The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-03-13
Farming, &c.
From the Albany Cultivator.
Management of Bees.

respecting the cause. Believing that ! car
throw some light on the subject, | proceed
without further comment, TO make n few re-
marks.
commenced keeping bees in March, 1915
with only one swarm, and by the increase of
this, in few years. was in possession Of
twenty hives-wintering nearly that number
n great part of the time till the last season.-
Soon after ! commenced occasionally lost
hives of bees, aud on examination, | found
that the young had died in their cells, where
they had turned black, aud produced an of
feTsive smell. Why the young should thus
die in the cells. was matter TO which ! di-
rec'ed much inquiry. had read several au-
1hors on bees, some ofwhonl described the
dying of the young bees in cells as disease,
but pointed out no satisfactory course or rem
edy. In the month of June, about twenty
years ago, | had five young swarms come out
about ten o'clock in the forenoon. The
weuther being very hot, they all came out i'll
the course uftitteen minutes and were hived.
In the after part of the day, there was II thuu-
der shower, which brought the wind north
west, and the weather turned cold, giving
frost the next morning, on low land. The
consequence was the five old swarms from
which the above young ones came, failed to
lnCreaSe, attempted to winter them, but
the following spring, they were all, except
one. dead. ihen broke out the combs. and
found dend young in the cells. This lead
me to the cause olthe death uftho young bees
Two years after this similar case OCCUR
ed. After the bees swarmed, it came off cold
as before. AT night ! covered the old hives
1hat sent forth young, with hed-quiIts and
blankets, and on removing them the next
anorning, discovered the bees were lively,
cumming ut the lower entrance of the hive,
and it was evident from the bursting of the
caps ofthe cells at the entrance OF the hive
that the process oi'hutching had gone on as
well as in warm night. In eight days those
old hives swarined again, and some third
time, still leaving the old hives well stocked
with bees. From that time till now, Fifteen
or twenty years.)l have not lost IL single
swarm Offices by the young bees dying in
their cells.
From this discovery and remedy, / have
come to the conclusion that there is no dis
ease in the young bees, while in the cell, that
would cause their death or that ot'the parent
stock. Weall know among the teathered
tribe, it is necessary to keep up certain de-
gree Of heat ny hroodng, or otherwise, in or
der to produce young from the egg. Should
hen sit on her eggs one week and then leave
ahem until they were perfectly cold, no tulth-
or sitting would hatch them. Now, if the
case in regard to the eggs may be property
called Il disease, then we may say that the
young bees in the cells die from disease. But
it is well known that bees will recede to the
upper part of the hive, when the weather is
cold, and whenever this takes place, while the
brood comb is filled with young, they invaria-
bly, die.
This brings me now to speak nf the past
-scnson, in which so many valuable swarms
Offices have died 1t win be recollected tina,
the beginning OfApril last, was very warm
and pleasant, and from the putting forth of
early blossoms, such us those Of'lhe willow.
alder, red or soft maple, The bees commenced
their labor with great activity, hrngiu" IN
pollen and honey in such quantities, ,hat ;hcir
cells aud the brood comb, were soon filed
Abomt the goth or 18th Of April, il was Sc
verely cold, lasting several days. This drove
the bees up from the brood comb. and the
young died in the cell. In my experience of
'chirty-three years in keeping bees, the last
spring was the first time that the young died
~ the cells before swarmng time. Out of
C,even stocks which had last spring. | lost
five. My observation in regard to bees teach
es that full COLONY will secure themselves
from cold, or from the moth, which is II good
reason for putting back the second and third
swarins. III wintering bees have tried bur-
ying in n sand hill; sometimes have put them
in the cellar or the garrett ofthe house, &c.
nave llau tilcnI 40 well IN all these places,
aud have experienced great losses in all Of
them In rejecting upon the subject, have
been led to the construction of the proper
house for the winerimg and the slImuering
of bees lbuilt one about two years ago, 10
10y "a feet, which will accommodate "a
Swarns in the summer season. and double
that number can he wntered in it, ! had
hut two swarms in this building last ApriEbut
10y closing my bee house few days in the
cold spell of weather the last OF the month,
those two have done as well as bees do in
most seasons, swarnng and making honey;
whereas those that were out. died, as before
stated, and many people in this vicinity lost
all their bees. In the October number of
the Cultivator for last volume, page 305 men
ton was made ofmy bee house, stating that
II further explanation was expected. have
not now time 10 give this explanation, and
perhaps it is less necessary, and am conpil- |
ing n manual on the management ofbees, in
which shall show the advantages of my
house by diagrams exhibiting all its paris
Hives ofany construction can he kept in it,
There are many patent bee hives; that of
Cotton, of which an engraving was given in
the December number of the Cultivntor,
think well adapted to the economy of the |
bee, and as it is double OH every side,or near
ly so, is well calculated to shield the bees
from the cold as well as heat. ] shall try it |
che coming season when ! shall be better
prepared to speak of It's utility.
NATHAN Howard.
a