The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-08-20 00:00:00

APILRI

At the present time -there iii-Ortich to be done in the
apiary, and the most imp rtant work demanding at-
tention now is, undoubteoly, the 6/treading of the
honey which the been have been storing up during the
summer, now rapidly passing away. With referenca
to the taking of honey it may be said with advantage,
that the old barbarous practice of destroying the bees
with brimodone, previou• to the removal the combo
from the hive, ought not to be adopted. SO much he;
been written agraboat destroying the bees previous to
t the honey that perhaps to many of our readers
aittlusion to it at the oreseat moment may appear
superfluous, but as yet the preservation of the bees is
by no means general, and it is of the highest impor-
tance that the attention of the beekeeper should be
again and again directed to the all-important subject
of saving the lives of the been. To many apiariana,
especially those of the cottager class, it seems impos-
sible to take the honey without first destroying the
been and where they can see their way clear to do
this, they are alone in understanding how the bees can
be kept during the winter after they have been
=ell of their honey. As • matter of fact the
of the honey without destroying a single bee is,
to those accustomed to handle bees • comparatively
easy task, and a very few words will suffice to show
what can be done with the stocks, deprived of their
dorm of honey. If the hives are of an ordinary degree
of strength, the moat satisfactory coupe to pursue will
be to take the honey from one half the number, and
to leave the other for stock, and to unite the occupants
of the honey-hives, which will be thus rendered home-
less, with the occupants of the stock-hives. As •
matter of course those hives which on examination are
found to contain the finest honey should be taken up.
To drive the bees from a hive filled with the comb,
blow • few puffs of tobacco smoke into the hive and
then turn its bottom upwards, and immediately turn
an empty one over it, and wrap • cloth of some kind
round the junction to prevent the escape of the bees.
Then proceed to beat the side of the bottom of the
hive with the hands or piece, of wood, and in a very
short time the bees will begin to leave the combs and
run up into the empty hive, and from fifteen to twenty
minutes nearly, if not quite all, will have amended as
indicated by the cessation of the buzzing noise, which
Is invariably made as the old quarters are being
vacated. The next step is to unite the stock in the
empty hive, with a stock in • full one. The fall hive
must be turned up side down, and have a rather
liberal clunntit7 of sugar and water, flavoured with
mint or nutmeg, sprinkled over the comb, and in ten
or fifteen minutes afterwards, the beet in the empty
hive mnat be shaken into it, mid when this has been
done, give • second sprinkling of the syrup, and place
the hive upon the boar,i y feeding as here advised,
there is very little risk of any fighting between the
two colonies. As &matter of course. one of the queens
must be destroyed before the two stocks are united,
and the evening just before sunset is the best time for
accomplishing the work. If all the hives are well
filled, those in which it i intended to put additional
stock may have a portion of the honey-comb removed
previously, and in exceptionally favourable seasons
whin the filling of the hives is accomplished by an
early date, the whole of the honey may be taken, and
the stocks be put into empty hives, two stocks in each,
and the boss fed liberally with properly-prepared
food.

EXECUTION OF HOE )EL.
Hoodel, the perpetrator of the attempt npon the
life of the Emperor William on the 11th May last,
was decapitated early on Frialmmorning in the court-
yard of the new decree, dated
the Bth lost., having derided tariailuitioe must be
allowed to take its course.