Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-02-01

it only through the hive. The hole
should not be less than three inches square.
These should be put on the old hives be-
fore the bees begin to gather from the
white clover, and on the young sIarms
when they are first put into the hives
In this way instead of the bees lying on
the outside Of the hive, idle, as they COM
monty do, they have room within the box,
where they continue to build and gather,
till they are ready to swarm. Many of
our swarmS do not work on the boxes at
all; but by boxing them all, we average
from 7 to 10 lbs, from every old swarm.
Last year we got over Is, it being more
than common season for honey.
We have not been troubled much with
the moth; having so many hives together
the birds keep them mostly subdued. We
think it the best plan to raise the hives so
that the bees can just pass out all round
the hive: they keep the bottom board
clean Of comb dust, so there is less chance
for the millers to deposit their eggs, where
they will not be destroyed. Care should
be taken TO kill all that can be found on
or around the hives every day or two.
We use no means to furnish our bees
with food, excepting to feed some light
swarms towards spring; which we do, by
putting comb filled with honey, in the box
on the top of the hive. Bees flourish the
best where there is plenty of Elm, Sugar
Maple and Eastwood, and where the soil
is natural for white clover. Elm and Ma
pie blossum early in the spring; after the
spring flowers are gone, bees stir but lit
tie, until white clover begins to blossom :;
if 1t fills well with honey, bees soon fiji
their hives and begin to swarm; if not,
they swarm late, and the swarms stand
poor chance; the Eastwood and Buck
wheat are the principal flowers they have
to gather from. Sometimes there are
honey dews which help them much.
Our box honey which is pure and free
from bread, is gathered principally from
Clover and Eastwood blossoms
Our hives stand in the same situation
winter and summer. We are careful to
have the tops secured so as to keep the
snow and water out, and not admit a
draught of air through the hive. Every
hive should have a three quarter or half
inch hole from four to six inches from the
bottom, in front, to afford air in winter
In very cold weather, frost accumulates
in the hive, from the breath of the bees,
and In mild weather it melts and runs
down to the hole at the bottom and freezes
to ice and shuts out the air, if there is no
other air hole. Many bees are smothered
greatly for the want of this knowledge-
Bees winter the best in straw hives, but do
as we'll in summer in board or tub hives.
There is variety of opinions on the
subject of bees, owing we think, to their
being liable to change. The swarms in
the spring may stand side by side, and to
appearance, be equally good one may
prosper we'll, the other dwindle away and
die; or they may both swarm equally
well, and one a few weeks after swarming
be robbed the other winter well.
Our reason for this is, that in swarming
time, the Queen or Queens, if there be
more than one las there frequently is at
this season Of the year, but at no other)
all leave the hive with the swarms and
leave it but few working bees and Drones
in the old hives; which, of course, with
out Queen die. Sometimes thew will
guard their treasures till winter, and then
die, and leave the hive well filled with
honey.
After swarming is over, such hives as
have swarmed out, we take up as soon as
they are like y to be robbed, and save the
honey. In October we examine our
young swarms, and take up all that have
not nearly enough to winter over. In
this way we obtain much honey, and de-
stroy none of our good swarms for in
crease.
p. s. In statement of ours that was
published in some.of the New-York pa
Pers, showing the amount of honey that
we received the past season, there was
mistake made by the editors. 1t was
printed 700 pounds, but it should have
been 370G