufficient room is left
for the bees to cluster above the brood and for carrying on their work.
If, on the other hand, the frames are too far apart, the bees will attempt
to fill up the extra space by building combs from one frame to another,
producing what are termed "brace combs," and which will cause the
frames to adhere firmly to each other when an attempt is made to remove
them. By using the Hoffman frame, the beginner avoids these difficul-
ties entirely, as the frames are self -spacing. Before the frames are placed
in the hive, there should be in each a sheet of "foundation." This is

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

27

made by machinery and consists of a sheet of wax having impressed in
it, on both sides, the bottoms of the cells, as well as a portion of the cell
walls. As its name signifies, it is the foundation upon which the bees
build their combs and by its use much time and labor is saved the bees,
in addition to the fact that it insures straight combs. This foundation
is fastened into the frame by means of a double groove and wedge, as
shown in Fig. 4, or by using the foundation roller, shown in Fig. 5. The
foundation next has imbedded in it three or four fine tinned wires,
stretched tightly through the frame from end to end. This imbedding is
done with a "spur wire-imbedder," which is no more nor less than a small
steel tracing wheel, with alternating teeth. These wires serve to hold
the comb firmly when built out, and prevent its sagging or breaking
when shipped or handled. On no account should this wiring be omitted.
Upon the hive-body is placed the cover, which is also made in various
designs, but a good cover should be thoroughly tight and the boards

f

Fig. 6.— A serviceable bee-veil.
(After A.I. Boot Co.)

Fig. 7.-Corneil smoker,
A. I. Boot Co.)

(After

should be prevented from warping by being inserted in a grooved end-
piece. When surplus honey is being gathered by the bees a "super" or
upper story is placed above the hive body and the cover upon top of the
super. Supers will be further discussed under the head of "Honey
Flow."

OTHER APPARATUS.

In addition to the hives, it is imperative that the bee keeper have a
good strong veil and a smoker. The veil best adapted to this purpose
is made of cotton tulle, with a silk tulle face, and is illustrated in Fig. 6.
The cotton tulle is durable and the face of silk tulle does not interfere
with the sight. If the beginner is a bit timid, it may be well to have a
pair of gloves, either of cotton oiled with linseed oil or of common leather
not too thick or stiff. After a little familiarity with the bees the gloves
will be found entirely unnecessary, except in the case of extremely cross
colonies. While in practice it is well to dispense with the gloves, the veil
should always be worn, as a matter of precaution against sudden attacks

28 A. AND M». COLLEGE APIARY.

from the bees, which may be occasioned by robbers, dropping a tool on
the hive., or otherwise. Especially is this true with the beginner, who
may at times feel a little nervous. This nervousness will in a short time
wear off, however, even with the most timid. When the bees show a ten-
dency to crawl up the trousers legs, this can be prevented by tucking the
latter into a pair of high-topped boots, by wearing leggins, or by put-
ting on a pair of ordinary bicycle pants-guards. A good smoker is
necessary and the Bingham or Corneil smoker will be found to give the
best service and to be the cheapest in the long run. The Corneil smoker
is represented in Fig. 7. For fuel in the smoker almost any dry sub-
stance, not making too strong a smoke, may be used. We have found that
pine shavings make an abundant smoke, and when once thoroughly on
fire and well packed will hold fire for a long time. The pine shavings,
however, have the disadvantage of gumming up the smoker. Cedar bark,
thoroughly dry, is a fine smoker fuel, as is also cotton rags, or dry ash or
mesquite wood. In no case should such things as sulphur or tobacco be
used in the smoker, even in the smallest quantities.

HOW TO OPEN A HIVE.

Having adjusted the veil, and having the smoker well going, blow one
or two puffs of smoke into the entrance of the hive to be opened. Do this
with a good strong closing of the smoker bellows so as to drive the smoke
thoroughly into every part of the hive. This does not mean that the bees
should be deluged with smoke. All that is required is that each bee in
the hive should get a whiff, however light it may be. Next grasp the hive
cover by one end and gently raise it, blowing a puff or two of smoke into
the crevice thus made. In the majority of cases this will be sufficient,
and further smoke will be unnecessary. In case while working with them
they fly out and attempt to sting, a little more smoke may be blown into
the hive from above. On general principles no more smoke should be
used than is necessary to prevent them from stinging. Smoke demoral-
izes the bees and as considerable time is required for them to recover
from a severe smoking, much time and consequently honey, is lost by
them. As soon as smoke enters the hive and the bees are disturbed the
majority of the workers go to the unsealed honey and proceed to fill up,
presumably on the supposition that their home is about to be destroyed,
and in being compelled to leave they propose to take with them as much
of their treasure as possible. When a bee is well gorged with honey it
will show no disposition to sting, and where exceptionally cross colonies
are to be managed they will be found more docile if a puff of smoke is
blown into the entrance about five minutes previous to opening. This
will give the bees time to gorge themselves with honey and they will not
be as pugnacious as they otherwise would be. In opening the hive, if the
cover sticks, do not jerk it off, but use a small screw driver, pocket knife,
or other instrument to gently pry it. Having removed the cover, jar the
bees off in front of the hive, turn the cover on edge or end and sit down
on it. Now gently push the frames apart, or, if stuck tightly, pry them
apart with chisel or knife and lift out the one that is to be examined.

It will be noticed that where the cover joins the hive and where the
frames touch each other and the ends of the hive, is found a grayish yel-
low substance of a very adhesive nature. This is "propolis," or bee glue,

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

29

which is gathered from various plants and flowers and is used as a cement
for making secure all parts and for sealing up all openings and crevices in
the hive, except, of course, the entrance. It is this that sometimes causes
the cover to adhere tightly and the frames to stick together. Lift the
frame by the ends of the top bars and keep the entire frame vertical, as
shown in Fig. 8. When it is desired to examine the reverse side of it
turn it up on end, without changing the hold, and always keeping the
comb in a vertical plane; next revolve the frame through a half -circle,
using the top bar as a pivot (see Fig. 9). The reverse side will now be
towards the operator and can be examined at leisure. This method of
handling is to prevent any possibility of the comb breaking or sagging,
and is especially necessary in hot weather and when combs are not wired.
It is based upon the very simple principle that the comb hanging directly
down from the top bar, or supported by the top bar when reversed, is not
nearly so liable to sag as when the comb is held in a horizontal plane sup-

Fig. 8.— Handling frames— first position.
( From A. I. Root, A B C of Bee Culture.)

Fig. 9.— Handling frames
— second position. (From
A. I. Root, A B G of
Bee Culture.)

ported by the top bar at one edge only. If the colony is in prime condi-
tion plenty of bees will be found clustered on all combs, the two frames
next the outside of the hive will be found filled with honey, much of it
sealed, aud the ends, and about one or two inches along the tops of an
other combs will also contain honey. In the central frames of the hive
will be found sealed larvae, which, by its even surface and dark-brown
color, is readily distinguished from the sealed honey, unsealed larvae and
eggs, each of the latter being attached by its end to the bottom of the
cell. This part of the hive containing eggs and larvae is designated as
the "brood nest" of the queen and in it or near its outer edge she will
usually be found. At times she appears to take little excursions to the
most remote parts of the hive, probably by way of exploration, and may
be found in a remote corner. Especially if much smoke has been used
in opening the hive the queen will become alarmed and make every effort
to elude the operator by running from comb to comb, dodging around
corners of the frames, and crowding under thick clusters of bees. A little
practice will enable the bee keeper to locate her easily. The brood nest
may cover the greater part of seven or eight frames during the height of

30 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

the honey season, and from this number of frames on down w one or two,
in the case of a dearth of honey. During the winter season very little or
no brood will be found. In cases of severe drouth, also, the queen some-
times entirely ceases egg deposition.

