The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-11-27
AGRICUETuRF,
Prepared by the Edhur
REFS

Prepared by the Edltur
BEES.
From the Nor,, American Review.
is better 10 begin with a single hive. aud 80
attain a knowledge of the habits and instincts of
bees by degrees. We have known several per
sons, "ho have purchased n number OF hives al
once. and relinqu'shei the pursuit IRON the per-
piexty thai ensned when the s~armins season
commenced. But there is 40 simiIar occnpa.
ton so easily followed, and none thar req.lrps
SO little capital, AS that of keeping bees. The
p'oht - enormous. liza person, well ira ned
to the employment, should follow the plan n
dopted IN some parts OF Europe. of removing
The bees from place 10 place, IN kind of ark on
a river ofsotne length, thus providing n plentiful
supply of food, he might increase his stock 10
auy extent.
An aplary %oftwenty hives could maintain il.
self IN An area Of mile, where iber. is plent, Of
blossoms. Every farmer should, howpveI. pro-
vide pasture iof his bees, as wei AS far his cows;
aud therefore when the spring aud summer
lowers are gone he should nav n field Of buck
wheat ready, which, although not so palatab =
rs other flowers, viii serve the bees for winter
food.
An aPlary, or bee-shed. should lie al the caves,
about tnnr feet from the ground, with a roof
Slopung both ways, and with any aspect that the
Owner, chooses. II should be ten feet wide, aud
the length OF il should be increased a, the hives
multiply. II is however, difficult 10 describe
one accurately.
The most convenient one that we have seen is
on n tarm mean New Brunswick IN New jersey.
II Is nifty feel lug and contains sixteen hives ON
each side The Swarms which air spccessise!v
cast off. are placed under the same shed in The
WHITE, and AN equal nnmbfr of the old nlyes are
sold 10 make rnom for them. The aplary might
be enlarged 10 any extent, were there pasture
enough for the bees bun the area Of the bees
flight, as There are now many cultivatorS of bees
in this district does not furnish food enough tor a
great number.
In this apiary the miller or night moth is sue.
c~essiullv guarded against. 4 small wire door,
made 10 slide behind Two door posts, for med If
deedles Is closed rver the entrance of the hive.
as souu as the bees have retired for the nle ht.
Tins IS done during tho months Of April, hag
and June after that If the weather sets in
warm, aud the bees are oppressed py Il, af. the
door uf thu hi g is let down, which, as ilis fasz
tened TO The hive behind U nh hinges, and On TN
side with hooks and staples can EASILY be accom-
plIshed. Two rows OF scanilings ar ioisls. -four
inches >quar", and running the whole length of.
the apiary, receive the hives between them which
are thus suspended at a distance of above three
feet from the ground.
The hive is thirteen inches square at the tUp.
Bnu is oil The same size at The bottom OF the front
and back. but the bottom of the sides is only Sc
ven inches vide. BY thu slope OF the hlve the
combs wedge themselves as they are made, an
there IS no Use ior the ilEcontrived crossed stick
that are generally thrust in the old hives, 10
keep the combs from falling down by thsm
own weight. The Aoor is, as we observed, fas-
tened by hinges and hooks. Il is likewise AN in.
clined plain, having ii slope OF at least four IN
cheS.
The advantage ofthis inclination vill be in
stautiy seen. Tie Precipitation of the bees,
which - %copious, IS, by the inclination Of the
sides and aoor, conveyed of al once. without
being absorbed by the boards. All extrans Gus
matter can be carried away by The bees with We.
~ lttle trouble, and they can defend themselves
iIom robbers or cOrsar bees With much greater
ease than IL he floor were dat.
AS the floor opens and shuts, the observer
can inspect the interior of the hiy e al pleasure
not with the hope OF getting at the MINUTES oil
the bees policy but To SIZE the ioTwardness oil the
combs, the number of the bees, and the general
appearance, which a p~raoticed eye will soon un.
dersiand. When the floor of The hive IS left
down all night, aud The bees hang very low
from the combs in the morning, they will soon
remove themselves up again, ii the floor is
raised very gently and slowly aud fastened as
usual.
The cover ofthe hive is OF course thirteen in
ches square. IL is made OF common pine. as
is the hive. with two cletes on the NJ per part, as
well'to prevent the board from waIplng, as to
prevent ihr box or upper story, which is always
added, from being moved from its place. TIE
cover oi the hive has three holes ofan inc,, III.
aIucter, Within a quarter OF an inch at Inc q.
ther These holes are to allow tho bees IN
pass 10 tile upper box, when the hive is full of
honey.
1t is ascertaiued satisfactorily. that the Young
brood aud the bee-bread or poIlsn are denosi,rd
in the hive where the swarm Is fist nut. The
holes Ia the coYer are therefore kent shut by
ptugs, until the nave be 6Ilrd. The holes are
Then opened, the bees Immediately pass up, aod
il the season be propliious, they fiji the upper
boz with comb arl honey, which, as there is
mel her brood nor bee-bread is OF the finest aud
pures, KIND.
We have often seen forty and fifty pounds 30.
tanned by this siripIe proceeding and the box
is also Vsed to iced a furnished hive IN the spring
A single comb, LII in one of these boxes will
sustain a swarm. that has eaten up all its honey
| OK vegetation commences. As the boxes aud
! hives are OF equal size, any box will ht "a hive.
When the combs IN Tie hive are three years
old, two OF them can be taken out every winter.
turovided there remain honey enough IL, the rest
tar the use OF the bees. Thirty weight of hone,
Is ~. average quantity that soiiiee Tor "a warm
l~ot,arge size, The hives 10 loes ,na weigh, when