1878.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



d25 



Tlio coniniittco to prepare business for the meetin;; 

 reiKjrtcil the followiug questions for discussion : 



"Why should early grown tobacco cure lighter 

 than late J" 



"What causes what is known as Muck rut In to- 

 bacco, noticed so frequently in the present i)]aiilinK ?" 

 In answer to the first i|Uestion Mr. Brady answered 

 that it was lieeause the early irrown i)lants matured 

 and were housed durini; the hottest and lii;lileet part 

 of the siiniiner ; that the lli,'ht and heat cured the 

 leaf too rapidly. Plants set out later niaturt^ later 

 In the summer, when the days are shorter and the 

 lii;lit not so stronff. This causes the leaf to cure 

 slower and i^ives it a darker hue. He thou;<ht spear- 

 luii; the stem had a tendency to make the tohacco 

 cure li!,'htcr. lie thought tobacco should not be 

 planted earlier than the second week in .June. 



President KendiL' af^recd with Mr. Brady that the 

 stroiificr the lij^ht was the lighter the tobacco would 

 cure, and vicr I'ersa. 



Ilcury Shill'ner believed that if proper attention 

 ■were friven to early cut tobacco it would cure just as 

 well and as dark as that cut later. Toliacco in cur- 

 ing wants UKtisture, and if this is given it it will cure 

 dark. lie closes his shed during the day and opens 

 it every night to let in the damp air. After cutting 

 off his tobacco be takes it directly to the shed and 

 hangs it up, before it has wilted. 



Sylvester Kennedy said that before the society 

 undertook to decide why it is that early planted to- 

 bacco cures lighter than late it should be ascertained 

 whether it docs cure lighter. If it does not, then 

 there is an end of the question. Ho was inclined to 

 think there were other causes than early planting 

 that caused the leaf to cure light. If the plant is 

 allowed to become too mature the leaf will cure 

 light ; if cut too young it will cure green. His own 

 early planted tobacco had turned out better than that 

 which he planted later, and cured quite as dark. It 

 is well known that grass cut off and dried rapidly 

 makes better hay and has a better color than that 

 which dries slowly. Why should not the same elTect 

 follow the rapid drying of tobacco? All that is 

 wanted is to cure it in the shade in a dark place. lie 

 believes that early plants will generally do better 

 than late ones, though a good deal, of course, de- 

 pends on the condition of the season. 



Henry Shitl'ner said one reason growers have light 

 tobacco from their early plants is because they top 

 them too high. The season being early they think 

 they can get a few more leaves on a stalk, forgetting 

 that the earliest plants arc so near mature that they 

 have no strength to till out an additional number of 

 leaves. Early tobacco should not be topped any 

 higher than that planted late. 



Webster L. Ilersbey said that his crop of 1877 may 

 have been an exception to the general rule, but he 

 had noticed that that which was cut on or before the 

 1.5tli of August cured darker than that which was 

 cut on or after September 1st. As the early tobacco 

 grows when the days are longest and lightest it may 

 make some ditTerenee. 



The question, "What causes what is known as 

 black rot in tobacco i" was postponed for discussion 

 at the next meeting. 



Place of Meeting. 

 After some discussion relative to procurina: a per- 

 manent place of meeting, a committee appointed at 

 a former meeting was continued, with instructions to 

 confer with the otlicers of the agricultural and horti- 

 cultural society and ascertain if their room could be 

 secured for the meetings of this society. 



Henry Sbitl'ner and Sylvester Kennedy made brief 

 speeches to the eflect that if the tobacco growers did 

 not take enough interest in the society to become 

 members of it, and jiay the trilling annual member- 

 ship fee of fifty cents, it might be well to disband. 

 The speaker did not think it fair that a dozen 

 men should bear all the expenses of an organization 

 in which all the tobacco growers of the county were 

 interested. If the society receives no better en- 

 couragement let it disband, and those members who 

 choose to do so can meet each other informally and 

 have a social interchange of views as to growing to- 

 bacco. It is not fair that a few should do all the 

 work, bear all the expenses, and allow the whole 

 county to avail themselves of the benefits of their 

 labors by sitting at home and reading the proceedings 

 in the newspapers. It was suggested that the re- 

 porters "pitch into" this class of farmers, and show 

 them that duty and interest demanded that they 

 should connect themselves with the society. 

 Foxy Tobacco. 

 Mr. Kennedy asked for information as to what 

 caused the foxy appearance that tobacco sometimes 

 has, and what will prevent it ? He was of the opin- 

 ion that brine or weak lye might act as a remedy. 



John Brady said he had heard that imlliug the 

 slock enough to disturb the earth about the roofs of 

 the plant, but not enough to injure its growth, had 

 been adopted with good results. 



After some other remarks bad been made it was 

 resolved to continue the question for discussion at 

 next meeting. 



Frank R. Ditfenderffer and Clare Carpenter were 

 proposed and elected members of the society. 



A bill of $5 for services as janitor was presented 

 by Jacob Ileline and paid. Adjourned. 



BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



The regular quarterly meeting of the Lancaster 

 County Hee- Keepers' Association was held in the 

 room of the Airricultural Society, City Hall, Monday 

 afternoon, Au','ust VZ. 



The meeting was called to order by President P. S. 

 Heist. 



The followln.,' members were present : Messrs I . 

 S. Heist, President, Litiz ; Klias Hershey, Paradise; 

 J.(i. Martin, Karl; Amos (i.Wenger, Masterson- 

 villc; Tobias Scaclirist, Manor; SaniucI Krb, War- 

 wick ; (i. S. l.intner, Lancaster; John Metzler, 

 Went Earl ; Isaac Shirk, West Karl ; J. K. Ilersbey, 

 Mount Joy ; I). T. Seldomridgc, John Iluber, 

 Pequca ; Daniel Kreider, Kast Lampeter ; J. F. 

 Shaetler, Up|icr Leaeock. 



The President then read a paper closing as follows : 

 There are three kinds of bees in every prosperous 

 liive— the drones, the (pieen and the workers. The 

 workers constitute the main body of the colony. 

 These do all the labor, but live only about two 

 months, and are the smallest. The drones are the 

 male bees, fewer of which are raised in a hive, and 

 are always destroyed after the honey season. They 

 fecundate the queen, do no other work and arc 

 clumsy and nearly as large as the queen herself, but 

 are drones in every sense (d'the word. 



The ([ueen lice is the only perfect female in the 

 hive. She is the mother of all the others. No 

 swarm can exist and prosper without the queen. 

 There can nevei be two ((ueen bees in one hive. She 

 leaves the hive when about seven days old to meet 

 the drones for the purpose of becoming fertilized, 

 and never leaves the hive again, except with a 

 swarm. The queen sometimes lives three years. 

 She is capable of laying one hundred thousand eggs 

 in one season. 



There are four substances secreted in gathering, 

 by the bees, viz : pollen, or bee bread, "propollis," 

 wax and honey. 



A great deal depends on the management of bees 

 and the handling thereof. There is a spring, sum- 

 mer and winter management, natural and artificial 

 swarming, feeding, the kinds of hives or boxes ; the 

 destruction of fruit. These subjects, together with 

 the management necessary for every month in the 

 year, willmake good questions for our consideration 

 "to-day. The study of bee life and how to treat them 

 so as to receive the most good from their labors, is a 

 most interesting one and well deserves the attention 

 of both farmers and scientists. 



Reports as to the condition of the honey interest 

 being called for, 



G. S. Lintner said that his bees had not done so 

 well this year as last year. In the spring he started 

 with eight hives and had increased the number by 

 swarming to 1« hives, and bad left about 7.') pounds 

 of surplus honey. After he had divided his hives in 

 the spring the weather became cold, and his bees 

 have not done so well as they would have done under 

 more favorable conditions. 



J. J. Hershey said that during the cold weather of 

 the spring his bees were in a starving condition, and 

 would have died had be not fed them. He started 

 with 62 hives, and had about the same number now, 

 besides some 40 small hives started to raise queens. 

 Since July his bees have been doing well, and he 

 would have had more surplus honey had he not 

 raised so many queens. He lost no bees from in- 

 clement weather during the winter or spring. 



John Huber, of Pequea, reported that he kept the 

 black bee. Those colonies which had not swarmed 

 made a good deal of honey up to time of haymaking, 

 from which time they have not done so well. 



Elias Ilersbey stated that he started in the spring 

 with 1.5 hives and had increased them to 37, and that 

 they had averaged about '.'5 pounds of surplus honey 

 per hive, and are still busy making honey. He 

 keeps the Italian bee. 



J. G. Martin, of Earl, started in the spring with 1.5 

 hives and had now 2.5, besides which be had sold six 

 hives ; returned some swarms to the hive. He bad 

 taken off during the season about 500 pounds of 

 honey, and his t)ees are still doing well. He had 

 used with perfect success a good deal of comb 

 foundation in the main hives. He lost no bees dur- 

 ing swarming, though in the cold spring weather 

 they had done very poorly. 



J. B. Eshleman, who could not be present, sent in 

 a report to the etl'cct that he ba<l eight natural and 

 one artificial swarm. In the spring all bis stock was 

 strong and vigorous, but the cold weather had Inter- 

 fered with them. He bad, however, secured about 

 .5(10 pounds of honey, and the late refreshing rains 

 were favorable for a continuance of honey-making. 



Daniel Kreider, of East Lampeter, said be started 

 with 9 hives, has now U hives, sold one hive, ami 

 two he lost. He expects to take out about 'J50 

 pounds of honey. The second crop of red clover 

 being very good, the bees are hard at work and doing 

 well. 



J. F. Sheaffer, of Upper Leaeock, stated that he 

 started last spring with 'J hives, has now 20, some of 

 his hives having swarmed once, and some twice. 

