_North Bennington, Vt._, Oct. 5, 1870.
[For the American Bee Journal.]
The Season in Massachusetts.
After reading the various accounts in the Journal as to how bees have
done in other parts of the country, I think it will not be out of place
to let its readers know what has been going on in Massachusetts, or
rather in a part of that State.
About May 20th our bees commenced to collect honey rapidly, and from
that time to June 7th, honey was very abundant, and I never saw bees put
into the hives and surplus boxes faster. From June 7th until July 1st
they did very little. In fact we had then ten days in succession when no
honey was collected; and by the 1st of July pasturage failed altogether,
as it generally does here in New England. I never knew bees to put honey
into boxes later than July 12th, and that for only one year, since I
have kept bees.
Perhaps it will be new to some of the readers of the Journal to know the
fact that bees do not collect honey here, in Essex county, as a general
thing, later than the first week in July; and this season they did not
work later than the last day of June. Very little honey was put into
boxes between June 7th and July 1st. Had the season held out as it gave
promise in May, honey would have been plenty in Massachusetts.
I have a few hives that did very well, considering how short the honey
harvest was, and to let some of your readers know that Alley can raise
honey as well as queen bees, I enclose a short report that was intended
to be shown to the “Honey Committee,” at the Essex County Fair; but as I
was the only person who exhibited bees or honey (except four small boxes
by Mr. Gould, of Ipswich,) I did not submit it. Of course Alley got the
highest “premium,” under such circumstances. I suppose if I say that the
stock that did best was in one of Alley’s hives, some one will think
that this article is meant only for an advertisement. Well, I cannot
help that; so here goes for the report, and all who do not want to
believe it, can accommodate themselves in that line, and I will find no
fault. I do not, myself, believe more than only just what I think is
true, even when I see it in the A. B. J.:
HIVE No. 1, filled sixty-eight 2½lb. boxes, and cast one small swarm.
The honey was sold at thirty-five cents per pound, box and all. Weight
of boxes and honey 170lbs.; weight of the sixty-eight boxes empty
34lbs.; net amount of honey stored 136lbs., which, at 35 cents per
pound,
is $47 60
One young swarm 3 00
------
Whole amount $50 60
HIVE No. 2. This was a stock transferred from a box hive to a movable
comb hive, May 26th, 1870. It filled thirty 3lb. boxes, and the honey
was sold at thirty-five cents a pound, without including the boxes. Net
amount of honey stored 75lbs.; which, at 35 cents per pound, is $26 25
HIVE No. 3, filled two 15lb. boxes, and cast two swarms. The first of
these swarms filled a new hive, from which I have taken twenty-five
pounds of honey, and it now has enough to winter on, without feeding.
The second swarm I used to rear queens, and it was worth five dollars to
me.
Value of first swarm $7 00
Value of second swarm 5 00
55lbs. of honey at 35 cents per pound 19 25
------
Whole profit from Hive No. 3 $31 25
The profit from these three hives is one hundred and eight (108)
dollars.
I omitted to say that I took twenty-five pounds of honey from Hive No.
2, as late as August 20th. That hive now has honey enough to winter
well.
Since September 20th, the bees have put in a considerable amount of
honey, but not in surplus boxes. Even my nucleus hives put in enough
from September 20th, to keep them--making a saving to me of twenty-five
(25) dollars.
If other bees in this vicinity have done as well as mine, few colonies
will starve in this county next winter. My article is getting long. I
will stop just here.