THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



253 



charmer in London, exhibited his prowess 

 before the king — carrying bees in liis hat, 

 breast, and having them to swarm on his 

 hand and arms; bees tiying away and 

 returning to his hand. The secret was 

 .this: he knew tlie bees would always stay 

 with the queen; he liad her caged, and 

 wherever he placed her the bees would 

 remain. He led them on sugar syrup. 

 1 le was considered a cliarmed person . 1 Ic 

 died keeping his secret, though by dis- 

 coveries since his charms have been found, 

 as the same can be done at the present 

 day, and has been done at some of the 

 county fairs, and seems wonderful to the 

 unknowing ones. The w'hole art of 

 taming bees is in the following : 



"A honey bee, rilled with liquid sweets, 

 will not sting of its own accord. Bees, 

 when frightened, will generally fill them- 

 selves with honey, and if given liquid 

 sweets will invariably accept them. Bees 

 may be fiightened thus : by blowing upon 

 them the smoke of butfalo chips, (dried 

 cow manure), punk, tobacco, or cotton 

 rags. By confining tliem to the hive and 

 rapping the sides of it lightly with a small 

 stick; at first the bees will try to get out, 

 but finding that impossible, (first closing 

 the entrance), they will rush to their stores 

 and fill themselves with honey." (Ham- 

 lin), And when this is done, you can do 

 anything with them. Before opening a 

 hive, blow smoke in at the entrance, to 

 alarm them, and in a few minutes they 

 are as good natured as a man after a good 

 dinner. During Spring and summer, bees 

 are less iritable than in the fall. If they 

 are rich in stores they are harder to con- 

 trol; and also on cloudy days. When 

 handling bees, ahvays select a clear, sun- 

 shiny day ; always use care ; make no 

 quick motions; and if the bees rush out 

 on you, stand still; don't fight them, as 

 they are very pugilistic, and will always 

 strike back. Beginners, I would ad- 

 vise to have a veil made of black bobi- 

 uet, fastened arouaid the hat and on the 

 shoulders. The rim of the hat keeps it 

 away from the face. The black bobinet, 

 unlike the white, does not tire the eyes, 

 and interferes but little with the sight. 

 AVlth tlie above liints, no one need fear to 

 perform any of the operations 1 have al- 

 ready spoken of. A. J. Murray. 



its predecessors. Kalamazoo is one of 

 the finest villages in tlie U. B. — is easily 

 accessible by rail from all portions of the 

 country, while ample arrangements have 

 been made for Die free entertainment of 

 all apiculturists in attendance from 

 abroad. 



We trust that every ^lichigan bee-keep- 

 er, who takes an interest in improved beo 

 culture, will be present, and endeavor to 

 make the coming session mutually inter- 

 esting and instructive ; wliile we extend a 

 hearty, cordial invitation to those residing 

 in adjoining States to meet with us. 

 Herbert A. Buitcn, Sec. pro tern. 



South Haven, Mich. 



Michigan Bee-Keepers' Association. 



The seventh annual session of this As- 

 sociation will be held in Kalamazoo, 

 ]Mich., on the 16th and 17th of December, 

 1874. This Association has long been 

 favorably known for the practical char- 

 acter of its proceedings ; and arrange- 

 ments are being perfected which will 

 render the coming session fully equal to 



Bees and Orchard Houses. 



A Scottish gardener of Berwickshire, 

 Scotland, practices this novel but entirely 

 practical method of securing a good set 

 of peaches in the orchard house under his 

 control. The method of course may be 

 applied to the fructification of any fruit 

 under artificial cultivation by means of 

 glass : — " Into his early house, as soon as 

 the flower-buds begin to open he intro- 

 duces a "skep" of bees, and althougli 

 they are in a semi-dormant state, the heat; 

 of the house soon brings them into activi- 

 ty, and in a very sliort time they are all 

 over the house, and the result is generally 

 a first-rate set. In looking over the trees 

 a short time ago, it would be difficult to 

 point out one that had missed. In giving 

 air, care must be taken to have the open- 

 ing covered with netting, to prevent the 

 escape of the bees." 



For tlie American Bee Journal. 



Reports from Northern Kentucky- 



The weather has been very dry and 

 and hot the past summer in this section. 

 The honey harvest closed July 4th, since 

 that date bees have done very little at 

 honey gathering, and consequently, but 

 little at brood raising. From July 4th to 

 20th no eggs were laid in my hives, a few 

 from July 20lh till Aug. 10th when egg 

 laying stopped again, was resumed for a 

 few days early in September but the 

 weather continued so dry that very 

 few eggs were to be found Sept. 20th. 

 Honey was very abundant in May and 

 June and of fine quality. Dr. Martin ex- 

 tracted from two colonies, black bees, 

 380 lbs. 3Ir. C'ulbertson from tO colonies 

 mostly hybrids in spring, got 850 lbs. ex- 

 tracted, 100 lbs. box honey and 4 swarms. 

 Pelham & Cobb transferred 10 colonies in 

 spring, 700 lbs. and doubled the number 

 of colonies. In my own apiary we start- 

 ed with 10 colonies, blacks, extracted 

 1:^50 lbs., took 73 lbs. frame honey, 