After examining the colony the frames should be replaced in the same
order in which they were previous to dpening in order that the brood
nest of the queen shall not be disorganized. Having the frames all
replaced, push them over against one side of the hive, as close as they will
go, and as close to each other as the Y-shaped projections will allow.
They will then be correctly- "spaced" without further attention. This
will of course apply only to the Hoffman or other self-spacing frame.
In some localities the "all-wood" frame is used extensively. These lat-
ter are not provided with any self-spacing device and must be placed the
proper distance apart (one-fourth inch) by the operator. Their only
advantage lies in the fact that they are a trifle .cheaper than the Hoffman
frame, but the time lost in spacing them correctly is worth more than
the additional cost of the Hoffman. The hive after each opening should

•Fig. 10— Hive stand. (After A. I. Root Co.)

Fig. 11. — Combined bottom board and hive stand.
(After A. I. Root Co.)

be carefully closed, pains being taken to see that no cracks or openings
are left between the hive and cover through which robbers might enter.
In windy weather a brick or rock should be placed on top of cover.

LOCATION OF HIVES AND APIARY.

The best location for an apiary is in a shady grove of deciduous trees,
where the branches are sufficiently high so as not to interfere with the
flight of the bees, or to catch upon the veil, or in any way interfere with
the work about the apiary. A peach orchard is an ideal location, care
being taken to have each hive located upon the north side of a tree or
bush so that it will be shaded during the greater part of the day. Each
hive should be slightly raised from the ground, either by means of bricks
or scantlings, or, better still, by a hive-stand, such as is shown in Fig. 10.
The hive should also slope towards the front or entrance — a drop of
one-half to one inch being sufficient. A "combined bottom-board and
hive-stand" (see Fig. 11) is used by many bee keepers. With this the
hive may be set level, and yet the inclined bottom-board will give the nec-
essary slope to carry off all water that may enter the hive during rains.
All grass and weeds around the hive, and especially in front of the en-

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 31

trance, should be kept cleaned away. As to the plan of location, a great
latitude of choice is allowable. It is important, however, that hives hav-
ing entrances facing in the same direction should not be nearer to each
other than ten feet. Hives may be faced in any direction, but a north
face is least preferable. East is perhaps the best of all, and as a second
choice south should follow. Mr. Louis H. Scholl, of Hunter, Texas, has
found a southeast face to give the best results. By such an entrance the
morning sun strikes the hive squarely and warms it early. Later in the
day the rays do not strike either the side or end directly until late in the
afternoon, but at more or less of an angle, making the heat within less in-
tense. In some cases it is found necessary to place some of the hives in
direct sunlight, in which case a "shade-board" should always be placed
on such hives. This shade board may be of any design, so that it pro-
jects beyond the cover of the hive for a few inches in every direction.
Such a board will also give better protection from the heat if it be raised
by means of cleats above the hive cover, so as to allow a circulation of air
beneath it. In no case should this board be attached to the cover, but
should be merely laid upon it, so as to be readily removable. If any
device is needed to prevent wind from blowing it off, a rock or other
weight will suffice.

APPARATUS NECESSARY FOR EXTENSIVE WORK,

While the outfit described above will suffice for the small bee keeper
who is producing honey for his own use, and only a limited amount for
sale, yet he will find that there are a number of implements very con-
venient; and in case he intends enlarging his apiary ultimately, imple-
ments that are necessary in saving time and in putting his products into
marketable shape. A few of these will here be mentioned. A honey
extractor is one of the most useful and labor-saving devices yet invented
for the bee keeper. Its purpose is to extract the liquid honey from the
combs, so that the latter may be returned to the bees to be again filled by
them. This saves much time during the height of a honey flow. As it
requires several pounds of honey to make a single pound of comb, it will
be seen that much honey is saved by thus using the same combs over and
over again. The honey extractor is constructed on the same principle as
is the cream separator, i. e., centrifugal force. The extractor consists of
a galvanized iron can having within it two, four, or more pockets, each of
which will receive a frame or comb of honey. These pockets are mounted
upon a frame pivoted at top and bottom, so that it can be revolved rapidly
by means of attached gearing and handle. The rapid motion throws out
the honey from the outer cells of the comb, whence it runs down the sides
of the extractor and is drawn off through a gate below. The frames are
now reversed or turned with the other face to the outside of the extractor
and the frame is again revolved, throwing out all the honey. The comb
is now ready to be returned to the hive. Honey extractors are manu-
factured in various styles and sizes adapted to more or less extensive
work. A well-built extractor, capable of holding two combs at a time,
such as is shown in Fig. 12, is amply large enough for an apiary of 100
colonies or less. Along with the extractor a honey knife or "uncapping
knife" will be needed for cutting comb, cleaning, and especially for shav-
ing off the cappings of the sealed honey before extracting. Such a knife

32

A. AND M. COLLKGK APIARY.

Fig. 13.— Bingham honey knife.
I. Root Co.)

(After A.

Fig. 12,— 2-irame honey extrac-
tor. (After A. I. Root Go. )

Is shown is Fig. 13. Next in importance comes the "solar wax extractor"
for reducing combs and scrapings to wax. This consists of a box cov-
ered with glass, and having inside it a metal tray painted black, into
which the combs are dropped. At the lower end of this tray are one or
more tin vessels for catching wax and honey. When placed in the sun
the heat of the latter melts the comb and allows all honey and the greater
part of the wax contained to run down into the vessels below, from which
they can be taken at leisure. After being allowed to cool the wax in the
pans will solidify and can be taken out in cakes. This wax extractor
should be kept in the apiary exposed to the direct rays of the sun at all
times and into it should be thrown all old broken combs, scrapings of
wax, etc. The wax obtained in this way will in a short time pay for the
original cost of the device. One of the smaller sized wax extractors, suit-

jFig. 14. — Doolittle solar wax extractor.
C After A. I. Root Co.)

Fig. 15.— Porter bee-escape,
A. I. Root Co.)

(After

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 33

able for an apiary of forty colonies or less, is shown in Fig. 14. The bee-
escape, illustrated in Fig. 15, should be placed at the tops of all screen
doors and windows of the extracting house to allow the escape of bees
carried in on combs.

Other apparatus, such a? shipping cases, wax presses, etc., will suggest
themselves to the bee keeper as he progresses in experience and as his
apiary increases in size.

TRANSFERRING.

The bee keeper having his bees in box hives or wishing to secure a col-
ony from a bee tree will desire information on transferring them into a
frame hive. The "Heddon method" of transferring is perhaps the sim-
plest and easiest for the amateur. This is described by the A. I. Root
Co. as follows :

"We will assume that your hive or hives, having been received in the
flat, are put together and painted, and contain frames of wired founda-
tion ready for the bees. Light your smoker and put on your bee veil.
Move the old hive back four or five feet, and put the new hive in its place.
Prepare a small box about eight inches deep, and one side open, that will
just cover (not slip over) the bottom of the box hive. Turn it upside
down ; set the hiving box over it, and then drum on the sides of the hive
with a couple of sticks until about two-thirds of the bees pass up into the
box. Gently lift off the box containing the bees, and dump it in front of
the entrance of the new hive. Make sure that the queen is among them,
by watching for her as she passes with the rest into the entrance. If you
do not discover her look inside the hive. If you still fail to find her,
drum out bees from the old hive again until you do get her, for, to make
the plan a success, she must be in the new hive."

"Return to the box hive and turn it right side up and set it down a
couple of feet back of the new one, with its entrance turned at right
angles. You now have in the hive about one-third of the original colony,
the combs, and all the brood. Allow the old hive to stand for at least
twenty-one days, at the end of which time the brood will be hatched out,
with the exception of a little drone brood, which will be of no value.
Turn the hive upside down and drum the bees out again into the hiving
box, after which dump it in front of the entrance to the new hive as be-
fore. If the queen in the new hive is one you wish to keep, put an
entrance guard over the entrance to catch the young queen hatched in
the meantime in the old hive, for she would go in and one or the other
would be destroyed. If there is no choice of queens let the second drive
of bees go in and the queens will fight it out. Your job of transferring
is now completed, and all you have on hand is an old box hive containing
a lot of crooked combs, with perhaps a little honey and drone brood in it.
The honey can be extracted, or used for chunk honey on the table, if fit
for use."

