,,bar-,,and-,,frame-,,hive999999        
,literature in ,agriculture collection  
of ,cornell ,university                 
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file which includes the original        
illustrations4       ,see #aicai-;h4htm 
or #aicai-;h4zip3                       
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,images of the original pages are       
available through the       ,core       
,historical ,literature in ,agriculture 
collection of       ,cornell            
,university4 ,see                       
http3_/_/chla4library4cornell4edu_/cgi_/
t_/text_/text-idx8cchla2idno#ejagfcg    
,a ,,description ,,of ,,the             
,,bar-,,and-,,frame-,,hive1  ,invented  
by  ,w4 ,,augustus ,,munn1 ,,esq4  ,with
 an ,abstract of ,wildman's ,complete   
,guide for the ,management of ,bees     
,throughout the ,year4          ,ipsa   

autem1 seu corticibus tibi suta cavatis1
   ,seu lento fuerint alvearia vimine   
texta1   ,angustos habeant aditus2 nam  
frigore mella   ,cogit hiems1 eademque  
calor liquefacta remittit4    ,virgil1  
,g4 lib4 iv4   ,london3 ,john ,van      
,voorst1 ,paternoster ,row4             
,m4,,dccc4,,xliv4  ,london ,printed by  
,s4  ,j4 ,bentley1 ,wilson1 and ,fley1  
,bangor ,house1 ,shoe ,lane4            
,,preface   ,having been frequently     
requested to explain the use of the     
bar-and-frame-hive1 in the management of
 bees1 ,i have been induced to print the
 following pamphlet1 to point out the   
advantages this new hive possesses over 
the common ones4  ,i have added extracts
 from various authorities to show the   
importance of transporting bees for a   
change of pasturage1 and thus prolonging
 the honey harvest4 ,regarding the      
natural history of the bee1 ,i have     
merely stated a few of the leading facts
 connected with that interesting        
subject1 drawn from ,wildman's ,book on 

,bee-management4  ,london1 ,april1      
#ahdd4   ,illustration3 ,,plate ,i4     
,,fig4 #a4     ,,explanation ,,of ,,the 
,,plate4   ,,plate ,i1 ,,figure #a4   ,a
 ,b ,c ,d ,e ,f and ,e ,f1 the oblong   
box as shown in fig4 #a1 ,plate ,i4  ,a 
,b ,c ,d1 the top lid of the oblong box2
 ,g ,h1 the half of it made to fall     
back1 and supported at an angle by the  
hinges1 h h2 l1 the upper part of the   
lock of the box2 i k1 the two gable ends
 of the roof2 i1 the perforated zinc    
shown as secured in a triangular frame2 
and k1 the outside appearance of the    
ventilator4  ,q ,q1 the two quadrants1  
supporting the table1 ,i ,j1 which is   
formed by the side of the box1 ,a ,c ,e 
,e1 being let down2 a a a1 c41 fifteen  
holes made to receive the back bolt1 m1 
of the observation-frame1 ,z2 b b1 two  
bolts to fasten into the holes1 c and d1
 when the table ,i ,j1 is closed1 f1    
being the other part of the lock4  ,t1  
one of the handles of the box 7the other
 not seen74  ,u1 one of the blocks 7the 

other not shown7 to keep the bottom of  
the box from the ground1 when the four  
legs ,l ,l ,l ,l1 are unscrewed from the
 four corners of the box4  ,x ,x ,b ,d1 
the front of the box2 e1 the alighting  
board1 four inches wide1 extending the  
whole length from ,f to ,f2 ,x #b1 shows
 a small ledge to keep the wet from     
entering the bee-box1 and ,x ,i1 one of 
the slides s1 drawn out1 and extending  
beyond the end of the box2 the other    
half slide1 s1 on the left hand side1   
not drawn out in the sketch1 the part   
under ,x #a1 shows the opening for the  
ingress and egress of the bees4  ,r1 one
 of the two pieces of red cedar at the  
inside of the box1 fixed at the ends1 ,e
 ,f4 ,e ,f4 ,the ,q ,q1 quadrants being 
made to work between the red cedar and  
the outer case or box2 v v1 the fillet  
fixed in the length of the box1 on a    
level with the tops of red cedar2 c d1  
the holes for the bolts b b1 in the     
table ,i ,j4  ,w ,w1 pieces of          
perforated zinc laid upon the tops of   

