Published by John B. Russell, at jVo. 5'i JVorth Market Street, (over the .'Igricultural IVarehoii.se). — Thomas G. Pessenden, Editor. 



VOL. VI. 



BOSTOi^, FRIDAY, DKCEMI5EH 28, 1827, 



No. 2-'}. 



AGRICULTURE. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND lARSIEK. 



BEES. 



Mr Pessende.v— I offer no apology lor rsciir- 

 ring agHin to tlio subject of tho honey bee since 

 you have encouraged me to that efl'ect in tho New 

 England Farmer, 7lh December. I have, howev. 

 er, no pretension to experimentdl or practical skill 

 in their management, and possess but a small 

 share of information deriveil from books, (having 

 always been an advocate for book knowledge) ami 

 Ironi verbal communication. 



The fact stated in your last paper of a snail en- 

 trapped in a hive,* brings to my recollection a few 

 circumstances equally calculated to excite the ad- 

 miration of your readers. 



On taking up a hive in autumn a few years 

 since, the body of a mouse 'vas found entirely en- 

 cased in the substance of the comb, iind so clFect- 

 unlly embalmed by their own materials as to ex- 

 clude the access of atmospherical air, and to obvi- 

 ate the possibility of annoyance from tho process 

 of putrefaction. 



During a warm day the last summer, I witness- 

 ed the surprising alacrity with which bees can re- 

 pel the attacks of an ereii.y. A largo humble 

 bee, and a very large o.x fly, after being deprived 

 of one wing, were thrown on the projecting 

 board of my bee hive; they were instantly attack- 

 ed by as many bees as could have access, piercii--^ 

 their boiieswilh their stings till they e.vpired, 

 and then forcing them from the hive to the ground. 

 From this it may be supposed that were the bee- 

 moth to make its pillaging visit at mid-day in- 

 stead of skulking in the dark, it w ould be entirely 

 foiled in its base attempt.! 



In Rees' Cyclopedia or tho Edinburgh Encyclo- 

 pedia, I have read the following curious state- 

 ment. In autumn 1804 the copious collections of 

 honey which had been made during summer had 

 entirely disappeared, and the moths weie uncom- 

 monly abundant. The owners of a number of 

 hives resolving- to protect them from further pil- 

 lage, closed their entrances with tin gratings, 

 where the apertures were proportioned to the size 

 of the bees on the 17th September: but not hav- 

 ing enough for the whole, two were left unsecur- 

 ed. It was seen next morning on examination 

 that during the night the bees had themselves 

 taken the necessary precautions by contracting 

 the entrances of their hives so as to make them 

 quite safe against invasion. Each was completely 

 blockaded by a wall composed of old wax and fa- 



' Sec pnje 162 of the current vol. of ihe N. E. Farmer. 



t In speaking, we believe, of this insect, JW. Rtauinur sa^.s, 

 ' ihfl Bees wwilil roarlily destroy the-c creatures, were il not tor 

 tlie armour they are covered with. They form themselves n 

 mat of armour of a liouble matter. The ursl, next to ihe boiiy, 

 is a kind of silk of their own spiiininj;; and ihe outer covering is 

 of bees w;a. laid oa considerably thick. Tlie crea;ure, just 

 thvusling lis h;'ad out to feed, goes on devouring the cells ; while 

 ■.he bees are buzzing about him. aUempling in vain to pierce 

 him with their slings. He never forsakes his covering, bul 

 tengthens and enlarges il as he goes ; and gnawing down the 

 .sides ef the cells in his march, wiihonl staying to eal them one 

 by one, the destruction he occasions is scarcely to be concoivcil." 

 Editw of the .V. E. Famier. 



rina, in which the bees had taken care to leave 

 apertures corresponding to their own size : two 

 that would prevent above two bees passing at a 

 time were fashioned like inverted arches ; a third 

 was broad enough in front to admit of the passage 

 of several bees at once, but so low that they were 

 obliged to lean over on one side to get through. 

 All the other hives proved on inspection to be 

 constructed in the same way, even where provid- 

 ed with the tin gratings. In other in.stances the 

 bees had constructed a double wall at the entrance 

 of the hive, with covered galleries so narrow that 

 no more than a single bee coulil pass ; '.ifty-three 

 swarms began these operations in the course of 

 the same night. In countries where tlieir great 

 eiiemy the sphinx atropos abounds, the apertures 

 ulien the chief collection of honey takes place, 

 must be made very low that this insect may be 

 excluded. 



