THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



15 



[From the Maine Farmer.] 



Some Items for Bee-Keepers. 



Judging from the letters and queries we have 

 received, the late discussion on Bcc-Keeping 

 before the Maine Board ot Agriculture, and the 

 formation of a State Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 has awakened much interest in the fascinating 

 pursuit of bee-culture, which we hope will be 

 largely increased throughout our State, through 

 the instrumentality of this organization. The 

 Association is now engaged in preparing a cir- 

 cular of inquiries embracing all points of interest 

 connected with the management of bees, which 

 will be sent to all bee-keepers in our State 

 whose address is known, for the purpose of so- 

 liciting information to be incorporated into an 

 annual report. This circular will probably be 

 sent out in the course of a few weeks, and we 

 earnestly bespeak for it the consideration of all 

 bee-keepers. 



Mr. Geo. W. Blanchard, of West Gardiner, 

 one of the most intelligent and enthusiastic 

 apiarians in the State, communicates to the last 

 number of the American Bee Journal, his 

 report of the past season's operations in this 

 business, which we take pleasure in transferring 

 to our columns. He says: "The past season has 

 been a very good one for honey, though pro- 

 ducing few swarms. I have taken 596 pounds 

 of honey from seven hives of black bees. My 

 practice has been to feed sparingly in the spring 

 to promote brooding. I use Kidder's double 

 hive. I have transferred black bees and intro- 

 duced the Italian queen at the time of transfer, 

 with perfect success." We should be glad to 

 have other bee-keepers send us similar reports 

 of their management and success. 



Bee-keeping is a pursuit in which women 

 have engaged with much zest, and in which 

 many have achieved great success. The name 

 of Mrs. Ellen S. Tupper, (a Moine woman by 

 the way), is one that is probably well-known 

 by all our bee-keeping friends, and her case is 

 an instance of rare success won in a pursuit in 

 which women seldom engage, but which is 

 decidedly appropriate for them. The quick ob- 

 servation and gentle handling necessary to suc- 

 cess in the business are the peculiar gifts of 

 women, and there is no part of the business that 

 may not be appropriately performed by them. 

 The apiary of Mrs. Tupper, at Brighton, Iowa, 

 is one of the largest in the country, and her ar- 

 ticle on Bee- Keeping, in the Report of the U. 

 S. Agricultural Department, for 1865, is one of 

 the best we have ever read. In concluding her 

 article by recommending the business to women, 

 she says : " It has proved to me of great bene- 

 fit. I came west twelve years ago, under sen- 

 tence of speedy death from one of New Eng- 

 land's best physicians, yet now rejoice in per- 

 fect health restored. More than to all other 

 causes I attribute the change to the interesting 

 occupation which has kept me so much of the 

 time in the open air and paid me for being there. 

 I most heartily recommend it to others, who 

 are seeking either health or a pleasant and 

 profitable employment." 



We have recently had the pleasure of exam- 

 ining the American Side-opening Hive, patent- 



ed by H. A. King & Bro., Nevada, Ohio, which 

 is being introduced into this State by Mr. ('. 

 Paine, of Charleston. It is a movable comb 

 hive, and it is so constructed that one entire 

 side can be removed whenever it is necessary to 

 brush out the litter either in winter or early 

 spring, or when new swarms are hived. It is 

 also so constructed that no air space is i llowed 

 between the frames and honey boxes, and this 

 air space in some other hives is not an advan- 

 tage but in fact otherwise, as it causes a great 

 waste of heat. Boxes are put on to receive the 

 surplus honey. The ventilation of the hive is 

 very perfectly obtained. 



The operation of transferring bees from the 

 common hive to a movable frame hive is a mat- 

 ter not so difficult of performance as one would 

 seem to infer from the description given of the 

 same. It requires a steady hand and some 

 pluck, but we were most agreeably surprised 

 the other day on being told by one of our sub- 

 scribers, whose wife is a practical bee keeper, 

 that she has often performed the job with good 

 success, besides doing all other work necessary 

 about an apiary of considerable size. We hope 

 that like Mrs. Tupper, of Iowa, she may make 

 her fortune by the business. It gives us pleas- 

 ure to record such instances of woman's success 

 out of the ordinary course of her daily duties. 

 If more of it were practiced women would have 

 better health and more happiness. 



If a person want to know all that is necessary 

 about bees and their management, without 

 reading too much secondary matter, we would 

 recommend to them a little work by II. A. 

 King & Bro., called the "Bee-Keeper's Text 

 Book," which is sold by Mr. C. Paine, of Char- 

 leston, in this State. Although written in favoi 

 of a certain hive, yet it contains an abundance 

 of reliable information, and plain, simple direc- 

 tions for all bee-keepers. It is a w T ork we have 

 before commended, and is well worth the price, 

 50 cents in paper covers, 75 in cloth. 



Mr. R. D. Paul, of Farmington Falls, com- 

 municates his success in artificial swarming or 

 dividing. He writes : " I had one hundred and 

 thirty colonies in 1867, and no natural swarming 

 was allowed, with one exception, which was 

 the fifth swarm from one. It was a native 

 swarm. In April I introduced an Italian queen, 

 and divided them three times, making four 

 swarms. One of these sent out a swarm Aug. 

 10th, thus making five swarms of Italians from 

 one native colony in five months. They all bid 

 fair to winter well." 



Some interested in bee-culture have expressed 

 a wish to have a public exhibition at some cen- 

 tral point in June next, at which bees and hives 

 can be shown and an interchange of thought and 

 opinion brought about. One of the most success- 

 ful bee-keepers in the State writes us as follows: 

 "Should an exhibition be held in June next, 

 Mr. Paul and myself propose to show the method 

 of transfer of bees, with the introduction of 

 queens, and also a colony of Italian bees on one 

 comb, — the frame of large size, in order that the 

 queen can be seen by all who wish." We should 

 like to hear from our readers who are bee-keepers 

 upon this matter, and hope they will give us 

 their views upon the desirability of such an 



