Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-06
Agricultural.
ror Tie Green Mountain freeman.
On the Management of Bees.

NIT EDITOR Having been an observer of the
management of bees for some little time wish
to write few lines on this subject, thinking it
may be of some interest to your readers
The profit from the Bee Culture when rightly
managed, is considerable. As general cal
culatlon, swarms increase SO fast as to double
every year and each swarm, both old and young.
will make double the amount of honey necessary
for their winter sustenance.
For example, man purchases a swarm of
Bees in the spring for 5 or dollars This will
swarm besides making some 40 pounds extra
honey. The young swarm will also make 40
pounds or more, Here he will have $40 worth
ofhoney in a single year, and the young swarm
will sell for as much as the first swarm COST
This is only "a moderate estimate
1t is said by some that Bees so often die, there
is too much risk in keeping them. Bee keepers
may say this, but the language of Bee Cultivators
is different
Let your Bees have some little care and at
tention, as well as your sheep or other animals,
and the profit from their culture will be hreefold
more than any other agricultural employment,
occupying comparative length Of time.
We will Just look at few causes of failure
in this business, and think in nine cases out of
ten, we shall find the cause to be real neglect
While visiting neighbor the past winter en-
quired how his bees were wintering well he
had not examined them This led to a look at
the bees. One fine swarm was in hive with
no vent hole at all, the only entrance having been
at the bottom-this had become entirely stopped
by the falling down of dead bees, perspiration
and Frost so that the bees were all smothered to
death for want of air Another fine swarm had
died from cruel neglect.
Another friend had lost a good heavy swarm
in hive of Cuttings patent; the bees had col
lected in one fthe lower drawers for the winter
and remained there till they had empted the
drawer, at time when the apertures leading to
the other drawer were SO filled with frost that
they could not pass Thus they starved with a
large quantity of food near.
About a year ago put up for the night with a
gentleman in the northern part of Vermont. In
the morning, observing some bee hives on a
stand in the corner of the garden, inquired how
he prospered with his bees. He replied, he had
only kept them one year-that the first young
swarm did well-got fine parcel of honey-but
in storm the wind blew the hive from the
stand and he had to "take it up" as the saying
s--that he had not since looked at his old hive
This conversation led to an examination of his
only swarm of bees. On turning up the hive it
was found that the dead bees and filth and mois-
ture of the hive had fallen down to the bottom
among the combs The weather being warm
and the entrance at the bottom completely stop
ped, the combs had become mouldy, and even
rotten with the dead bees The few live bees in
the hive had so far passed in and out at the VEN
tIlator which CHANGED to be open.
In April as we had remarkably fine, warm
weather. passed bee-house where was large
hive of honey; its inmates were dead A swarm
standing near had found the honey in this I'M
guarded hive, and were then depostng it with
all possible diligence in their own store house
Their owner simply remarked that his bees
"worked WE'LL" that he understood the bee bust
ness, and went his way. This resulted in the
loss of the honey and also the loss of the swarm
which stored it up, because they filled up all the
combs-had no brood comb left-no where to
raise young bees. Consequently, in the course
of the summer, the hive became depopulated
then their work was left for the depredations OF
the miller
suppose. People say we can't keep bees because
of the moth. Now it very seldom happens that
good swarm of bees is injured by the moth
miller. Many swarms, from causes such as We
have named, and from late swarming, &c, be.
come reduced so that they arc not able to defend
themselves; in this condition, only, will the mil
Ter trouble them much.
In climate like ours, subject to extreme
changes, it often happens that after a swarm
comes out the next night will be very cold
Then the bees in the old hive, being reduced by
the absence of the new swarm are obliged tc
cluster near the top of the hive to keep warm
and thus leave their young in the cells to chill tC
death; and many instances of this kind are known
of the death of the old swarm from this cause
this not being observed for some days, the mille
gets in and is considered the cause Of all thu
trouble
To prevent chill, after young swarm ha
come off, let the ventilator be closed tor lev
days, and if the evenings are cold, let blanke
or bed quilt be put around the hive to keep
warm throughout.
Bees are sometimes too much reduced by lat
swarming this should also be avoided, as lat
swarms are of little value. They are OF muc
value If they remain in the old hive. Much dc
ponds on the form of the hive.
The hive patented by Mr.. Aaron Cotton, G
Pittsfeld, vt is better adapted to the prope
management of bees than any other with whlc
am acquainted. hived all my young swarm
in Colton's hive last year. l find by observ;
ton that they readily enter the drawers-that n
time is lost by the bees when the boxes al
changed think that, by giving the bees a SUI
ply Of boxes Immediately after the first swar
comes off, they will not be likely to become
much reduced by late swarming as to be trouble
with the moth, or be liable to freeze up in tt
winter.
One other great advantagein Colton's Hive
it is an excellent hive to winter the bees In
the double covering keeping out the frost t
comb dry, and the bees in the best condition
find | am not alone in my opinion of G
toms hive, for it is already in extensive use
this State; and very many of the oldest and mt
extensive bee cultivators speak loudly in its