160 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



one -will find diiBcuItj in understanding all its 

 parts. We shall improve the earliest moment to 

 speak of it more at length and give the reader 

 extracts from its pages. Mr. Secretary Flint has 

 done himself great credit in the production of this 

 Report, and the document is an honor to the State 

 under whose auspices it has been produced. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BEE-CULTURE~-No. 3. 



Another obstacle to l:ee-calture consists in the 

 destruction of the bees by the bee-keeper. 



This cruel and barbarous custom still prevails 

 to a greater or less extent in almost every portion 

 of the country. It necessarily prevents the le- 

 gitimate and natural increase of colonies, and lim- 

 its greatly the pi'ofits which might otherwise be 

 derived from tlicm. This has been done under the 

 mistaken apprehension that this procedure be- 

 comes necessary in order to secure the avails of 

 their labor. This policy is about as wise as it 

 would be for the poultry-keeper to destroy his 

 fowls in order to get possession of the eggs which 

 are found within, or it reminds one of the woman 

 who, as the Latin fable relates, had in her posses- 

 sion a hen, which laid daily a golden egg, and 

 being somewhat avaricious in her tendency, killed 

 the hen hoping to come into possession of all the 

 golden eggs at^ once. The case is this, in most 

 instanc3s there is a destruction of bees to the value 

 of $5,00 in order to secure three or four dollars 

 worth of houey. In many instances the ratio of 

 profit is much less than this, and it is profit the 

 backward way. Tliis mode of procedure does 

 not pertain to any successful system of bee-cul- 

 ture. How very different the result, in a series of 

 years, when all the increase is kept alive and kept 

 at work. 



Another obstacle to bee-culture is found in the 

 rehictaiice of very many persons to engage in the 

 enterprise. 



This reluctance has its origin in fear. It arises 

 from the fact that bees are furnished with a little 

 formidable weapon of defence, whose sharp point 

 is much dreaded by those who are very imperfect- 

 ly acquainted with them, but very little dreaded 

 by the experienced apiarian. He knows that it 

 is merely a weapon of defence, and not one which 

 is used in sport. It is employed only in desperate 

 cases, or those which are considered desperate, in 

 which they are willing to die in the conflict. The 

 bee when it stings leaves its sting in the wound, 

 and the extremity of the abdomen is torn,olf with 

 it, and he dies soon after. The experienced apia- 

 rian gives his bees to understand early, by very 

 cautious and gentle management at first, that they 

 are not to be harmed by any of his manipulations. 

 In other words, his bees soon become accustomed 

 to his jircsence and are not annoyed by it, and are 

 not tempted to use upon him their weapons of 

 defence. Hence his fears are at an end. He finds 

 his bees are domesticated or rendered manageable 

 in the same way and upon the same principle as 

 any other creuture wliich is subject to his control, 

 viz: hy familiarity, gently conducted at first , and 

 often repeated, until they arc no longer strangers, 

 and there is no longer any trouble. 



North Bridgewater, Mass. 



THE BEE AND THE CRICKET. 



Br GEORGE KE.NT. 



A Bee, one day, in arboi- lay, 



Or rather was fond of humming ; 

 Busy and blithe, taking his tithe 



Of "anise, mint, and cummin." 



A Cricket near was in high cheer. 



Chirping in lively dittj- ; 

 The work as di-udge he thought "all fudgs" — 



For toil he felt no pity. 



Tvras summer time, each in his prime, '^ 



One bent on mirth and pleasure ; 

 Wise to provide, the other plied 



His task, for winter's treasure. 



The summer's day has passed away, 

 And Autumn brought "Jack Frost j" 



Each in his turn began to learn 

 Of time to count the cost. 



The Bee eould show of cells a row 



Of well-filled sweetest honey ; 

 The Cricket's song had brought along 



No food "for love or money." 



The winter came — for very shame, 



The Cricket was found dodging 

 In any nook where he could look 



Por miserable lodging. 



The Bee was hived, and joyous thrived. 



In comfortable quarter ; 

 Among his friends his winter spends 



In pleasure, as he ought to. 



Now which, think you, oa sober view. 



The wisest part lias acted t 

 If you have doubt, don't find it out 



As Cricket poor in fact did. 



Little Pilgrim. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 



WHY DON'T THE BUTTER COME. 



Mr. Editor : — I notice the inquiry of Joseph 

 H. Wells as above, and will say we Vermonters 

 have had similar trials in years past, but sinc3 

 the introduction of 0. R. Fyler's Patent Butter 

 Working Chui-n, those things have passed away. I 

 am informed from good authority, that one thou- 

 sand of these churns were sold to the fixrmers in Ver- 

 mont, last season. I have seen a list of more than 

 three hundred farmers that use them, all speaking 

 in high terms of them, not^nly to churn, but to 

 work and salt the butter ; the cream is broken four 

 times each revolution, and they will churn any 

 cream that can be c?iurned in short order. This 

 churn is a new "patent, only about one year and a 

 half old, and no rights have been in the market, 

 but we are told there will be this year. The re- 

 tail price is, 4, 5, 6, 7-^ dollars, and if friend Wells 

 will send me any of the above sums, I will send 

 one of those churns; and if he is jealous of strang- 

 ers, and will give me his address, I will send 

 him one, and if it don't do the work he wants, 

 may only pay expenses of transportation. 



Henry Hoi^es. 



Grafton, Vt.,Feb. 20, 1854. 



Worcester County Agricultural Society. — 

 This society has elected the Hon. John Brooks, of 

 Princeton, a member of the State Board of Agri- 

 culture, in place of Harvey Dodge, Esq., of Sutton, 

 whose term had expired. 



