210 



THE GE1STESEE FAPwMER. 



of the loud "peep r peep" of the deserted chicken, which 

 could not follow them. The little fellow managed to fly 

 upon the top of a barrel, where, curiously enough, the 

 old cock— 'he head of the family— took compassion upon 

 him and roosting on the barrel, sheltered him under his 

 wing. This he now does nightly, the hens taking care of 

 the chick in the day time, which is thriving well under 

 this excess ot maternal and parental care. 



A "Writer in the Dollar Newspaper who has been very 

 successful in raising turkies, manages them as follows: 



"First, I never allow a turkey to set until about the 

 middle of May. They will commence to lay early in 

 April, but I take their eggs away as fast as laid, and keep 

 them' until they lay their second batch, which will be 

 finished about the second or third week in May. I then 

 give her some eighteen or twenty eggs, and let her set,— 

 Along about the middle of June she will be off. I then 

 take her, put her with her young on an old barn floor, or 

 other out-building that is dry, and feed on curd and 

 cracked corn. Curd is the best lor a continual feed when 

 the farmer has plenty, but cracked corn or coarse meal, 

 mixed with lobbered milk, will answer about equally as 

 well. After they have been indoors for two or three days, 

 or long enough to get fairly on their legs, (for the turkey 

 is the weakest of all fowl when young,) I let them out, 

 providing the weather is tine, and them is no dew on the 

 grass. The great reason why people can not or do not 

 raise' turkeys is, because they turn them out as soon as 

 hatched, and about the first" wetting they get they keel 

 over and die. To succeed in raising turkeys, therefore, 

 you must keep them dry until at le«t ten weeks old, when 

 they will stand as much water as other fowls— geese and 

 ducks excepted. Of course, they must be driven in even- 

 night, and on all occasions when a storm is threatening. 

 The reader will at once perceive there is care in all this, 

 but when 'Thanksgiving' and 'Christmas' come— to say 

 nothing of all the Sunday roasts during the winter, our 

 care is lost iu enjoyment, and we come to the conclusion 

 that ' turkeys are worth raising.'" 



MANAGEMENT OF HONEY BEES. 



Doubling Swarms of Bees.— July is the season to dou- 

 ble or treble swarms of bees. Long experience teaches 

 me that it is poor policy to attempt to winter weak fami- 

 lies. I make it a rule to double all swarms that issue in 

 July, that are small, or even medium size. 



Swarms may be joined when one is three days old, but 

 it is not advisable to go beyond that time. I unite them 

 by bringing the latest swarm, after sundown, in front of 

 the older one, or one issued the same day, spread a sheet 

 or blanket, set the hive not to be dislodged upon it., raised 

 in front an inch or more, then quickly dislodge the other 

 swarm to fall directly in front of the first hive, into 

 which they will enter, and iu the morning they will be 

 quiet, and will work harmoniously together. A few bees 

 will generally be killed, but not enough to be of much 

 consequence. 



ITALIAN BEES — REPLY TO MR. ROSE. 



The April number of the Genesee Farmer, containing a 

 criticism by Mr. Rose on my remarks on Italian bees, was 

 missent and came to hand late in May. I am not dis- 

 posed to spend much time in replying to correspondents 

 who differ with me in their views; yet I think a few re- 

 marks on the assertions of Mr. Rose will be of interest to 

 the bee-keeping readers of the Genesee Fanner. Mr. R. 

 says: 



"I would here, for the public good, demand of Mr. 

 Miner proof that the workers can, ' at best, be only half- 



breeds" This shows that he is either ignorant of the 

 physiology of the bee, as given by the highest modern 

 authorities, or that he discards their views. I never part 

 with a queen until I have seen her progeny, and know 

 them (the progeny) to be full blooded. Owing to the 

 distance queens fl}' when on their 'first excursion,' it is 

 necessary, in order to insure a certainty of having a ma- 

 jority of Italian queens purely impregnated, to have com- 

 mand of all the native bees for at least two miles distant. 

 This, of itself, involves considerable trouble and expense,, 

 which, together with all the expenses — first cost and im- 

 portation — is such that it must take several years for an 

 importer to realize from sales at any price his first sea- 

 sou's outlay, if he ever does it." 



If we place a pure Italian family of bees in an apiary 

 of black or native bees, the young Italian queens on sal- 

 lying out to meet the drones for impregnation would be 

 very likely to effect their object with their native drones, 

 and their progeny would thus become " half breeds." 

 If, however, the union of the queens and drones happens 

 to occur with the drones of the pure Italian family, then, 

 I admit, that the progeny of these queeus for life would 

 be purely Italian. 



Mr. Rose claims that, in order to secure pure, or, as he 

 says, merely a " majority " of pure Italian queens, it is 

 necessary to remove all native bees within the distance of 

 two miles. Even by effecting such removal, if it were 

 practicable, it would only ensure a'" majority" of pure 

 families of Italian bees, which shows that this system is 

 not reliable. 



But who has ever purchased all the native bees within 

 a circle four miles in diameter, iu order to rear pure Ital- 

 ian bees'? I venture to assert tlftit it never was, nor never 

 will be done, in a thickly settled country. Has Mr. Rose 

 done it, as he would have the public infer? If he will 

 make an affidavit to that effect, I will pay the expense 

 thereof, and publish it in the Farmer for his especial ben- 

 efit. Now, Mr. Rose, here is a chance to prove the purity 

 of your Italian bees, without cost to you, and when the 

 matter shall be published, at my expense, it will aid you 

 materially in the sale of your queens. 



But how does Mr. Rose know that a distance of tivo 

 miles will ensure even a "majority" of pure queens? 

 No one has ever proved such an allegation. Bees fly fre- 

 quently four to five miles. I admit that, in the general 

 pursuit of their stores, about two miles is the extent of 

 their flight. It is not at all certain that the removal of 

 native bees within two miles would secure a " majority" 

 of pure Italian queens; hence I consider what Mr. Rose 

 says on that point simply hypothetical, wanting a practi- 

 cal test. 



Will Mr. Rose also engage to remove all the wild bees 

 in the forests, within two miles of Italian queens? If so, 

 I think he would have adilhcnlt job on his hands in many 

 sections of the country. 



What I said on Italian bees in the Genesee Farmer was 

 simply as the case appeared to me, I did not claim infalli- 

 bility, and if they really are superior to oar native bees, 

 I hope to see evidence of it that is reliable — not mere as- 

 sertions, based on no particular experience. It is time 

 now for American bee keepers, who have purchased Ital- 

 ian queeus, to send in accounts of their success to the 

 press. Who will give us facts, in black and white, favor- 

 able or otherwise '.' i. B. miner. 



Clinton, iV. Y. 



