Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-12-27
Agrunltural.
Bad Lnck with Bees-o crsw arming
aud the Remedy

The experience of many bee keepers is
wei they think the hives swarm two three
tines each and their number is greatly in
Sssased. Toward fall some Of the old stock,
Sesm 70 be feeble, but few bees ny ont and in
AL they evidently dwindle away. when
attention is directed to the matter, and tho
hive. are examined, the comb is founi TO be
mass of worms and their nests. The same
/. very likely true of some Of the late .warrps.
Or, ifby good luck, the bees escape the raw
ages OF the mouth they are so feeble that they
fail to lay up sufficient stores for winter and
starve to death; or il they get honey enough.
they arc too few 10 resist the effects Of the cold,
and during some cold spell they freeze. At
Any rate the almost unvarying experience Of
nine-tenths Of those who keep bees il, tiat
they will increase to n considerable number
and then they will lose almost or quite all Of
them, anil they have 10 begin over again.
When favorable season comes, their bees
increase; bat when a hard one for bees makes
its appearance, their number Of hives grows
small-not gradually but rapidly.
Several causes, no doubt. conspire 10 produce
this result; but the chief one unqucx,ionably
is that the old stock casts too many swarms.
Yonr correspondent dwclt upon this ut some
Length las, summer, and in my opinion stated
| the case none too strongly. lie pointed ont
Al effectual remciy-but one too complicated
and tedious for any but those who arc de-
| termined that their b cs shall prosper
During the rast season have been prae-
, ticng npon suggestion made BY writer in
: the .imericas Be- .Journai-The method he pro-
poses is exceedingly simple. easily aud quickly
performed, and according to my experience
thus far entirely c.fcctual
When the first swarm comes OIL it is lIivcl'
as usual aud the old hive which the young col
ony came ont Of, is removed 10 distance Of
At least twenty or thirty feet The young
swarm is then placed on the stand from whica,
the old one was removed, and the work is
lone. The old bees. which have been accua-
tome.i to return to the old hive from the fields,
will all gather in the new coleny, and that
viii become populous that it can hardly
fail TO gather honey enoash for its support
and will BE- certain to protect itself from the
moth.
The old swarm will not be in condition 70
send forth colony when the young queens
hatch, and hence there will be no second and
third swarms. The combs are always crowded
with larvG, or unmatched bees. before the hrst
swarm takes its departure, ami therefore
there will be no deficiency Of bees in the old
hive. With the comb already made, honey
enough viii oe gathered to winter it, and bees
enough will be reared to pro,ectit. This makes
provision for doubling the number Of bees
each year, and no more. Some bee owners
will be impatient and will wish to increase
their stock faster-but TO double i. all pru.
den. man can do, unless he reeoris 70 arti-
fetal swarming. II may seem for . year e
two as though but little progress l. naAe---
but in series Of years il will be found sAas
osee increase more rapidly BY this method Of
management than when they are allowed 10
sw"rm As much a. they please. The surplass
honey yielded by an apiary will also be far
grester.-F. 0. Blair-in the Rural World.