The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1890-05-21
MORE ABOUT BEES.
JNo s. REESE.

JNO 5. REESE.
The first honey bees brought to the |
United States were the brown or German
bees from England, but in more recent
years many varieties have been imported
the most prominent being the yellow, or
Italian, from Italy and the countries CON
tiguous to the Mediterranean Sea. The
more admirable qualities of the Italian
bees consists principally in their beauty
and more gentle disposition, but they will
not be found backward with their stings
when once aroused. And now as these
articles are written more especially for
the farmer bee-keeper and not the spec
ialist, will point few common errors,
and give a few simple instructions for
manipulation of swarms and hives, to Sc
cure the most surplus honey. First Of all,
there is no use to make a fuss and noise
with tin pans, horns, brooms, etc, but
busy yourself with getting ready the new
hive, brushing out cObwebs, reaches or
ants, while the swarm is settling" on
some convenient limb, and this swarm
may be detained clustered for several
hours, by slightly sprinkling water on
| them with a small broom, repeating the
dose occasionally. Now comes the i'm
portant part of hiving the swarm, and fl
these suggestions are closely followed,
much honey and fewer swarms will be
the result.
While the cluster is hanging quietly on
the tree, move the old hive, the one the
swarm came from to a new location, place
the new and empty hive in place of the
old one Just moved, and hive the swarm
in it. You will readily see that moving
the old hive to new location will leave
the working force, including the honey
gatherers that are in the field at the time
of swarming, with the new swarm, and
from this stand we will secure the sur
plus honey if we move the unfinished
boxes from the old hive to the new one.
This should be done several hours after
hiving the swarm, and not later than the
next day The old colony will not likely
swarm again, and will seldom store any
more surplus honey-but one box may
be left on. There is one beauty about
hiving swarms on the old stand, you do
not have to trouble about getting all the
bees from the tree, as the queen is gener-
ally in the lower part of the cluster. Tie
a basket or bucket to a pole of proper
length, hold up close under the cluster,
give the limb a quick jerk, pour out the
bees at the entrance of the hive and the
work is done when the queen goes in,
which she will generally do quickly.
Hives-WelI here is where the farmer
generally gets left by listening to the Sc
ductive tongue OF the patent right ''bec
man" with farm rights to sell. My friend
you do not want a pantent bee hive al
any price.
Rev. L. L. Langstroth's patent on the
movable frame hive expired something
like 10 years ago, and the ground was Sc
covered at that time, that it has not
been improved upon except by the pat
ent right man, who has added more use.
, less complications, which serve only tC
= take in the farmer. The largest and mos
successful expert beekeepers of America
t use the simple LangstrOth hive and want
} nothing else.
The use of comb foundation in tn,
| brood frames and novelty one pound sec
: tons, is generally confined to the special
list or expert, and is considered too fussy
; for the farmer, who is satisfied with get
ting enough nice honey for his family
! and few of his special friends. Thi'
foundation is always made of pure bees
? wax, molding the hot wax in thin sheets
and passing these through a machin,
: with rolls, something like a futing o.
= clothes wringing machine.
4 Zip, stung, ouch, don't it hurt. Well
that bee lost his sting, and will lose mi
: life in a few hours, or he may live two o
= three days. Now the friend who tell
/ YOU bee stings do not hurt him, is surely
: becoming petrifed. But with little ex
, perience you can soon learn to brush OF
2 the bee and sting at the same time, will
/ a very quick movement and before thel
1 have had time to inject the poison, anC
: the hurt will soon pass off and not swell
t Try it.