Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1869-09-30
From tle Bee Keepers Journsi
Bookkeeping i'm september.
BY MRS. f. S. TOPPER.

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In manv PARTS of the West, more honey
is stored in this month than any other o.
tbe season. Buckwheat should be in full
bloom. and in all places where there is any
uncultivated land, wild flowers are found
rich in honey. This season, in many pla
ces. the corn fields have been 80 wet thai
they are full of weeds, some of which yield
honey. The English heartsease and gol
den rod are non these, Corn tassel
will be abundant until frost, yielding the
best pollen, 50 that brood rearing viii not
be checked, as was the case last season
We hope that late and weak swarTas viii
in most eases make up for lost time, and
fill up their hives before Winter. Unlesc
there is a particular desire to increase
stocks. it is better to unite all weak colo
MES with stronger ones, or put two weak
ones together. Many defer doing this un-
til Winter, but we find a great gain in do
ing it before all pasturage ceases, and
would advise that it should be done early
this month. Qaecnlcss bees aciH not quar-
rel eciM each other, and bees that hare no
queen eCiU Arrays be SceH rcceiUed iR dcOt-
ony that has one. If, therefore, the queen
be taken from any hive, a few days after.
the bees and combs can be given to any
colony without disturbance. The only
trouble consists in the fact, that the uni
ted colonies have different locations. On
this account We always confne the queen
less colony tc its hive for AZ hours before
carrying the combs and bees to the other
hive We find the confinement causes
them, when released, to mark their lOca-
ton anew.
The advantages of uniting colonies now,
instead of waiting until winter, are these
Small, weak colonies have little energy in
storing honey, seeming TO know instinc-
lively that they have little chance for liy-
ing. When united, the addition of a few
combs of honey, and Two or three quarts
of bees, to an average colony, gives great
encouragement, and much more honey is
stored han would otherwise be the case.
We nave seen the hives with the combs
filed with honey, and from some reason
very few bees such have a poor chance to
winter well, as the combs are too full to
to give the small number of bees room to
cluster but if a few quarts of bees are
added, the. honey is consumed near the
center, and the enlarged cluster has in
creased warmth as we'll as space.
Boxes of honey, full, or nearly full,
should not be removed until the full pas
turage is over, Bees seldom take pos
session~of new empty boxes so late in the
season, but will often finish up those part
ly full. The morning after the first frost
is the time we choose to take off all box
es, whether well filed or partially so, lest
they should carry it below when pasture
fails. This, month and next are the times
we choose to remove all boor queens, and
give colonies better ones. If pains nave
been taken to preserve Italian drones,
there is little to fear from black ones. and
young queens may now be reared with
ease and pleasure. Much is gained for
next Spring in every impure queen re-
moved from an apiary now.
Those who have contemplating ma
chimes, may use them now to good advan-
tagc in removing honey from centre combs,
where it is no benefit.