438 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Immense Yield of Honey. 



The Clienango, N. Y., IHbune of 

 Aug. 18, contains the following con- 

 cerning an immense yield of honey in 

 the apiary of Mr. F. E. Smith, of 

 Chenango, N. Y. : 



One of the grandest sights we ever 

 beheld in connection with a display 

 of bees and honey has been witnessed 

 by large numbers of people who have 

 lately visited Sunny bide apiary, 

 located in this village, and owned by 

 E. F. Smith. 



On the first of May last, Mr. Smith 

 commenced the season with 30 colo- 

 nies of bees, mostly Italians and 

 Cyprians, in improved Langstroth 

 frames adapted to winter chaff-pack- 

 ing hives, having lost 7 during the 

 winter and early spring. 



The early maple and apple blossoms 

 placed the colonies in fair condition, 

 and the first swarm (Italians) issued 

 May 26, in the midst of apple bloom. 

 White clover was abundant, and 

 commenced blooming about the lOlh 

 ot June, but owing to excessive rains 

 very little nectar was secreted during 

 that month, and consequently the 

 bees did very little up to July 10. 

 After that lime they commenced to 

 boom, and upon the opening of bass- 

 wood blossoms (about July 21), they 

 fairly outdid themselves, and from 

 that time onward until Aug. 10, with 

 very little interruption, honey seemed 

 to rain down. Many of the colonies 

 being so numerous as to bring in 

 upwards of 20 pounds in one day. 



A record was kept of 2 colonies 

 which we give below. For conven- 

 ience we will number them 1 and 2. 

 For further convenience we will name 

 the parent colony of No. 1, " B," the 

 first swarm " A," and the two frame 

 nucleus " C." All being the outcome 

 of No. 1 colony without any outside 

 help except that frames of foundation 

 were supplied fast as needed. 



Hecord of colony No. 1, and its increase. 



ABC 



June, capped honey lbs. 28 8 



" extracted honey 4 



July], capped honey 26 



"' 18, extracted honey.. 30 



" " capped honey 16 



" 25, extracted honey. . 49 31 

 " 27, " " .. 47 30 



" " capped honey 19 



" 30, " " .... 6 12 



" " extracted honey. . 53 42 



Aug. 2, extracted honey. . . 54 38 



'• 3, Ciipped honey 16 



" 6, extracted honey... 66 43 

 •' 9, '• "... 58 42 



" capped honey 8 



" 13, extracted honey.. 30 15 



Total '. lbs.437 269 55 



Summary No. 1, "A," 437; sum- 

 mary No. 1, " B," 209 ; summary No. 

 1. " C," 55 ; total No. 1 and increase, 



■ " C " has also 28 one-pound boxes 

 nearly tilled, and Mr. S. expects to 

 get at least 50 pounds of fall honey 

 each from "A" and " B." If he 

 succeeds, this will bring the amount 



from the one colony and increase up 

 to nearly 900 pounds. Of the above 

 139 pounds is comb honey in one- 

 pound boxes, the remainder, 622 

 pounds, extracted. Reckoning comb 

 honey at 20 cents per pound, and ex- 

 tracted at 15 cents, the result is as 

 follows : 



622 pounds of extracted honey, at 

 15 cents, $93.30 ; 139 pounds of comb 

 honey, at 20 cents, $27.80 ; add for 

 20^^ pounds of comb honey, at 20 cents, 

 " C." $4.10 ; add for 1 pound of wax, 

 30 cents ; 1 new swarm of bees, $8 ; 1 

 nucleus swarm of bees, $7 ; total 

 profits No. 1 colony and increase to 

 date, $U0.50. 



-Record of No. 2 colony alon^. 



June, capped honey lbs. 30 



" extracted " 33 



July 18 " " 20 



" " capped" 32 



" 25 extracted honey 55 



"28 " " 53 



"31 " " 51 



" " capped " 18 



Aug. 3, extracted " 49 



" 7 " " 51 



" 9 " " 42 



" 13 " " '.".".'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 24 

 " 14 " " from extra 

 frames below except brood-nest 

 of eight frames 34 



Total lbs.492 



Here we have a grand total of over 

 twelve hundred and fifty pounds of 

 lioney worth over tuco hundred dollars, 

 from two colonies of bees in the 

 spring. 



One colony, which we will call No. 

 3. has given no honey or increase. 

