170 ON BEES AND HONEY. 



by the writer, the sokition of nitre is given on the authority 

 of others. 



The united bees will get through the winter better than a 

 single stock. In fact, Gelieu, a French Apiarian, carried the 

 uniting of stocks to the extent of joining four stocks to a fifth, 

 and the united stocks consumed but little more honey than 

 an ordinary single stock ! By this method you save your bees 

 and at the same time get the honey. You may strengthen a 

 feeble stock, or if your neighbor wants to " take up his bees," 

 to get honey in the old way, persuade him to let you " take 

 them up," in this new way^ restore to him his hives and the 

 honey in them, and join the bees to your own stocks, all, of 

 course, with his leave ! Is not this better than " fire and brim- 

 stone !" 



The writer has usually employed a box of the size of the 

 hives, and four inches deep, to catch the dropping bees. This 

 box had a hole, two or three inches square, cut into each side. 

 Into two opposite ones, he put a piece of glass that he might 

 see what was going on, and into the other two opposite ones, 

 a piece of tin, perforated with small holes to admit air af- 

 ter fumigation. These last must, of course, be stopped, 

 Avhile the smoke is being blown in. This operation must be 

 performed just at night, token the bees are all at home, and at 

 some time between the m^iddle of August and the middle of Sep- 

 tember. 



On reference to the Transactions of the Agricultural Socie- 

 ties of the Commonwealth, for the year 1850, it will be seen 

 that the principles and practice here advocated, find other ad- 

 vocating in the statements of Mr. Abraham Lord, of Ipswich, 

 and Mr. I. F. Kimball, of Boxford. Both of these gentlemen, 

 exhibit in their statements, gentle feelings, as well as 

 skill, in the management of their bees. To the farmers of the 

 County, we say, — " Do not omit to keep bees, and to keep 

 them in the right way. That way includes indispensably the 

 great element of Humanity, and this humanity is the very best 

 policy." 



We add a few words respecting the enemies of bees. The 

 mouse, the toad, the ant, the stouter spiders, the wasp, the 