This method, however, must never be used except during a strong honey
flow, when the bees of other hives are busy gathering honey in the fields.
At any other time the box hive, after the bees are removed, will be at-
tacked by robbers — bees from other -hives — the brood killed, and all honey
carried away. Aside from the damage done directly, a bad case of rob-
bing may seriously demoralize the entire yard and result disastrously.

3-A

34 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

Another and better method is to cut out the combs from the box hive,
selecting the straightest of them, fit into the frames and fasten them
there by wrapping with a light cotton cord. Replace these frames in the
new hive, which should now be located on the former location of the box
hive, and the bees shaken into it or dumped in front of it. By this
method, with reasonable care, robbing is prevented and all honey and
brood is saved, as well as time saved the bees in constructing new comb.

ROBBING.

If bits of honey be dropped about the apiary, or left where bees can
obtain access to them, this will start what is termed "robbing." The bees
finding this- honey will gather it up and carry it away to their respective
hives. When this supply is exhausted they will greedily search for more,
and if none is to be found will attack some adjacent hive. If the colony
in the latter is weak, the invaders will conquer, killing a majority of the
rightful occupants, destroy the brood, and carry off the honey. If the
attacked colony is strong a pitched battle ensues, the result of which will
be hundreds of dead bees on both sides, even though the robbers be re-
pulsed. Once in the habit of robbing, this habit is liable to be kept up
for days or even weeks. Whenever a hive is opened the robbers are on
hand and immediately plunge in. For this reason no honey should ever
be left exposed and during a dearth of honey hives should not be kept
open longer than is absolutely necessary.

When robbing has once started, the entrances of all adjacent hives, and
especially of the hive being attacked, should be closed down to a small
aperture. Wet grass or weeds thrown over the entrance of the attacked
hive will also assist its inmates in repelling the robbers.

PREPARATION OF BEES FOR WINTER

In the Texas climate, extensive preparations for winter are unneces-
sary, except that all colonies should be strong in numbers, be in tight
weather-proof hives, and have ample stores of honey. These three re-
quirements, however, hold good at all times. The careful and often
extensive wintering preparations of the North, such as packing with chaff
cushions, placing in cellar, etc., are here unnecessary. At approach of
cold weather the entrances should be closed down to a small opening,
depending in size upon the severity of cold and the strength of the col-
ony, to better enable the bees to maintain the temperature of the hive.

FEEDING.

If deficient in numbers or in stores in the autumn, and no fall honey
flow comes on, the bees should be fed both to stimulate brood rearing and
especially to furnish supplies for winter. While there are a number of
devices for this purpose, the one which has given best results and the one
which does not in any way encourage robbing, is the one called the Doo-
little or ^division-board" feeder, illustrated in Fig. 16. This consists
of a trough having in its top a half inch auger hole; this trough or
feeder is placed in the hive, in place of one of the lateral frames. Feed
should be made of one part granulated sugar and two parts of water.

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 35

The syrup should not be heated in making. By stirring the water and
adding the sugar slowly the latter will be found to dissolve readily. The
bees should be fed each evening at or a short time before sunset. In
feeding, take off hive cover, insert a funnel into the opening in top of
feeder and pour in the syrup. When feeding to stimulate brood rearing
about one pint of the syrup should be fed daily, and the amount grad-
ually increased as the colony increases in bees and brood. When feeding
for stores alone, the syrup should be made of one part sugar to one part
water, and can be fed in larger quantities; in fact, fed as rapidly as
the bees will remove it and store in the combs.

In the vicinity of Uvalde, Texas, when feeding for stores, the bee keep-
ers use "peloncellos," a sugar manufactured in Mexico, from cane, with-
out being in any way refined. Cones of this sugar, weighing about thir-
teen ounces each, are placed in an empty super above the brood nest, and
the bees allowed to help themselves. According to Mr. J. K. Hill, of
Uvalde, this sugar does not stimulate brood rearing when fed in this way.
As a feed, it is cheaper than cane sugar, costing about 3J to 4 cents per
pound.

The careful bee keeper will at no time of the year allow his colonies

Fig. 16.— Division-board feeder. (After A. I.
Root Co.)

to run short of stores. During the summer season, in case of all honey
in a hive becoming exhausted, the colony invariably swarms out and
hunts for a new location, thus being lost.

THE HONEY FLOW.

During the spring many native plants, trees and vines yield an abund-
ance of nectar. This is termed the "honey flow" by bee keepers. The
honey flow in Texas may occur any time between February 15th and
May 15th, and in duration may last from two weeks to three months or
longer, according to locality and season. Honey flows are designated
as "spring," "late summer," or "autumn," according to the season in
which they occur, the spring honey flow being the most important. As
soon as the weather becomes warm enough for the bees to fly, and the
flowers commence yielding nectar, brood rearing is begun in the hives.
As the flow of honey increases, more and more eggs are deposited by the
queen, and the working force of the colony increases rapidly. If the
colony is not at least of medium strength at the beginning of the honey
flow, it will not attain its "working strength" in time to store much
•of the surplus honey. As soon as weather will permit in the spring all
•colonies should be examined and those found weak should be fed as men-

4— A

36

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

tioned above in order to start brood rearing and thus have a strong force
of bees on hand at the very beginning of the flow if possible. Only a
strong colony will store honey in the supers, and keeping the colonies
strong is the most important point essential to success in the production
of surplus honey.

SUPEES.

As soon as the bees in gathering honey have filled up the hive-body
with brood and honey, a super or upper story should be given. Supers
are of various kinds and styles, according to the form in which the sur-
plus honey is desired. If "section honey," that is, honey stored in small
frames containing a pound each — ready for market — is desired, a sec-
tion super must be used. Two main types of sections are in common
use, the "bee-way section" and the "plain section." The bee-way sec-
tion is shown in Fig. 17.

It will be noted that the top. and bottom of the section are provided
with insets or bee-ways, so that when placed side by side in the super

Fig. 1 8. — Hoffman shallow extracting frame^
(After A. I. Root Co.)

Fig. 17. — Bee-way section. (From A. I. Root,
A B C of Bee Culture. )

there will be a bee-space between all of them for the entrance of the
bees from the brood chamber below. This style of section is rapidly
going out of favor and being replaced by the plain section. The latter
differs from the bee-way section in lacking an inset in the top and bot-
tom, hence its name. Instead, between each row of sections is a slatted
"fence" or separator, which allows of free communication not only from
one row of sections to another, but from section to section in the same
row. This has the advantage of allowing the bees to remain in an almost
continuous cluster among the sections instead of in almost isolated clus-
ters as in the bee-way sections. In addition to this, the plain sections are
narrower by just the depth of the bee-space in the bee-way section, and
therefore more of them can be placed in a super at a time. Plain sections
again are designated as "square" (4^x4J inches), "Danzenbaker" (4x5
inches), and "Ideal" (3fx5 inches). Eegarding the relative merits of
these, space will not be taken here for discussion ; suffice to say, that each
bee keeper has his choice of these and for each certain advantages can be
given.

If extracted honey is to be produced an "extracting super" should be
used. This may be either a full depth hive-body — identical with the one

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 37

used for brood chamber — or it may be a "shallow extracting super" con-
taining shallow extracting frames such as is shown in Fig. 18. These
frames differ only from the regular Hoffman frames in that they are
but 5f inches deep. Where the full depth extracting super is used the
frames should all be wired, but in the shallow extracting super this is
unnecessary.

In Texas and throughout the Indian Territory, the popular demand
is not for extracted honey, or for section honey, but for what is termed
"chunk" or "bulk comb" honey. This is sealed comb honey packed
usually in screw-top cans and having poured over it plenty of extracted
honey to fill all interstices and spaces between the combs. This bulk
comb honey is not known except in the territory mentioned, but as the
popular demand is for honey put up in this way, it will be to the interest
of the bee keeper to produce it. It has the added advantage that it
requires less skill in manipulation, less work, and its advocates claim
that during a given honey flow they can produce more of it than of sec-
tion honey, and almost as much as of extracted honey. In price it
varies between that of comb honey and extracted honey, and for the bee
keeper is the most profitable to produce. Its popularity doubtless lies in
the fact that it is comb honey with honey on both sides — outside and
inside.

