No. 129. J 363 



bees from swarming ', and further, swarms may issue at times 

 when one wishes to be otherwise engaged ; and, on the other 

 hand, although the proprietor may be present, his swarms may 

 settle in places where it is difficult to hive them. Now, it is 

 easy to imagine, and still worse to experience, some of these dif- 

 ficulties. By the arrangement of the hives on Gilmore's plan, all 

 guch difficulties and objections are avoided. 



The increase of the bees, which is very great, passing from the 

 mother hive into new hives, by uniting them with the main body 

 as before mentioned. 



A principal feature of this mode of keeping bees is, that an 

 unusually large number are attached to each hive, and, conse- 

 quently, they are obliged to work in the adjoining boxes and jars j 

 whereas, in the case of natural swarming, very often too many 

 go away at once, and consequently leave but few or none to work 

 in the boxes attached. The beauty, as well as utility of this 

 invention, render the care of bees a pleasure and a profit, not 

 only to the professed apiarist, but also to farmers and mechanics, 

 and particularly to gentlemen of leisure, who may have a con- 

 venient spot on which to erect a bower of bees on this plan. The 

 specimens of honey exhibited to you were made at our establish- 

 ment, now in operation at Brooklyn, in which we have seventy-five 

 hives and about one hundred and fifty ordinary swarms. Th& 

 bees are stall-fed, the material costing three and-a-half cents per 

 pound when prepared for use. We would state tliat, by thus 

 feeding them, any sweet fllavor and any desired color may be im- 

 parted to the honey. 



The longest box of honey exhibited to you weighs thirty-one 

 pounds, and was made in twenty days by one hive. We have 

 another box from the same hive weio-liing thirty-five pounds, 

 made in thirty days — this one hive yielding, in fifty days, sixty- 

 six pounds of the purest and best of honey. This kind of honey 

 is made in jars, or boxes, or tumblers, attached to each hive, after 

 the hive proper has been filled with honey. As to the profits of 

 feeding, our experiment at Brooklyn, although made under dis- 

 advantageous circumstances, is highly eatisfactory. In conse- 



