MANAGEMENT OF BEES. [From the Sydney Morning Herald.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 48, 6 September 1845, Page 3

MANAGEMENT OF BEES. [From the Sydney Morning Herald.]

The following letter, containing much useful information about bees, has been handed to us for publication :—: — Brisbane Water, May 12, 1845. My dear Sir, — I am this day in receipt of your letter of the sth, and be assured it affords me much pleasure to furnish you with the information you request respecting the produce, management, and increase of the hive of bees with which Mr. kindly presented me in 1842. In detailing these facts, I derive gratification in two ways— from the value I placed on them, arising from the sentiments I entertain towards the donor of my original stock ; and, secondly, as I know their introduction will prove a source of great benefit to the rural inhabitants, and will, I hope, become a source of income to the colonists, by the export of honey and wax, as I assure you, from my own experience, honey can be produced, in a respectable export state, for 3d. per lb., if not less As, from the time I first got my original stock in April 1842, I have been gradually improving in the culture and economy of the management of the bee (partly by history but principally by experience), being at first ignorant of these matters ; trom these causes, I was not so successful as I have been this summer. I shall, therefore, give a gross result of my profits derived from them, up to June 1844, and afterwards minutely state my produce, management, &c. &c, since that time up to the present time : —

In June 1844, I had only three large and well populated hives, and my produce from these has been truly marvellous; and, indeed, I must here remark, from my early knowledge of bees, I would not believe such a result to be possible. Produce of honey, wax, and hives, from three large and well populated hives, including their swarms and casts, for one season, viz. : — Honey 736 lb. "Wax (estimated) 30 ... Hives of bees 16 ... T will now, as an exemplification of this amazing produce, minutely detail the produce of one of these hives (the largest and nvjst populated) viz. : — Honey from the mother hive 136 lb. Ditto fr< m first «warm therefrom 130 ... Ditto from second ditto ditto 60 ... Ditto from first cast ditto ditto 50 ... 376 lb. Also, from the same hive, I apt four swaims and three casts, but as above shown, I topk no

honey from the third and fourth swarms and the second and third casts. I shall now relate my management of the Jyees, &c &c. &c.

HIVES. They are composed of segments, 9 inches deep •and 18 inches square, at the upper part of which thin battens are let in 1 J inches wide and half an inch apart. Five of these, placed upon each other, compose one hive. There are doorways Tnade in the whole of these segments, the two lower ones of which are open in the summer,and only one during the winter. In very warm weather, they are all opened to allow of ventilation, and to cool the hive. The tops and bottoms are tootely fitted with a lighting board 5 inches wide, laid dn an inclined plane.

HIVING A SWARM. Only too segments of a hive are used at hiving a swarm — those remain till the bees nearly fill them, or they show symptoms of swarming, then the hive is, lifted by handles (nailed on every segment for the purpose) and another empty segment put under: the bees will then cease to clutter outside, recommence work, and this also Iceeps them from swarming. For the successful result of an apiarian's labours consists not in the number of hives he may possess, but in the size -of his hive, and the quantity of bees that comspose a community. The above operation of 'putting boxes under a hive is repeated^* often as the symptoms stated appear, till the hive consists of five or even six segments ; a month after the sth, or last segment, is put under, the operation of taking honey may commence.

TAKING HONEY. A thin batten is tacked with two small tacks, round the upper edge of every segment (except the top one), to keep the segments steady and close the joint between them ; these are removed; one person stands in the front of the hive, another in the back with a small wire, which the party in front introduces into the joint between the segments, then he in the back draws it-through the hive, and thereby loosens or cuts the top segment from the one on which it rests. The top of the hive (being loosely fitted) is then taken off, the man in front instantly lifts off the segment, when the lid is put on the hive. Thefeiohees that may be in the segment (for there are seldom many in it), immediately 'leave it, and fly to their hive. Thus a pure box of honey, without any brood comb, or the destruction of young bees, is taken ' without even terrifying or, disturbing the community: for the upper b"6x or segment always contains honeyonly, and the bees have ceased to labour in it. After extracting the honey from this box, it is put under the hive as before stated. The hive 'should always be kept to its size, and never to leave the bees with less than three full boxes out of the five. I have found to leave them with less, injures and irritate* them, moreover if more than the top box is taken at one time, 3 ou will rob the bees of their brood comb, and the honey is inferior in quality.

EXTRACTING HONEY FROM THE COMB. The pure or honey-comb is cut in the middle, and placed with the cut part downwards, upon open wood- work placed over and made to fit a trough set on on inclined plane; it remains thus, till all the honey has run out. This is the first quality of honey— the second quality is composed of honey out of comb, which once was used by the bees for brood ; also that which is .preued out of the comb. The season for taking honey -is from November till April, it maybe taken however as late as July, but in the winter it is difficult to extract from the comb, and in spring they ought not to be touched till after they have swarmed. Of all the hives from which 1 have taken honey, I have left the bees with three boxes last month. Ifear I-may have -been too prolix upon the subject of these trniy interesting and valuable little creatures. I could with that the economy and treatment ot them were improved upon and generally made known, for they are a boon to this colony, (the most congenial climate, I think, for them in the globe). You speak of publication, it is a duty we owe to-one another to disseminate useful knowledge, it is the good- man's happiness to be engaged in so worthy an office, such has ever been the spirit which has actuated Mr. , and to assist him in so truly commendable an object, I have thus submitted my humble aid; the result of experience principally. In this matter, the colonists require action — I have seen many bee-masters, all of whom are miserably defective of a proper knowledge of the management of them. I have given the result of what little I know; I know at least themost-essential points. Minor or general particulars I have now declined to trouble you upon. I shall, however, be most nappy to afford you further information, if it be acceptable. At your convenience I would greatly thank you if you will inform me whether honey of firtt quality will answer for exportation; if so, its value here, as such on its probable nett value athome^- also of wax. There is a quantity of my honey now for sale, at Mr. Griffith's, fruiterer, King and York streets. I have been told by many it is the best quality in the market. Probably my extraordinary success in beeculture, proceeds from my plantations of bananas being now very large ; the blossoms of the fruit abounding in pure, rich and transparent honey, each bud containing about a gill of honey ;^ in these the bees luxuriate, filling a box containing nearly 60 ib. of honey, in a month and five weeks.; this is in large hives, containing, I suppose, from 60 to 80 thousand bees. My fiist swarms, in spring, contain upwards of 50,000 bees; this I know by weighing my hives before the bees are put in, and weighing it after, allowing 4,000 to abound. I am indebted to Mr. ■, but most decid°dly the large hives ar-e infinitely more profitable.

WAX. Of the preparation of this, I am still ignorant. I have been trying many experimentslmy first was very rude. I have progressed, as you will see by the samples. Since writing the first of the letter, I tried another experiment, No. 4, it is the but plan. I did it thus— l selected comb which had never been brood, after extracting the honey I washed it, then put it into a gauze bag, and hung it before the fire. Believe me, most truly yours, ' T. H. S.

I sold eight swarms for £17 10 0 About 2,000 lb. honey, at 4d. per lb 33 6 8 £50 16 S Eighty-seven lb. wax, at Is. 6d 7 10 6 £58 7 2