tSTr* 



lU.KANlNCSIN BEE rULTl HE. 



TT 



ttransvcrsi' iiirccs inorliiccl iiili) (licm ;il llic rmls. 

 J''our IVi'l will 1)1- Itmiiil .1 \rry roiivciiitnl wiillli lor 

 111)' iVaiiH'. 'I'liis Iraiiii'work cjiii if.-l u]>o\\ a imir of 

 wihmIcm linr.-cs. ahoiil two Irct in luif;Iil, in wlilcli |i<i- 

 Hllioii tlu' l;iliof rail lie n\<>;-t ca-ily |ici ronncil. In the 

 ■ciiKiax iii^' \M' liavc ^ll<l^vll unl\ Iwo sli inf;s, liul a nial 

 ■olt.iur l(«'t widlli sIkiuM liavc al lfa;-l Idiir siring'', 

 wliich will make llif -paces hclwccn alxnil nine ami 

 i.nc-liall iiiclics in wiillli; closer IvinK Hniti lliis even 

 woul.l lie in-eleialile. ^i rew s aie iii-seite<l al llieiirop- 

 ei- ilislan<'es <in IIumtoss iiie<-('S, (o wliicli llie strinn's 

 are alla.'licd. 'J'lie slvaw is placed on Uu^ strings (*o as 

 ici liave all Hie Imlls or lower ends (tunc iigaliisl tJie 

 -ides of llie IVame, willi tlie tops 

 ineelini; in llie middle, and .so 

 (liick its to liave llie mat not 

 more tlian tliicc-iinailers of an 

 cincli ill lliickness wIk'h llni-hed. 

 The slitcJies sliould imI lie moi\! 

 than llii'ee-roiii'llis ol'aii incli in 

 Avidlli. Tlie liciiig string should 

 lie wiiiind on a leel, and llien^ 

 -lioiild lie <ine of Uiem I'or eacli 

 slalionerv tilriiig. 'I'lie mellnid 

 •ill' lieing is sliow n in llie illns- 

 Iralion, Fig. J. Takealillle oC the straw wllli tlie 

 Icll hand and work IJie reel with Hie rif;l,l, lirst <iv<'r 

 Ihe straw and llien niider the sl.ilioiicry string, Iniiig- 

 iiig it liiiciv lietwct'n the two strings, iuilling lightly 

 and pi'cssing the straw so as lo liave a Ihit wlilch. In 

 this wa}' the work is( ontinncd until the mat la linisli(^<l. 

 m •♦♦ ^ 

 THE I'OISlNtM S 1..%! ICICI. lff01Mi:,V 

 4)1' VIK(.ilMIA. 



1»Y .». tiUAM.MKK, M. D. 



•k;. '.'. 



j]y^:F];IIK Nov. numlK'rory<tur(irKAM\<;s, IViv wliich 1 



^j5| wrotesoine time ago, v\ as promptly recci\('(l, it lias 

 *-^i lieen read IVoni lie;;inning lo end, .idverlisemenls 

 and all. I was aware liie art ot I'.ee culture, like ev- 

 i-r\ thing else in the present ag'', had lieen linuiglil lo 

 ji high degree ol' pel r<(lioii : liiil thr exleiil lo whicli j 

 it really has been carried, Ihe numlier and variety of 

 Ilie aiipliaiices used in it, ami Hie success w hich it lias I 

 :iitlaine<l liavi^ struck me with great astonishment. 1 



Yonr corres|ioii<l( I.I, writing Irom the Shenandoah 

 \'alley, seems lo tliiiik that he has come l<i understand j 

 '•the matter tliorouglily " in n'gard to "\ irginia wild 

 <ione\," liiil In- is still 'rather in the «lark. It is line 

 «hat "wlierever the m<iiinl.iin Laurel grows, the liees ] 

 nvr ver\ loud ot'il, luit "Laurel honey" is not coiilliied 

 lo the I'ri/il bees, lor the (ame ones will also resort to 

 the llowcis, ,.nd it is dangerous, lor any one nnaMe to 

 <lelect lh(! taste, lo eat the lioney. It has a highly 

 poisiiHius elVecl, being an cNlremelx distressing nar- 

 <-olic, varying in its eJI'ects in proportion to tin' i|iian- 

 tity eaten". During llie war, as a Surgeon in the Coii- 

 lei'lerale arnn. and camiiaigning a good deal in //ic 

 IVf/Zr.!/ [as wc'call it; I had iiiaiiv (ipporlnnilies of wit- 

 messing its elleets, ;ind on <ine oc <'asioii, iieisoiuil <-\|ie- 

 a ience gave me Ihe i iglil to say lli.it I know somi'thing 

 jiliout it, as well as \()ur coiicspondeiit. He says he 

 onh hislril it, lint not being loicwaiueil, or rather, not 

 heiiig a<(|uaiiiled Willi Ihe l.aste ol Hie "L;uirel honev" 

