Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-10-13

ter to the prominent characteristics
Of a bee colony. We give summary
Iof this chapter: a1
"a colony of bees consists of three
classes-queen, workers and drones.
The queen is perfectly developed
female, the workers imperfect females,
laying eggs but rarely and these pro-
duce only drones or male bees. The
queen lives from four to five years,
but loses her vigor after about three
years, and if not replaced by young
one, the colony will run out or become
very weak one on the score of work
erS.
Some destroy the queen when sup
posed to be old, compelling the pro-
duction of another one. Workers
live from two to nine months, and the
drone as long as the workers permit.
Where regular queen is in the hive,
she produces all the eggs; in default
of one, it is supposed common work
er is selected for the purpose, whose
eggs produce only drones. The queen
lays two kinds of eggs, male and fe-
male-the latter producing workers,
the former drones. Female eggs are
laid in small cells, male in large ones.
A healthy queen can produce three
thousand eggs per day. She is arm
ed with a sting, but only uses it when
disputing supremacy with rival. Fe-
cundation, by drone is essential to
the production of female eggs, and is
usually accomplished on the wing, and
is ample for a lifetime But one
queen TO colony is tolerated for any
considerable time, and these excep-
lions are when an old queen is about
to die or lead off a colony. Drones
are stingless, do not accumulate stores
and are useful only to fertilization Of
the queens. The workers determine
the number of drone cells, and hasten
to kill off the gentlemen bees as soon
as the honey harvest is gathered and
the swarming season is over.
The workers perform all the labor
of the hive. make wax, build combs,
fill them, hatch and feed the young,
raise queens, keep the domicile clean,
and provide for the general welfare.
1t requires generally sixteen days to
develop queen to maturity, twenty
one to workers and twenty-four for
drones. Each strong colony rearS
one or more queens, and when about
to emerge, the old queen leads off
with swarm composed of workers
and drones. The first queen that
energies, after the swarm has left,
takes the place of the old one, and if
the stores are plentiful and the colo
ny strong, this one leads out a swarm
as the second young one is about to
come forth. Sometimes four swarms
emerge from one hive in a season.
In extreme cases five. Humping pans,
ringing bells, blowing horns and firing
OFT guns, though practiced by some,
are deemed entirely useless. If the
swarm has determined to cluster near
the old hive, they will do it without
noise or commotion, but if bound for
the woods. they are pretty sure to get
there, despite Of all the noise made to
prevent them.
No eggs are laid in the old stock
otter ieavee until young
queen comes out and is fertilised.
which is from two to three weeks
Some hours before a swarm is to leave,
a piping" sound is heard in the hive,
made by the old queen, resembling
"peep, peep" which seems to be an
swered by another resembling "off,
off" On applying the ear close to
the hive, these preparatory sounds
may be heard, as they sometimes are
at quite distance from it. The same
piping precedes the flight of each
swarm, which usually succeeds each
other from eight, fifteen or twenty
days. Usually, if no piping is heard
after fifteen days, it is sign that no
more swarms are to be thrown off that
season.
By attending to these preliminary
signs of swarming, preparations may
be made to meet each case, and much
confusion and sometimes loss prevent
ed. A pound of bees contain about
five thousand, and good swarms should
contain at least three pounds. Occa.
sionally swarms are said to weigh
fifteen pounds, numbering seventy-ive
thousand, which is nearly as many as
a queen can produce at one time be.
fore the bees alive at the time she
commenced laying will have nearly
all died off. A stock like this with
plenty of room, it is sand never throws
off a swarm, because the dying bees
make room for the young brood and
they in turn for another. This Is
called a "non-swarmer," and by some
deemed the most profitable, as it pro
duces much more honey than the
swarming ones"
The BRAHMA FowL.-From my ex
perience | consider the Brahma fowI
calculated for this climate. Compar
ing this breed with the common mixeG
breeds of the country, the Brahma ii
full twice as productive at the same
outlay. In winter, when eggs are
scarce and in demand, because th'
common breeds lay sparingly, thu
Brahmas, under the same care ant
treatment, lay bountifully. | do no
say that even the Brahma will la,
beautifully if not fairly provided for
that is, enough to eat and drink, AM
comfortable shelter. My experienc