Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-06-03
BECK EEPING.


Having watched for many years the pro-
press of bee-culure in this country, among
all classes Of bee-keepers, the conclusions ar
rived at we're. that the whole thing was a
matter OF pucss-work and uncertainty that
the most intelligent apiariaus depended who'll
w. or nearly so, upon whimsical notions re-
spectine the likes and dislikes of their pets
believing that ALL both failures ahd successes,
rested upon the capriccs of these insects and
that if they took dislike TO their master las
was often the case, iudeed), they would leave
in spite of all his efforts to concliate and
keep them, or they would become 80 irritable
as TO be the dread Of the whole family, be
neglected and finally perish. Ii was very
often the case, we noticed, that bees would
increase very rapidly; store their hives fully
and furnish a large surplus to their owners ;
and yet, in a few years, the same apiaries
would be dwindlcd down to perhaps a single
swarm, and that making no increase in either
bees or stores-thc owner at an utter loss 70
account for such a complete turn about, and
having no means and no clue by which TO fer
ret out the cause.
Again, we have known others TO keep along
and Just hold their own, making no increase
in their colonies, and receiving just about such
quantity of honey from year to year. 9th
ers have stocks that have not furnished a new
swarm for years These and many other
casualties we have frequently known to occur,
and suppose they have been witnessed by
every observing boe-kceper.
Now what are the causes Of these evils
and how are they to be remedied2 In an old
box hive all is dark and mysterious, and if
the bees hold q dislike to YOU the case is
worse. 1t il very evident that unless some
! thing is known Of the true nature and habits
of the bee--that unless its daily works and
wants can be seen and known-assisted in the
one and provided for in the other-and unless
its abode and storehouse and place Of hatch
ing its young can be kept clean, and pure, and
lhcathiul, no permanent success can be ex-
pected, and seldom is realized. In favorable
Summers and favorable Winters, bees will
prosper almost anywhere, but in unfavorabe
seasons, the number of casualties to which
they are liable, as they are ordinarily kept,
sweep them of by wholesale.
Let us enumerate some of the causes of
the frequent losses and failures in Bookkeeping
as usually carried on in this country. And
first of all. and the most common cause of
failure is the want of reRtHatioa-- the want
Of pure fresh air in the hive. In Summer,
unless there is an easy and free circulation,
large plumber of bees are employed to force a
circulation by the use of their wings This
occupies much time which should be used in
honey gathering and comb-bulding. In VIM
ter as the cold Increases the bees all cluster
on the comb for warmth, and the air becomes
stagnant--loaded with vapor which freezes to
the combs and upper parts Of the hive, and
when warm enough within, it is thawed drips
upon the bees and they are chilled and de-
stroyed. The comb mods and becomes rotten !;
a sickenng stencil fills the hive, and the poor
inmates, if they escape the frost, are doomed
to more miserable death from disease in
duced by stagnant and poisonous air. With
any hive in which the bees lasten the combs
to the top board, perfect ventilation is imprac-
ticable, or nearly SO.
ID Want of food. This is frequent
cause of the death of swarms, which issue
late in the season from the parent stock
What is the remedy2 Can you feed them
1t is too much trouble and expense. The true
course is to prevent the issue of late swarms.
But this can be done where the common hives
are used only by destroying the queen which
comes out Of the swarm, when they will i'm
mediately return to the parent hive.
3D.. Sometimes, though there are sufficient
stores, there are too few bees to preserve the
proper warmth in large hive What is the
remedy in this case? How is the cause to be
ascertained2 Or, supposing the cause is
known, what remedy can be applied where the
number is great in extensive apiaries2
And so one might 90 on and reiterate the
numberless dangers and deaths to which bees
in box-hives are exposed Success sometimes
smiles, but success is the exception and failure
the rule. One of our neighbors has Just in
formed US, that though he has kept bees for
dozen years, he has never received any surplus
honey but from one swarm, except he killed
the bees over the sulphur pit
The true course to be followed to shun most
of these evils attendant upon bee culture as
now pursued, is, we believe, distinctly marked
out by Langstroth in his treatise, and in his
wonderful invention. With the ordinary in
telligence of bee-keepers, one may take this
hive and shun nearly all the evils of the old
system. Death by foul and stagnant air, by
starvation, from loss OF queen, from want of
numbers to preserve the natural heat, from
moths, from cold, from turning out in insult
able weather in Winter-loss from bees leav-
ing the hive after swarmng; loss from too
many drones in the hive loss frem wet and
cold winds by hives getting out of repair !;
and loss in the great amount of time spent in
watching the bees during swarming season.
all these evils and fatalities are avoided by
! the use of the movable frame hive.