Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-06-17
MULTIPLYING SWARMS OF BEES.

MULTIPLYING SWARMS OF BEES.
All who have read The Georgics of Vr
gil, will reco;lectl II e story which The old poe
relaies, OF mauui' clurlng swarms OF bee
by beating helf rto death. and leaving he
carcase to breed bees. This mode will d.
much better in poetic theory than in sobe
practice. By studying nature. and follow
ing or applying the laws which are unfoIdee
to US by careful research, many tn ngs car
be accomplished which were before con
sldered among the imposslbties. Tbs is
proved by the researches OF Mr.. Weeks, o
Salisbury, Vermont, into the natural history
OF bees. lie has become So familiar v lit
their manners and Gus ons, that he lhi.iks
nothing OF taking 4 few spare ones from
any hive, shutting them up by themselves
and alter comp'-l!lng them to raise 10 them
selves queen, sets them TO raising up q
swarm OF their own. Al first we were a
little Inclined 10 doubt TINS; but afer read.
ng his treatise, which is full Of practical in.
struction in the business, and having some
correspondence with him, we have come
to the conclusion that it must be so.
The following extract from letter re-.
ceived from him, dated March 25;b, will be
interesting. 10 our readers:
81 am indebted to a gentleman who had
travelled in Italy, for my first thoughts of
compelling bees to make queens. devised
means Instantly to try the experiment, and
succeeded. tried again and again, and
in various ways and under various crcnm
stances, and never failed in single in
s,ance.
| have had them robbed, but never unt
after the youDG queen had made her escape
from the cell where she was raised. Thai
the birth of the queen is hastened so that
she halches several days sooner than her
sisters, (Larvae) there can b. no doubl.-
The fact Is obvious o every close observer.
Now whether It Is the difference 10 food, or
change of position, from horizontal 10 q
perpendicular one, which changes her ua.
lure to queen, Is more than can tell
But one tnlng is CERTAIN theI' nature mus
be changed, II changed at all, before the,
have obtained tue!r entire grown, for j.
chrysales, with wlrrh | have any know
edge, become erfect-enlIre--betore the!
reach tins prroJ OF their existence. III
am no, mis- AIKEN, all uaturalis;s agree TO th'
following fact, winch is this: Tine pecuiai
Jog which constitutes Il male or female IN
The Insect tribe, is produced while in the
larvae stale;' not By design, however, II
many, as IN the honey bee tribe"
In regard to The multiplication OF swarms,
lie observes:
9Th bees may be increased 10 any ex-
lcnl W thout swarm'ng. there is not doubt
Compelling the bees TO make extra queens,
IS the foundation Off whole business
And this may be done it, y country ia.
vorable 10 the raising of bees.
"Tne most northern atEudes are not as
favorable to mere Sc colonies OF bees wi h
'ut swarmng, as IN more mild CHINA e,
and where the seasons are longer. nav
tried this experiment several tunes, ana
have no! yet failed. | have ivlded them
mi received swarm from one Of the d.
VISIONS The same season. | have irIasE
red and divided the same season viii
perfect success, and thus far | have NJ
aled in a single trial, when the expernen
was ma lie in accordance with he rules Sc
crtn in my manual. Bees may be ncrcas
o any extent without swa' IN n, VII r. b
seasons are favorable TO ,ua. objec,.
mis- latitude the sea~ols are too shor {
male very rapid advances.
"A ruff :lal heat Is not as favorable 10 The
breeding OF the bees, nor TO their health and
lives, as natural heat. have set lhem 10
breeding IN January, bu | found thai the
neat produced by lhs fire, though moderate e,
in the course OF TWO weeks CAUSED deu;h in
nany o. the Old bees, and Chill destroy ed
ne arvae, and was compelled 10 relInquIs
the wurer enterprise, as unproh able bus
ness. | am inclined 10 tank that u room
may be SO constructed aud So warmed by
heated air, that swarms may be forwarded
N h. spring 10 gree advantage.
We trust that Mr.. Weeks will pardon the
.iocrty we have taken, IN publishing so much
OF a private letter but the information Is
so 1vel and interesting. that We deemed
Ii du'y to lay i; before our readcrs.--
| Maine Farmer.
From the Cultivltor.