1874 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



87 



learning they had been hived about nine 

 o'clock, contented ourselves in thinking that 

 if we had not the, we had got a swarm, and 

 about sun set Novice had a sudden revival of 

 the swarming fever caused by a report that a 

 "big swarm of bees" were hanging on a plum 

 tree, and had been all the P. M., during a heavy 

 thunderstorm, and that no one would hive 

 them, there were so many, etc. No wonder he 

 got his metal baskets again and traveled for 

 the point mentioned. Sure enough, there they 

 were, looking wet and rather sorry ; a few 

 twigs of the plum tree foliage were tied in the 

 bottom of one of the baskets and he essayed to 

 make them cluster inside, when inverted, but 

 they were so chilled that when a bunch of 

 them as large as a large apple fell into the 

 bushes and grass underneath, he decided to 

 hold the other basket under them. As they 

 were clustered on the body and limbs of the 

 tree, it was rather slow work, but he finally 

 got them all "bagged" except the bunch that 

 fell down. They were taken home and hastily 

 emptied before the hives, the swarm being so 

 large 'twas thought best to divide it. A card 

 containing eggs only, from the imported Queen 

 was provided for the Queenless part, and they 

 were coaxed into the hives ; but both divisions 

 would persist in running out again "pell-mell" 

 until a frame containing unsealed larva, was 

 given them, besides the comb containing the 

 eggs. Shortly after daylight next morning 

 Novice once more repaired to the plum tree 

 and found about a pint of bees clustered on its 

 trunk and the Queen among them "to be sure." 

 She was given to the largest half, and they 

 have now given us one nice new comb, and a 

 hive full of honey, and the Queenless part, af- 

 ter having the comb of larvae taken away from 

 them next day — 'twas only loaned — have built 

 nine Queen cells, and given us half a hive full 

 of honey ; and we have to-day given them six 

 combs of hatching brood into which we shall 

 insert the cells, one in each, that none may be 

 •torn down. By the way the eight Queens we 

 reared in our first lot are now all laying. Isn't 

 that pretty well to get a laying Queen from ev- 

 ery cell started ? 



By the way, another swarm of bees was hived 

 in a box July 3rd, and we were consulted as to 

 what was best to be done with them. As for- 

 merly, "a swarm in July were not worth a fly," 

 we only offered $ 1.50 for them, but the women 

 folks where they alighted considered them a 

 lucky omen, and thought the amount but very 

 poor compensation for "selling ones luck." 

 We explained to them that they were almost 

 useless property to any one who had no empty 

 combs to give them, as we had, but Anally paid 

 $1.75 and carried them half a mile in a large 

 box without any bottom. These have in three 

 days, given us half a hive full of honey, which 

 is a strong argument in favor of keeping a sup- 

 ply of empty combs and an extractor on hand ; 

 for how much could these bees have done had 

 they been compelled to build the combs? 



Once more we have an Apiary with a popu- 

 lation sufficient to make the air resound with 

 gladness, and equal to the task of getting up a 

 respectable roar at the close of the day, when 

 the yield of honey has been encouraging. Al- 

 though we try not to borrow trouble for the 

 future, dim visions of "cider mills" and bees 



all dead and dying will intrude themselves at 

 times. 



On yesterday morning we followed the line 

 the greater part of them were faking to the 

 basswoods, and we found the trees bending 

 beneath their load of blossoms. These when 

 held so the sun shone down into them showed 

 a tiny glistening drop of pure honey in the lit- 

 tle cup formed by the petals of the flowers ; 

 this drop is sufficient to be tasted readily and 

 is so convenient of access that 'tis no wonder 

 at all that bees get crazy for it, and that they 

 gather astonishing quantities, for a load could 

 be obtained from a very few blossoms and in a, 

 comparatively short time. After seeing how 

 the honey is secreted, the great yields from the 

 Linden forests of the West seem easier to un- 

 derstand, but the yield is very uncertain here, 

 or at least has been for the past few years. 



"Yes, just 45 colonies, and over 850 lbs. of hon- 

 ey," Novice was saying. 



"But," says his interlocutor, "You have not 

 made them all from the 16 very weak colonies 

 which you said comprised your whole Apiary 

 June 8th,? It is now July 22nd, and from l(i 

 to 45 in a little more than six weeks sounds 

 like a pretty large result even had the 16 been 

 strong. Have you purchased none at all ?" 



"Well, let us see: P. G. did purchase a colo- 

 ny of Blacks about June 1st, to test one of her 

 projects. As she couldn't wait a miuute to 

 have it Italianized, she commenced operations 

 at once by killing the Black Queen without 

 considering the length of time 'twould take to 

 replace her ; so the bees and brood were even- 

 tually incorporated with the common slock. 

 Then w r e purchased a natural swarm (Blacks) 

 June 25th, for $2.50, a second one July 3rd, for 

 $1.75, and a third — second swarm with unfer- 

 tile Queen— July 7th, for $1.25. This is all 

 except a fourth natural swarm found without 

 an owner as we have mentioned, June 25th." 



"But what became of your resolution to 

 make your Apiary self sustaining and not to 

 purchase?" 



"Well, in the first place P. G*s orphaned col- 

 ony were losing so much time for want of a 

 Queen of which we had a superfluity, and the 

 natural swarm waiting to be cared for in a 

 cold unfeeling world — " 



"Hold on Mr. N. ; isn't that pretty cool phi- 

 lanthropy? How many lbs. of honey did this 

 'unprotected swarm,' put in the empty combs 

 you gave it?" Full 75 lbs. worth 20c. per lb. 

 did they not?" Novice assented. 



"And you divided the swarm at that, and 

 set the other half rearing Queen cells if we are 

 not mistaken? Yes, well P. G. says you made 

 them construct two lots in succession, amount- 

 ing to 15 or 20 in all. Now these cells from 

 imported stock were worth just then something 

 like $10.00 and as they gave you honey too all 

 the time, it seems that your 'cold unfeeling 

 world' let about $30.00 slide through their fin- 

 gers which you in your philanthropy didn't. 

 But go on." 



Strange to say. Novice for once in the world 

 declines being voluble even on bees, and so we 

 shall have to end our chapter until next month. 



P. S. — Our first eight Queen cells, gave us 8 

 Queens and they are all laying. Our second, 

 third, and fourth lots might have done as 

 well, had we followed our own, teachings. 



