August 9, 1870.
* * * * *
Colonies that are overstocked with honey in August, should have some of
it removed, either by the honey extractor or by sliding off the caps and
laying the combs on a dish, to allow the honey to drain out of the cells
of the sides alternately. When thus partially emptied, the comb should
be returned to the hive.
* * * * *
[For the American Bee Journal.]
Bee-culture--East and West.
MR. EDITOR:--I think the time has fully come when your correspondent
“NOVICE”--that notable personage of whom we have so often read, and
whose plans and acts have so often fired our brain with new resolutions
and determinations to at least _try_ to “go and do likewise”--should,
hereafter and evermore, drop that simple title, and sign himself ADEPT,
EXPERT, or some other name a little more suggestive of the manner in
which he seems to “swing things” of late.
FIVE THOUSAND (5,000) pounds of clover honey, in about one month, from
forty-six (46) colonies of bees! That will do! Let’s all go west. No use
in trying to raise honey here any longer![2]
Why, Mr. Editor, in our locality this is simply impossible. That amount
of honey is not to be had within the flight of our bees. Still, we seem
to have flowers enough. Is the country overstocked? There are probably
not more than 150 swarms, our own included, within a circle of one mile
from our place. All of our pastures seem covered with white clover in
its season; and it lasted, in many places, this season, until buckwheat
came into bloom. The old raspberry is said to be an excellent honey
producing plant, and its cultivation for bee pasturage is often
recommended. There are hundreds of acres of it, within the flight of our
bees, already covered with this plant. Basswood grows wild here, to some
extent; and probably there are one hundred trees near enough to be
visited by our bees. Buckwheat is also grown considerably--say fifty
acres, this season, within easy reach. Aside from this, there are many
scattering flowers in bloom at different times, from which honey can be
extracted. And yet, of late, it is not one year in five that surplus
honey is obtained from any other source than buckwheat.
I have this season increased our number of colonies from thirteen to
twenty-nine, wholly by artificial swarming; but shall expect no surplus
of any consequence.
While walking through a pasture field one day this season, where bees
seemed to be working freely upon white clover, I undertook the job of
watching a bee, in order to ascertain how many clover heads were visited
by her while collecting one load of honey. Selecting a bee that looked
quite empty and had no pollen on her legs, I commenced the count. How
long she had already been there, I, of course, did not know, but I kept
my eye upon her until she left the _five hundred and eighty-second_
clover head. Then she flew over some weeds, and I lost sight of her.
Whether she then left for home, or not, I do not know. The time occupied
by her in making this number of visits, was just one hour. Now, I do not
think that this shows a very bountiful yield of honey, even though
plenty of flowers exist. This bee visited the same clover head several
times, while I was watching her.
If it was not for our fall pasturage of buckwheat, as slim as it is,
bee-keeping would, in this section, be “played out,” as more honey is
usually obtained from this, than from _all other sources combined_. It
may be different in the western and southern parts of the State; but, so
far as I am acquainted, I certainly think Pennsylvania is not the best
place in the world for producing honey.