Bee Keeping — Reading Companion

Practical Advice on Race and Hive Selection

Benton devotes careful attention to the characteristics of different bee races, including Caucasians, Carniolans, Italians, Cyprians, and the German black bee. He notes that Cyprio-Caucasians and Cyprio-Carniolans are crosses, but does not elaborate on their performance. The discussion is grounded in observable traits: Italians are described as industrious, while Cyprians are noted for their vigor. The author also addresses the widespread misconception about artificial combs, stating plainly that “complete artificial combs have never been used in a commercial way,” countering newspaper claims. This insistence on factual correction is a recurring pattern in the bulletin.

Swarm Management and the Simmins System

The section on swarming presents both natural and artificial methods, with detailed instructions for dividing colonies and using the nucleus system. Benton highlights Samuel Simmins's nonswarming system, which relies on partially drawn combs in sections—a technique Simmins “has long contended for” but that is “too often overlooked.” The text emphasizes that earlier work in sections is key to preventing swarming. Benton also describes the use of a queen excluder, a zinc sheet with perforations that permits workers but not the queen to pass, preventing brood in honey sections. The language is precise and procedural, reflecting the bulletin's practical intent.

Comb Honey Production and Grading

For comb honey, Benton advises adjusting the brood apartment to crowd bees into supers, using pound sections (4¼ by 4¼ inches) for the general market. He recommends supplying sections with partially drawn comb before the main honey flow, even feeding colonies if necessary. The text includes a caution against giving too much space at once, as “considerable warmth is necessary” for bees to draw out foundation. Grading and shipping are addressed with similar specificity: combs must be stored in a dry, airy room, and mice can damage cells containing pollen or larval skins. Moth larvae are not a concern until spring, when fumigation with sulphur or bisulphide of carbon may be needed.

Throughout the bulletin, Benton maintains a tone of authoritative practicality, frequently correcting misconceptions and emphasizing methods tested by experience. Readers should note that the text is a government publication from 1905, reflecting the agricultural priorities and technological limits of its era. The advice on races, hives, and disease management remains historically informative, but modern beekeeping practices have evolved significantly. This edition preserves the original illustrations and formatting, offering a clear window into early twentieth-century apiculture.

I found myself thinking about Frank Benton’s quiet, careful notes on hive temperament the other day, how he watched for the calm strain in a colony. That same patient attention seems to carry over into The Preparation of Bees for Outdoor Wintering — A Reader’s Guide. It stayed with me, the way some books do, like a soft hum before sleep.