 I alt' a sm.'ili (niantii\ ol it, and was prevented li>' the 

 <lls;igi('e,il)h' lasle I'roni eating more. My comrades, 

 ( iiu:ill\' ignoranl, and not i|uili' so laslidiiius, indulged 

 juori^ ir<'ely, and conse(|iieull\ siillered in proportion. 

 1 do not reiiiember xcrs distinctly Hie symptoms, but 

 ;iH lU'.'irly as I c;in rec.dl Hicm, my sens.'itions were 

 fhese: .Sojiie time alter eating, a i|Ueeris)i s<'nsatlon 

 ol' liiigling all over, iiidlslinct \ i-ion, caused liy <lila- 

 I at ion ottlie uupils, w ilh an enipl\, di/,/,y leel iiig about 

 Ihe lu'ad, and a horrible nausea that would not relieve 

 jlsell' by vomiting. In my lase this lasted pcrliuiis an 

 hour, liut mv companions wt're worse oil, and com- 

 lilaiiK'd oniio sy in|iloms two or three hours. They 

 liow(,'vei- had mil- eaten enough to sull'er as much as I 

 )iave seen otheis. The lirst eas*' or Iwo Ihal I saw 

 were enlirelv overpowered by il, and their appearaiic(! 

 was e.xacllyas il'they were dead drunk, and I should 

 <-frlainlv have iirondnnced them so, had not llieii' 

 mes.-niaies as-nred me lo the I'oiilrary, and had 1 not 

 uiscoveicd that Ihcy were rational and sensible of 

 «lieir comlition, as sliown by their imperlect elVorls to 

 arliciilale. To speak tech'nii'ally, Ihe innervation ot 

 all th(^ volunlarv mnscles was completely deslroycil. 

 The U!ii' ol' Hie usual remedies, or antidotes I'or nar- 

 <-olics jiarlially restored them in ;i lew liniirs, but thu 

 clVeclsdid not enlirelv wear oil' for two or three days, 

 .Mild I was as^u^ed Iliat I'alal consequences liavi; be(;n 

 known tolollowaloo tree indulgence in the sweet 

 but treacherous product of the "mo.lels ol industry." 



Where there is no iMonntain l.aiinl lo iioi-on their 

 hbiicv, the w ild bet'.s of N'irgiiiian lau iiinke as good 



honey as any others. Of eonrst; tlu! iiuiility of tlie 

 honev varies with the. character of lln^ flowerH from 

 w hich it is made, ;iiid 1 ha\e si'en as good lioiioy iVoiu 

 a lie<' Iree on Ihe edge of a Held of clover an iwn'lia]).-; 

 the bees of 1 1 \ melhiis e\er made. 



If the shell a lid oali \'alle\ I e such a line count rv for 

 bees, I am salislied that this region will be much" bet - 

 li'r, fol- Ihougli Ihc soil is not so productive of <-ereals 

 etc.. Hie varielv and abundance of wild llowers Is 

 mncli grc.'iler, clo\er grows \ erj well and the climate 

 is several degrees milcler. Itees here art^ never shel- 

 tered in winter, and I do not renutmber ever lo ha\e 

 liearil of a colon\- being destroyed by cold wealher. 



Halifax C. II. ■ N'irginla. 



I l''or (ileanings.! 



\vi]\'r]:Ki!\(ii AiMi* '-rvi^w iin:.% iiivks.'^ 



Ill .1 .\]\ii:s II i;i)i>«).\. 



;\ i;aU KDITOlt: Owr (xrpvrwnrr has taught lis 

 lliiit a wall <if siiw-<lust uutl (If mad(( thick 

 eiKingh) |irolecl bees from cold iipially as well 

 as any cclhir. We liave such a house that cost, us not 

 to exceed jf-'.''). 00 ()/// and will not its coiixeniciice, ivlieii 

 compared with a cellar, pa,\' the interest on Ihe cost, 

 annually y We think we have learned that when 

 bees are housed in a reasonably waiiii (ilace, lliat //ic 

 tfxx iipiiiird t'ciililati'i/i l/iii/ tuwc, Ihc hcl/cr. .\re eX' 

 perimenling on the above last named point again Hiis 

 wilder. Is not a house drier Hum a cellar ':' Onr house 

 works lo a charm, giving lis good conlrol over Hie 

 temperalnre. 



