

REARING AND FEEDING OF 8.NIMALS. 



shutter, which is of wood, in the hole at the top; and that prevents them from 

 iiii. thf upper hive. I then invert it in a bucket, and strike it with a 

 rodull I think they are all out, after which they go into the under hive." 



The f'.illnxvinj? observations were published by GEORGK MORGAN. Esq., for- 

 merly of Princeton, New Jersey. 



.oral writers on the management of bees, have given very ingenious di- 

 rections for ciUini,' thrir new made honey, without destroying those useful 



creatures. My humanity, hurt at the idea of setting fire to the fatal match, 

 induced me to imitate their methods; particularlytho.se of Mr. WILDMAN, and 

 the Rev. Mr. WHITK, whose directions I observed very attentively, with some 

 success; but my expectations -were not gratified, as I found young broods in 

 every hive I took, and consequently the honey obtained was impure. . . . How- 

 ever, after a variety of experiments, I discovered an agreeable, safe, and easy 

 way to take the honey, without the least injury or disturbance of the bees. 



\ 1 have experienced great pleasure, and some benefit from my discovery, 

 i take this opportunity to lay it before the Agricultural Society. 



My boxes are made, after the manner of Mr. WHITE'S, of any well-seasoned 

 wood, ten inches square in the clear; in pairs, with communications at the 

 sides, for the bees to pass freely from one box to another: a pane of glass (7 by 

 9) with a sliding shutter, may be put into the back part of each box, through 

 which you may see the bees at work. Any person who can handle a saw and 

 hammer, may make the boxes at a small expense. 



The communications between the boxes are at top and bottom; those at top 

 should be three inches long, and half an inch wide, to serve as streets or alleys 

 betwixt the hives. 



The communications at bottom should be five or six inches long and three 

 fourths of. an inch deep, so as to afford a free passage from one hive to the 

 other. 



The mouth of the hive may be from three to ten inches long, and half an 

 inch deep. In the busv season, this wide entrance facilitates the bees going 

 out and coming in, and may be contracted at pleasure in autumn. 



Early the next morning after hiving a swarm of bees in one of these boxes, 

 I add another to it, the door of which I close until the bees begin to work in it; 

 when I open it to facilitate their industry. 



Each box, of the above dimensions, will contain thirty pounds of honey. . . . 

 An early swarm, in a favourable situation and season, will fill two boxes, and 

 cast out several swarms; each of which will fill two boxes with honey. 



As winter approaches, all the bees collect themselves into one box, and will 

 leave the other, with its contents, to the use of the owner, whose profit, in good 

 seasons, will be 90 Ibs. of honey, and several additional swarms, for every 

 stock kept over the preceding winter. ... 15 or 20 Ibs. of honey are sufficient 

 to keep a stock over our longest winters, but I leave them 30 Ibs. 



Thus I acquire the purest honey, without the use of the match, or any trou- 

 ble in dividing or 'disturbing the bees; for on turning up the hives (which have 

 no glasses) I discover, immediately that in which the bees are collected, and 

 I carry offthe other, without a single bee in it. 



The losses and disappointments I have met with in a great variety of expe- 

 riments, induce me to recommend this management to every lover of bees, as 

 I have found it easy, pleasant, and profitable." 



It ought to be observed, that all honey is not wholesome. Bees indiscrimi- 

 nately sip the flowers of all plants abounding with sweets; and as some of these 

 plant* are of a poisonous nature, it follows that the honey must partake of 

 their injurious qualities. Dr. BARTON has written a very excellent paper on 

 this subject. Amer. Phil. Trans, vol. 5th. The plants affording this poisonous 

 honey are, kalmia angustifolia, or dwarf laurel; kalmia latifolia, or great 

 laurel; kal. hirsute,, a pretty little shrub of the southern states; andromeda 

 mariana, or broad-leaved moorwort ..... As these are very plentiful in many 

 ot the American forests, their blossoms afford much honey for the wild bees. 



Dr. B. thinks that it will be found that other plants'yield unwholesome 



ney; such are, 1. Rhododendron maximum, or Pennsylvania mountain laurel; 



<uui nudijlora, or wild honey suckle; and datura stramonium, or Jamestown 

 weed. The four first mentioned plants ought to be extirpated in the neigh- 



