Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-02-27
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN


At the morning session of the Nation
81 Association of Bee Keepers Dec; o,
Mr.. ID. L. Adair read paper on - ne
Ultimate Capacity of Colony OF pes
for Producing Honey The drl1t o. ns'
argument was in favor OF large hI,ee'
He thought that the hive should De aIap
ted to the capacity OF the queen lol LAY
ing eggs, and that capacity MS own oo-
serva1ion,. and those of others proved, in
favorable seasons, to reach an average
of over 8. 500 per day, which IN so days
1.-THE average of working bees life,)
would be nearly 1s0,00 bees, or nine
times the number Of an ordinary swarm.
A common swarm WOULD produce 100
pounds of box honey without the use OF
the Meliqul, while the large swarm
would produce 900 pounds at the same
rate. The question whether the bees
could construct comb enough to contain
this amount of honey he also discussed,
reaching an affirmative conclusion.
The comparative merit of Italian and
black bees was the next topic for gene
raj discussion.
Drs. Lucas and Bohrer, and Mrs. Tup-
per spoke earnestly in favor of the Ital-
ans as best in nearly every desirable
quality, although DR.. Bohrer thought
them inclined TO swarm sometimes too
late in the season. Mr.. Hoagland OF
PENNSYLVANIA preferred opinions from
parties not interested in the breeding and
sale of Italian queens. Mr.. Dunlap said
be was not queen breeder, and while
he thought the introduction of Italians
was a good move, their merits had been
exaggerated, He did not find them as
gentle as the black bees, and they were
as easily destroyed by the moth. He
desired the association also to decide by
resolution what dcere pure Italian bees,
and where they could be had. This led
TO q discussion of the question OF purity,
In which it appeared that, as in animals,
there were thoroughbreds and half breds,
and all sorts Of lower grades no better
than the black bees, and ''that the type
of the Italian race is not so fixed as to
produce a regular uniform insect.
The pugnacity of the Italians was at
tested 10 by various members, but after
further discussion the association voted
unanimously that they were superior to
the black bees
1.-THE best method to increase stocks
was next discussed, and the chair called
on Mr.. Hosmer of Minnesota to open
the discussion.
Mr.. Hosmer said that in the spring he
gets the queen to laying as soon as posi-
BILE by feeding the bees. lie brings them
out of the cellar, gives them as many
sheets of comb as they can cover, plac-
ing them against one side of the hive.
On the opposite side he hangs a sack of
honey, Gas far from the bees as possible, }
which the bees suck through the cloth.
The queen lays rapidly, and when the
brood frames are filed they are replaced
by others. One purpose of the feeding
is to make the queen believe that the
season of honey harvest has arrived.
Honey should not be allowed in the
brood comb. The latter, as fast as filled,
are removed to the upper story of the
hive. His hives contain eighteentrames.
Does not ventilate in summer, and aims
ia the spring 10 keep the hive as warm
as possible. New stocks are started by
setting up a nucleus, taken from a hive
containing a select queen a sheet OF
brood with bees upon it, The bees al
once establish queen cells; these he
divides SO as TO form other new stocks,
giving one queen cell to each. AS the
rev stocks increase, he makes sub-divis
ions, and in this way has made 10 stocks
from ono. One quart of bees was his
standard for wintering, or breeding
stocks from in the spring. The feeders
(honey bags) were made of common
factory" The leading idea was to keer
the bees feeding all the time. Had not
done as well as usual last season, but he
started in the spring with % colonies
and had sold 1923 worth of bees from
them, secured 1000 pounds of honey
and had $50 stocks on hand. His be-
sales averaged $40 per colony; had made
ten colonies from one as late as last Sep
tember Sugar syrup was as good a.
honey for feeding, or better, but honey
was the cheapest with him. He 6e}5eDeC
ne could get 900 pounds of honey from
one hive in a season, and would test i
if by sales he could reduce his stocks t.
ten in number The only ''magic" re
lating to his success was that he had thu
best honey-producing district in tn
world. The best flower was probably
the white rice. lie had sown eigh
acres TO wild mustard, which furnished
an abundance OF honey, though it wa
accounted in general rs a poor season
He had known as many as twelve natu
raj swarms to issue from one hive in
season in Minnesota, and to be success
fully wintered.
Mrs. Topper and Mr.. Moon detailei
their plans for increasing stocks, but a
they did not vary essentially from tina
of Mr.. Hosmer, we DO not repeat them
- Cul&gator.