The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-09-12

some embarrassment, that l to day
attempt to deliver the monthly ad-
dress before this society. But by
the request Of some of the officers
and members, and on account of the
great interest I feel in our society,
I'D the brauch of culture we
represent, assume the responsible
ity and will make an attempt.
The object for which these month
ly addresses were instituted, as
underntand it, is to call the attention
of bee-keepers more particularly to
the duties incumbent upon them
and necessary to be attended to
during the following month, but as
we have not had such an address
for several months, 1 will name
few leading points, which, with your
forbearance, l propose to call your
attention to during my discourse
here to-day.
Ist. What should be done the
coming month";
I'd. Is bee-keeping pleasant and
proftsb ble2
Sd, and last. Patent hives.
Gentlemen, if, during my remarks,
I express opinions adverse to your
minds and experience, l hope and
trust they viii Be received in the
same spirit of good feeling, brother
ly love and interest in our society
that prompts me to express them.
During the winter beginning the
year 1865, as / was teaching school
in the village of Hessville, to pass
part of my leisure hours | read
report of the Department of Agri-
culture of some previous year, which
contained a lengthy article on bee
keeping, which l read with great in
terest. There l first saw the name
italian bees, and the idea proposed
of moveable frames for combs in
hives. There, too, ] also learned
that the king, that had always fan
cied occupied some elevated cell in
every hive, from which to sway his
royal sceptre, was a queen, yes, the
mother of the whole colony, and the
drones were lazy loungers, but little
needed during the whole year. With
this much learned l became interest
ed enough, that il March of the
same year l bought colony of bees,
black bees, in a box hive, of course.
You will therefore see why it seems
task for me to address a society
which has members, some of whom
have owned and handled bees for
the last forty years. l have kept
bees for eight years, and now wonder
that | was able to keep them as long
as that, with the cold care they re-
ceived from me.
1 told you I purchased a stock of
bees. I took them to my place, set
the hive on a couple of blocks
against a board fence, and thought
then that the principal portion of
my part of the work was done-that
all that was required of me would
be to remove surplus boxes when
full, and hive swarms if any should
issue during the season. Thus l
managed the business five years;
my colonies had increased to five in
number, with some box honey every
season. Then, in 1870, I bought
patent hive, which I have used ever
since with some better results, con-
sequently my experience is SO limit
ed that 1 was obliged to consult my
library in order to post up for this
occasion.
What should be done the coming
month is Of great Importance to all
Of US, that We may progress more
successfully in our pursuit.
Longstroth says August is usual
ly the season Of the second honey
harvest, the second clover crop, and
buck wheat, now furnishes supplies.
Bees frequently so prosper, that
they again commence swarming.
Good strong swarms may winter,
but weak ones should be returned to
the old stock. Hive them in the
usual way, and the next day return
them to their old quarters. He says
shade and free ventilation are very
necessary, during the heat of sum
mer, and declares that the bee keep
er, who allows his stock to remain
without queens is too careless to
succeed. Many colonies are so eager
to store honey that the combs are
so filled that no room is LETT for
breeding. In such cases insert |
empty comb, or use the extractor |
Mr.. King, in his Text Book, says
opening hives or removing surplus
honey, should now be done early in
the morning, or after sunset, or on a |
cool day, exposing the honey as lit
tie as possible to the bees. If any
stocks remain queenless, divide any
Buckwheat swarm that may issue,
and give it the half containing the /
queen, returning the other half to
the parent stock; or any small |
colony, or nucleus may be united to |
the queenless stock. Buck wheat |
swarms may be easily made good for
winter, by giving them frames of
honey or empty comb. Should any |
young colonies become deficient in
bee bread, exchange a comb with an
old stock that has an excess. If
colony retain its drones long after
those of other stocks are destroyed,
it will almost invariably be found |
queenless.
Mrs. Tupper's mode Of uniting
two colonies, l think good one,
and it is frequently necessary to
unite in the fall as you learned from
what have said; she alarms the bees
in both hives which she wishes to
unite, then leaves them few mo-
ments to fill themselves with honey.
She then puts one of them over an
empty hive cher hives have movable
tops and DEMONSTRATES each
frame out, and shakes or brushes the
bees into the hive below. When all
are out, she sets the other hive in its
place, and proceeds in the same way,
The bees all brushed together thus
into an empty hive, are too much
frightened to quarrel. She then ar
ranges all the frames containing hon
ey into one hive, and sets it over
the one in which the bees are. They
all 90 mn raDidlV fOoathar and takn |