12 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



July 25, 1832. 



Fiom the Massachusetts Agricultural Repositorj and Juurnal. 



ON BEES. 



APIARY. 

 To the Trustees of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society. 



Gentleme.-v — With this is forwarded, for your 

 exatnination and disposal, the model of an Ajjiary, 

 designed to guard the bees within from the bee- 

 moth. The distinguishing principle of this apiary 

 is, that with the aid of frame doors, covered with 

 millinet, the miller is effectually shut out of the 

 house, while the bees are not at all injured from 

 the want of air. For the principle, I acknow- 

 ledn-e myself indebted to the Rev. Thomas Noyes, 

 of Needham. I vvill describe the apiary as built 

 for two Charlieshope hives. It may be made long- 

 er, so as to admit any number of hives. 



1. Two planks, 5 feet and 3 inches in length, 

 and 1 foot and 8 inches in width, are placed per- 

 pendicularly in sills 6 feet in length. These planks 

 form the two ends of the apiary. 



2. The length of the apiary for two hives 

 should be 4 feet outside. A partition board in the 

 centre divides the house into two ap^tments, 21i 

 inches wide. 



3. The roof is double, and made to be put on 

 and taken oft' at pleasure. It is fastened with four 

 iron pins, and at each corner. It must be taken 

 off, in order to put in or take out the hive. 



4. The bottom, or floor, is inserted 4 inches 

 from the sills. 



5. In the back, two doors are inserted against 

 each apartment. The upper door is for the pur- 

 pose of examining the bees through the glasses in 

 the hive. The lower for admitting a free circula- 

 tion. 



6. In front the apiary is boarded down within 

 18 inches of the bottom. A cant is here inserted, 

 8 inches wide, to throw oft' the water. The space 

 below -is filled with a moveable frame, covered 

 with millinet — to be put in a little after sundown, 

 and removed before sunrise, through the miller 

 season. Parallel bars are inserted in each apart- 

 ment between which the hive stauds. 



In the model, the cedar blocks represent bricks, 

 on which the sills stand. There are holes in the 

 ends of the sills with pins, which are to be driven 

 into the ground, that the apiary may stand per- 

 fectly firm. 



With the model of the apiary I send also a 

 model of the Charlieshope hive, and a model frame 

 for the convenience of moving it. 



Remarks. — 1. I think it would be an improve 

 ment in this apiary, to have the roof permanent, 

 and the bar in the back moveable, so that the hive 

 can be set in, or taken out, by simply removing 

 the bar. 



2. It is essential, that every part of the apiary 

 be made tight ; and that it may continue so, it 

 should be well painted. 



3. For two seasons I have used an apiary, not 

 constructed after the model which I send you, but 

 embracing its distinguishing principle, that is, the 

 millinet doors ; and am satisfied, that it is an ef- 

 fectiial security against the miller. 



4. The Charlieshope hive I think preferable to 

 any other that I am acquainted with, in regard to 

 its'shape. But the Tbacher hive is rather prefer- 

 able in this particular — that of taking away the 

 surplus honey. I have, therefore, made and used 

 a hive combining the distinguishing principles of 

 both ; that is, having the wedge bottom, and draw- 

 ers in the top. In some, I have two drawers, and 

 in others but one, that being made to fill the whole 



sj)ace. I have glasses in the lower part, and also 

 the drawers. 



APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING BEES. 



Accompanying this, I forward, for your inspec- 

 tion and disposal, the model of an apparatus, 

 which I have prepared, for the purpose of trans- 

 ferring bees from one hive to another, with wa- 

 ter. The ajiparatus consists of the following 

 parts, which, for convenience of description, I have 

 named thus : — 



C — Cisten), to receive the hive to be operated up- 

 on. It is 30 inches in height, and 20 inches square. 



T — r»)i?ie/, fitted on the outside of the cistern, 

 to convey the water to the hive. 



F — Follower, to rise and fall in the cistern. It 

 has an opening ten inches square in the centre, 

 covered, on the upper side, with sheet-iron slides. 

 There is also, on the upper side, a set of handles. 

 It is two inches thick on the sides, made sloping 

 on the under side, to the centre, in order to assist 

 the bees in keeping out of the way of the water, 

 as it rises upon them. On the opposite sides of 

 the follotver are fastened leather straps, an inch 

 wide, with buckles with which to confine the hive 

 to the follower. 



R — Receiver, into which the bees are driven. It 

 is 20 inches in height and 10 inches squtire, cor- 

 responding with the opening in the foltoiccr, to 

 which it is fastened with elects and buttons, and 

 can be taken off', and put on, at pleasure. There 

 is a set of slides at the bottom of the receiver, 

 corresponding with those on the follower. In the 

 top of the receiver is a chamber, to receive the 

 bees that may happen to get into the water, and 

 come out torpid. A perpendicular board, with 

 holes in right lines in the centre of the lower 

 room, serves as a support for the slides, and also 

 to assist the bees to keep out of the water. A slide 

 in the top, opens into the chamber. A partition 

 slide opens a communication between the cham- 

 ber and lower room. There is also a slide in the 

 side of the receiver, at which to let out the bees 

 into their destined tenement, Two panes of tin, 

 7 by 5 inches, with holes punctured, inserted in 

 opposite sides of the receiver, serve to admit light 

 and air. 