 This colony was queenless on the first 

 of June, with only a handful of bees. 

 A queen-cell, and a small patch of 

 brood and eggs were added from 

 another colony, and they are now 

 strong, well alimg in the boxes, and 

 will give a good showing. 



Consequently, what honey has been 

 taken off, was taken from 29 colonies, 

 spring count. No ho}iey was ex- 

 tracted from the brood cbauiber. 

 Over 6,000 pounds of honey has been 

 taken to dale, and there is over 700 

 one-pound section boxes on the hives 

 well along, and Mr. S. believes he will 

 get one thousand pounds more this sea- 

 son. This is priibably the largest 

 honey yield on record, being that over 

 20 per cent, of the above is comb 

 honey in one-pound section boxes. 



Sunny Side apiary can be seen by 

 calling on the proprietor, who is 

 tliorouglily conversant with the busi- 

 ness, and takes pride in sliowing liis 

 tons ot honey. We have spent some 

 time, and have taken coi}siderable 

 pains to get at these figures, and can 

 vouch for all we have said. Incredi- 

 ble as the above report may seem to 

 some, who know little of bees and 

 their industry, it is true, nevertheless, 

 and can also be substantiated by Rev. 

 A. Eastman, of this village, wlio has 

 been in attendance at Sunny Side 

 apiary during the honey season; and 

 by many of our citizens who have 

 made frequent visits there. People 

 come many miles to see this wonder- 

 ful apiary and get the honey. 



Many old bee-keepers who are now 

 using the box hive of the Pilgrim 

 fathers, are taking notes on the stand- 

 ard Langstroth movable frame out- 

 door wintering, chaff-packing hive 

 now used by Mr. S., and also of his 

 superior strains of Italian and Cyprian 

 bees for future reference. 



In the meantime we congratulate 

 friend Smith on having obtained what 

 is probably the greatest honey yield 

 on record from 29 colonies of bees, 

 spring count. He now has 66 colonies 

 in prime condition. 



Notice to Iowa Bee-Keepers- 



Quite a large number of bee-keep- 

 ers in our State have expressed a de- 

 sire for the formation of a State 

 Association. A consultation with 

 others has resulted in the decision not 

 to attempt to hold a meeting during 

 the coming State Fair, but if thought 

 best to hold one during the time of 

 the meeting of the .State Agricultural 

 Society at Des Moines next January. 

 All bee-keepers who may be present 

 at the Fair are earnestly requested to 

 report to the Rev. O. Clute, at the 

 Apiarian Exhibit, on or before 1 p. 

 m. of Tuesday, the 4th day of Sep- 

 tember, 1883, who will give them 

 notice of a meeting for consultation, 

 and also for the selection of a com- 

 mittee of arrangements if one is 

 deemed necessary. 



O. O. POPPLETON, 



Vice-Pres. N. A. B. K. Society. 

 Williamstown, Iowa, Aug. 10, 1883. 



Reduced Fare to Toronto Convention 



President D. A. Jones, under date 

 of Beeton, Aug. 25, 1883, writes us as 

 follows : 



I have received a letter, of which 

 the enclosure is a copy, from Mr. 

 Ilill, Manger of the Toronto Indus- 

 trial Exiiibition, which is tlie outcome 

 of an application which I made to 

 liim to secure reduced rates for bee- 

 keepers in the State of Michigan. As 

 it would receive publicity through 

 your JouHNAL, perliaps you will be 

 kind enough to give it insertion. 

 There are single fare rates for the 

 whole week of our convention. 



D. A. Jones. 



Beeton, Aug. 25, 1883. 



II. J.Hill. Esq.— Bear Sir: Re- 

 plying to yours of the 15th inst., I 

 would say tiiat we do not wish to ad- 

 vertise any reduction from regular 

 rates, but if there are any on our line 

 who apply to you, and you will refer 

 the applicatioii to rue, 1 will furnish 

 them wilh certificates on which they 

 can obtain tickets to Port Huron or 

 Detroit, and return atexcnrsion rates. 



Yours truly, D. Edwards. 



(gf " A tired bee." says Sir John 

 Lubbock, "hums on E, and, there- 

 fore, vibrates its wings only 380 times 

 in a second.'' A brisk little bee hum- 

 ming on A will, on the other hand, 

 increase its vibration to 440 per 

 second. 



