A CONSOLIDATION OF DUEL’S CULTIVATOR AND THE GENESEE FARMER. 
— “AGRICULTURE, AT ONCE THE CAUSE AND EVIDENCE OF CIVILIZATION.”_ 
ALBANY, N. Y. JULY, 1840. Cult, and Far. Vol. I-No 7. 
Cult. Yol. YII— No. 7. 
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■ TI3SS QHJILTOYATOB, 
WILLIS GAYLORD & LUTHER TUCKER, Editors. 
BEES. 
Few insects, or animals, furnish more materials for in¬ 
struction or reflection than the honeybee; their wonder¬ 
ful instincts, their labors, their social regulations, are alike 
deserving the study and notice of all; and while their la¬ 
bors contribute so much to the comfort of man, they should 
receive a proportion of his care and attention. The blind 
Huber was the first to give mankind a history of the bee, 
its habits and instincts, worthy of the subject; and, al¬ 
though many entomologists have since devoted much time 
to this matter, it is surprising how few facts they have ad¬ 
ded to those accumulated by the patient and persevering 
labors of the blind observer. In the management of this 
domesticated insect, in the best mode of availing ourselves 
of its stores without taking its life, and in the protection 
of it from its numerous enemies, some advances have been 
made, and to no individual are the public more indebted 
on this score, than to Mr. Weeks, of Vermont, whose 
Manual on the management of the bee, is deserving of 
great praise for the intimate acquaintance shown with the 
subject on which he treats, and the great amount of prac¬ 
tical information he has condensed into a very small com¬ 
pass. It is a book that should be in the possession of eve¬ 
ry bee owner, as they can scarcely fail of receiving much 
valuable instruction from its pages, even should they not 
be in possession of the hive he has invented, which expe¬ 
rience shows to be admirably adapted to aiding in the ma¬ 
nagement of the bee, and to which, as a matter of course, 
many of his remarks and rules have reference. 
There are two methods adopted in keeping bees—one, 
in either the common or the improved hives, when they 
multiply by swanning; and the other, when one or more 
swarms are put into a house or chamber, so large that 
their labors can be continued for years without swarming. 
Both methods have their advantages and their disadvantages. 
Small hives are more liable to he attacked and destroyed 
by moths, or to be robbed, than very large ones in which 
there are abundance of bees ; but they multiply more ra¬ 
pidly, and starting with a given quantity of bees, will, in 
a term of years, if safe from accident, produce a greater 
quantity of honey; at least, some experiments seem to 
show that is the case; while bees in houses or large hives 
require less care, as they rarely swarm, and the honey can 
be taken when wanted without destroying the bee. This 
objection of destroying the bee, is obviated in Mr. Week’s 
hive, as well as in some other of the improved or patent¬ 
ed ones. 
Every one who keeps bees should have his hives in rea¬ 
diness, before the time of swarming arrives. They should 
be made of good stuff 1 , well seasoned and jointed, planed 
and made carefully, so that the moth may find no cracks 
in which to deposit its eggs, or the young grub to hide. 
Hives must always be kept clean and sweet, and if so, a 
hive that has been used, is as good as one in which no 
bees have ever been. The hive should be ready for the 
swarm, as, if one is not offered them soon after coming 
out and alighting, an embassy is sent out to find one, and 
the result is, the swarm is lost. 
It is still the custom with many, while the bees are 
swarming, and before they alight, to make all sorts of noi¬ 
ses with horns, tin-pans, bells, &c.; but this is wholly use¬ 
less, and only serves to irritate the bees. When, after 
once lighting, they have again risen to go away, we have 
seen a few pails of water, thrown among them, appear to 
produce a good effect, caused probably by the wetting of 
the queen bee’s wings, and compelling her to retreat from 
the apparent shower. In most cases, however, when the 
bees show a disposition to go off, they will generally do it 
sooner oi later. We have known them to leave a good, 
new hive for the woods, after they had formed several con¬ 
siderable pieces of comb, and been apparently contentedly 
at work for thirty hours. There js usually very little dan¬ 
ger in taking care of bees while swarming, as the work¬ 
ers invariably leave loaded with wax and honey for the 
picpaiation of their new home, and are consequently lit¬ 
tle disposed to be pugnacious. 
Many apiarians are very careful to regulate the size of 
i their swarms of bees, by putting two or more small, weak 
' swar;n3 into °ne hive, especially when such come out late 
in the season. Mr. Weeks says— 
Second swarms are generally about half as large as the 
7 
first, and the third swarms half as large as the second ones. 
Now, if second swarms are doubled, so as to make them 
equal in numbers with the first, the owner avails himself of 
the advantage of a strong colony, which will not be likely to 
be disheartened for the want of numbers, nor overcome by 
robbers from stronger colonies. 
