74 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Swarms and Honey Product. 



I noticed, in your last, a statement from Mr. 

 Clark Harris, of the amount of honey and num- 

 ber of swarms he obtained from a hive patented 

 by Mr. E. P. French. His number ot swarms 

 in the spring, amount of honey, and increase of 

 stocks, were so similar to our own, that I could 

 not help noticing it. We use the Langstroth 

 hive. Our spring last year was one of the 

 latest we have ever known. The season, we 

 thought, was a poor honey season. Our stocks 

 were drawn upon pretty seriously, particularly 

 early in the spring, for raising Italian queens, 

 which was continued throughout the season. 

 With a good average honey season, I believe 

 the above products could be nearly doubled, 

 here, with the Langstroth hive. 



L. C. Francis. 



Springfield, Ills. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Tennessee Apiarian Society. 



Editor Bee Journal : — The first meeting 

 of the Tennessee Apiarian Society was held in 

 Nashville on the loth of the present month. 

 The following officers were elected : 



Dr. T. B Hamlin, President. 



J. M. Hamilton, ) 



Dr. P. W. Davis, > Vice Presidents. 



J. M. Cox, ) 



S. S. Hall, Secretary. 



A. G. Willey, Corresponding Secretary. 



G. M. G. Payne, Treasurer. 



After many interesting remarks by Dr. T. B. 

 Hamlin, J. M. Hamilton, and others, and a free 

 interchange of experience, &c, the meeting ad- 

 journed to October 3, 1868, at 10 o'clock a. m. 



The number of persons present, and the gen- 

 eral interest taken, go to show that a revolution 

 is about to take place in bee-culture in our 

 State. Dr. Hamlin brought to the meetiDg a 

 frame of Italian bees and queen in a small glass 

 hive ; being the first of that variety of the hon- 

 ey bee seen by many of those present, and caus- 

 ing considerable enthusiasm. 



The Bee Journal was favorably noticed, 

 and from the memorandums taken, the editor 

 may expect to receive some substantial good 

 from our meeting. 



A. G. Willey. 

 Corresponding Secretary. 



Murfreesboro, Tenn., Aug. 24, 1868. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Open or Closed Top and Side Opening 

 Hives. 



As in dry weather bees gather most honey, 

 suppose it with moderation, for immoderate 

 drought, (as in the year 1652), withers away 

 the flowers ; so moist weather produceth store 

 of bees, suppose it still with moderation, for 

 otherwise, (as in the year 1648), the perpetual 

 rains wash away all the substauceot the flowers, 

 that not only the swarms but old stocks gener- 

 ally die. 1 lost half a hundred, in 1648, lor my 

 share.— Purciias. 



Mr. Editor: — Your three starred correspon- 

 dent of the September number, appears to be a 

 good deal troubled with the Langstroth hive, 

 and seems to think that if his hives were side- 

 opening, he could handle his frames more easi- 

 ly. He also asks for the experience of bee- 

 keepers with regard to the different kinds of 

 hives. We have thoroughly tried side-opening 

 hives with closed top frames, side by side with 

 the open top frames, air space, and honey-board 

 of the Langstroth hive. The writer had the 

 same impression that your correspondent has, 

 that bees would commence woTk in boxes soon- 

 er if placed on top of the frames, than where 

 the air space and honey-board intervened. But 

 such was not the case; and he went to the trou- 

 ble of changing the hives (about thirty) to the 

 open frame, air space and honey-board form. 



With regard to the side-opeuing feature, the 

 thirty hives above mentioned are side-opening. 

 Yet, while having considerably more than a 

 hundred movable comb hives, the side-opening 

 ones have, during the last two seasons, been 

 treated the same, as the other hives, no advan- 

 tage being taken of that feature. It is true 

 some colonies fill their frames so full of honey 

 that, to an unexperienced hand, they are diffi- 

 cult to take out ; but the expert will find very 

 little trouble. With the use of a thin-blade case 

 knife dipped in hot water frequently, combs can 

 be pared into shape very easily ; so that there 

 need be no necessity for a side-opening hive. 



L. C. Francis. 



Springfield, Ills. 



Supposed New Poem by Milton. — Sir 

 Henry Moreley has discovered an unpublished 

 poem which he believes to be Milton's. He 

 found it written in a handwriting like Milton's 

 on a blank leaf in a copy of the original edition 

 of Milton's poems in the British Museum. The 

 poem was written in 1647, when Milton was 38 

 years old, and is signed "J. M., October, 1647." 

 It is an epitaph, apparently intended for him- 

 self, and certainly, if internal evidence may be 

 trusted, it is Milton's. A good critic might 

 have imitated the style, but nobody but Milton 

 himself could have infused into those long 

 words, and far-fetched thoughts, and forced im- 

 ages, such a subtle melody as penetrates lines 

 like these : 



"Think not, reader, me less blest, 

 Sleeping in this narrow chest, 

 Thau if my ashes did lie hid 

 Under some stately pyramid. 

 If a rich tomb makes happy, then 

 That Bee was happier far than men 

 Who, busy in the thymy wood, 

 Was fettered by the golden flood 

 Which from the amber-weeping tree 

 Distilleth down so plenteously ; 

 For so this little wanton elf 

 Most gloriously enshrined itself, 

 A tomb whose beauty might compare 

 With Cleopatra's sepulchre." 



[London Spectator. 



