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American Hee Journal 



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No. 2.— Catching the Qi'EEN as She Issues With the Swarm, 



that it contains the embryos of moths 

 and other insects injurious to bees. 



Over the hive itself there should be a 

 cap of thatch, made also of clean rye- 

 straw, and it should not only be new 

 when first put on the hive, but a new 

 one should be made to supply the place 

 of the former one every three or four 

 months; for, when the straw begins to 

 get rotten, as it soon does, insects 

 breed in it, its smell is bad, and its 

 effect on the bees is dangerous. 



The hives should be placed on a 

 bench, the legs of which mice and rats 

 cannot creep up. Tin around the legs 

 is best. But even this will not keep 

 down ants, which are mortal enemies 

 of bees. To keep th»se away, if they 

 infest the hive, take a green stick and 

 twist it around in the shape of a ring, 

 to lay on the ground, around the leg 

 of the bench, and at a few inches from 

 it, and cover this stick with tar. This 

 will keep away the ants. 



Besides the hive and its cap, there 

 should be a sort of shed, with top, 

 back, and ends, to give additional pro- 

 tection in winter; though, in summer, 

 hives may be kept too hot, and in that 

 case, the bees become sickly, and the 

 produce light. 



The situation of the hive is to face 

 the southeast; or, at any rate, to be 

 sheltered from the north and the west ; 

 from the north always, and from the 

 west in wintir. If it be a very dry sea- 

 son in summer, it contributes greatly 

 to the success of the bees, to place 

 clean water near their home, in a pan 

 that they can conveniently drink from ; 

 for if they have to go a great way for 

 water, they have not much time for 

 work. 



It is supposed that bees live onlv a 

 year; at any rate, it is. best never to 

 keep the same stall or family over 2 

 years, except it be wanted to increase 

 the number of hives. The swarm of 

 this summer should always betaken 

 in the autumn of the next year. It is 

 whimsical to save the bees when the 

 honey is taken. They must be fed ; 

 and, if saved, they will die of old age 

 before the next fall ; and though young 

 ones will supply the place of the dead, 

 this is nothing like a good swarm put 

 up during the summer. 



A good sA(// of bees; that is to say, ■ 

 the produce of one. is always worth 

 about 2 bushels of good wheat; the 

 cost is nothing to the laborer. He must 

 be a stupid countryman indeed who 

 cannot make a bee-hive; and a lazy 

 one indeed if he will not if he can. In 

 short, there is nothing but care de- 

 manded; and there are very few situa- 

 tions in the country, especially in the 

 south of England, where a laboring 

 man may not have half a dozen sta/is 

 of bees to take every year. The main 

 things are to keep away insects, mice, 

 and birds, and especially a little bird 

 called the bee-bird; and to keep all 

 clean and fresh as to the hives and 

 coverings. Never put a swarm into an 

 old hive. If wasps or hornets annoy 

 you. follow them home in the daytime ; 

 and at night kill them by fire or by 

 boiling water. Fowls should not go 

 where bees are, for they eat them. 



No. 3.— The Cage With Queen is Tied to a Branch. 



Canadian Bee Journal Changes Hands. 



— We received a short time ago the 



