HOW TO ROB BEES.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 63, 23 September 1875, Page 7

HOW TO ROB BEES.

It is a well-known fact, says Gaßgi iii^^'tau^Vto^bl-lre^tea, order 4o< get possesion of the wa^ and hsaeyiofithey bee-hive,, the insects:'are stifled .with, the, s sinoke pfjulphur, or some-* _ other, deadly, emanation. The " des 01 Cdnnaisances c 'MedSba'les proposes • another and much: mere ra-: ticmate -way Twbich this* wholesale murder is avoided.:, Jt consists in -pouring in about,four gramme^of-,chloro-form on a handkerchief, which is put on a;platejen acfei)te-clo^^ spread> out joh the ground, withjm iron gauze sieve over it. Two men will then take hold pf tha beehive and lift it carefully over the'sieve; tte corners of the tablecloth are then drawn over the hive to prevent the escape- of the emanations. Immediately «iloud buzzing is heard, which gradually diminishes until perfepOilence ensues. On raising up_the hive all the bees are found apparently dead on the gieve; by the time the contents of the hive have been got out, and thoyjtor set up in its place again, the in^pWmder the influence of air and sunshine recover and return to their former abode. Nearly ail the mortality among young chickens is caused by lice. The long period of incubation required is aggravated by using nests for sitting which have been constantly employed during the early season by laying hens. If these nests are in close, filthy houses, lice are almost inevitable. Sulphur or carbolic powder are the best preventatives. Before setting a hen clean the nest carefully, sprinkle it with sulphur, and dust some occasionally over the hen when sitting. A correspondent of tho * Pacific ttural Press' recommends an ointment made as follows for young chickens—Mercurial ointment and lard, each one ounce ; land a half ounces each of flour of sulphur and crude petroleum. This is to be mixed and applied very sparingly along the back of the neck and head, and a little under the throat, as it is here that lice are first found, probably from the chick nestling its head among tbe feathers of its mother. One light application will be sufficient for five or six weeks. At the end of that time anoint again. Care should be taken to use this ointment very sparingly, as a large quantity might result fatally to tender birds. The Maine Farmergives some figures on seed cleaning, which should cause those farmers who neglect to clean their seed to alter their ways. !•'. says : We have before us the results of the cleansing of barley and wheat by the aid of one of the most pt-vfectgrain separators we have ever seen —which we believe have nerer before been published. The first was a bushel of bailey weighing 461bs, which was separated with the following results, viz —from the bushel 281bs of plump seed barley was obtained, 13lbs of light barley and oats, 31bs of buckwheat, and lib of seed of weeds. The second was a bushel of wheat weighing 581bs, cleansed with the following results :—JFrom this bushel 34 lbs of JSTo. 1» or heavy seed wheat was obtained, I2lbs of. No. 2, or middling (light) wheat, 61bs of No. 3 wheat (very small, pinched kernels) and pink or cockle, slbs of oars and barley, and lib of tangle weed and other foul seeds. As both the above samples of grain were taken from the ordinary crops grown on a first-class farm, it will be seen bow large a proportion of poor light grain, as well as seeds of foul and noxious plants were being raised and propagated "by the use as seed of the barley and wheat raised. Even if the oats and barley and wheat wer^ in pvery instance cleansed or washed before being sown, which, however, is not the case, the seeds of weeds are propagated ■through th-e manure hauled out upon tho tend,and our fields-are by this ' means overhih jath useless , plants and weeds, Bo if the farmer would" not only raise profitable crops of heavy graini but keep his farm clean and free from weeds, he must be careful to sow only good grain,, thoroughly cleansed, free iirom-worthless and foul seed.