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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JUNR 



For the New Ensland Farmer. 

 STKA^W BEE HIVES. 



Bee keepers want a straw hive adapted to im- 

 proved bee culture. Mr. Langstroth, speaking of 

 the best materials for hives, says : "Straw hives 

 have been used for ages, and are warm in winter 

 and cool in summer. The difficulty of making 

 them take and retain the proper shape for im- 

 proved bee-keeping, is an insuperable objection 

 to their use." This is no longer so, for I have 

 succeeded in getting a form adapted to the mova- 

 ble frames ; but as it is not at all likely that I 

 have the best form — not being gifted in making 

 improvements in bee-hives — I want some inge- 

 nious Yankee, that is now wasting his energies 

 on worthless patent contrivances, to use them in 

 another direction, where they may be of some 

 benefit. 



That straw is a desirable material for a bee-hive, 

 is indicated by their uniformly sending out earlier 

 swarms, and of other advantages in consequence 

 of their doing this, we have much proof. 



Several years since, with a partner, I bought 

 twenty-two straw hives ; these, with forty others, 

 made of wood — equally as populous, and as well- 

 stored — were placed in one yard. As the swarm- 

 ing season approached, these were found to con- 

 tain the strongest colonies. The first five swarms 

 were from them, and when seventeen had issued, 

 only four were from the others. All but two cast 

 swarms, and several of them two or three, while 

 full one-third of the wood hives failed to swarm 

 at all through the season. This shows a decided 

 superiority. As long as these stocks lasted, they 

 continued to throw out earlier swarms. Others 

 who have used them, all testify that they are bet- 

 ter in this respect than wood hives. I can safely 

 take the average time at ten days earlier. The 

 swarming season is generally the time when bees 

 get most honey. A colony that would collect 

 three pounds per day, during the honey harvest, 

 would be just thirty pounds better off at the end 

 of the season. This amount stored in surplus 

 boxes, and sold at 20 cents, would be in value as 

 much as a good swarm of bees. In many sea- 

 sons, we have a full yield of honey for only a few 

 days. A swarm located at the end of that period 

 might fail to get even winter stores, when ten 

 days earlier would have made all safe. It is un- 

 necessary to offer proof that early swarms are 

 better than late ones — all admit it. Yet when I 

 have shown that straw hives will give us earlier 

 swarms, the question at once arises : If straw 

 hives are so very valuable, why have they been 

 so generally discarded ? They were used al- 

 most universally eighty years ago. They were, 

 soon after that time, put aside on account of 

 the moth, which, when first introduced into our 

 country, exceeded in its ravages anything of the 

 present day. Its nature and habits were less un- 

 derstood — it seemed to be new to the bees as well 

 as man, they did not know how to expel it — it 

 was found enshrouded in its cocoon, in the in- 

 terstices of the straw, and was supposed to have 

 been nourished, and bred there. It is supposed 

 by many at the present day, that it is bred in the 

 cracks and flaws about the hive, instead of among 

 the combs, where it usually does all its mischief 

 before it leaves to spin its cocoon. Hives made 

 of wood, afforded fewer facilities for the worm to 



hide away, and were used in preference on that 

 account. But this is not an objection at the pre- 

 sent time. The moth does not affect bees in a 

 straw, any more than in a wood hive. 



Another objection is in the shape they have 

 given the straw hive ; the round conical form 

 gradually terminating in an obtuse point, which 

 gives no chance of using surplus boxes. As the 

 only inducement in bee-keeping with most peo- 

 ple consists in the surplus honey, a hive afford- 

 ing no facilities for obtaining it must of necessi- 

 ty be discarded. When the colonies that we had 

 in these hives failed, we did not restock but few 

 of them on that account. I know one bee-keep- 

 er who still adheres to them, putting early swarms 

 and prosperity of the bees, before any advantages 

 of box-honey. I know another who expended 

 some $300 in constructing hives. He conceived 

 the superiority of straw to be in the greater 

 warmth afforded, and to obtain the same end with 

 wood, he made them double, enclosing a dead air 

 space between the outer and inner hive. Many 

 others have attempted the same thing. But al) 

 these efforts are only partially successful. As 

 soon as bees are enclosed with an air-tight cov- 

 ering, to secure the warmth, the moisture acccu- 

 mulates, and their combs mold, if the weather is 

 moderate, or if very cold, will be covered with 

 frost. If an opening is made to secure upward 

 ventilation to carry off" this moisture, a part of 

 the animal heat goes with it, and the gain by the 

 double enclosure is very trifling. The straw hive 

 will absorb moisture as generated, and the up- 

 ward ventilation may be avoided, and save to the 

 bees the warmth they have generated. The ad- 

 vantage seems to be in the material, not the hive 

 or the manner of making it. That the best mate- 

 rial is straw, I think is fully shown. Now we 

 want the best form adapted to our use. When 

 there is a demand, there should be a supply. If 

 nothing better turns up than I have, I shall give 

 a description of that some day. I have already 

 got bees into it for a trial this winter. 



St. Johnsville, N. Y. M. Quinbt. 



For the Netc England Farmer. 

 CONCENTKATED MANTTEES. 



Mr. Editor : — Much has been said and writ- 

 ten within the few past years, on the value of 

 concentrated manure, guano, phosphates, &c., 

 and I cannot doubt that in a multitude of cases, 

 the money expended for them has proved a re- 

 munerative outlay, yet I strongly suspect that if 

 these highly recommended fertilizers which have 

 been purchased by the farmers of this State, 

 could be traced to their results, we should find, 

 that, like lottery tickets, too many of them have 

 drawn blanks. 



My own experiments have helped me in coming 

 to the conclusion, that the same expenditure in 

 collecting materials from our own premises to act 

 as absorbents, and swell the compost heap, would 

 have proved a more profitable investment. Look 

 at it ! Take the article of guano ; two bags, at 

 150 pounds each, would cost, delivered, at least 

 ten dollars. These two bags would just about 

 fill a common flour barrel. Now let any indus- 

 trious farmer expend five dollars in labor with 

 his own help and team in procuring swamp muck. 



