The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-05-13
aurrastIon. for eee-Keepsrs.

Bee-keeocrs ought thoroughly 70 IN
derstand the honey resources Other 10
calities. They should know when to
expect a honey Aow. When the time
comes. the expected harvest may not
come bat the bee -keeper should be IN
readiness for IT, Il is possible to have
GOOD honey fiow and yet secure no for-
nlps because there are not q sufficient |
number Of bees TO gather H. Bees are |
valuable when there is honey to gather
Al other times they are consumers Less
,,o,nlous colonies can be more success
fnllv wintered in the cellar than Out OF
doors: while by proper protection ana
care in the spring such colonies can DC
brought up TO the requisite strength u
time for the honey harvest II by snch
management we are able 10 80 reduce
our colonies in strength during the non
producing time Of the year that stores
are saved to the amount Of from three |
10 five pounds per colony, we are well
paid for our trouble.
Rapid breeding late in winter or very |
early in the spring is undesirable. Moth
incso quickly wears ont bees as the rear
ing Of brood, and the more uniavoraole
the condition the greater the wear. IL Is
better that the bees should remain quiet
nntil warm weather furnishes the most
favorable conditions for brood rearing
wben the same expenditure Of vitality
will produce two bees instead OF one. Ii
the bees in the cellar are quiet and show
no signs Of dysentery, don't allow a warm
day 10 tempt you to their removal. Leave
them in until the honey or pollen may
be gathered. Some bee-keepers leave
them until considerably later than this
and. if the bees are to receive no extra
rrotection when upon their summer
stands. tins course is advisable. but the
bees are not always quiet rs spring aP-
nroacbes. The character OF their 1000
nav have been such as 70 overload Their
in,estines. and unless they are soon al
lowed an opportunity Of voiding then
fnces death vii. result or their vitality
will become 50 impaired that death VIII
soon claim them. Whether the bees are
ouiet or not ] would carry them TO their
SIMMER stands as soon as there Is pollen
to no gathered. and then ] would protect
them bv some temporary covering.
Aside from food in abundance, warmth
Is the one thing needed to promote SAFE
early breeding. An ordinary colony
wil generate sufficient heat 70 enable The
l,,.es 10 rear as much brood as they can
tend the trouble is that SO much oi ihis
heat Is lost by radiation. Onless there is
considerable brood present when the
bees are taken from the cellar, protection
l. not needed very much al irst-not IN
iii A ouantity Of brood has been develop
ed have learned from repeated ex-
periments that protection allows or en-
ables the bees 10 develop greater quaint
ties of brood, but I do not consider thi
the greatest advantage Of protection
The point is Just this. We often nav
nice warm weather forthree weeks. Th'
alders. elms aud naples bloom, possibly
the cherries, and all this has encouraged
the bees to extend their brood until tn'
combs are well filed. Then comes
a cold SNAP" The mercury goes doWI
to freezing. or nearly there, and remain
40 for several days: perhaps the GROUND
is covered with two or three inches
SNOW More than once have / and m.
bees passed through such experiences
and 70 our sorrow. The cold drives th
bees into compact cluster in the cente
of the hive. Half of the brood, perhaT
more. is outside Of the cluster, where
perisbes. The newly hatched bees,
anv there are. are tender, like a newl
hatched chicken, and easily succumb
the cold. The old bees have lost thei
vitality in bringing into existence th
hiveful of brood, and the cold snap Is Ia
..lasi straw" needed 10 send them TO tn
bottom of the hive. Weak colonies,
passing through such severe weather NJ
protected. almost invariably die. Ord
nary colonies are rendered PRACTICAL
worthless for the season, and strong COLI
nies are not improved. Such low ten
perature does not usually come 50 late J
the season, but it is liable TO come an
year and cold snaps even if not Sc
we're, come almost every spring Will
the loss that may occur from an unusual
ly severe spell of weather late in tn
spring, viii be sufficient to pay for tn
expense Of protecting the bees in tn
spring for several wears. SeveRl times
when protecting the bees in the sprinI
after taking them from the cellar, ! hav
lef few Of the most populous colonie
unprotected. In the early morning, o
during cool days. the bees in the unpro
tected hives would be found closely clus
tered. while those in the protected hive
would be found crawling actively abou
all over the combs and puff Of smoke
would drive them down an inch or two
and expose large quantities Of sealeC
brood.
When the honey harvest came, a ma
jority Of those protected were actually
stronger than those left unprotected
Some have compared this packing o
bees in spring TO r stimulant 1t is no
a stimulant as / understand the word
il simply confines the heat of the bees
allowing them to spread out and rear anC
protect larger quantities Of brood. GivI
them the proper conditions for following
their instinct in the direction of brooc
rearing, and no additional stimulus j
needed.-W. Z. Hutchinson in Comir
Gelaiemdn.
Thoroughly Fair-minded.
a short time ago one of St. PAul's prom