Eegardless of which of the three varieties of honey the bee keeper
produces — whether extracted, section, or bulk comb, he must adhere
firmly to certain principles if he would obtain the maximum amount of
honey. As soon as the white "brace combs" or bits of wax begin to ap-
pear at the tops of the brood frames, the super should be placed upon the
hive. Eegardless of whether it contains sections or extracting frames,
these should contain full sheets of foundation — or at least starters, which
are merely narrow strips of foundation in the frames or sections, instead
of full-sized sheets. If possible, a frame of unsealed honey, or a few
partially filled sections saved over from the previous season, or taken
from another colony, should be placed in each super. These "baits"
will induce the bees to enter the supers and commence work much sooner
than they otherwise would. In case a colony obstinately refuses to go to
work in the super, take an entire super — bees and all, from another
colony during the middle of the day, and place on the obstinate colony,
at the same time transferring the empty super to the other colony. This
exchanging of supers will in the majority of cases start them to work in
good shape. As soon as the first super is about half filled, lift it up and
insert another empty one beneath it. By the time this is half filled, or
over, the upper one should be nearly or completely finished and capped..
This process of "tiering up" may be continued until the honey flow i&
nearly over, but extreme care must be exercised or a number of unfin-
ished sections or unsealed honey will result. Before being removed from
the hive all honey should be sealed. This indicates that it is sufficiently
evaporated or "ripened" so that it will keep. If sufficient supers are not
on hand to tier up during the entire honey flow, it will of course be
necessary to extract from time to time, or remove the filled sections and
substitute empty ones in their place. The same will hold true of those
localities with an exceptionally heavy flow. In no case should honey be
taken off before sealed, as by so doing its keeping qualities will be
impaired and it will later turn sour or spoil.

38 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

CLEANLINESS.

Throughout the entire honey flow, while preparing the honey for mar-
ket, and in fact at all times, the utmost cleanliness should be observed.
In many cases the extracting houses of bee keepers present a sight that
is far from inviting to the prospective purchaser of honey. Rusty and
dirty extractors, dead bees, decaying and moth-eaten combs, and in some
cases frames of decaying brood greet the eyes of the visitor. Such sights
will destroy the taste and desire for honey regardless of "the purity of
nature's sweet." There is absolutely no question but that the unclean-
liness and lack of neatness tolerated by many bee. keepers immensely
injure the local demand for their products, and on the price of honey
as a whole exert a depressing influence. Producers of honey have no
cause to complain of "low prices" so long as they fail to put up an arti-
cle that "for cleanliness and wholesomeness is unexcelled." An extract-
ing house with an amount of dirt about it that would be a disgrace to
a plug tobacco factory will drive away the most enthusiastic customer
with an utter disgust for honey in any form. While it may be hopeless
to try to reform some of the men who have followed this practice for
years, yet we would caution the beginner, both for his own profit and
for the good of the industry as a whole, to adhere to cleanliness through-
out, in every detail.

PREPARING HONEY FOR MARKET.

Closely connected with taking off the honey crop, is the work of pre-
paring honey for market. Sections should have all propolis scraped from
sides and edges so as to present as clean and neat an appearance as pos-
sible. The sections should then be "graded." While there is more or
less variation in grading rules according to locality, the following rules,
taken from "Gleanings in Bee Culture," are to be commended:

Grading Rules.

"Fancy. — All sections to be well filled, combs straight, firmly attached
to all four sides, the combs unstained by travel-stain or otherwise; all
the cells sealed except an occasional cell, the outside surface of the wood
well scraped of propolis.

"A No. 1. — All sections well filled except the row of cells next to the
wood; combs straight; one-eighth part of comb surface slightly soiled;
the outside of the wood well scraped of propolis.

"No. 1. — All sections well filled except the row of cells next the wood;
combs comparatively even; one-eighth part of comb surface soiled, or
the entire surface slightly soiled.

"No. 2. — Three-fourths of the total surface must be filled and sealed.

"No. 3. — Must weigh at least half as much as a full weight section.

"In addition to this, the honey is to be classified according to color,
using the terms white, amber and dark; that is, there will be 'Fancy
White,' 'No. 1 Dark/ etc."

Only Fancy, A No. 1, and No. 1 should be shipped, and even for local
demand it is advisable to give the customer the best grade possible. No.
2 can be used as table honey by the bee keeper himself, or together with

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

39

the No. 3 sections carefully preserved for use as baits the following
spring. Under the head of "production of section honey," the use of
these sections was mentioned. While they could be converted into
extracted honey and wax, yet their value in persuading bees to begin
work in the supers is too great to permit of this. They should be care-
fully kept protected from the wax-moth. This can best be done by plac-
ing the super, filled with No. 2 and No. 3 sections, over a strong colony.
Here there will be no danger of freezing and they will be perfectly pro-
tected from the moth.

In shipping section honey, the sections should be packed in light glass-
front shipping cases, as shown in Fig. 19. The package should state
clearly and neatly, as by a label or rubber stamp, the grade of honey,
name and address of the producer, and when possible the name of the
plant from which the bulk of the honey has been made.

Extracted honey, as stated on a previous page, should be taken only
from sealed comb. While there are a very few cases and conditions

Fig. 20.— Shipping case for extracted
honey. (After A. I. Root Co.)

Fig. 19 —Shipping cases filled with section honey.
(After A. I. Boot Co.)

under which unsealed honey is sufficiently ripened to keep indefinitely
the beginner will do well to adhere strictly to the above rule. Extracted
honey is packed for shipment in tin cans of various capacities; the 60
Ib. (5 gallon) size being the one in most extensive use. Two of these
60 Ib. cans in their shipping case are shown in Fig. 20. Extracted
honey is also put up in smaller cans, in glass jars and bottles; and in
barrels and kegs. It is not here necessary to discuss these. With
extracted, as with all honey, the label should give definitely the name
and address of the producer. Honey not so labeled is always open to
the suspicion of being adulterated. *

Bulk comb honey is best packed in what are termed "screw-top cans/'
which differ from the "extracted" cans above mentioned in having a
large opening in the top, as large in fact as the size of the can will
allow. Through this opening the comb honey is packed in layers until
the top is reached, when extracted is then poured in to fill all open space
between the combs. The opening is tightly closed by means of a screw-
top.

5— A

40 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

Standard Packages.

Up to 1902, many sizes and varieties of honey cans had been used,
when the Texas Bee Keepers' Association adopted as standard sized cans
the three, six, twelve and sixty pound cans. In shipping, the three and
six pound cans are crated in cases of sixty pounds each; while the twelve
and sixty pound cans are crated in cases of 120 pounds. This standard
should be strictly adhered to to prevent confusion in weights by custo-
mers and shippers.

MARKETING HONEY.

For those who are not extensive producers of honey, it is best to create
and depend upon a local market. Honey is esteemed a delicacy, and in
every locality some buyers will be found. If the bee keeper will maintain
strict cleanliness in all his work, offer for sale only honey of erood flavor
thoroughly ripened, and advertise to a small extent, he will have no
trouble in building up a local trade at good prices. Of course he should
at all times give full or liberal weight when making sales, and at all
times be perfectly straightforward and make no misrepresentations.
These points are essential to success in any line of business. Where
the crop is so heavy that it cannot be disposed of locally, the honey can
be sold to the various firms who make a business of buying in a whole-
sale way, and who ship direct to the retailers. In other words, these
firms are "honey jobbers," and must not be confused with commission
men. The jobber buys at a specified price and makes his profit by selling
again at an advanced price. The commission man sells the honey for the
producer and charges a certain commission for his services. Of the
former there are several reliable firms in our State, and one or two very
unreliable ones. On the whole, however, it is better to sell outright to
the jobber than to ship to commission men, unless, of course, the finan-
cial standing and reputation for honesty of the latter are unquestioned.
The commission man often has the opportunity, and often does get
for the bee keeper a higher price than if the honey had been sold to the
jobber, but in many cases he also receives a lower price. Many extensive
bee keepers find it profitable to work up a trade with grocers and others
in distant as well as local towns, thereby combining the work of pro-
duction with that of wholesaling, and getting the profits of both.

