The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-07-19
For the Republican
The Honey Extraordinarily


In former article spoke Of Bee Keeping as
being one thing, and Bee Culture as another.
In the one case the old, dirty, and perhaps
rotten box hive is placed in some out OF the way
place and there left for the bees 10 take as good
care of themselves as they can under the circum-
stances. The result is, that the two or three
hives are kept for few years, the young swarms,
j; any issue from them, taking their departure and
finding for themselves a more comfortable home
elsewhere, while the comb in the old hives, from
long use, has become thick and black and until
for further use The swarns become weak, and
unable 10 protec, themselves against the ravages
of the moth, or the thieving bees that come
from stronger colonies 10 rob them of their scan
" store OF honey, consequently in the winter,
the poor bees starve, and die, and the bee keep
er is said to be very unucky, and he thinks il is
So therefore lie votes The whole thing a hum
keeping bees.
/ The good apiarian, the bee culturist, does not
leave his bees 10 chance, but he studies their
habits, caters 10 their wants, and contrves how TO
keep the colonies strong and healthy, and at the
same time Increase his stock and procure from
each swarm greater or less amount of surplus
honey for his own use.
| There are several very good bee culturists in
Lansing and vicinity, who, undoubtedly, find
pleasure and profit to result from the labor they
bestow upon their bees.
A gentleman in the :. W. part of the city has
large sock of bees, all in fine condition: some
| of them are in the common box hives some are
in hives that hang suspended between two posts
to the suspended hives there are no alightinc
boards, and the bees having filled the hives with
comb, are working their way, below the bottom
of the hives, towards the earth. The greater
portion OF his hives are made with drawers in
the upper part, where the bees deposit their
honey for safe keeping. 1t is from this deposit
that the apiirist, TO the surprise of the bees,
draws the sweetest part of his profits. This
apiary is situated in the open air, beneath the
shade of fruit trees.
Another gentleman has built very tasty apia-
ry, and has several strong, healthy colonies de-
posted therein. The bees are well cared for
Bees require some slight shelter from the
heat of the sun, from storms, and from the Sc
verify of the winter, but care should be taken
they are not sheltered to their injury.
| A very provoking case Of loss of bees occur
red last winter near the lower town bridge. \
gentleman residing in the vicinity of the bridge
| had protected his bees from the weather, but
! not from the rmIi,nty al some mean bped who
entered upon the premises at night, who rot
having the fear Of man bee before him, stole
and carried i'll will not say whcrc-but his
troubled conscience has never sanctioned the
mean transaction.
There are several other apiarys in the city
and vicinity, but most of the aparians use the
old fashioned box hive, and many of the hives
are old and in bad condition
Within "A few wears there has been quite a
revolution in the mode of keeping bees Ia or
der to cultivate bees To the best advantage il i.
necessary to study their habits; the most eco
nomical manner Of keeping them the easiest
way to manage them; also how to increase the
stock, and to procure the creates, amount of
honey without injury to the bees.
A nervous person should not undertake 10
manage bees, because such persons are liable 10
become excited, jar the hives, become aIarmed
and strike at the bees These movements the
bees will not put up with, but they will show
fight, and in all probability the nervous apisrian
will come of second best A. all vents the
bees will come oil conquerers.
\ person going gently to the Lives, without
fear, will seldom he stung, and if hc will sprinkle
| some sugar-water near, or upon the bees. they
will Immediately fill themselves with the sweet,
and enjoy the company Of the person who feeds
them, invite him to come again, and at every
successive visit and spriHklng they will become
better acquainted with the visitor and welcome
his coming.
But going among them and feeding them with.
ont fear is not all. Bees may he handled and
examined throughout, the comb and bees taken
out and returned at pleasure, &C. but all this re-
quires hive suited to the purposes, and the one
best adapted to this kind of management, with
which am acquainted, is Langstroth's movea-
bic comb hive. At some other time | will de.
scribe this hive the manner of transferring col.
onies from old hives tn new ones without loss of
bees or honey, how swarms may be divided, &c.
Bees can be transferred at almost any time
and they will go to work in their new home i'm
medately and repair the comb and work "a well.
and some times better than if they had not been
moved J.CH.
| POKING Frs At ACsTRIA.--A Paris letter.wri-
ter says:
THE Austrian army, officers and soldiers a.
ike, are mercilessly ridiculed. Poor Gyulai has
come in, think, for vastly more than his share