the bee-frames resting on the fillets1 v
 v4  #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #f1 six of the 
#ae grooves1 half an inch deep1 #i-a_/b 
long1 and #a-a_/b of an inch broad1     
formed on the floor-board3 the holes    
shown in the floor-board above the      
figures being made for the reception of 
the two pins1 a b1 in the               
observation-frame4 ,no4 #h1 shows the   
division-frame run into the eighth      
groove of the floor-board1 and ,no4 #ad 
and #ae1 the bee-frames run into their  
respective grooves1 and the #a-a_/h of  
an inch openings in the back closed by  
the slips of tin1 q q q q1 c4  ,y ,y1   
the bar of mahogany with corresponding  
grooves1 ,x ,x ,x ,x1 c4 to those on the
 floor-board1 at #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e and 
#f1 and #ae-b_/h holes for the top bolt1
 r1 of the observation-frame1 ,z1 to fix
 into4 t1 t1 t1 the screw nuts at the   
backs of the bee-frames1 c41 for the    
screw at the end of the spindle1 ,s1 to 
work into1 and thus hold and draw out of
 the grooves the bee-frames2 w1 the     

bee-frame containing comb and bees1     
drawn partly into the observation-frame1
 ,z4       ,a ,,description ,,of ,,the  
,,bar-,,and-,,frame-,,hive4     ,,the   
,,bar-,,and-,,frame-,,hive4   ,by first 
giving a general description of the     
bar-and-frame-hive1 the details of its  
construction can be better explained    
afterwards4  ,an oblong box is formed of
 well seasoned wood of an inch in       
thickness1 about thirty inches long1    
sixteen inches high1 and twelve inches  
broad2 but the size may be varied to    
suit the convenience or taste of        
different apiarians4 ,instead of the lid
 of the box being flat1 it is made in   
the shape of the roof of a cottage1 and 
with projecting eaves to throw off the  
wet more effectually4 ,one of the long  
sides of the box is constructed to open 
with hinges1 and to hang on a level with
 the bottom of the box1 and is held up  
by means of two quadrants4 ,as many     
grooves1 half of an inch broad1 half an 
inch deep1 and about #i-a_/b inches     

long1 are formed1 #a-a_/h of an inch    
apart1 in the inside of the bottom of   
the box as its length will admit4  ,in  
the other side1 a long half inch slip is
 cut for the egress and ingress of the  
bees1 having a piece of wood about an   
inch thick1 and four inches wide1       
fastened on the outside1 just under the 
opening1 to form the alighting board for
 them4  ,at the top1 of the side of the 
box which is made to let down1 a four   
inch piece of mahogany the length of the
 inside of the box is secured in1 having
 corresponding grooves formed1 half an  
inch broad1 #a-a_/h of an inch deep1 and
 half an inch apart1 to those made in   
the bottom of the box1 leaving just     
twelve inches between the bottom grooves
 and the upper bar grooves4  ,when the  
four legs are screwed into the four     
corners of the box1 the small bee-house 
is ready for the reception of the       
bee-frames and the bees4 ,the bee-frames
 are made of half inch mahogany1 being  
twelve inches high1 nine inches long1   

and not more than half of an inch broad1
 so that these frames will fit into the 
box1 sliding into fifteen grooves formed
 on the bottom1 and kept securely in    
their places by the upper grooves in the
 mahogany bar4  ,when the fifteen1 or   
whatever number of the bee-frames       
intended to be used1 have been run into 
the grooves1 sheets of perforated zinc  
are placed on the tops of them2 the     
#a-a_/h of an inch openings at the backs
 of the frames being closed with slips  
of tin4  ,one of the bee-frames is made 
solid1 with sheets of zinc being fixed  
in it2 this frame can then be used as a 
divider between any number of the       
bee-frames1 and thus form the box into  
two compartments1 either to augment or  
diminish the space in the box according 
to the size of the swarm1 or the        
increasing wants of the bees for more   
room4  ,the bees are then introduced    
into the hive 7having first closed the  
backs of the bee-frames with the slips  
of tin1 and fastened the side lid of the

 box against them1 and also removed one 
of the sheets of perforated zinc from   
the tops of the bee-frames7 by          
dislodging the bees from the straw-hive 
in which they had been previously       
collected1 or shaken from the boughs of 
the tree1 where they may have settled1  
so as to fall upon the tops of the      
frames within the box2 when the bees    
have all congregated within the         
bee-frames by crawling through the open 
spaces at the top1 the perforated sheet 
of zinc is placed over them2 the bees   
can then only escape through the long   
slip or entrance which was made for them
 in the front of the box4  ,the top lid 
can be closed and locked1 when the bees 
will be secure from the gaze of the     
inquisitive1 or the bad intentions of   
thieves4  ,before ,i proceed to give any
 directions for the construction of the 
bar-and-frame-hive ,i am anxious to warn
 all amateur carpenters1 and those who  
delight to superintend the labours of a 
cheap working country carpenter1 against

