Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1869 — Spring Care. [ARTICLE]

Spring Care.

Mrs Tupper says, in the Hural World} “As soon as bees fly freely in the spring, it is important to examine every hive, and know its exact condition? If the bees are in a movable comb hive, it is easy, by lifting out the frames, to see the amount of the stores, and also to discover, by the presence or absence of brood,if the colony has a queen. It is also easy, with bees in these hives, to supply their wants. If a colony has too little honey, it may have a frame or two of comb, containing honey, given to it from one that can spare it. If neither eggs nor brood, in any stage, are found in the hive, you may lie sure the colony is queenless. At an early period it is not usually best to attempt to supply the loss. The frames bees, and all, may be put with some other that can make room for them. They will not quarrel, but unite peaceably. Queenless bees are not disposed to quarrel, and other bees will not trouble them if in this condition.”

—-A housekeeper writes; “Having some stone jars in which lard had been packed until they became unfit for use, I made them perfectly tweet by packing them full of fresh earth and letting it remain two or three weeks. This is an ex* neriment with me, and I suspect •t would be equally effective in any ease of foul earthern -er >tone ware.”