272 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



latterly been curtailing his business and convert- 

 ing some of his real estate into cash. He is a 

 monument of what patience, perseverance, in- 

 dustry and continuous exertion in one direction 

 will do for a man who has determined upon the 

 accomplishment of a certain end. — Journal, 

 Springfield, 111. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 LABOR OP BEES IN HIVES. 

 In tlie Farmer of January 1st, "Progress" says, 

 "1 have a suggestion to make respecting bee- 

 hives on Mr. Quinby's plan. I like the Isading 

 idea of his plan, but not the application of it. In 

 his hives the bees are obliged to store all their 

 surplus honey in boxes placed on the top of the 

 hive, and they must climb up to get to the boxes. 

 Instead of placing boxes on the top, why not 

 have a small hive, or large box, to set by tlie 

 side of ihc hive, and when it is full, open a com- 

 munication between the two, and allow the bees 

 to store their surplus honey in it just as Mr. 

 tiuinhy has his stored in boxes on the top ?" 



"Progress" is not the first man that has suggest- 

 ed tlris idea. To those who can look only at the 

 surface of things, it does really appear as if the 

 bees had needless trouble to reach the boxes on 

 the top. There are many things about bees that 

 work much better in theory than in practice, and 

 1 suspect that we know but very little about their 

 manner of operations, and are often in error in 

 our endeavors to assist them. I would, however, 

 suggest to "Progress," that it is possible, yes, 

 more than possible, that the bees which gather 

 the honey, are not the ones that store much in 

 the boxes. This seems to be indicated by what 

 we can see when watching them in a glass hive. 

 For instance, one bee can frequently be seen 

 giving another honey. Also, one that brings pol- 

 len, finds a cell suitable to receive it, and then 

 thrusts in its legs, and discharges its load, con- 

 sisting of the round pellets, and leaves without 

 further care. Another bee, probably a nurse, 

 soon comes along and packs it close in the bot- 

 tom. A great many gatherers bring in both honey 

 and pollen. The latter is seldom stored in the 

 boxes on the top, but kept in the hive where the 

 brood is raised. Consequently, hive honey is 

 not as pure as that from box or cap. If a bee 

 went to the boxes to discharge a part of its load, 

 why not all ? 



A glass hive that was apparently full through- 

 out with brood and honey, had boxes put on the 

 top to receive the surplus. Before they had con- 

 structed much comb in them, the bees would de- 

 posit honey on the surface of a comb, containing 

 a brood of drones, in the hive ! The convex cov- 

 ering of these cells made cavities between, suf- 

 ficient to keep it in place — the next morning, it 

 would be all removed, probably to the boxes, as 

 the bees were constructing combs there. It is 

 quite common to see honey in the cells next the 

 glass at evening, and next morning, find them 

 empty. 



For several years, I have had what might be 

 termed a perfect observatory hive in operation. 

 It was nearly five feet high, two and a half feet 

 wide, and one and three-fourths inches thick ; 

 containing just one comb in thickness, and had 

 boxes on the top of it. Whenever the yield of 



honey was good, nearly every unsealed cell not 

 occupied with brood or pollen, would contain 

 honey at evening ; but the honey would general- 

 ly be removed during the niglit. The honey 

 sealed up, was either in the top of this long hive, 

 or in the boxes, as far as possible from the en- 

 trance. 



From the foregoing, I s\vq.\\ suppose till we get 

 further light, that the bees which go aliout after 

 the honey, have but very little to do at home in 

 packing and sealing up stores for winter ; th-t 

 when a loaded bee enters the hive, it either 

 gives its honey to another, or discharges it into 

 the first convenient cell at hand, and afterwards 

 it is removed to the boxes or some other part of 

 the hive away from the entrance. The result of 

 some thirty years' experience fully sustains the 

 above theory. I have had hives twenty-two inches 

 in height, and others only ten ; on account of 

 this difference in shape, I could discover no dif- 

 ference in the result in the boxes. Hence our 

 laudable attempts to assist our bees by placing 

 boxes near the entrance, to save the labor of 

 travel, is not attended with the expected success. 



Respecting "the box at the side" suggested by 

 "Progress," I would say that a little experience 

 will indicate the best place to obtain surplus 

 honey. For myself, I have always found that the 

 bees must be crowded for room in every other 

 place, before they will store much at the side. 

 It would appear as if they thought it less safe 

 from robbers than at the top. It is quite com- 

 mon to have boxes on the top filled and ready to 

 be removed, in from fourteen to twenty days, 

 and I never had any at the side, ready to take 

 away, short of five or six weeks. In fact, I never 

 had any so well filled here, as at the top. For 

 the last few years, I do not take the trouble to 

 give the bees a side box, as long as all of them 

 can be profitably employed elsewhere. 



St. Johnsville, N. Y. M. Quinbt. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 DAIRY SALT. 



I do not recollect seeing published the follow- 

 ing method of preparing dairy salt. Perhaps it 

 is too well known to merit it. It was introduced 

 to me as being practiced by an experienced Scotch 

 dairyman. 



Take the best crystal salt, wash it, dissolve, 

 strain, settle and turn off; boil it down in some 

 perfectly clean iron vessel, skim as boiling; 

 when stirred off dry, it will produce fine salt, white 

 as the drifting snow, which if stirred up in a 

 glass vessel of water, will produce no sediment, 

 and will be distinct from any mineral or other 

 possible impurity. 



Salt is offered in the country markets for from 

 one and one-fourth to one and one-half cents 

 per pound, which looks like the model of perfect- 

 ness. After the above method of manufacture 

 it will cost nearly double that amount. 



For two years past we have manufactured salt 

 in this way for the produce of about three tons of 

 butter each year. 



Having this year increased our dairy, we have 

 procured coarse salt for another trial of the same. 



S. P. JOSLYN. 



Waitsfield, Vt., March 17, 1859. 