 the fatal error of using unseasoned    
wood2 for1 unless the bottom board and  
the bee-frames are made of mahogany1 or 
some well-seasoned1 hard1 or            
close-grained wood1 the advantages of   
the bar and frame-hive will be quite    
destroyed1 as the great object is to    
have the bee-frames to slide in and out 
of the grooves with the greatest        
facility4 ,throughout the whole of the  
making of the hive or box1 no glue      
should be used1 unless further secured  
with small ,,screws ,,or ,,nails4#a     
,footnote #a3 ,mr4 ,john ,milton of ,no4
 #aj1 ,great ,marylebone-street1 has    
some well constructed bar and frame     
bee-hives of various prices4  ,the      
oblong box1 ,a ,b ,c ,d1 ,e ,f and ,e ,f
 7,plate ,i1 fig4 #a71 is to be made of 
well-seasoned poplar1 fir1 or deal1 of  
an inch in thickness2 the inside        
dimensions are #bh inches and #e_/h of  
an inch long from ,a to ,c1 #aj-a_/b    
inches broad from ,a to ,b1 and sixteen 
inches deep from ,a to ,e4  ,the top lid

 ,a ,b ,c ,d is formed in the shape of a
 common roof1 and made to project an    
inch1 before1 behind1 and at the two    
gable ends1 like the eaves of a cottage 
to throw off the wet4  ,the half of this
 roof ,g ,h1 is made to open and fall   
back with hinges h h4  ,the two gable   
ends of the roof have holes cut in them1
 i1 k1 to admit the circulation of air2 
and secured with perforated zinc        
withinside to prevent the intrusion of  
wasps1 or any other enemies to bees2 the
 gable marked i1 shows the perforated   
zinc framed into the gable1 and k the   
outside appearance of the ventilator4   
,the side of the box marked ,a ,c ,e ,e1
 is made to let down and form a table ,i
 ,j1 hung on hinges ,p ,p1 and supported
 by the quadrants ,q ,q1 one inch below 
the level of the bottom board4  ,two    
handles are fixed in the ends of the    
box1 one shown in the sketch at ,t4     
,two blocks of wood are screwed on the  
bottom of the box 7one shown at ,u7 to  
keep it off the ground1 c41 when the    

four legs1 ,l ,l ,l ,l1 at the four     
corners of the box are unscrewed for the
 convenience of packing1 c4 ,in the     
opposite side or front of the box at ,x 
,x1 is fixed a piece of board e1 four   
inches broad1 and an inch thick1        
extending the whole length from ,f ,f2  
this is secured at an angle with the    
bottom of the box1 so as to form a      
slightly inclined plain e1 for the      
alighting board1 which would be always  
dry for the bees to land upon4 ,a half  
inch opening is made from ,f to ,f1 just
 above the alighting board1 for the     
ingress and egress of the bees4 ,slides 
are made s s1 to regulate the extent of 
the openings1 or to entirely close the  
entrance to the box2 these slides can be
 drawn out when it is necessary to clean
 the bottom board1 c4  ,within-side the 
box1 two pieces of red cedar of half an 
inch in thickness1 #ab-a_/h inches long1
 #i-a_/b inches broad1 are nailed on to 
each end at ,e ,f1 and ,e ,f 7one of the
 pieces of red cedar shown at ,r74 ,the 

quadrants1 ,q ,q1 being made to work    
between them and the outer case4 ,a     
fillet1 v v1 is fastened on a level with
 the tops of the two pieces of red      
cedar1 to form a ledge of about a #a_/d 
of an inch all round1 to support the    
sheets of perforated zinc1 as shown at  
,w ,w4  ,sixteen pieces of mahogany1    
#a-a_/h of an inch broad1 and half an   
inch deep1 are to be screwed to the     
mahogany floor board1 commencing against
 the piece of red cedar1 ,r1 and leaving
 a space between each piece1 half of an 
inch1 and finishing against the other   
piece of red cedar with the last2 there 
will then be formed fifteen grooves1    
half of an inch in width1 half an inch  
in depth1 and #i-a_/b inches long on the
 floor-board as shown at #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1
 #e1 #f4  ,a bar of mahogany1 ,y ,y1    
about two inches square1 having grooves1
 ,x ,x ,x ,x1 c41 corresponding to those
 on the floor-board1 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1
 #f1 c41 is let in1 and fastened between
 ,a and ,c1 having a clear space of     