Directions for using the above described appara- 

 tus.— \. Let the hive to be operated upon, be re- 

 moved some distance from any other, and stand 

 there long enough for the bees to become perfect- 

 ly wonted to the localities of the place. 



2. The evening (or some evening) before you 

 design to operate upon the iiivc, raise it gently 

 and place under it the follower, bottom side up — 

 the slides being carefully closed and fastened. 



3. In the morning, if the weather be warm 

 and pleasant, sto]) the door of the hive, and with 

 clean linen rags cork every place where a bee can 

 pass out. With the straps confine the hive to the 

 follower. With a gimlet bore six or eight holes 

 in the side of the hive near the top to admit the 

 water. As the comb is usually put up in paral- 

 lel sheets with a space between, it is best to have 

 the water admitted into each space. 



4. Take the hive thus prepared from the stand, 

 and, by the handles upon the follower, set it gent- 

 ly into the cistern. 



5. Take the receiver, with all the slides care- 

 fully closed, and place it upon the follower, and 

 turn the buttons. 



6. Draw the slides in the follower and the cor- 

 responding slides in the bottom of the receiver, 



and permit the bees to pass up. This they will 

 be glad enough to do, when they perceive the wa- 

 ter coming in upon them, which is the next thing 

 to be done. Pour the water slowly. into the' tun- 

 nel until it overflows the slides in the receiver. 



7. Close and fasten the slides of the receiver 

 and take it otf. Raise the hive from the water, 

 remove the follower, invert the hive over the cis- 

 tern, and a few raps upon it vvill bring out thetees 

 that may remain in it in a torpid state. Perhaps 

 a wing, or soft brush, may alt-o be useful. With 

 a common kitchen skimmer, take the torpid, bees 

 from ihe water, and put them into the chamber 

 ))n;parcd for their accominoilatlon. Draw the par- 

 tition slide, and thus admit the wet ami dry bees 

 together. The heat of the family will soon re- 

 store the torpid ones to animation. 



8. Take from the old hive pieces, (more or less 

 as you may choose) of good broad comb, and put 

 them into the hive designed for the habitation of 

 yoiu- bees. This may be done by running a rod 

 or rods through them. 



0. Place the receiver horizontally upon tlie 

 stand where the old hive stood. Set the new hive 

 upon il, draw the slide designed for the ]iui'pose, 

 and your bees will pass up, and joyfidly take pos- 

 session of their new home. If, however, they 

 show any reluctance in regard to going up, apply 

 a little water with a grape vine syringe, or with 

 your h.ind, and they will soon yield to your wishes. 



10. When the bees have all passed up, remove 

 the receiver, and your work is done. Some spec- 

 ial care, however, is necessary for a time in guard- 

 ing them from robbers ; as their courage is, in a 

 measure, prostrated, and their fighting propensi- 

 ties sididned, by the influence of cold water. It 

 will be a month or two before they will be as 

 prompt in self-defence as formerly. 



Occasions in which this Apparatus viaij be useful 

 to the Apiarian. — 1. When he has a stock of bees 

 infested with the bee-moth. As there is no way 

 known by which to expel the moth, unless the 

 bees can be removed to a new tenement, they 

 must he sacrificed. 



2. When the hive becomes old and decayed, and 

 a new one is desirable. 



3. When his bees are in an old-fashioned box- 

 hive, or hollow tree, and he wishes to have them 

 in one of the newly invented hives. 



4. When, in the autumn, he wishes to take the 

 honey from any hive, and yet save the bees. If 

 he has a stock that is feeble, or not above medi- 

 ocrity as to numbers, he can unite the two ; and 

 he vvill probably have in consequence one more 

 new swarm the coming season. 



5. When he has a stock that has become old, 

 l!ie comb thick, and black, and dirty, an<l the cells 

 small, he can remove his bees to another habita- 

 tion, and they will begin life anew ; the same, for 

 aught I can see, as a new swarm. This fact, 

 however, can be satisfactorily tested only by fur- 

 ther experience. .My present opinion is, that it 

 would be desirable to give bees a new and clean 

 tenement to dwell and work in, as often as once 

 in four or five years. 



To be continued. 



To make Vinegar. — To every ten gallons of rain 

 water add one gallon of molasses, and one of 

 brandy, mix them well together, and place the 

 cask in a garret or some warm dry jdace, and oc- 

 casionally shaking it, in a few months it will be 

 fit for use. — American Farmer. 



