The Portland daily press., 1868-06-17
Rees.

Mr.. EDIToR,-I am interested in the agri-
cultural department of your paper and il pos
sible would like to add to its interest by Civ
ing you few short articles on bees and hon.
ey, which l hope will induce some far
mers aud mechanics to raise not only honey
for their own use but for the market "He
who causes two blades Of grass to grow where
but one grew before is public benefactor. :"
So he who will produce honey will not only
add to the wealth of our STATE but also to
his own profit and pleasure. 1 would not
hesitate to undertake with a small invest
ment in bees to realize more net profit than
is now obtained from the average of our
farms. The honey business is getting to be
one OF importance in this country, and it is
no uncommon thing to find one man or
woman owning one hundred OF more
colonies. l see reports of sales of honey
from hundred or less swarms amounting to
from S700 to $1,000 per year and in addition
to that the increase of bees to as much more.
A large proportion of our community so
well versed in genuine intelligence, are igno-
rant of the natural history of bees and the
economy of the bee hive. Let me suggest TO
such that they obtain Langstroth's, or Quinn
by's "Bee Book" and see if the perusal of its
pages does not convince them that "truth is
stranger than fiction" The idea so common
that success with bees depends upon luck
must be abandoned. There is no more luck
in raising bees than there is in making good
butter. Some seasons, it is true, are more
propitious than Others, but bees can be sue
cessfully managed in the worst seasons, and
a knowledge of proper management can be
easily acquired by reference to the above
named books. Bees will do well in almost
any location in this State except in cities
where they have access to the molasses
wharves.
Now is good time to begin for next year,
by procuring a new swarm as soon as they
emerge from the hive and planting them in
some convenient place where they will not
suffer from cold winds or be disturbed by cat
tie. Ifa strong colony they may throw off
a swarm this season, but ia all probability
they will give you two swarms next season.
Italian bees are to be preferred, but if they
cannot be had. get the common black bees
and you can readily change them to Italians.
The process of changing will give hereafter.
have few swarms just out of the city, and
take gceat pleasure in watching their prog
ress as well as in partaking of the delicate re-
pasts they furnish me. l have no bees to
sell nor patent hives to recommend, but will
cheerfully give to any one starting in the bee
business the benefit of my experience. Let me
say just here; do not build q bee house but set
your hive by itself six or eight inches from the
ground, with no covering save board little
larger than the top of the hive to keep off
the sun and rain. 1 think a hive containing
movable frames essential to successful bee
culture. mean several frames (not unlike
schoolboys' slate frames with the states brok-
ell out) hung side by side in the hive. The
bees will fill them with comb, and they can
be taken out separately and used advantage
usly in increasing the number of colonies
and in inspecting, the hives.
1t will surprise some to learn that the lives
of bees in the honey season do not exceed
six or eight weeks excepting the queen, who
lives from three to five years, is the mother
of the whole colony, and in order to keep
the number of her family good lays from
one to three thousand eggs every day.
In my next will take up bee pasturage,
stings, &c. II. G. PALMER.