HINTS ON BEE-KEEPING.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1329, 6 January 1881, Page 3

HINTS ON BEE-KEEPING.

FbosJ the niimorbUß letters which I receive from all parts of these Islands, I am satisfied that the want of a short,' simple, and olear pam»hl#t, suted to beginners in agriculture, ir deeply felt;' 'and consequently many are deterred from this delightful and most interesting occupation, inoluding •many "who would enter upon it as a scientific amusement, apart from those who wish to follow it as a scource of pecuniary benefit. Until this, want is supplied, I feel it a duty to furnish a few directions, with a view to enabling many to make a start, in the hope that they will, by keen observation, and the study of some book on the aubjeot, be enabled to go on, both increasing their knowledge and' acquiring a srreater liking for a pursuit of ever varying and never ending interest. I shall confine what I have to say to bee-keeping in bar-f wined hives, that one issued by the C.8.A., if you like, but certainly a bar-framed and movable comb hive of some sort. Having got your hive house, paint it well outside, two or three times over with white paint. Why white? -beoause it is coolest. Take out all the bars, and into the groove on the under side of the top pointed piece of each depth, and extending trom end to end of the bar. The strip of wax may be made in this way : — Put a good large frying pan on a brisk fire, half fill it with hot water, into this put a lump of wax the size of a small orange ; when this is thoroughly melted, take the pan off the fire, let the water cool and the wax set, but before it is quite cold pour off the water, place a piece of wood over the pan and turn out the wax upon ie ; then with a sharp knife and a straight edged piece of wood previnurfly wet, cut the wax up into strips a quarter of an inch or three-eigths broad. Let these set quite cold ; then stick them edgeways into the grooves ; take each frame Huccessivly in your left hand, pour a little melted wax into the angle formed by the wax bar, and let it run down to the end, so as to fasten the wax guide securely ; if is sufficient to do this upon one hide, it properly done, but of course it is more secure if done upon both sides. Now replace the bars in the hive. Next get a piece of drugget, or better still a piece of Brussels carpet (tapestry will do), and cut it to fit over the tops of the bars so that when on the bees cannot get out at the top and build comb in the cover, as I find some people's bees do, to their owner's surprise and annoyance. Overcast the quilt as it is called, at the raw edges. Place your hive on a firm stand a foot from the ground (or if you preter it, put legs upon it), looking north-east. Buy a swarm, or better still capture one of the many vagrant swarms which go about — if the latter, and you see it overhead, squirt them with clean water from a garden or greenhouse syringe, or failing that, throw handtuls of dirt at them. (The shovel, tongs and poker business is an exploded fallacy). Having made them settle, in fifteen or thirty minutes shake them into any clean box, previously daubed,w ith honey or treacle inside; invert it gently, and leave it with one edge cocked up, so that all the stragglers can enter if it is a hot day ; if in the sun shade it with a sheet. I presume that you have provided yourself with a veil and thick gloves with gauntlets. Be up next morning before the lark ; open the bar-framed hive, turn back the rack at the back of the hive, seperate the frames in the centre so as to leave a triangular-shaped space, the apex being in front. Now gradually raise the box in which the bees assembled the day before, carry it to the hive, and shake it suddenly with a downward movement, so as to precipiate the bees down into the hive between the bars anil into the triangular space, but this must be dune without striking the box on the lnve. With a long-hnned brush, or your hand, gently brush the bees from the tops of the bars into the .space between them. Gradually bring back the bars pu-hed on one side, te their proper place, turn up the rack, place tho carpet over the bars put on the top, and tho hivinjr is finished. In fi\ o or six days, and in the middle of a hot one, blow a little smoke into the hi\c. Tobacco or tag smoke will do. Standing now behind the hive, gently take oft the top, turn back the carpet, beginning at one of the f i out corners; turnback the racks, very gently lift out the frames, by putting the forefinger of each hand at the ends of the bars, keep them over the hive, aud perpendicular to one of their edges, otherwise the combs will drop out of the frames. Examine what is going on. In the centre one you will find beautiful new combs being built, perhaps cells already formed, and with honey and eggs in them. Look for the queen, and accustom yourself to know and find her; she is quite unmistakeable. Being satisfied that alt is going on properly, and nothing but straight combs being built, replace everything. Let all this be clone with the utmost coolness, cave, and deliberation ; one little jar or shake will briujr all thB bees buzzing about your eais, and they will fly at your veil as if they meant to get through it. Don't mind them, go on with your work, or inspection, thay will hoou quiet down, when they have satisfied their curiosity ; but fheroiB nothing which annoys bees more thun to jar them, or strike at them, or make any sudden movement noar them ; they immediately assume the offensive, and the offender will suffer, if he or she bo not protected. This should be done once a week, or oftener, if you like and soon the bees will become accustomed to it, and take little or no notice of it, until they are breeding rapidly, and then the newly hatched ones will display their natural curiosity, as did their elder sisters at the first. J. InviNG, M.D., Presinenfc Canterbury Beekeepeis' Association.

The harvest prospects in South Australia are of a very unsatisfactory character. The Adelaide Observer in an article on the subject has the following remarks : — Although it is aa yet impossible to predict with any degree of certainty what the results Ojf the narvest which in now being commenced in South Australia are likely to be, it may be assumed from the tenor of the reports which have lately reached the various parts of the Colony that the yield of wheat thip year is likely to be somewhat Small. Although, good reports were at first received as to the state of the crops in the Cplony, latterly there'ha've been 'several indications that the hopes formed' of Jihe'probable out-turn were scarcely 'warranted by the facts. The reports as to the appearance of * red mat have r of late become more ' frequent, and'although'it was hoped that'tbe wfyeat wastpbfaradvaiice'd'to'r^eive any serious" injury from ' ( tW, attacks' 1 of this disease, it r is now' clear that in many tricts" it has 'done considerable damage. In the districts in the,., north yesst ,the crops , are ' fot , the mpst part seriously iniured,' and the yields.wilt be but triflli";::;:;: 1,,;',^",1 ,,;',^",; 1 Is.thejsjlk^Oism tment ; of -.the inS cot pihtoou.' a,i JfeQ in P«riB, shpw cases contain , Specimens ulasteating^'th'e developtaehii'Ot^he. worm.-,; and furuishpag a tborpugli insight into the mode of breeffiiig^iioiirlßbmgi^aiid'ulbiU" icing them/ 1 i{onf> «td<o oftMirdemris'ieb^ze,