He might have added, that by more fully covering the 
combs, these are better protected from the moths where 
the bees are numerous, than in weak swarms. In regard 
to doubling swarms, Mr. Weeks adds— 
“ The operation should be performed with in two or three 
days, [after swarming,] at the farthest four days. The soon¬ 
er it is done the better, and the less hazardous the experi¬ 
ment. As a general rule, second swarms only should be 
doubled. Third and fourth swarms Should have their queens 
taken from them, and the bees returned to the parent stock.” 
The most formidable enemy the bee owner has to en¬ 
counter, is found in the bee moth; and these, if they once 
obtain a lodgment in the hive, and deposite their eggs in 
safety, in the comb, or in the glutinous matter with which 
the bees line their hives, they are expelled with difficulty, 
and the destruction of the bees is the common result. 
The egg of the moth or miller produces a small grub or 
worm, which burrows in the comb, or lining of the hive, 
for a time, or secretes itself in crevices of the hive, so 
that the bees cannot get at them, to remove them or de¬ 
stroy them in the hive. As the grub increases in size, it 
spins a cocoon or web, which it enlarges as it proceeds in 
the work of eating the honey and comb, and which pro¬ 
tects it from the attacks of the bees. Where there are 
many bees in a hive, the miller finds it difficult to make a 
lodgment, and if the eggs are deposited, it is hardly possi¬ 
ble for the young grub to escape their vigilance; but a 
weak hive, will, in such a case, scarcely fail of being lost 
to the owner. A great variety of methods have been 
practiced and recommended, to prevent the attacks of the 
moth. It was at one time supposed that hives placed in 
the chambers of elevated buildings, would be above their 
reach; but some instances have occurred in which hives 
in the garrets of three story stores have been destroyed; 
and besides, every bee hunter knows it is not uncommon 
to find the moth or the grub in the most elevated trees in 
which the bee is found. Dr. Thatcher, a few years since, 
announced as an infallible preventive, placing the hive in 
the bee house, on a layer of sweet clean mold or sand, 
as the miller would not deposit its eggs in such a position. 
Mr. Weeks, however, as well as others, found that where 
the moth was numerous, this method afforded no security, 
as, after standing a few days, the earth under the hive 
was found full of grubs, which found in it a safe retreat 
from the bee. As it is found that the moth usually depo¬ 
sits its eggs under the margin of the hive, it is also found 
that placing the hive on small square blocks at each cor¬ 
ner, so as to raise it half an inch from the board, and thus 
enable the bees to keep the exposed portion clean, is one 
of the best preventives known. Frequently sprinkling a 
little fine salt under the margin of the hive, renders the 
place untenable to the grub, and is not displeasing to the 
bees. A gentleman of our acquaintance, who has been 
very successful in his management of bees, uses a prepa¬ 
ration of spirits of turpentine, oil of spike, &c. to keep 
the moth from the hive. These substances are mixed, put 
in a saucer, over which a piece of muslin is securely tied, 
to prevent the bees from getting into it; and this is placed 
under the hive during the time that the moths are the 
most active. He assures us he. has not lost a swarm from 
the moths, during the time he has used this preparation. 
We believe those who have adopted the Vermont hive, 
have found little inconvenience from the moth, and think 
it probable, that, with such a hive, and frequent examina¬ 
tion, (which is indeed necessary with any hive,) bees may, 
in most cases, be preserved in safety. 
When bees are kept in improved hives, or in a common 
house or chamber, the honey may be removed at pleasure, 
without interfering with their labors, or causing that irri¬ 
tation which, if repeated, will render bees cross and dan¬ 
gerous.. Much more honey will be made in a hive, from 
which it can be removed when filled, than in an ordinary 
hive, as the instinct of bees impels them to desist from la¬ 
bor, only where there is no space to store its fruits When 
a hive is filled, they only provide their daily supply; if 
part of the honey is removed, labor is immediately recom¬ 
menced to replace the quantity abstracted. But, unless there 
is an abundant supply for the wintering of the bees, none 
should be taken from the hive late in the season, as star¬ 
vation and the loss of the whole stock may be the result. 
