Year: 1867

By Mrs.. Ellen s. Taper, Brighton, IowG


In the fall, IN every apairy, some
weak stands will be found. Some will
have too few bees, others too little
honey. In the old fashioned bee keep.
ing such colonies were destroyed by the
fumes of burning birthstone, and the
honey and wax appropriated. This is q
very expensive way, and, with the
movable comb-hives, not q bee need be
lost, and all comb may be saved for the
use of the bees in the future. All can
see that it is poor economy to let bees
live until they consume all the honey
and then die of starvation; better the
old way than this. But if one contain.
ing enough honey, but too few bees be
united with one that has numbers and
but little honey, they make one valla,
BILE stand. So two weak ones united
make one good one; for large colony
does not consume nearly as much honey
proportionally, as small one. In the
spring, too, in spite of all care, some
will be weak; and these are much more
profitable if united with strong ones
than if nursed until flowers abound
Bees can be easily united, and will work
in one colony. Some sprinkle both
with sugar water scented with pepper
mint, or other strong odOr, to give both
the same scent, and then put both in
ono hive. find it easy to do without
this, and never have any difficulty in
the operation.


| alarm the bees in both hives which
wish to unite, then leave them a few
moments to fill themselves with honey.
1 then put one of them over an empty
hive, (my hives have movable bottoms, }
take each frame ont, and shake or brush
the bees into the hive below. When all
are out, set the other in its place and
proceed in the same way. The bees all
brushed together thus into an empty
hive are too much frightened to quarrel.
l then arrange all my frames containing
honey in one hive, and set it over the
one in which the bees are. They all go
up rapidly and take possession of the
frames like one colony. One of the
queens will, of course, be killed, so if
you have any choice between them,
find out the one you care least for and
destroy her.


Every empty comb should be saved;
indeed, no piece of good worker comb
should ever be melted for waX-it is
worth s. pound in honey boxes fasten-
ed into the frames for the use of bees.
/ once tried an experiment which con-
vinced me of the great saving in pro-
viding bees with empty comb when it
is possible. / had two large natural
swarms come on the same day. One of
them put into an empty hive, and the
othe- into one well filled with comb.
The one in the empty hive filled it up
for winter, but stored no surplus honey.
The other not only filled the combs,
but stored fifty-two pounds of honey
in boxes.-Therc was no apparent
difference in the size or circumstances
of the two swarms. The value of
the comb, melted for wax, would not
have exceeded dollar at that time;
while the honey sold at 10 cents per
pound for $3.50. Straight worker combs
in movable frames, are better than cash
capital to a bee keeper, and should be
most carefully saved. Combs must be
kept until wanted for use in a cool dry
place, to guard against mould. Mice
are very destructive to them. i hang
mine on a rack where mice cannot get
AZ them, and where they have abundant
air. Two or three frames filled with
worker comb, given to a swarm when it
is first made or hived, are great help,
and cause them to build all their combs
Homestead.