THE HONEY BEE.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 4, Issue 65, 19 June 1851, Page 4

THE HONEY BEE.

No. 6. [From the Family Economist.] The present paper completes our instructions and observations on bee-keeping; wo trust that by this time iill who Imvc read the preceding chapters ae convinced that kil'ins the bees l>y siiHocatfoit is the very wurst plan tin y can adopt ; there is not only « positive loss," hut the honey 13 injuriously <li coloured, and ill-flavoured, while the trouble is quite ns great n* by the fumigating method. Yet although full proof has been given of these advantages, the proposition to eflbct a chnnue in the nM-fashioned nays to which men ore accustomed, is received by some »ilh distrust, by others with ridicule. '•Our lathers and grand fathers did so, and why should not we ?" is a very freipient replv, when w<" venture to suggest the exchange of a cruel and wasteful s-ystem, for the merciful and profitable plan we propose. Nor are there wanting men of education and talent to ronspiie 'lie poor bees, and consefpienily anaiii>t ihe interests of the cottagers. Une obs-rves," we find special good cause for the fhui'ihtcr of lambs and cjlve;, and of every

thing which it appears to be otir interest to Kill; oii'l therein we follow a primary law of universal nature. Since drones arc murdered, w-hy not murder their murderers ?" This npp< nra lo be reasonable ns to siv " Let us murder the butcher who kills our sheep." Wc do not si militer lambs Tor the sake ot their wool, as wo can deprive them of it without ; and by the same rule, there is no reason lor the annual murder of thousands of bees, as >»ecan take ihtir honey while wc preserve their lives. It is therefore clearly our interest, net to kill the bees, hut to preserve them fir future profit. It is useless to urge the plea, '* the bees will a'l die of o'd age il ynn do not destroy them," for in the autumn thi rc are no old bees, they gradually disappears the close of the season, aud iho-e which roinaiu, arc mostly, or perhaps altogether, of t iat year's liroo '. W hat can now be urged in extenuation ol a wanton waste of vithub e life I The plea of necessity no longer nvails as an excuse- f«>r what henceforth becomes an act of delil'craie folly—perhaps it may be >ai'l of wickedness —that of killing the bees. In a late spring, when the bees, arc unable 10 no abroad to gather honey, it is very desirable tlmt they should be fed, as tln ir winter store is nearly exhausted; ami if this be the i ase, unless you supply them thev liiirtperish. Do not be sparing or stingy, but ailord lliemn liberal provision, and by and by tlicy will show von that they have not wasted your bounty, for as soon ns honey-ga'hering commences, lilt*v arc prepared in strength and vigour to 11 (lather lioacv :,U the (lay From every ' l l HI lil IT (lower ; " I and you will re:i|> your harvest eailicr and more abundantly. l'ci-ple sometimes wonder bow it is that their lices die in the summer; this very often happens in hot dry weather, when tin- (1 -livers allbrd uo lionev, and there is then.no supply lor the young tiro:)!, and the nurses are obliged lo cast out fiom the hives the grubs, which perish thus by thousands. A little linif-lv feeding at such n season, would preserve their lives f r youi b'.nelit hereafter. i'ced your swarms for a day or two after they hi.ve hi»cd, if the weather be bad; or even if it be fine it helps them at that period. Autumn feeding should not take place later than Sepienihjr (Mareh in New Zealand) aud tinii all sloi ks w'lieh do not w< igh 'JO lbs., which »oil intend to preserve, must liave sullieient fo id given lliein to make up that weight. Keeolk'i t that nothing you give your b. es is thrown away; all is lepaid with interest. Not asirgh; ounce of honey has ever ben wasted by bees since the woild was made. We trust llvat enough has now been said of the advantages of bee-keeping to induce many cott.ig is to Titv if tli-y cannot greatly improve llieir lot in lit"- by the labours of " the iitile busy bte," everv thiiia coniiectol with which seems fraught with pr- 11l ; not only the wax and honey, hut the veiy refuse o' the comb from which the wax has been taken is of smiie use. " In God's world," says il.e liev, \V. Ivritz, " tlieio is nothin!f liselos, and eiviy tiling o„n be applied to sonic pai titular puipos'j. When tin.' keeper ol Oi.es has pressed out bis wax, a refuse is left which is not wax, — this is made up inl" halls and sold to tiie proprietors of die great wax p c»si s,who, when they have extiact' ii iroiu it the last particle of wax, ni.inure (In ii" cucumber beds with it, and this is the cause ol their cek-biily ill producing tie fine-t cucumbers in the country• This circumstance having been nientioi cd to me, I determined this year to make the experiment on a small «ealc. I did no: dispo-e ol I the refuse of my wax ; but as soon ps mv cuI cumbers had put forth their third leaf, 1 I crumbled my wax balls as line as pos>ible, I remoicd (he upper soil Ironi every plant wjtli- | out disturbing (lie roots, and having sprinkled the wax reluse over it, replaced tho mould. The result far exceeded my expectations. | Never bctore did I raiss such beaulitiil cucumbers, nor in Mich prolusion. ! With al! the advantages wn have mentioned who would not keep bees ? They may bo kept almost aaywhero except in largo cities. In the neiuh' ourhuod of rural towns, iheie are itsuttlly iurgegardciisaliouiiding with (lowers in the early spring, which ailord a plciitilul -supply i.f l ie-food, when the fields and trees, fiom which the piincipal stoics are derived, ire yet bare and unproductive. Those who live in such .situations should avail themselves of our directions ; hat the cottager especially may euip'uy his 1 isuie, add to his pleasuies, ami increase his comloi is by attention lo these suggestions. All cottagers would do well to consider the mipliatie words ol an author who has in'er-re.-t.d hiinse f very much on tliur b?ha!f. Leaun 1?uom Tut-: Hun To Woiik Uahi> V.D Waste Nothing. Kimkmisck Nothino Woiitji Dm no Can lie IJo.nk Wihiolt a LrrTi.it Tkouhlb ; Ani>, Auove Ai.l, UeliKach Oitikk All Vhu Can. GOD riAVE TIIIS QUEEN'.