BEES WAX.

Bees wax is a product of the bees, and makes up the larger part of the
constituents of the comb. When the necessity for comb building occurs
in the hive, as at the approach of the swarming season and the honey
flow, a greater or lesser number of bees gorge themselves with honey
and cluster from the top of trie hive or upon the comb, remaining quietly
for some time. Presently (varying from one-half to three days, accord-
ing to different authorities) little scales of wax appear upon the under
side of the abdomen, being the resulting secretion of certain glands
located at that point. These minute scales are then taken — probably
in the majority of cases by other bees, and carried to the newly building
cells. Here, by being thoroughly worked up and mixed with secretions,
they are added to the foundation, to make the complete comb, or built

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 41

directly into comb if foundation is not present. Ordinary comb is made
up, therefore, largely, but not entirely, of pure wax. In working about
the apiary all bits of comb, whether old or new, spoiled or broken foun-
dation, burr and brace combs, and all such should be placed in the solar
wax extractor, described on a previous page under the head of "appa-
ratus." These small savings will in the course of a year amount to con-
siderable, and will more than pay for the time and trouble required. In
order to whiten the wax and make it more presentable, it may be placed
in the solar wax extractor several times in succession, the sun having a
marked bleaching effect upon it. Wax is in good demand by all manu-
facturers of foundation and of bee supplies, and commands a ready sale
at all times. Wax should never be adulterated in any way. Aside from
moral reasons, such adulteration is readily detected, and furthermore,

Fig 21. — Root-German Steam Wax-press. (After A. I. Root Co.)

any adulteration renders the wax entirely worthless. Space will not be
taken here to discuss the various adulterants used or the methods
employed in detecting them.

While the solar wax extractor, by the action of the sun, will remove
the greater part of the wax, a portion still remains in the refuse or
"slum-gum," as it is called. Until comparatively recently no efficient
method was known for extracting the remaining wax from the slum-
gum. The A. I. Eoot Co., of Medina, Ohio, have recently perfected what
is known as the "Eoot-German Steam Wax-press," which by the applica-
tion of steam and pressure simultaneously, forces the greater part of the
wax from the slum-gum. The machine is a marked success, and in
apiaries of forty colonies or over will soon pay for itself in the wax
saved. This machine is shown in Fig. 21.

SWARMING.

All forms of life, that they may not become extinct, have some
method of reproduction. In the case of the greater number of animals

42 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

this reproduction is merely the reproduction of individuals. In the case
of bees it will be seen that the increase of individuals alone would only
result in the strengthening or maintenance of the colony. Were repro-
duction of individuals alone the only method of increase, the species
would ultimately become extinct, for a colony under natural conditions
cannot exist indefinitely. In all forms of communistic life in the animal
kingdom, we find also a division of communiites or colonies. In the
case of bees this division takes the form of "swarming/7 and will be
here briefly described. In the spring when the plants are yielding plenty
of nectar and pollen, the combs are rapidly being filled with honey, and
the young bees increasing rapidly within the hive, the bees become pos-
sessed of the "swarming fever." Regarding the cause or nature of this
but little is understood except that it is the instinct calling for a division
of the commonwealth. The changes and actions that take place within
the hive at such a time are well understood, however remote the real
nature of the swarming fever. At this time the bees evidently prepare

Fig. 22. — Queen cells. (From Root, after Cheshire.)

specially constructed cells, in which the queen deposits eggs, these eggs
differing in no way from those which regularly produce workers. As soon
as hatched, the young larvae in these cells are fed by the nurse bees with a
special food designated as "royal jelly." Regarding the nature and com-
position of the royal jelly little is known, except apparently through its
influence and great abundance the sexual organs of the larva are fully
developed during growth and do not remain rudimentary and useless as
in the case of the worker bee. The queen cell is much larger than the
ordinary cell, and is elongated so as to form a cone-shaped receptacle,
very easily found upon the comb, usually at the lower edge of the latter.
(See Fig. 22.) The queen requires a shorter time for development than
does the worker, and during her entire larval and chrysalid periods is
protected by the bees from the old queen, who, if permitted, would
destroy her. Nine days after the egg is deposited the queen cell is
sealed over and in seven days more the perfect queen emerges. At this
time, and frequently before, weather conditions being favorable, the old
queen and a large portion of the bees in the hive swarm out, and seek
for another location. Soon after leaving the hive they usually cluster

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 43

on a limb or bush, and remain there for some time, varying from a few
minutes to several hours. It is supposed that while thus clustered they
send out scouts to find a suitable location, as a hollow tree, wherein the
new colony can make its home. This habit of clustering before leaving
definitely makes it possible for the apiarist to capture the new swarm,
although in some cases they depart from the apiary without showing any
inclination to cluster. Evidence is at hand, also, that a swarm may
wander about for several days or longer, gradually losing in numbers
until entirely destroyed ; or, in event of their not finding a suitable loca-
tion, will sometimes cluster beneath a protecting limb and there con-
struct combs in the open air and proceed to brood rearing and honey
storing.

When clustered upon a limb the colony is easily secured by cutting
off the limb upon which it is clustered and shaking the entire swarm

Fig. 23.— Manum's swarm-catcher. (After A. I.
Boot Co.)

off onto the ground in front of the hive which it is desired they should
occupy. This hive should be prepared before hand and placed in its
permanent location, awaiting the swarming time of the bees. The
frames should all contain full sheets of foundation, wired, and when
the swarm is placed in the hive a frame of brood, without bees, should
be taken from another colony and placed therein. This will insure
their remaining in the new hive. The super should also be placed upon
the hive at once, as immediately following the swarming experience the
bees repair to work with renewed vigor. Aside from the method above
mentioned, of cutting off the limb upon which the swarm is clustered,
a unique and effectual device for capturing swarms is the "Manum
Swarm-catcher/' shown in Fig. 23. This consists of a wire basket with
a hinged cover, the entire being mounted upon the end of a long
pole, supplied with sharp-pointed iron legs attached a few feet above
the lower end. The basket is held below the cluster, given a sharp jar

44 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

against the limb and the greater portion of the bees are thereby shaken
into the basket. The lid is now closed, either by hand or by catching it
on a limb, and the swarm catcher stood up in such a manner that the
basket is near the point of original clustering. After being allowed to
remain here for a few minutes the bees that were not caught inside the
basket will cluster on the outside and the entire swarm can then be car-
ried to its new location.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF SWARMING.

The control of swarming is closely coupled with the question of sur-
plus honey production. Inasmuch as the honey gathering ability of a
colony depends primarily upon the number of individuals in the hive
it will be seen that it is of decided advantage to keep all colonies as
strong in numbers as possible. Swarming decreases the number of bees
in the colony, and could it be entirely prevented would very materially
increase the honey production. Where increase is desired it is advisa-
ble to allow each colony to cast one swarm a season, and for the begin-
ner we would not advise the attempt to control swarming by any of the
numerous methods recommended in the bee journals. None of them
are perfect, and considerable loss of time and labor, besides confusion,
may result to the inexperienced bee keeper who attempts to solve this
problem — which, at the outset, should only be attempted by experienced
apiarists. The most practical method yet devised and which is in com-
mon practice by many bee keepers in Texas, is known as the "shook-
swarm" method. Briefly, this is as follows : When the swarming fever
is fairly on, the old hive is removed from its stand and an entirely new
hive put in its place containing frames with full sheets of foundation.
The super, bees and all, is now taken from the old hive, and placed
upon the new. The combs are then taken from the old hive and the
bees shaken off in front of the new hive. The queen is also placed in
the new hive. The old hive, containing now nothing but brood in all
stages and a few bees, is placed in a new location, the entrance narrowed
down to a small aperture and left to itself. The bees hatching rapidly
in this hive will care for the brood and will rear a queen from the young
larvae, hence at the end of 21 days we will have a complete colony.
Instead of allowing the bees to rear a queen, a mature queen or a matured
queen cell (a cell in which the queen is nearly ready to emerge) can be
given this colony.

