Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-25
"S,ycnting" bees.
n.nndon Spectator.)


cumstances when ii Is cold III winter.
they simply cluster in one compact mass,
but with each returning spell OF niiiueI
weather this living ban eNpduus, a az
many Of the insects travel to the most dls-
tant sealed combs Of honey, ana, com
mencing on the outer surface or each OUT
side comb, the whole OF the money tnere
stored is carried 10 those cells IN clos CLOS
contact with the cluster" The bee code
Of industry Will not even permlt IL
TO begin work II the easiest end: III this
mental attitude were constant VI WouII
battle the aims Of the modern bee,3"n ,Sa
who seeks 10 provide his insects with the
means TO do more work In less Tune lney
might refuse to use the labor-saVnls
apparatus provided. on the ground that
hard work was their summum Dohuin. Dut
trary they welcome any contrivance
which will enable them 10 do the maxi
mum Of work. and then. dsdaining the
temptation of shorter hours, use II LOT
the maximum Of time day by day.
The personnel" Of the hive being thus
disposed the object of the practical bee
owner is first TO obtain the largest num-
Der Of workers before the honey-bearlng
flowers blossom, and then to set them
to work in the factory on improved prln-
ciples. This Is the point at which most
bee keeping manuals begin, AFTER relel-
ences to the mental solace derived from
the pursuit, and encouraging tables OF
profits made by the sale of honey. Large
"stocks" or single communities, are pro
duced by the best queen-bees At what
age the queen Is best is a point not
agreed on by the authorities. Mr.. Simmlns
holds that none should be kept after the
second summer. Queen-bees are "A speciai
product, provided as an article OF sepa,
rate purchase. and are often mailed
from America in cages, though we learn
that recently, through the ehortsghted-
ness or the prejudice OF the postal au-
thorities, many foreign queens have been
returned TO the senders.' The travelling
cages Of queen-bees are among the minor
appliances OF the new bee-machlnery.
They are made in three compartments, one
Of which Is ventilated for saloon IN
hot weather one less airy. IN case OF
cooler temperature, while third contains
the food-supply.
The sweating" process begins with the
queen. who IS encouraged 10 lay early
and often" British queen bees are ad-
mltted to do their duty in this respect.
But foreign. labor Is introduced mo the
hives in competition with native Industry,
either by crossing with Cyprian, Carnio-
Ian, or Syrian queens, or by lnportins
the foreigners in n swarm CarnlolanS
are pronounced by Mr.. Slmmins 10 De
''the bees for beginners" They have all
the energy CT the most industrious noun
tain races. have learned the necessity OF
making honey when the sun shines ana
are i'm all respects model creatures, WIN
a capacity for wording TO order beyond
the usual limits even of bee-energy. Some
idea of the amount Of labor exacted from
a colony propogated by an IDEAL queen pee
may be gathered from the area or hover
ing plants sown TO keep them busy;
Seventy-five acres Of ground, planted
with white clover horage. or sanfoln,
will occupy 100 hives prohtably for the
three months Of June, July. and August.
This the bees are expected 10 Work III
addition 10 the flowers which grow natu-
rally I'm rural district To prevent
lettering the crops are planted near the
hives. The return Of the honey due from
the bees Is calculated as accurately as
was the return due from farm-stock under
the ancient manor system. Glover ana
sanfoin should produce ten pounds OF
honey per acre each me day' ana az
they flower twice. and remain IN iuii
blossom for a week at the time, the
seventy-fve acres. II properly worked by
the bees, are expected to yield more IMAM
10 600 pounds of honey.
The triumph Of the sweaters art Is
in inducing the bees TO fetch TINS ehot
nous quantity OF honey, without neglect
ing the ARRANGEMENTS for storing 1t In the
hives The honey being liquid. must be
bottled, and the bees Will only put IL IN
comb Of the exact size and texture wnich
instinct has taught them. ComD-maklng Is
also much lighter and safer work than
honey-gathering. with Its dangers from
storms, wasps, and birds Young pees
are generally told off for the purpose.
while their elders go a-field But con
science will not allow bee TO stay az
home If he is not wanted 10 work Inc
bee-keeper, therefore. makes y MS Dust
ness to provide ready made foundations
for the cells. stamped I'm real wax, and
Of the natural size. He also removes tne
combs full of honey. spins them around III
a tin churn, and replaces them IN the
hive enpty-a hint which the bees take
as an invitation to renll them. Inc an
cient taskmaster said I'VE are idle, ye
shall have no straw" The modern bee
master saws: "Ye are industrious. here
is the straw ready chopped The bees
seem delighted to make the most or the
opportunities so thoughtfully provided for
stamped foundations for their cells.
they make a more perfect and sym
metrical comb than is often constructed
without help. The bottoms being regu-
lar. no-"croOked comb is ever built upon
IT, The size stamped il also uniformly
that OF worker-cells; thus there is no
room for drone cells. producing bees
which cannot be "sweated," or made
profitable In any way. The visible re
suits Of the system are a vastly increased
store OF honey-nearly 1000 pounds were
recently made by the bees of fifteen
hives-and so far no sign OF 'overstrain"
among the bees.
When the system has had another
twenty years OF trial Il may possibly
show certain strains developing a ten
iency to forget how TO construct comb
foundation. Just as some breeds OF fowls
are forgetting how to hatch their eggs
We cannot suggest an improvement IN
the architecture OF the cells. because they
are mechanically perfect in economy OF
material aud space. But the readiness
with which the honey-bee has accepted
and incorporated In its comb the ma
terials supplied by man suggests the pos
sibility OF further experiments to deter
mine how far Its mechanical instinct Is
capable OF modification.
The CodiscOverer of Uranus.