8 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Jan. 1845 



BEES.— IMPROVED COMMON HIVE. 



It is a good time during these long evenings to 

 think about our Bees, and to look over the product- 

 iveness or otherwise of the result of the past season 

 as a part of the farm stock. The season of 1843 was 

 a bad year for the produce of honey, and although 

 they swarmed well, yet owing to the great drouth 

 that pervaded this region, they barely produced food 

 enough for their own subsistence, \vithout producing 

 but very little to spare to their protectors. Tlhe 

 past year has been the most singular that I have 

 known in twenty years' experience, with respect to 

 swarming, and the complaint is general in the west- 

 ern country as far as heard from, without exception. 

 Bees wintered well, considering the quantity of hon- 

 ey they made last year. The season opened fair and 

 every thing went on prosperously, until the period 

 of swarming, for which every preparation seemed to 

 be ready; they " hung cut" day by day for four or five 

 weeks, when they gave up emigrating, and concluded 

 not to " go to the west" this year. As far as I am 

 advised, not over one quarter of the hives swarmed 

 at all, and one half of those ran away. 



The only cause of failure that came under my 

 observation, and the only reason that I can give, is 

 that on those days which were warm enough, and 

 when I had made preparation for several swarms, 

 there invariably came up either a cold wind or clouds, 

 or rain, and this state of things continued until the 

 young queens were killed by the old ones, and the 

 new colonies were obliged to domesticate with the 

 parent hive. This j-ear cannot be counted a prolific 

 one for honey, owing to the August and September 

 drouth : many growers have not filled one set of boxes, 

 in the patent hive, vrhich in good seasons fill two. 



A new modification of the common hive has lately 

 been introduced, which completely disposes of the 

 necessity of allowing the bees 1o choose their time 

 and disposition to swarm, and yet increases the num- 

 ber in an equal ratio, without loss or the danger of 

 losing them. 



To explain it, take for instance a common square 

 hive and saw it in two parts from top to bottom, then 

 put it together v/ith four Dowell pins and a hook 

 and staple on each side to fasten it together again. 

 Across each half are fixed some thin pieces of slats 

 to keep the bees from constructing their combs con- 

 tinuous, and across the hive. Put a swarm of bees 

 into them in the usual manner. The next year when 

 they show a disposition to swarm, have another hive 

 on the same plan, with the pins and hooks exactly 

 alike ; then slip down two pieces of tin or sheet iron 

 of the size of the hive, and divide them ; then, b)' 

 the help of an assistant, add one of the new halves 

 to each, and you have two swarms, each with room 

 to work, and so do as often as they show signs of 

 swarming. It does not seem important whether you 

 have got a queen with each or not, as both parts have 

 brood comb and they will immediately provide them- 

 selves with one ; and the principle may be applied 

 to the patent hive with drawers as to the old fash- 

 ioned plain hive. I believe it to be the subject of a 

 patent right, and is sold at a fair price to all appli- 

 cants. L. 



Arther's Ladies' Magazine for January. — The 

 first Number of the new Volume has been received. 

 It is a splendid number, and embellished with two 

 engravings, "Joan of Arc," and the "Bridge of 

 Doon." The editor and printer have evidently tried 

 to see what they could do. It is destined to take a 

 liiffh rsnk Tvith th6 Ic'sie of !i?b*^ ]n^^---^^::-rs^ 



BOARD OR RIBBON HOUSES. 



Mr. Editor, — During the past season we erected 

 a house upon the plan now coming into practice in 

 this section. The best way to make myself under- 

 stood, will be to tell what we did, and hov,' we did it. 



The house is 40 by 24 feet, and about 12 feet high. 

 The lower or main story is 8 feet in the clear. The 

 sills are laid upon a good wall. The boards or rib- 

 bons used for the superstructure, are of hemlock, 4 

 inches wide and 1 inch thick. These are laid one 

 upon the other, in the same manner as brick work, 

 core being taken to break joints. The paititions 

 should be carried up and worked into the wall with 

 the main body. The door and window frames should 

 be put in at the time, and worked to, but they should 

 not be nailed in, or in any way fastened ; otherwise, 

 when the mass settles, it will break out the nails. I 

 should merely put in some of the ribbon, which 

 could betaken out when the permanent fiames are 

 to be put up. AUoVi-ances must be made for settling. 

 If the boards are seasoned, 3 inches will probably be 

 enough ; but if green, at least 6 ought be allowed. 



The partitions should be designed so as to stieng- 

 then the middle of the wall. We have two in ours, 

 dividing into three rooms, two of 14, one of 12 feet 

 in width. The partitions are carried up to the roof, 

 and a plate dispensed with, though a ridge pole is 

 necessary. The boards were nailed with 8 penny 

 nails, except four or five of the last courses, which 

 were thickly nailed with lO's. The outside we have 

 sided up, and the inside we shall plaster duectly upon 

 the wall. It makes a very warm and cheap house. 

 The only alteration we shall make in the next will 

 be to saw the timber 1 h inches thick instead of 1 in. 

 In every other particular, it is right. Some plaster 

 outside ; bat as we had never seen any done in that 

 way. we did not like to risk it, especially as the sea- 

 son was getting late. Thus far it has answered our 

 most sanguine expectations. P. 



Darien, Dec. 1844. 



We attended on Thursday evening, Dec. 19th, 

 the first of a course of six lectures to be delivered 

 by the Rev. Mr. Holland. His subject was the 

 character of Mahommed. It was well attended, and 

 listened to Vv^ith the utmost attention. The lecturer 

 appeared to follow Carlyle generally, in his views 

 of the character of Mahommed, giving him a high 

 place among the heroes of the world. The next lec- 

 ture will be delivered on Thursday evening, Dec. 26, 

 subject, the character of Luther. If the lecturer 

 will speak a little louder, he will oblige one, at least, 

 of his many hearers. F. 



A young man without money is like a steamboat 

 without fuel. He can't go ahead. Among the la- 

 dies, he's like a moon in a cloudy night — " He can't 

 shine." " And," adds our devil, " a printer with- 

 out money is like a bob-tailed bull in fly-time." 

 Mercy ! — Miner's Ex. 



A sectarian writing the life of a deceased brother, 

 says that " he early got the world under his feet." 

 That probably means that he was able to go alone 

 sooner than babies in general, as the world is under 

 the feet of every person that stands erect. 



Why are globes used in schools like a man who 

 supposes every one to be honest ? They are a su- 

 perficial view of the world. 



Why was Benjamin Franklin the tyrant of the 

 elements ? Because ho ruled the lightnings with a 

 rod of iron. 