It is supposed that the rough handling, shaking and the entering1 of a
new hive in a way satisfies the swarming fever of the bees, and upon
this point apparently rests the success of the method. It will also be
well to state in this connection that swarming can be to a great extent
discouraged by giving an abundance of storage room in the supers at the
beginning of the honey flow. The gorging of the hive with honey is
one of the things that hastens swarming and is perhaps one of its prime
causes.

A great number of methods for preventing swarming will be found
in bee journals and books, but none, unless it be the divisible brood
chamber, have been found equal to the shook swarm method described
above. The ^divisible brood chamber" method, which depend^ upon the
manipulation of the brood nest during swarming time, promises to be

A. AND M. COLLKGE APIARY.

45

successful, but has not as yet been extensively tested, and in any event
is only adapted to the expert bee keeper who thoroughly understands at
all times the conditions prevailing within the hive. Where natural
swarming is allowed by the bee keeper, several plans have been resorted
to with success to prevent the issuing swarms from leaving the apiary.
Among these we will mention: clipping the wings of the old queen, the
Alley drone and queen trap, and entrance guards. At the approach of
swarming time the queen in each hive may be caught and the outer por-
tion of the wing on one side clipped off, care being taken not to cut too
close to the body. The queen should always be picked up by the wings
or thorax from the combs, whether for clipping or not, and never handled
by the abodmen. In clipping the wings hold the queen between the
thumb and forefinger of the left hand, grasping her by the thorax. The
outer portion of the wing can now be clipped off with a small pair of
scissors, and the queen gently replaced upon the comb. In the absence
of scissors the wing can be taken off with the blade of a sharp pocket

Entrance guard. (After A. I.
Root Co.

Fig. 24. Alley queen and drone trap. (After
A.I. Root Co.)

knife, by so holding the queen that the wing to be clipped lies flat and
even upon some wooden surface, as upon the top of the hive, and the
blade of the knife pressed down upon it. When a swarm emerges from
a colony having a clipped queen, the queen will, of course, attempt to
follow, but being unable to fly will fall in front of the entrance or near
it, where she can be readily picked up by the apiarist. The swarm may
remain flying in the air for some time, usually long enough for the
apiarist to remove the old hive and substitute a new one in its place.
The swarm finding its queen missing will return to the old stand and
enter the new hive placed to receive it. While the swarm i« entering,
the old queen is released and allowed to enter with them. The old hiv
containing its brood, swarm and young queen or queen cell is placed on
a new stand. The device shown in Fig. 24, known as the Alley drone
and queen trap, is used in much the same way. As will be noticed from
the figure, this trap exactly fits over the entrance to a hive, and no bees
can enter or leave without passing through the oblong openings in the
perforated zinc of which the trap is made. These openings are of such
a size that workers may pass through readily but neither drones nor

46 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

queens can pass at all. Above the lower part of the trap is a separate
compartment, having openings leading into it from below, large enough
to admit queen or drones, and covered with a cone of wire netting. The
queen, in attempting to escape from the hive with the emerging swarm,
finding herself unable to pass through the smaller openings, passes into
the upper compartment and is trapped. The trap and all can now be
removed by the apiarist, The old hive is removed and a new located
in its place AS before, and when the swarm returns the queen is released
from the trap and allowed to enter with them. This same device is also
used for catching the drones from a colony where they are no longer
needed for fertilizing queens, or where the drones come of stock which
we do not wish to mate with select queens. The entrance guard, shown
in Fig. 25, is used in a similar way, except that it will not trap either
drones or queens, although it will prevent them leaving the hive. This
is especially useful to prevent the flying of drones from undesirable col-
onies when the mating of young queens is in process.

In former years "artificial swarming," or "division," was frequently
resorted to as a method of increase. Except in the hands of an expe-
rienced manager, and where rapid increase is the only thing desired, this
should not be undertaken. Among experienced bee keepers it is not now
generally practiced.

QUEEN REARING.

Queen rearing is a highly specialized branch of the industry, and in
a bulletin like the present it is not deemed advisable to give the methods
in use. The average bee keeper should know, however, what to do in case
any of his colonies become queenless, through careless handling, acci-
dent, or otherwise. When a colony becomes queenless and there are
any eggs or very young larvae in the hive they will rear a queen them-
selves without further intervention. If, however, they are "hopelessly
queenless," that is, have neither brood, eggs nor queen, they can be given
a frame of young brood from another colony, when they will proceed
as before to rear a queen. In preference to the above, the bee keeper
may also purchase a queen from some of the queen breeders who make
a specialty of rearing them. Under present conditions, and considering
the cheapness of queens, it will not pay the amateur bee keeper to rear
queens of his own. They can be purchased at about the following prices:
untested, $0.65 to $1.00; tested, $0.85 to $1.50, according to the season
of the year. An "untested" queen is one which has been fertilized
and has already deposited eggs, but which has not been kept sufficiently
long to see that her bees, when matured, prove that she was mated to a
drone of fhe same race as herself. A "tested" queen is one that is not
only known to be mated, but is positively known to be purely mated;
that is, to a drone of her own race. To distinguish these from a queen
that has not been mated, the latter is designated as a "virgin queen."
The bee keeper who wishes to study queen rearing in detail, with a view
to rearing his own queens, should consult some of the text-hooks upon
bee culture, all of which discuss queen rearing methods, and one in par-
ticular— "Scientific Queen Bearing," by G. M. Doolittle — is devoted
entirely to the subject. That the bee keeper may know where first-clas^
queens may be obtained, we append herewith a list of those queen breed-

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 47

ers in Texas whose stock we have found to be fully as represented and
to be commended for its purity: W. 0. Victor, Wharton; Hyde Beo
Co., Floresville; W. H. Laws, Beeville; G. F. Davidson & Sons, Flores-
ville.

By consulting the advertisements in the various bee journals, the
beginner will find the addresses of queen breeders throughout the coun-
try, together with the races and strains of which they make a specialty.
Except in rare cases queen breeders are found reliable. The fact that
the continuance of their business depends entirely upon the purity of
the queens they ship, as well as that fortunately none of the bee journals
will knowingly accept an advertisement from a suspicious party, makes
it impossible for a fraudulent queen breeder to remain long before the
people. The fact that queen breeding Bunder present conditions is not
an immensely profitable occupation offers little inducement to the swind-
ler.

ENEMIES.

Foul Brood. — Fortunately, in Texas, very little trouble has been had
with diseases of bees. Kecently, however, a number of very severe cases
of foul brood have made their appearance at different points. Foul
brood is characterized by the death of the larvae before reaching matur-
ity, and their decay within the cells. Shortly after death the larvae turn
dark-brown in color, and if a toothpick or other sharp-pointed object
be inserted into the body of a dead larva, twisted about, and slowly with-
drawn, the mass will be seen to assume a stringy or ropy nature. This
"ropiness" is a diagnostic character of the disease, as is also the foul
odor affecting a hive thus infected. The bees are evidently unwilling or
unable to remove the decayed remains of the larvae, and these after a
time become dry and present the appearance of small bits of a coffee-
colored substance in the bottoms of the cells. Upon the death and decay
of sealed larvae, the cappings become sunken and frequently perforated
with one or more openings in each cap. This appearance, while charac-
teristic, is not a certain indication of the disease. The test of ^ropi-
ness" should be relied upon as the main evidence, with sunken caps,
perforated caps, and the foud odor as secondary and confirmatory charac-
ters.

