NEW ENGJL.AND FARMER. 



IHIBLISHED BY J. B. RUSSELL, AT NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (at the Agricultural Warehouse.)-T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



vol.. IX. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 20, 1831. 



NO. 40. 



(Sv&ail5!ilWST:l*Sil'2Il©Sr3» 



F:)R the new ENGLAND FARMER. 



I51i:ES. 



IMk Fessenuen. — I will troiihle yoii with my 

 .^iri'siions on the bees wlilcli I liuil inoUed down.* 

 nUie 16lh of last January this hive of hees was 

 ouulit from Maine, witii one hundred and seven- 

 five others, and stowed away in the hold of the 

 ssel ; anil from the time tliey were stopped Jij) 

 Maine, till they came to Charlestown was about 

 iiontii. This was in the month of November, and 

 course was warmer than it w s when they were 

 iltcd down. The C3use, I think, was that after 

 !y came to Charlestown, and had been opened, 

 two swarms of bees left their hives and 

 nt into this one, and tliis being a small hive they 

 cd it full, so that in moderate weather tliey came 

 t and covereil tlie hive on the oiilside in front; 

 J in cold weather the hive was full of hees, I 

 s obliged to crowd the bees which were in the 

 irs, to get the stoppers in. In excluding the air 

 bees became heated, and, as their practice is, 

 case they are too warm, they set a buzzing with 

 ir wings to circulate the air. They found they 

 re too numerous to do this, and of course made 

 ush for the doors, this I found to be the case, 

 when I opened the door they pushed out in 

 rents ; I think therefore that the numerous body 

 bees, being so crowded together, in attempting 

 nove became heated, a fermentation took |)fecej 

 be bread and honey which compose their food; 

 only in the combs, but, I am of opinion that 

 honey and bread which the hees had eaten were 

 de under such a heat to ferment, so as to increase 

 heat and cause the combs to fall. On the 6th 

 • of March, I transplanted this melted hive of 

 s into one of the hives, which the bees had left, 

 iking that the hive which they were in would 

 prove a good one for them to breed in this snm- 

 ■. I took the melted hive and sat it on the 

 und in front of the bench, and set my other 

 3 on the bench, where the melted hive had 

 >d. Then turned the bottom of the melted hive 

 ^-ards, took off the bottom hoard, split down the 

 !S of the hive, ahd found that the bees had re- 

 lufactured their combs, had got the hive half 

 of comb, bad put their honey in the top of 

 hive, had laid their eggs below, and some of 

 young bees were hatclung out. 

 discovered on these combs a bee liketlie com-! 

 1 hiboring bee, but larger, and so clmnsy that 

 ould not tly, in the act of laying eggs. I kil- 

 ll some of them, and found in their bodies whit- 

 ilmalter like the eggs, which I have found in the 

 llom of the cells. These were not queens, for 

 tl,' all had stings. Where were Mrs Griffith's 

 c^aes that vivify the young at this time ? for you 

 no drones at this season of the year; and still 

 lout drones they are manufacturing their fain- 

 I will thank you, Mr Editor, to tell the |)ubiic 

 3re the drones are brecf. And if you believe 

 a queen and a drone can give birth to a differ- 

 species from themselves, or make a honey-Lee 

 h a sting.J: 



CONSTRUCTION OF HIVES. 



In answer to a writer for yonr paper, with the 

 signature '.i Countryman' [N. E. Farmer, vol. ix., 

 p. 283,] I would observe tliut by experience in the 

 management of bees, I have found that in an old 

 fashioned hive the contents are thus arranged, viz. 

 In the top of the hive is the white honey and in 

 the middle is the bee-bread, and dark honey, such 

 as the bees live on in the winter. In the lower 

 part, or bottom of the hive is the dry comb, such 

 as the bees breed in, and summer in. Finding it 

 thus arranged, I have, in my new fashioned hive, 

 made a ceiling one third of the way down the hive 

 50 as to take in the while honey. In the ceiling 

 are two small cracks, and in these cracks, I have 

 slides that fit them. When you wish to take the 

 honey, you enter these slides, and then take out 

 the top bo.i;es, four or more in number, as the size 

 of the swarm may require. But, whatever fashion- 

 et hive you use, be careful to have the part 

 which the bees breed in and live in large enough. 

 ir you do not you will be apt to rob them of too 

 nuch of their food, and not leave a place large 

 enough for them to winter in and breed in ; my 

 lives, I think are of a gootl size for the Maine 

 )ees, but, perhaps, they would be too large for 

 )ees raised in this quarter. 



