Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-29
A DAY AMONG TIE BEES.
How tho Hcncy-Makers Are Taken Care or
AZ On Apiary- Their Culture ~ science.

az On Apiary-Their Culture as science.
IPhii,delphis Times. 2sth.i
In beautiful glen surrounded by wood
land. and close 10 the ripping Wissahickon
stands quaint, old fashioned farmstead.
Here were congrega,ed yesterday, on .
space cleared around the house, some thirty
ladies and gentlemen, whose conversation
was entirely devoted 10 the relative merits
~ various kinds Of bees and their culture.
while one OF their number Introduced
them 10 his largo colony Of honcy-collec-
tors. II WIS the special summer meeting
az the Philadelphia Bee.Keepers' AssOcia-
ton. The farm was Vice-Prestdent Arthur
TodG's bee and poultry-farm. at Kitchens
lane. Germantown. He Is from the old
country. ard has only been Ia America q
few years, but has already identified him
self with apiarian interests In this country.
In his yard are arranged more than eighty
wooden boxes. some OF them three stories
IA height. These are the hives.
Each hive contains family OF from
thirty 10 forty .housand bees. These are
SUPPLIED with a sheet Of artifei,lIy-pre-
pared wax comb. on which 10 build their
cells at the rate Of about twenty-five to the
SQUARE inch. In each box from i've to eight
of these combs are placed and in each comb
the busy little workers store from three TO
Eve pounds Of honey.
"Now, ladies' aud gentlemen" said the
bce-farmer, ''if you will step this way we
win look into some o; my bires. Put on
your wells II you have then. do not think
Il will be necessary. but you my be ner-
yous, and II you should be rough with the
bees they are apt 10 get angry"
HANDLING THB BEES.
IIr. Todd. without any covering to face
or hands, lifted the lids 81 the hive-boZes,
took out The combs swarming With bees,
handled the little creatures. allowed them
10 crawl over him, and showed no trcpida-
ton OF any kind.
'sDo they never sting your" he was
asked.
"yery seldom. Sometimes. when the
stock OF honey runs short and they are
hungry, they arc not so quiet and smiable.
But.they are exceptionally goo3-humored
to-day. You see, l blow q little smoke
into the hive. That frightens them. They
gorge Themselves with honey in their ter
ror and they are thue rendered quiet and
con paratively harmless. All. there Is the
queen,v he continued. pointing TO a bee
much longer than the rest and with smaller
wings. "See, there are some eggs. II Is
all right. She Is iertlized." AZ this state
ment there was considerable excitement
among the enthusiasts assembled.
The apiariet took two frames Of comb
into the house and showed how the honey
was extracted. lie first shaved the cover
ing from tie cells and then placed the
comEs into a kind Of churu, which be
turned very rapidly. The honey was all
elected into the receptacle, and the combs,
once more empty, were ready TO be again
filed by the industrious little collectors.
AIr. Todd then took his visitors TO see his
three-acre sunfover plantation.
Az EXPERIMENT WITH sUSPIOwERs.
"Tbis is an experiment" he said. 81
have heard that in Spain and Portugal the
green leaves OF the sUnfiOwer are used as
fodder for the cattle. / have tried It with
Derfect success. MY bees will obtain an
immense supply Of honey from the flowers,
and the seed is good feed FOR the poultry.
| shall in thst way obtain three crops from
INV one outlay. II is also possible that out
of nv abundance OF blooms | may serd
some 10 market for sale, as they are beau
ti!ul flower, and ! may also make the
exIWriment Of making bread OF the seed
-four. That is done IN Spain, where the
sunfiower receives the title OF the gift OF
heaven"
TIE party thence returned 10 the bee vii
lage and resumed the inspection OF the
tenements. They were shown colonies OF
Italian bese. back bees (Which IRE the in
seets indigenous TO this continent), and n.y.
birds. The various qualities Of their no.
ney-storing abilities were descanted upon,
and the safety OF handling the purcbred,
civilized Italian was eXeolled, while the
fierce nature Of the native black bee was
vigorously proclaimed. Mr.. Todd exhibited
a thoroughbred Italian queen bee and her
young brood. This queen was sent over
from Italy in a little wire-covered cage.
supplied with saccharine provision for her
long ocean voyage on two little bits OF
sponge. She Is very healthy, and Is rearing
a prosperous young colony IN her new
quarters with all the maternal energy and
pride OF which she is capable. They make
a very good living out Of the highways and
byways OF the district. often carrying their
pickings and gleanings many miles in huge
packs about their persons.
DR.. II. ri. Townsend, president OF the
Philadelphia Bee-Keepeis' Association, call
ed meeting on the hill above the house,
under the shade OF some fine chestnut-trees,
and spoke Of the increasing interest which
rs fell in agriculture. He bemoaned the fact
TINT more interest in this useful branch OF
productive art is not taken in the colleges
and schools OF learning in this country.
saving that he thought in every college
there should be professor Of agriculture.