. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. Feb. 18, 1909.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 69 late driven lots should be let alone, or in the hands of a novice winter losses will make them cost, on an average, much more than spring swarms. But I am strongly of opinion that they should be put upon combs fully stored, containing pollen if possible. Such extra combs may be obtained by profitably employing strong stocks upon the work when there is little or no honey-flow on, and the labour of producing them under such more favourable conditions is less rather than more. Postman, What of the W
. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. Feb. 18, 1909.] THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 69 late driven lots should be let alone, or in the hands of a novice winter losses will make them cost, on an average, much more than spring swarms. But I am strongly of opinion that they should be put upon combs fully stored, containing pollen if possible. Such extra combs may be obtained by profitably employing strong stocks upon the work when there is little or no honey-flow on, and the labour of producing them under such more favourable conditions is less rather than more. Postman, What of the Wasp? (page 19). —One might as well send by post a live larva of Cossus ligniperda, the Goat Moth, as an " active queen-wasp " in a pierced matchbox! In all possibility, as an in- spection of its front teeth would confirm, it bit its way out of the box, and perhaps through the post as well! At any rate, any official who was hunting for a match would more than find it in a very waxy Vespa! And if he expected safety, he might be excused any sudden expres- sion of belief that he had struck Lucifer! Controlling Swarming (page 21).—I am quite ready to believe in the Swiss claim, although I did not think it would come so soon. Nature herself has already done the bulk of the work in limiting, if not in reducing, the propensity in her evolu- tion of some varieties of the provident type. For the race has not always been to the swift, nor in necessity to the swarm, but "time and chance happeneth to them ; Yet I find myself uncon- vinced of the desirability of eliminating the characteristic. True it is that we can control some of the malign influences which would militate against a non- swarming race; but the trait is of value, even if only for the purposes of increase, and should not be discarded, unless it can be unquestionably demonstrated that lessened swarming and increased honey- production go hand in hand; that is, un- less the non-swarming stock is
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