88 BERKSHIRE SOCIETY. 



The value of this land before reclaimed, was mere nothing ; 

 now it is ready for planting or sowing, and is worth at least 

 $75 per acre. 



The other piece examined belonged to Benj. F. Hale, of Pitts- 

 field, containing one acre. It was a black ash swamp, many 

 large trees, and was cut over last winter. It was astonishing to 

 learn at what small expense stumps could be dug up and burn- 

 ed, the land turfed and made level, and sowed to clover. The 

 whole expense was $40; the land is now worth $100 per acre. 



We award the premiums offered for making the greatest 



improvements to B. F. Hale, $5 



An extra premium to S. Goodrich, 4 



Two houses of honey bees were introduced for our inspection 

 belonging to D. F. Goodrich, of Stockbridge, and Dan Bradley, 

 of Lanesborough. Both were worthy of great praise. Mr. G.'s 

 house was built with one roof, facing the east, for the benefit of 

 the morning sun, and of sufficient height to admit two shelves, 

 one above the other. On these shelves were placed the hives, 

 simple in construction, eighteen inches deep, and of various 

 sizes, with small boxes placed on the top of the hives, where the 

 honey is deposited and removed. Mr. B.'s house was built with 

 two roofs, standing north and south, one side receiving the morn- 

 ing sun, the other the afternoon, the bees working on both 

 sides. He uses the patent hives. That bees will flourish for a 

 while in a tree of the woods, or a straw hive under an apple- 

 tree, there is no doubt. That our soil produced good grass and 

 grain when the old wooden plough was in use, there is no doubt. 

 When the farmers used the wooden plough, bees took wings and 

 flew away. When it required two yoke of oxen and a horse to 

 speed the plough, it required tin pans, dinner horns and sleigh 

 bells to stop the speed of bees. When farmers made large hills 

 around their corn, bees were killed to get their honey. But such 

 is now the improvement in the management of bees, they are 

 willing to give up part of their income, packed away in little 

 boxes of the choicest kind, as a reward for a neat home and a 

 kind friend. 



