I extracted 3,500 pounds of honey by the above method, and didn’t have a swarm. I kept the brood-nest disturbed, and gave them plenty of room, and oh, what strong colonies! I had to raise my hives and slip inch blocks under the covers to let the bees pass in and out.
About the first of the second week of basswood I commenced to make nuclei. First I made one of my strong golden Italian colonies queenless, and let them rear queens; when they were about ready to hatch, I formed the nuclei. I went to a colony and took out 2 frames of hatching brood, and put into a hive. I put in one empty frame and took out some frames of bees just hatched, from the mother colony, and shook all in the nucleus. The reason I took young bees was, they will stay, but old bees will go back. I waited a few days and gave them two more frames of brood. Three days after I formed the nucleus, I took a queen-cell from the colony I made queenless. Now my colony is completed. In this way I wasn’t bothered with swarming, and increased from 19 colonies to 50—all good, strong colonies, and took 3,500 pounds of nice, white honey.
John Boggs.
Cazenovia, Wis., Oct. 23, 1893.
Very Light Crop—A Hive-Cover.
My honey crop was very light the past season, being only 250 pounds, but it does not discourage me. I have 30 colonies in fine condition for winter.
I send a model of a hive cover that I like very much, and all bee-keepers who have seen it think it is good. The zinc is crimped over at each end ⅛ of an inch. It makes a very light cover—weight 4½ pounds, and it is strictly water proof.
I will give a short description of the hive-cover. I call it “The Favorite.” The zinc is 17 × 21-5/16 inches; the ends of the wood frame are 4½ × 14¾; sides, 20-5/16 × 2½ inches; thickness of lumber, ⅞ inch. Shiplapped all around ¾ inch deep, which makes it lap on the hive so the wind will not blow it off, and it will not leak. This size is for 8-frame hives, Simplicity style, but it can be cut to fit any size hive. I think this cover will suit Dr. C. C. Miller, as he likes a very light one. If I have not made it plain, I will try again later.
J. E. Enyart.