Foul brood was first carefully investigated by Watson-Cheyne and
Cheshire in London, England. They found the disease to be caused by
a specific germ to which they gave the name Bacillus alvei. These germs
obtain access to the larva? or food media by which they are surrounded
and there multiply with enormous rapidity. It appears evident that
they attack directly the tissues of the larvae, as in all diseased larvae,
dead and decayed larvae, and in the dried-up masses resulting, the Bacil-
lus alvei is found. In honey which has been stored by the bees in cells
containing the dried-up masses, the germs are found also, and perhaps
to a greater or lesser extent in all unsealed honey in the hive, as well as
any honey sealed after the disease enterd the colony. Upon the approach
of unfavorable conditions or lack of food supply, the germs assume the
spore or resting stage, in which they take no nutriment, do not increase
in numbers, and show a marked resistance to heat, extreme cold, and
chemicals and disinfectants of all kinds.

48 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

Dr. Win. R. Howard, of Fort Worth, Texas, carefully investigated the
pathological nature of foul brood, and in 1894 his results were published
in a pamphlet entitled "Foul Brood," by Geo. W. York & Co., of Chi-
cago, 111. In his investigations, Dr. Howard found that when Bacillus
alvei or its spores were excluded from oxygen or air they would retain
their vitality indefinitely. He also found that direct exposure to air for
48 hours or more would destroy the spores. It does not follow from
this, however, that exposure of infected hives, frames, etc., to the air,
would result in killing all spores. It must be borne in mind that these
spores are infinitely small and that the wax, propolis, and other matter
adhering to the hive is sufficient to protect these spores from the air,
and thus their vitality — and ability to reproduce the disease — may be
retained for a long time. It is evident, then, that the exposure of such
infected hives, appliances, etc., to the air with a view to disinfecting
them, is not to be recommended and must be dismissed as impracticable.
Dr. Howard found also that boiling for 45 minutes, or exposure to a
temperature of nearly 212° F. did not always kill the spores. An hour
or more of boiling was sufficient to destroy them. It therefore follows
that boiling for more than an hour, an}^ appliance or hive, care being
taken that it is entirely submerged beneath the boiling water, should
thoroughly rid it of all germs and spores.

Honey could be disinfected in this way, but is open to the objection
that boiling of honey would doubtless impair its flavor. The certain
and invincible remedy for foul brood is the killing and burning of all
infected colonies, together with the burning or thorough disinfection of
all infected appliances. In case there are but a few colonies in a locality
where bees are abundant, no other remedy should be attempted.

Mr. Wm. MoEvoy, of Woodburn, Ontario, Canada, has used exten-
sively what is termed the M'Voy or "starvation" treatment. This has
been found successful — according to published reports — by many bee
keepers, and we quote from Mr. McEvoy ("A, B, C of Bee Culture," p.
153) as follows:

"In the honey season, when the bees are gathering freely, remove the
combs in the evening and shake the bees into their own hive; give them
frames with foundation starters on and let them build comb for four
days. The bees will make the starters into comb during the four days,
and store the diseased honey in them, which they took from the old
comb. Then in the evening of the fourth day take out the new combs
and give them comb foundation to work out, and then the cure will be
complete." Personally, we have not had the opportunity of testing this
treatment, hence refrain from comments concerning it.

Upon the resistance of the spores, upon many of the pathological
characters of the disease, the manner of spread, and upon many other
points, authorities disagree. Many points, essential to the successful
control of this disease, are unknown, and there is a great need for care-
ful scientific investigation of this dreaded scourge.

The United States census for 1900 (U. S. Census Bulletin, No. 229)
gives the total number of colonies in Texas for that year as 392,644.
Estimated at $3.50 per colony, their value is seen to be $1,374,254. The
amount invested in honey-houses and other apparatus connected with
bee keeping, exclusive of hives, will doubtless approximate 5 per cent,
of this amount, or $68,712 more. The State Bee Keepers' Statistics,

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 49

as compiled by Prof. F. W. Mally, show that in 1900, 150,000 colonies
under Texas conditions produced 11,250,000 pounds of honey or an
average of 75 pounds each. For all the colonies in the State, this would
without doubt be too high an average. Thirty pounds per colony would
seem a conservative estimate. This makes the production of the 392,644:
colonies 11,779,320 pounds, which, at an average price of 6 cents' per
pound, aggregates $706,759.20. Also, about $3,500 worth of queens are
annually raised and shipped from Texas. No estimate of the wax pro-
duced, or colonies shipped from Texas, is given, but these obviously
amount to considerable. Summing up, we have the total capital
invested, and annual output of the bee-keeping industry in Texas :

Bees - . . , $1,374,254 00

Appliances 68,712 00

Honey 706,759 20

Queens 3j50o 00

Total .$2,153,225 20

These figures serve to show the importance of the industry, which has
been rapidly developing within the past few years, and great develop-
ments are possible, and probable, in the future. However, foul' brood
has broken out at three different points, widely separated, and at present
this disease threatens the greater part of the honey producing territory
of the State. There is no doubt that its presence will tend to restrain
further outlay of capital, and the immigration of bee keepers from the
older States. To eradicate foul brood will, owing to its contagious
nature, and marked resistance to remedies, require suitable legislation.
Its eradication is possible under efficient management of capable officials,
who are invested with proper authority. Popular education alone can-
not establish even a doubtful control of the disease.

Other Diseases. — Black brood closely resembles foul brood in some
respects, but may be distinguished from the latter by the fact that black
brood is not nearly so "ropy," and has not the odor characteristic of foul
brood. Black brood and pickled brood are not of sufficient occurrence
in the State to warrant discussion here.

Bee Paralysis is of occasional occurrence, and slight attacks have been
reported by a few bee keepers. Xo case has yet come to our notice, how-
ever, in which the damage has been of a serious nature. Bees affected by
the disease are characterized by swollen and darkened abdomens, and
according to Mr. A. I. Eoot, of a trembling and nervous nature, with
inability to maintain full control of their muscles, ultimately dying.
Though supposed to be of bacterial origin, little is known regarding the
disease, and upon the foregoing supposition a strict isolation of all col-
onies affected should be practiced. According to Mr. A. I. Root, also,
removing the queen from the infected colony and substituting one from
healthy stock has at times proven successful. Moving the infected colony
onto a stand occupied by a healthy colony, and in turn placing the healthy
colony on the stand occupied by the infected one, is also recommended.

Ants. — Ants of various kinds, and especially of the smaller species,
sometimes attack the hives with a view to carrying off the honey and
sometimes even build their own nests in the combs of weak colonies.

50 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

Strong colonies invariably protect themselves from the first attack, but
at times assistance \ must be given the bees. Where this is necessary the
hive should be protected from them. This may be done by placing the
hive on a bench or stand, the legs of which have been treated with tar,
machine oil, or with crude petroleum (the latter popularly known as
Beaumont oil). If the hive-stand shown in Fig. 10 is used, it can be
raised slightly from the ground and a couple of pieces of 2x4 inserted
beneath it crossways. At the points of contact of the stand with the
cross-pieces a small amount of tar or oil should be placed to prevent the
ants passing these, the only accessible points, into the hive. The pro-
gressive bee keeper will, of course, see to it that weeds and grass are
not allowed to grow close enough to the hives to afford passage ways for
the ants.

Oilier Insects. — By far the "most destructive enemy of bees in Texas
is the wax-moth, of which there are evidently at least two species. In
habits, however, they are essentially alike. The eggs are deposited by
the adult moth in empty combs, stored honey, bits of wax, and in the
case of weak colonies very frequently in the hive itself. Especially is
the latter true in the case of box hives. The egg hatches to a cylindri-
cal, grayish-white larva, which feeds upon the comb and wax, usually
making a webbed passage along its path of feeding. Especially are they
liable »to attack stored combs and baits, unless these be placed in practi-
cally air tight receptacles. Even then they should be examined from
time to time to detect the first possible attack of the moth larvae. In
stored comb the larvae can be killed by fumigation with carbon bi-sul-
phide ("high-life"). Supers or hive bodies containing the combs to be
treated are piled one above another, being made as nearly air-tight as
possible. Indeed, for complete success with this method all cracks and
crevices must be thoroughly closed. A saucer containing a few table-
spoonfuls of the bi-sulphide is now placed on top of the highest row of
frames and the entire closed over with a heavy blanket, and allowed to
remain for several hours. It should be borne in mind that the carbon
bi-sulphide is highly inflammable, and under some conditions explosive,
hence care must be taken in its use and handling to avoid proximity to
fire of any kind, lighted lamps, lanterns, pipes, stoves, etc. A better
plan during summer, when combs are found to be infested is to place
them over a strong colony of bees, and the latter will make quick work
of the moth larvae. In short, this is the best place to keep such combs,
supers, etc., at all times. Strong colonies, in good frame hives, are
rarely if ever attacked by the wax-moth. The intelligent and progressive
bee keeper who uses up-to-date methods has nothing to fear from this
pest. The destructiveness of this pest is mentioned in the introduction
to this bulletin on a previous page, which see.