 The young bees are doing well, with boxes full and 

 hard at work. He never betbre saw Italian bees do 

 better in July ; he has taken off no houey yet except 

 for family use. Some have made two boxes full of 



20 pounds each. Hail one swarm of black bees that 

 did not do well ; done nothing in July. Sold one 

 hive last year to Martin K. Shaell'er for S2-'), insured 

 for 00 iiounds. It swarmed twice, and the three 

 hives have made over llio pounds. At the present 

 time he has seven stocks and plenty of surplus 

 honey. 



B. T. Seldomridgc says his bees have done well 

 this season. He hail X hives and sold :t, all of which 

 swarmed twice. Of the remaining .I, 2 swarmed 

 naturally and the other be swarmed on June 17. 

 The hive has a 20 pound box of honey filled, and 

 another box is fast filling. He keeps Italian bees. 

 Never knew them to chi so well in July before. 



Amos (i. Wemrer, of Mastersonvillc, bad several 

 hives of Italian bees, one of which swarmed on the 

 aith of Ai)ril, and th(r other on the M\ of May. He 

 bail, unfoitunatc.lv, got two queens in one hive; one 

 of Iheiii was killed and the other did not do bo well. 

 He thinks he will get about :1.50 pounds of honey. 



Peter S. Heist stated that in those sections where 

 the corn was doing well, the bees were doing wcl I, 

 and vice versa, which would indicate that enough 

 rain to make a good crop of corn was necessary to 

 make a (;ooil crop of honey. 



J. F. Hershey said the rule was that in dry weather 

 (if not too dry) the bees made the most honey. 



Mr. Heist said that he had started with .".0 stands, 

 and bad given 1-') of them to a man to keep " on the 

 shares." He bad 17 swarms and a good deal of 

 honey, but cannot say bow niucli ; but the bees are 

 doing well and still storing honey. 



Questions Discussed. 

 The President read a number of questions for dis- 

 cussion, and the following were discussed : 



" Uo bees select a new home before they leave the 

 hive? and how can they be prevented from going 

 away ?" 



J. F. Hershey said he thought they did not select 

 a new home before swarming. They swarm, form in 

 clusters, and then if not cared for send out skirmish- 

 ers to seek a suitable home and go to it. The best 

 way to prevent tbcni from going away is to cut one 

 of the wings of the queen, so that she cannot fiy. 

 When she falls down the bees will follow her and 

 may then be easily hived. 



J.O. Martin says he always cuts the queen's wing 

 and has never lost a swarm, liut has occasionally 

 lost the queen. In cutting the wing he takes off 

 about one-half of the largest part of one of the wings, 

 the wings being double. When he lost his queens, 

 as above stated, the bees arose and returned to the 

 hive in which there were queen cells. 



Mr. Lintner preferred dividing the hives, and thus 

 saving the trouble of swarming. If the bees should 

 swarm they could be bafUed and brought back by 

 the reflection of a looking-glass ; he had frequently 

 done this, and related several instances in which he 

 was always successful. 



J. T. Shcatrer believed that throwing stones, sticks 

 or dirt at them was as good a way as any to bring 

 back a runaway swarm. Let them know that jrou 

 are their master and they will not go far from home. 

 Elias Hershey thought sometimes the bees know 

 where they are going to before they swarmed, and 

 sometimes they do not. 



The President was inclined to believe that they 

 knew beforehand where they were going. It might 

 be that they were sometimes confused and lost their 

 reckoning when clustered, and then sent oil' skirmish- 

 ers to find their destined home. 



J. F. Hershey said he bad known cases where bees 

 were seen busily working in a tree and next day pot 

 a bee was to lie seen there. In a day or two after- 

 wards, however, a swarm of bees would be foinid in 

 the tree. The pioneers had evidently been there, 

 prepared the place and piloted the swarm to it. 

 " Do Bees Gather Honey or Make It ?" 

 J. F. Hershey said they gather it. If they made 

 it it would always be ol" the same quality. After 

 being gathered ii. underijocs no process except that 

 causeil by the evaporation of the water it contains. 

 J. G. .'ilartin said he bad fed sugar syrup to bees 

 and it never changed— never became honey. 



Mr. J. F. Sbeatl'er agreed with Mr. Hershey. The 

 flower from which the "honey is gathered gives it its 

 flavor. If from clover it will have a clover flavor ; if 

 from apple blossom an apph' flavor. 



" What Is Honey Dew." 

 Elias Hershey and J. G. Martin said it was the 

 deposit left on fcaves by certain species of aphides. 

 1' Can a Locality Be Overstocked with Bees?" 

 J. F. Hershey said l.S years ago there were 13 

 stands of honey within a mile circuit of his residence. 

 Now there are '2.50 stands, and each hive stores as 

 much honey as they had done formerly. He thinks 

 there is no danger of overstocking. 

 The President asked for best remedy for bee stings. 

 Elias Hershey said, "put honey on the wound at 

 once." 



J. F. Sheaffer said " put on spirits of ammonia, or 

 as a substitute any alkali, as soda, salaratus, etc., 

 but the liest way is not to get stung." 



J. F. Hershey said all he does is to extract the 

 sting. One can get used to be stung. His flesh, if 

 sluug, docs not now swell as it did formerly. Tore- 