It is sometimes necessary, in unfavorable seasons, or 
when swarms are late, to feed them to prevent the death 
of the bees, and the experience of many apiarians would 
go to prove, that the most proper time for this is during 
the warm days that occur in the fall, before the com¬ 
mencement of continued cold weather. If the weight of 
the hive and bees is known, and both should always he 
■ ascertained, there is no difficulty, when the season of 
making honey is closed, in determining, by again weigh¬ 
ing, the quantity of honey made, and consequently whe¬ 
ther feeding will be required. In feeding, honey in the 
comb, or strained honey, may be used; but if the last, a 
thin board pierced with numerous holes, must be laid on 
the surface of the honey, through which they can obtain 
the food, or many will get in the honey, and he lost. Un¬ 
less bees are nearly destitute of honey, it is bad policy to 
feed them in the spring, as they fill up the combs that 
should be occupied by the young bees. From twenty to 
twenty-five pounds of honey will be required, to carry a 
swarm of bees from November to the middle of April, or 
the time when they can recruit their stores. Where honey 
cannot be had, sugar dissolved, or molasses, maybe substi¬ 
tuted ; but honey is always to be preferred where it can 
be obtained, as all other kinds of food are more or less apt 
to induce disease. 
There is a very great difference in the qualities of honey 
made in different places, owing to the nature of the flow¬ 
ers from which it is principally extracted. The honey of 
a considerable district on the southeast shore of the Black 
Sea in Asia Minor, is noted for its intoxicating or rather mad¬ 
dening qualities, when new; qualities supposed to be owing 
to a species of Hypericum, which abounds in that region. 
Bees always extract more or less of the peculiar matter of 
plants with the honey, and hence new honey is more lia¬ 
ble in all cases to induce disease, than that which is old. It 
is the opinion of many that honey is always pure, no matter 
from what source it is derived; but this is altogether a mis¬ 
take. Mr. Weeks says— 
“ Bees never make honey, but extract it from such flowers, 
and other substances as yield it, without producing any 
change from its original state. Good honey is principally ta¬ 
ken from white clover, orchards, sugar maple, bass or. linden, 
and other forest trees, while in blossom. Poor honey is ex¬ 
tracted from buckwheat, and low land flowers; hence, those 
who would save their good honey unadulterated by that 
which is poor, will remove it before the latter can be ex¬ 
tracted.” 
Various modes have been tried of wintering bees ; all of 
which, perhaps, have been more or less successful. The 
dangers, to be guarded against, are principally those of 
starvation, extreme or long continued cold, and too., much 
moisture or dampness. The first can be prevented by 
proper attention to late or early feeding. Death from 
freezing more rarely occurs, but almost every apiarian, in 
high northern latitudes, must have lost bees from this 
cause. Extreme cold also produces death from suffoca¬ 
tion ; by freezing the breath or vapor of the bees, and so ef¬ 
fectually closing all the openings of the hive by ice, that 
the air becomes incapable of supporting respiration, and 
death is the inevitable result. Where too much moisture 
exists, the combs become moldy, and the bees become 
diseased and unhealthy, and frequently perish. If cold 
weather continues for any great length of time, the hives 
should be examined, and if the bees are likely to die, they 
must be at once removed to a room of a moderate tempe¬ 
rature, and where the animal heat can be gradually restor¬ 
ed. Some apiarians are in the habit of burying their bees 
late in the fall, and allowing them to remain in that con¬ 
dition until the spring is so far advanced, that they can 
gather honey from the early flowers for themselves. Their 
argument, is, that, as bees during their torpid or inactive 
state do not consume honey, by prolonging this state, the 
danger of starvation is avoided, death from freezing cannot 
take place, and if the earth is dry, the combs will not 
mold so as to produce injury. Mr. Weeks says— 
“A cellar made in the side of a dry hill, so covered as to 
keep out water, is a good storage for wintering bees. There 
should be two ventilators at the two most extreme parts of the 
cellar—one near the bottom and on its side to admit pure air 
—the other through the top or covering to allow the bad air to 
escape.” 
Want of air is the most frequent cause of death to bees, 
and this danger of suffocation requires to be more careful¬ 
ly guarded against than any other. Dryness is indispen¬ 
sable to health; and it should always be remembered, that 
any extra care which bees may receive, which is necessary 
to their safety or comfort, is usually amply repaid by the 
additional quantity and quality of the honey produced. 
SIRK—PREPARATION OF COCOONS. 
In engaging in the manufacture, or rather the production 
of silk, many have experienced much difficulty in killing 
the larvae in the cocoon, or in curing the cocoon, as it is 
termed; an operation on which much is depending, as, if 
not killed, the cocoon is destroyed by the perfect insect in 
making its way out; and if improperly done, the silk may 
be seriously injured, or reeled with great difficulty. 
Plunging the cocoon into boiling or hot water, exposing 
them in a heated oven, and some other methods have been 
used and recommended, but the following process, described 
by Miss Gertrude Rapp, of Harmony, and which was used 
in producing the beautiful silks exhibited by that lady at 
the meeting of the American Silk Society, is probably su¬ 
perior to any other, both for certainty- in destroying the 
worm, and for its effect on the silk. The ship; forwarded 
by Miss Rapp for exhibition, and manufactured last year 
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