Bee-Keepers' Record Volume 25, Nos. 204-215; A Monthly Journal Devoted to Practical Bee-Keeping .... (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...craft are for "hoping for better luck next year" it will need a fuller infusion than usual of the "Mark Tapley" spirit to keep them in good heart in the present year of grace, for not even the oldest of us can call to mind quite so disappointing a time for farmers--and bee-men, of course--as this, because all the conditions save warmth and sunshine have been favourable in the extreme. Vegetation of all kinds has prospered amazingly, and an abundant harvest seemed certain as a natural result of "growing" weather. Bee-forage was plentiful right up to the time when wellmanaged hives all over the country were crowded with bees at the end of April, only awaiting warmth and sunshine to start them off at top speed filling the supers. But May almost failed as a beemonth, and June was still worse; while the brief taste of July we are able to judge from brings no comfort, as it has rained in torrents almost every day. This brings us to our parallel season of nine years ago, so far as regards adverse weather for the bees, but with this difference--in 1898 the trouble arose from continuous cold winds, whereas in 1907 torrential rains are the cause of loss to agriculture and apiculture. Could anything more closely resemble the present beeseason (except for the difference noted) than our own words in the Record for July, 1868? Then, as now, we had a most promising start; bees came through the winter well and made rapid progress up to the beginning of May. Many swarms came off that month, and whenever a day or two of sunshine occurred bees worked well, the queens breeding fast all the time. But so few were the favourable days that strong stocks were starving for want of food before the month was out, immature brood being cast from hives plent...