A large species of robber fly of the genus Erax sometimes attacks and
carries off individual bees. As a usual thing, these are not abundant
enough to do great damage.

Birds and Other Enemies. — Very rarely an individual bird, especially
the bird known as kingbird or bee-martin, will capture the bees as they
fly to and from the hive. This habit is not a universal one with any
bird, and is only developed by the individuals. Where the offender per-
sists in his attacks, a shotgun is the best remedy, but in no case should
warfare be made upon the birds as a whole, or even upon the kingbirds

A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 51

as a rule, to atone for the offenses of a single individual. The kingbird
is pre-eminently, as are to a great degree all of our song birds, insec-
tivorous, that is, its main diet is made up of worms, larvae and insects
The good that birds of any species— barring, possibly, the turkey buz-
zard—do to the farmer, planter and fruit grower far more than offsets
the occasional damage. Their protection and preservation is, therefore,
to the utmost interest and welfare of the farmer and fruit grower as
well as to the State at large.

Spiders, especially of the larger kinds, will, if allowed, make their
webs near or upon the hives and destroy bees. The only remedy here
is a constant warfare against them, killing whenever possible, leaving no
cracks or crevices for their protection, and persistently removing all webs
at fast as they appear.

N

Fig. 26.— Japanese buckwheat (After Root, A
B C of Bee Culture )

HONEY PLANTS.

It is of immense advantage to the bee keeper to carefully study the
native honey-yielding plants of his locality, to make careful' notes upon
their blooming periods, the relation of the season to their blooming, etc.
This will enable the intelligent bee keeper to approximately forecast the
honey flow, thus enabling him to be fully prepared for it and to get the
greatest returns possible. It will also enable him to forecast with rea-
sonable probability the approach of a scarcity or dearth of honey. By
the latter he will be enabled to have all colonies strong, and especially
will he have them supplied with sufficient stores.

As stated under the head of "Honey Flow/' the essential feature of
successful surplus production is to have a strong force of bees present
in the hive at the beginning of the honey flow. In order that this con-

52 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY.

dition may prevail it is essential — and advisable from many other stand-
points— that the force of bees in each colony should be kept as strong
as possible throughout the entire year. This can, to a certain extent,
be accomplished by cultivated honey plants. Among the most useful
of these is Japanese buckwheat, shown in Fig. 26, and which is dis-
cussed at length in the "Report on the Experimental Apiary," in the
first pages of this bulletin.

The bee keeper owning his own farm will find it very profitable to
cultivate cowpeas as one of his staple crops. Aside from the fact that
this plant yields an abundance of forage even under ordinarily unfavor-
able conditions of drouth, it is a valuable soil renovator, and will yield
honey continuously — sufficient to maintain brood rearing, and to equal
the consumption of the colonies, long after the native honey plants have
ceased to yield honey.

EDUCATION.

The bee keeper should at all times keep himself thoroughly posted
along bee keeping lines. As this industry is comparatively in its infancy,
rapid strides are being made in its development. Aside from keeping
abreast of the times, the bee keeper can also by judicious study learn
much of the industry, methods of manipulation, management, etc., and
will furthermore find such study and reading extremely pleasant and
fascinating. This may be acomplished in five ways, any or all of which
should be taken up.

1. Upon bee culture, there are a number of reliable text-books,
adapted to the beginner in about the order named: Root, A. I., "A, B
C of Bee Culture" ; Maeterlinck, "The Life of the Bee" ; Cook, "Manual
of the Apiary"; Dadant, "Langstroth on the Honey Bee"; Cheshire,
"Anatomy, Physiology and Floral Eelations of the Hive Bee"; Morley,
"The Honey Makers" ; Eoot, L. C., "Quinby's New Bee Keeping" ; and
Doolittle,- "Scientific Queen Rearing." These books can be secured
through any of the dealers or manufacturers of bee supplies.

2. The following bee journals, which have thus far come to this
department, are worthy of commendation. The names and places of
publication are here given : Gleanings in Bee Culture, Medina, Ohio ;
Rocky Mountain Bee Journal, Boulder, Colo. ; American Bee Journal,
Chicago, 111. ; Bee Keepers' Review, Flint, Mich. ; American Bee
Keeper, Fort Pierce, Fla. ; Progressive Bee Keeper, Higginsville, Mo. ;
Canadian Bee Journal, Brantford, Canada.

3. Membership in the National and State Bee Keepers' Associations.
As holds true with all lines of industry and business, many mutual
advantages are to be had by co-operation and unity of purpose. In the
case of the Texas bee keepers, this is accomplished in the Texas Bee
Keepers' Association, of which any bee keeper can become a member.
Aside from representing the importance of the industry as a whole, the
Association holds annual meetings, which are exceedingly instructive and
are productive of much practical education to the bee keeper. The
marked rapidity of advancement in the case of this industry makes it
necessary for the bee keeper who would be at the front to keep in touch
with the progress made by fellow workers along the same line. The
National Bee Keepers' Association has for its objects the protection of

A. AND M. COLLEGK APIARY. 53

bee keepers and their interests in every part of the United States, regard-
leas of whether the bee keeper be poor or rich. One of the main objects
of the National Association is to prevent the adulteration of honey and
to promptly prosecute all offenders. It also looks after the individual
rights of its members in their relations to other industries., and protects
them when unjustly attacked or prosecuted, and in every possible way
forwards the interests of the industry. As a membership in the State
Association also includes membership in the National Association,
besides many other advantages, it will be seen that this should not be
neglected. Further particulars regarding these associations can be had
by addressing the Secretary of the Texas Bee Keepers' Association, at
present Mr. Louis H. Seholl, of Hunter, Texas.

4. Where special problems arise, or where specific information upon
any phase is desired, as well as information on honey plants, the Depart-
ment of Entomology of the Agricultural and Mechanical College, at
College Station, Texas, is prepared to give information and answer
questions of this kind. All such services are, of course, rendered with-
out charge. ,

5. At the Agricultural and Mechanical College instruction in Bee
Culture is given to students in the Agricultural, Horticultural and
Science courses of study. In addition to this, a person desiring to enter
the College for the purpose of making a special study of bee keeping is
permitted to do so. Every necessary equipment and instructors are pro-
vided therefor. Arrangements for such a course can be made by corre-
spondence with the Department of Entomology, College Station, Texas.

SUPPLIES.

The beginner in bee keeping will desire information as to where to
secure supplies, etc. By consulting any of the bee journals, advertise-
ments of manufacturers and dealers in such supplies will be found.
Catalogues from a few leading firms of this kind should be secured,,
which, aside from their quotations, usually contain much of an instruc-
tive nature, the study of which will be profitable to the bee keeper. Of
firms in Texas, we may mention the A. I. Boot Co., having a branch
supply house at San Antonio, and agents at various points over the
State; J. K. Hill & Co., of Uvalde, carry a very complete line of sup-
plies ; while W. E, Graham & Son, Greenville, and W. H. White, Blos-
som, Texas, are manufacturers of hives and other supplies.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
BRANCH OF THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE
STAMPED BELOW

3w-9,'30

Maker*
Syracuse. N. Y.

le A.&M. collo

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