The following instance might, in the view of 

 some, justify an impeachment of tho integrity of 

 tho instinctive ficulties of these insects. It was 

 copied from tho Now York Medical Repository a 

 few years ago, into tho American New Dispensa- 

 tory, by the present writer, as tending to prove 

 the virulent nature of the Rhi^s Virnix, or swamp 

 sumach. A swarm of bees attached themselves to 

 a branch of the RIiut Virnix, after which the 

 branch was cut partly through, and for some reas- 

 on the bees were sufl^ered to remain ; tho next 

 morning tho whole swarm were found dead and 

 (heir bodies turned black and swelled to nearly 

 twice their natural size. Now it is well known 

 that instinct in animals enables tliom to distin- 

 guish and to avoid those poisons which prove des- 

 tructive to tlieir own nature ; by what means 

 therefore, was their instinct confounded in this in- 

 stance ? Not perhaps from any error in the choice 

 made by the bees ; had the tree remained in its 

 natural state, they might probably have continued 

 to adhere to tho branch with impunity ; but in 

 consequence of the wound by the knife, the pois- 

 onous effluvia was xuflered to exude and exert its 

 fatal effects upon the innocent visitors. 



In my former communication it was mentioned 

 that tho garret of a friend was occupied by a fam- 

 ily of bess ; they took possession of tho tenement 

 in June 18'25, and first formed in a body on the 

 side of the chimney. They first made their en- 

 trance through a crevice under the edge of the 

 shingles, but an aperture was bored for their use 

 a little below the roof which has proved accepta- 

 ble to them. They now occupy the space be- 

 tween the chimney and the upright gable end ot 

 the house, open at both sides of tho chimney for 

 the space of about 7 inches in width. They have 

 suspended their comb in lengthened sheets ex- 

 tending about two feel below the aperture, care- 

 fully leaving a space round it to pass and repass. 

 The quantity of com.b, would, it is supposed, near- 

 ly fill a barrel, and the landlord receives his rent 

 from the produce of his tenants athisovvn dis- 

 cretion, selecting' the young comb containing 

 transparent virgin honey. They have never 

 swarmed, as they have ample accommodations for 

 their stock of honey and their young brood. 



There appears no circumstance in the arrange- 

 ment of an apjary so difficult and at the same time 



so important as that of guarding against the Jep- 

 redationi of tho bcu moth ; every cultivator of beej 

 complains that more or less swarms become vio- 

 lims to this enemy every season, in despite of all, 

 their efforts to frustrate its invasion. 



Tho fact above detailed of the successful loca- 

 tion of a swarm in a garret, might suggest an im- 

 portant improvement in tho arrangement of an 

 apiary. Let the hives be placed in the upper a- 

 partment of a dwelling house, or some out buiM- 

 ing provided with proper liperturea ibrotigii ihti 

 walls. In this situation the bees would be secure 

 from the vicissitudes of tho weather, the hives 

 would be less liable to decay, and the e.tpense- ot' 

 a cotumon bee house would bo saved. But tin!' 

 most important advantage would be that of a tcta.l 

 security against the attacks of the niiscljieyui/s, 

 bee moth, as that insect seldom or never pcram.-j 

 bulates to any considerable height in the atmo:;' 

 phere, and there could bo no sweet oduijr froijj, 

 the hives to allure the insect to the place to seek 

 for its favorite food. It is moreover not impossi 

 ble biit that young swarms fro.m the hives so situ- 

 ated may attach themselves to the walls of the 

 apartment for their permanent residence, as in 

 the garret above mentioned, and thus in process 

 of time the whole apartment be converted into a ■ 

 convenient and profitable apiary. Should these, 

 suggestions elicit the observations of some judi- 

 cious and experienced cultivators, the object of 

 this communication will be in a measure attained. 

 Old Lslonii, Dec. 17, 1827. MEDICUS. 



OATS. 



Mn. pEssErjDEN — There is a difference of opin- 

 ion among farmers as to the proper time for sow- 

 ing oats. While some contend that it is best to 

 sow as soon as the frost is out sufficiently for the 

 land to be worked, others insist on a different 

 course, and choose not to sow until the ground 

 has become quite dry and warm. It may be ii 

 fact that late sowed oats in some and perhaps in 

 most instances, produce a greater quantity of 

 straw than those early sown, and it may be and 

 probably is true in as many instances, that the 

 grain is proportionably lighter, so that if weight 

 of grain is the prime object, that course of pro- 

 cedure as it respects sowing, is best, which is 

 most likely to produce the desired result. 



There seems to have been a general failure in 

 the crop of oats through this part of the country 

 tlie past season, Ijiere being hut few instances, 

 where they arc so heavy by one third, as they 

 have been in other years, when no calamity has 

 befallen them. 



Notwithstan.»»r^g the general failure, I had as 

 good a crop of oats the past season, as in any 

 former year, having over one hundred bushels, 

 from little more than two acres of ground, weii'h- 

 iiig thirty-three lbs. per bushel. Such being- the 

 fact, it is a question with myself and others, whac 

 should be the cause of my obtaining a better crop 



than any other farmers in the neighborhood 



That which to me appears as the probable and 

 only cause, is early sowing. Although my ground 

 was in no better condition than land in general, < 

 sowed my oats several days earlier than ot'aej 

 farmers in the vicinity. 



