The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-11
A LECTURE ON
BEE KEEPING.
Given Before the Bee Keepers
Society.
Mr.. Cushnian Makes Interesting and
Valuable Shgg sti0ns.


Ing. the Bee Keepers Association held
meeting At which MIR. Samuel Cushman
OF Paw tucKet read an interesting paper
on fHow anyone san manage bees, secure
tho surplus product and not get stung.
Anyone can manage tess. No particular
power or charm or influence over them is
required. One must simply understand
hee nature, take advantage Of 10 To con-
troll them and protect himself. There is
no more need OF being stung than Of be-
ing kicked or run away with in the man
ageuient OF horses. 10 receive IA sting Is
just as much an accidpet To the careful
and intelligent bee keeper who objects To
being stung. knowledge gives him DOW
or To avoid such accidents. Although one
may protect themselves in such way
that 1t is almost impossible for bees To
sting them, old hands rarely DO IL. They
understand what sting IL, and how IL
works, ana can dislodQe 10 so quickly
alter IL has been inserted that it gives
ti en- no pair. They therefore care moth
ing about a few stings usually leave their
hands exposed, anu will not even take the
trouble TO protect their faces.
IL is not necessary that one should have
farm or garden in order TO keep bees
lt ~ generally more convenient to locate
tnen on the ground but an apiary may
be conducted on the flat roof Of city
house or n few hives may bs placed at
an attic window. City apiaries frecuentlg
10 DcIltT lUtlU buOtt lOtltOp III tIlc CouI-
try, on account of the greater variety
OF trees and shrubs grown therein. one
or two colonies may bs kept with proht
aimost anywhere III there are no others
kept within mile OF them. There are
few localities that will not support that
number even In the poorest seasons. II
Is because u large number are kept that
great difference In the seasons yield is
noticed. In this region IL is not advis-
able 10 keep 30 or 100 colonies I'm one place
ing wrolo season or for one to make
honey produC tion an exclusive business.
there are locations where IL can be done
but they are not In Rhode Island. One
can keep bees without buying expensive
hives ana fixtures although they arc
much more convenient. One who knows
how can get good results from bees hived
In u nail keg or butter tub. He can cut
I out honey for family use and eat or sell
10 in the comb or secure il In liquid form
without an extractor by melting the
coiab in warm oven ana running OF the
honey. This product would hardly do TO
win prizes on however.
The ee-keeper il often less of fool
than the manipulation of modern fixtures,
and sometimes makes ne :hink of "a boy
who with bent pin on a string caught
more trout then the man with the rcd,
reel and silk line who fished on the same
stream at the same time.
Modern methods are desirable, put not
always necessary. Ii makes mcddling
easier ana many n colony has Leen lost
or all chances of "a hLney crop spoiled by
too much handling. Colonies in an
apiar, of modern hives that havo their
combs built crossways of the frames. SO
that the brood chamber cannot be dis
turhed, are often the strongest ana most
profitable one in ths api8ry. Beginners
are apt To manipulate their hives so often
that they discourage their bees TO deaf D.
1t is not best that the old way be entirely
smokers, beause they can be bought for
one-lalf or on ,-quarter as much. We must
be able to direJt n volume of smoke at the
bees, right on the second II Is wanted If
the smoker frequently goes out, or must
be worked for sometime before an abund-
snce of smoke can bs had. il wholly or
partially fails Us. We nre then in the
position OF the motorman on an electric
car that is running at full speed, and who
has broken or dropped his controller.
There is danger of an accident or Of our
own decentralization.
Have good sm okcr by all means Ii
is the bee-kecper s whip ANA rein, and is
his most important a good smoker is
your best protector. RolS upon 1t more
than upon veil and gloves.
here is great difference in the dis
position of bees The so-called native or
black bees, ara more apt To sting persons
that pass in front of their hives than
ottcr races. When the hives arc dis
turbcd, taey are moro easily supercedtd d,
or become lest art II il Wcre, there
would he less tees kent than now
Many that would fail II they attempted
10 follow moGern methods do quite wcll
18th hex hives, better than If they at.
tempted 60 strike higher koy.
Slo oke is tie bfst agent that can tc
Us q 10 make bees sui nit tn your wishes.
Otaer Hg nts having powerful fumes may
b. best where fire cannot he used w th' nc
a
Snol docs them lsss iujurr, and is very
effective. Narious substances can b used
ns tuel 10 produce it, some use rag tied
on stick, or a r. II of'cloth TO make the
smudge. Others burn rotten wood or to-
bacCo In u tin tub shaying a mouth iece
10 blow through. some use a large 10
hgcoo pipe, hcttsn wood. chips or shaw
inIs may be- banned in "a tin tall or pan
wi ers the sm kc will blow on the bees,
but the hee-h ocper will receive as much.
Tie mCst satisfactory arrnr cement is
bellows smokor which consists 81 fire
box, To which is attached a bellows
worked b. hand, TO enable one TO make "a
draft at pl assure, and force the smoke
though 30 nozzle for n long distance
Italian tcss pay little attention to pas.
SoTs by, hut ara more quick to resent
decided atfrunt If handled gently, they
subni IL To very little smoke and frt-
quontly none il required. ana thoy remain
| quietly and evenly SpIead over the combs
| when they are manipulated II angcrrd,
| they are more determined In their resent
ment than the blacks and must h. gwen
| more smoke To cOrcucr them and keep
! tlem subdued. CarnollaTs a'e wen gentler
| than Italians, tut less dt sSrable. lbes
| arc laryer aut have N yellu8 bands like
! tho Italians lhev ara more Ike COM
! mon black bees i'm appearances. Pure
! Italians ere active honey eathercrs AID
| orrt'e They gnther morr honey than the
| blacks rs rule, md q, fC' q their hiv $
/ more cnergetically from moths. they do
! not liSo through cold winters 50 well,
! and DO not produce so attractive looking
4 comb honey. Wren crossed with blacks
I they are still better honey gatherers and
| mako handsomer comb honey than
/ IAlians Tae pro geny Of tho first or
/ s'cCnd crosses are usually hs goltle as the
/ Italians, tut inter mkt ares ore not only
! energetic honey gntnerers, tut the most
! energetic stingers that can bs found. IL
| Is we'll to Introduce an Itlliln queen IN
all cross-bred colonies after tie second
| year, or re.qucen an aplBrv with Italians
every third or fourth year IL biack Ltes