I. J 'ill -i/imr Im'cx in tlicir n'itilfr iihoili\ in siirli <i 

 ■tiKiiuit'r lliiil //ill/ irill tiol Jciioiv llicji /nivr been tiinri'iL 

 In my opinion this is 'rilio great, and as tar as 1 can 

 see, only advantagi^ out-door wintering has over Hie 

 hoiisi'. 



'2. (ilve your bees every ijoixl opportuiiUy to lly, thai 

 is alVorded", Hiroiighotit the entire year, wheil they 

 can possihlii be beiielltled lliereliy. 



;!. Do not suiter y«nir bees lo lenialu for any eonsJd- 

 erable lenglli of liiiu', in a temperature of o2' F. or 

 Ik'Iow, iluriiig wilder or spring. 



1 think I should have lost one-half of niy apiary, last 

 winter, or rather last spring, hud I not have (tarried 

 them il' ;in<l out many liim's, and that loo so noiseless- 

 Iv Ihal llie> never knew il. As it was 1 lost but oni, 

 and Ihal one was "lost" (l.Mieenlcss) the fall previous. 



"J'.ut how" am I lo d<i ;ill this prailically ? I'm yeiP' 

 bees inio small hives, wliich yen will liiid Hie nio.-l 

 prolilable in Hie end, both 'summer and winter. I 

 make all mv hives of •„ lumber (ilressed on bolli sloes) 

 except the' i;ibbeted end pie<'es, which are ■,; inch 

 thick. Don't l.'iil to use .'i light boltoiii, if you expect 

 to "gel \ onr bees inl<i the repository willioiit their 

 knowing it." and lliat loo easily, and without a lot of 

 dirt, inbbish etc,. II'\oii use any Hour lo \<iur bt e 

 house, other than ".'NIoHier c rHi" lilace about two or 

 llircc inches of saw -dust on il, Ihal you wid lia\e no 

 need logo about "lip-loeing." 1 place mine on shelves, 

 .■irranged a la Novice, and also have about an inch <il 

 saw-oust oil these. Now as iii\- house door is not lar- 

 tliei lliaii about II) feet Irom ll'ie larlherist hive, I <'aii 

 easilv jilace everv one of my K> hivi's in their respect- 

 ive p'laces ill u slligle hour, 'all alone, and so sHIl lh;il 

 oiilv iibont li'ls see I btdieve six slocks, llinmgh 

 carelessness did seem lo know that somebody was 

 around. With this arrangemenl, yon will not put oil' 

 |iiilliiig ill Nour bets "lor fear wiiiler has not come 

 vet" iiiilil the liives are all wet and :^nowy, as it will be 

 "easv and no drawback to Ihe bees lo set Hieiii out 

 should \<m have a sec(ui<l Indian sumiiier. .\ller sel- 

 ling Miiir colonies out in spring, and when old lioreas 

 Hire.-ilens to visit lis again, von w ill not entertain any 

 acconiodalion theories, that 'H guess it wont last 

 long," but go and put them ritihl hmk <iil<iiii. 'irealcd 

 aH above I have no l'e;irs that I shall not take out as 

 many live slocks as I |iul in, in good order, provided 

 however, that soimr epidemic does not steal through 

 th(^ venlila'.ors, and perhaps "sweep clean." 



Mr. T. I'', ningliam, one of Michigan's most siicce.ss- 

 ful .\plarisls t<ild me last spring lo "notice II my small 

 colonies not store more lione\ in proportion, than my 

 larg<' ones;" olVering that the'v would. I did give Hiis 

 point sjieclal attention and ibund it as he Htated, anil 

 as far as exiracteil honey is concerned even down to a 

 tea-cnpfnl ol bees. 

 Dowaglac, Mich. I)c<'. Ith, 1H74. 



VVliilt! wc; arc prepai-eil to warmly imlorsc 

 most of the iihovo, a lew points \\v tliiiiU arc 

 open U) iii-avf (h)iil)ts, viz: c:in a lioiisi! he Jcept, 

 card iis well as a (•elltir'r' Is a frceziiifj; U'liipcr- 

 atiire nectssarily dolctL'rious'i' Can liivcs be 



