1873.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



271 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Eecollections and Eesults. 



In 1860, after having passed into my seventi- 

 eth year, fifty-one years of which time had been 

 employed in trying to publish the truth of the 

 gospel by preaching the Word, and publishing 

 papers, both moral and religious; I was inclined 

 to interest myself in bee-keeping. My impress- 

 ion in favor of the large hive, with abundant 

 and easily accessible room for surplus honey, 

 left no doubt in my mind of the general char- 

 acter of the hive for general use to secure the 

 object. 



The result was the construction of hives with 

 abundant room, with more variations and 

 changes than I can now describe, or even re- 

 iDember. But with the simplicity of the con- 

 struction, the objects to be secured, (viz.:) the 

 greatest amount of surplus at the least amount 

 of time, attention, and monied expense I have 

 no doubt, I have approximated. 



At the start I had to encounter an apparently 

 insurmountable obstacle. M. Quinby, author 

 of the '-Mysteries of Bee Keeping Explained," 

 a work deservedly popular, of unquestionable 

 authority among leading bee keepers, in his 

 work had struck an estimated, fatal blow 

 against non-swarmers. (p. 35.) 



He supposed the swarmer would yield one 

 dollar's worth of honey annually and give one 

 new swarm amounting to 512 stocks of bees at 

 $5.00 each $25.00, and about $1000.00 

 worth of honey, amounting to $3,500.00 while 

 the non-swarmers' product was $55.00. 



He made the mistake of one year in his esti- 

 mate, or the swarmer's profits would have been 

 doubled, $7,000. 



Is it not strange that a man who has a colony 

 of bees should believe and argue that it is bet- 

 ter to put it into a hive that will give him but 

 $1.00 in surplus honey, instead of one that will 

 give him $5.00. Indeed it is doubted whether 

 it is best to put it into a hive that will give 

 50.00 by some. (The date of the edition of this 

 work is 1853.) In his edition of 1865 he gives 

 two dollars worth of honey instead of one 

 dollar for each hive, and gives ten years instead 

 of nine — correcting the former error. 



Swarming hives only were in use in every 

 apiary in my knowledge except a very few Col- 

 ton hives, superanuated remains of tormer 

 times. 



Recently Messrs. Quinby and Alley have 

 •each presented hives for public approval, and 

 are so much an imitation of mine that a writer 

 in the A. B. J. pronounces the three the same, 

 so much that trying one is a trial of the three. 

 One story, in many instances I believe, has been 

 added to the Langstroth hives, admitting two 

 courses of surplus boxes upon the top. Large 

 and high hives are increasing with encouraging 

 speed. 



I do not feel so much interest to see a com- 

 paratively few experts growing rich in the hon- 

 ey gathering, as in seeing every farmer with a 

 suitable number of colonies to gather his field, 

 with no need or trouble of additional swarms, 

 securing his one hundred to five hundred 

 pounds annually. That this may be done with 

 the simple outlay of from ten to fifty dollars 

 the first year, and comparatively nothing after, 

 I have little or no doubt. 



Perhaps the safest way would be to begin 

 with one colony the first year. The hive and 

 swarm, with twenty-seven surplus boxes, would 

 cost fifteen dollars. If the swarm was early 

 and large, and the season a good one, they 

 would cover the expenses the first year, and the 

 second year and each following season, give 

 from fifty to two hundred pounds, as the work- 

 ing force, the field, and season should prove. 

 The second or third year a second colony might 

 be introduced ; and the number increased ac- 

 cording to the capacity of the field. 



With a breeding apartment of from 2500 to 

 3000 cubic inches, with side and top surplus 

 boxes of 100 to 200 pounds capacity, if kept 

 where the air is fresh, and shaded from the sun, 

 I think they would never swarm, and would 

 aunuaUy give from 100 to 200 pounds of sur- 

 plus. Under such circum stances colonies fre- 

 quently continue 20 or 30 years. 



The general introduction of such hives to 

 the exclusion of s warmers, would increase sur- 

 plus honey 500 per cent. 



But what shall we do for swarms ? At the 

 close of white clover honey harvest, remove the 

 surplus honey boxes, and, by the movable par- 

 titions, confine the bees to their breeding 

 apartment, and a swarm would probably issue 

 in a very few days. 



Jasper Hazen. 



Albany, May 13, 1873. 



[For the American Bee Journal. ] 



American Bee Journal. — During the past 

 two years there has been considerable of an in- 

 terest excited in bee-keeping in this part of the 

 country. The past winter, however, has damp- 

 ened the ardor somewhat ; the loss here being 

 probably ninety per cent. 



In this vicinity, of twelve apiaries, contain- 

 ing a total of two hundred and seventy-four 

 stocks last fall, there are but thirty-one stocks 

 still living, some of them very weak. Five of 

 the twelve lost all, and in one apiary of thirty 

 stocks, the loss was but fifteen. 



In one case the loss was chiefly by desertion 

 of the hive in the spring — one or two swarma 

 deserting even after young bees were hatching, 

 leaving eggs, larva, sealed brood, sealed honey, 

 and fresh bee-bread or pollen. 



Now, can any one tell what made them do 

 that ? Tyro. 



