biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-19

BEE-KEEPING.

The Times publishes the following letter from Mr. Alfred
Rusbridge, The Apiary Sidlesham, Chichester :

-
Sir,—Believing it may be of interest to certain of
your numerous apiarian readers to know the results of
the past honey-season in this part of the kingdom, I
venture to send you a line, trusting to your courtesy
to give it insertion. As was the case everywhere
this spring, the long spell of wet, blusterous
weather in May and June considerably retarded the
labour of honey-gathering, and it was not till the 20th
of the latter month that the honey harvest com-
menced in earnest. After little more than a week of
tropical weather from that date, four of my heaviest
supers yielded a total of 1221 b. of honey on the combs
being emptied by the honey extractor, which latter
article, I may add, en pessant, is a most indispensable
adjunct to an apiary where bees are kept for profit, as
the honey is taken without destroying the more valu-
able combs, which at the close of the season are
put by for another year. All the supers in use
in my apiary are furnished with frames of comb
thus saved, from liin. to 21n. in thickness. Three
stocks filled two supers, and my strongest hive filled
three with honey. The total amount of honey taken
from 12 stocks is 3721 b., or an average of 311 b. per
hive, which in this particular district is barely half
the usual average. With the generality of amateur
bee-keepers it is not so well understood as it
should be that bees will store from three to four
times as much honey when the supers are already
provided with combs placed on the hives in spring.
Looking at in the light of £ s. d., an extractor must
be considered a sound investment. It is asserted, on
excellent authority, that bees consume 20113 of honey
in making 11b. of comb—thus involving a loss to the
producer of 18s. on every plund of wax sent into the
market. Of this fact our Transatlantic brethren, wiser
in their generation than the majority of bee-keepers in
this country, are well aware. In the great American
apiaries, especially in the West, the extractor takes a
prominent place. There, surrounded by vast flowery
prairies, yielding honey in a profusion unknown else-
where, the average per stock is simply enormous. It
has been lately mentioned that upwards of 2cwt. has
been taken fron3 a set of super; the ppagluee of one
stock of bees on the prairies in a single season,
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-19

DU/)L!' AXD IVALSALL.

PbrTANOFORTES and HARMONIUMS may
be had on the NEW SYSTEM of HIRING, for Two or
e° Years; after which, and svitholt any further pay-
went, to beeouse the property of the hirer. Allinstru-
sawitts had on this system, or otherwise, will be
Ex:ilianged any time within His nuoutiag for any other,il
no !approved of, and returned carriage free. And fur-
he., tate: a trial of three yeara. any Pianoforteor Har-
m uii.in would be taken back, at its original cost, and
IL imoney returned. deducting the usual charge for
h' cc; thus offering greater advantages than the London
*:Birmingham Reaaes.—lpply FREDEBICK GRE RN
h ie Warehouse. 260, Castle-street, Dudley, and 61,
I ark-street, Walsall.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-19

Neat aub gistrict

BOARD OF GUARDIANI3.—The weekly meeting
of this board was held yesterday, Mr. H. Billing.
ham in the chair. There were also present
Messrs. Raybould, Haskew, Hingley, Parkes,
Griffiths, Rollineon, J. Billingham, Giles, Mills,
Baker, Fiddian, Lavender and Kelly.
Admitted into the house during the week 13;
discharged 13 ; dead 2; remaining 448 ; cor-
responning week last year 423. Out-door re-
lief, Kingswinford district, .226 lOs Od ; Stour.
bridge district, £l7 12s 9d ; Halesowen district,
£l6 19s 8d ; non-resident paupers, 9a 4d ; total
£6l us 9d ; against £55 12s 1-id last year.