I have bees from Maine, and one swarm in my 

 )ossession, which last fall weighed three pounds, 

 lees and comb. By the use of boxes and slides, 

 I have got them in good order, I took honey comb, 

 full of honey, and bee-bread, mixed together, and 

 put into those boxes, and put them in the top of 

 the hive, and then drawing out the slides, let the 

 bees pass up into these boxes and feed upon the 

 lark honey. This spring I have given my bees 

 learly half a barrel of bee-bread. I believe there 

 >re a great many bees lost for want of bee-bread. 



If the young swarm is put into a hive with 

 loxes on the top, it is necessary to have it so con- 

 structed that the separation may be perfect, the 

 vhite comb not adhering to the dark ; and if the 

 passage way for the bees to ascend into the top 

 joxes be inade right, you will have no young bees 

 lor bee-bread in the top boxes. When my bees 

 become a year old I enter my slidjs, and take the 

 boxes out until the 20th of June. Then they will 

 have swarmed twice if a good season ; and after 

 ;hat I draw my slides, and receive the bees into the 

 top boxes, and from that time to the end of the 

 season you will generally obtain one set of boxes 

 from the old swarm, and your two young swarms. 



With regard to the question whether it is best to 

 buy an old swarm, I consider that for breeding, 

 a swarm one year old is best. But, if you have 

 an old fashioned hive let them remain in it for 

 breeders; until tliey become so old as not to be 

 good for breeding. Then drive them into a new 

 hive about the first of June. If you wish for 

 more concerning bees I shall, with pleasure, in- 

 form you , as far as in my power. 

 Yours, with respect, 



Ebenezer Beard. 



queen bee is the molher of all the inhabit.mls of a hive 

 viz. succccdiuf! queens, working bees, and drones. This 

 opinion, however, is not compatible with Mr Beard's 

 statement of bis having lound on the combs bees like the 

 common laborint; bee, but larger, Sic, in the act of 

 laying eggs. Of these it seems there were a number, for 

 Mr BearJ 'killed some of them.' If Mr B. has not 

 been deceived by soaie of the manoeuvres ol these little 

 conjurors, the queen bee has no exclusive right to the 

 honors of maternity, and is not the sole parent ol her people. 

 But, perhaps, the bees which appeared to Mr Beaid to 

 be depositing eggs were in fact laborers feeding the lar- 

 vae in their colls. Conjectures, however, can establish 

 nothing, and we beg leave to refer this subject to some 

 of our friends, whose pursuits and investigations may 

 best enable Ihein lo explain its mysteries. 



See New England Farmer, page 259 of the car- 

 volume. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



QDESTIO.NS RELATIVE TO THE MANUFACTORE OF 

 CHEESE. 



Mr Editor — If the manufacturers of good cheese 

 would answer the following Inquiries, no doubt it 

 would have a tendency to lessen the quantity of 

 bad cheese, and greatly benefit our country. 



1. What effect has It on milk in hot weather, 

 if it is much agitated and heated in the udder by 

 the cow's being driven a long distance, or running 

 about ? 



2. Which is the best method to keep milk 

 sweet over night iiv warm weather ? 



3-. Which is the liest method to preserve renuet 

 skins ? 4. 



4. Wliat qinntity of new cheese will one rennet 

 skin priid" :•! ? ; 



5. How many quarts of milk (mUk measure) 

 will produce curd for a cheese which will weigh 

 15 lbs. from the press ? 



6. What will a cheese which weighs 15 lbs. from 

 the press shrink the first 6 months after it is 

 made ? 



7. What degree of the Thermometer should be 

 the heat of the milk when the rennat is put to it ? 



8. What is the effect if the milk is too hot when 

 the rennet is |uit to it ? 



9. What is the effect if the milk is too cold .' 



10. How long time should be allowed after the 

 rennet is put to the milk, to cause it to turn to curd 

 fit for the knife ? 



11. What is the effect if the curd is stirred or 

 broken too soon ? 



12. What is the effect if too much rennet is put 

 to the milk? 



13. What is the effect if too little rennet is put 

 to the milk ? 



14. What kind of salt is best for cheese .' 



15. What quantity of salt should lie put to 

 curd which will make a cheese weighing 15 lbs. 

 from the press ? 



16. What is the effect if too much salt is put to 

 the curd ? 



17. What is the effect if too little salt is put to 

 the curd ? 



18. What is the effect if cheese is not suffi- 

 ciently inesscd ? 



19. Why does American cheese dry sooner 

 than English cheese when it is cut open ? 



t By the Editor. — There is, perhaps, no subject in the 

 whole circle of science, which is enveloped in more ob- 

 scurity than the natural history of the honey bee ; partic- 

 ularly llie mode by which the species is continued. The 

 commonly received opinion of naturalists is that the 



CHEAP ROLLER 

 Mr Fessenden — The roller described by Mr 

 Phinney in your last volume is an excellently well 

 constructed one, but those who have no old carts 