twelve inches between the floor-board1  
and this top bar2 the object of these   
grooves being to receive1 and keep      
steadily in their places1 the fifteen   
bee-frames1 when introduced into them4  
,illustration3 ,fig4 ,i4  ,the          
bee-frames are made of mahogany1 nine   
inches long1 twelve inches high1 and    
half an inch broad4 ,each frame is      
dove-tailed to make it strong at the    
angles1 and to keep it true2 the upper  
part is formed of one inch mahogany1 and
 bevelled off 7as the carpenters call   
it7 to the eighth of an inch1 in the    
centre1 as shown at a1 fig4 #a3 on the  
two sides of this triangular bar1 b b1  
pieces of glass1 extending the length of
 the bar1 are fixed with red lead4 ,the 
two sides of the frame1 d1 d1 are to    
increase in size1 from half an inch at  
the top1 to #a-a_/b inches at the       
bottom4 ,the bottom piece1 c1 is half an
 inch in depth4 ,the back of each frame 
has a piece of tin1 about the thickness 
of a card1 fixed on it1 of the exact    

size1 viz4 twelve inches long1 and half 
an inch broad1 e1 e4 ,in the centre of  
the back of each frame1 f1 a screw-nut  
is let in1 which is made to fit a screw 
at the end of a long spindle1 ,s1 ,plate
 ,i1 fig4 #a4 ,this spindle with a      
handle1 ,z1 will screw equally well into
 the screw-nuts of the fifteen          
bee-frames and division-frame4 ,the use 
of this spindle being1 to draw in and   
out of the grooves the fifteen          
bee-frames when required4 ,when the     
bee-frames have been put into the       
grooves in the box1 slips of tin about  
thirteen inches long1 and and a half    
broad1 are slipped into their backs     
7being run in between the backs of the  
bee-frames1 and the pieces of thin tin  
fixed upon them71 to close the #a-a_/h  
of an inch openings4 ,and three or four 
sheets of perforated zinc are laid upon 
the tops of the bee-frames1 resting on  
the fillets4 ,thus1 then1 when a swarm  
of bees has been introduced into this   
box1 the bees have to build their combs 

within the fifteen bee-frames1 or       
whatever number may have been run into  
the grooves for that purpose4 ,the bees 
cannot escape from above the frames1 as 
the sheets of perforated zinc prevent   
them1 nor from the #a-a_/h of an inch   
openings at the backs of the frames1 as 
they have been closed with the slips of 
tin2 the only open part being the long  
narrow slip1 just above the alighting   
board1 which was originally left for    
their ingress and egress4  ,the         
division-frame is made of half inch     
mahogany1 twelve inches high1 #i-a_/b   
long1 and half of an inch broad4 ,so    
that it will run into any of the grooves
 formed for the bee-frames2 but made to 
fit close to the box at the end1 by     
means of a slip of wood1 ,c ,c1 fig4 #b1
 to prevent the bees crawling between   
the frame and the outer-box1 as they can
 do round the bee-frames4               
,illustration3 ,fig4 ,,ii4  ,the        
division-frame itself is closed by      
having two sheets of zinc run into it as

 shown in fig4 #b1 the one marked b b b 
b1 and partly drawn out1 being of solid 
sheet zinc2 and a a1 the other in the   
frame1 of perforated zinc2 d1 being the 
screw-nut 7like those in the bee-frames7
 by means of which it can be drawn out  
into the observation-frame1 c4 ,thus1   
wherever this division-frame is run into
 the bee-box1 7except of course at ,no4 
#a1 and ,no4 #ae grooves7 it cuts off   
all communication with the bee-frames on
 the right or left of it2 and two       
colonies of bees may be kept in the same
 box1 and still have distinct frames to 
work upon1 and separate entrances1 c4   
,if then bees have been put into one of 
the bar-and-frame-hives1 and sufficient 
time has been given them to build their 
combs within the bee-frames1 the frames 
with their contents can be drawn out    
into the observation-frame1 7which will 
be more fully described7 whenever it is 
wished to examine the bees1 c41 as the  
#a-a_/h of an inch spaces between the   
grooves will allow of a sufficient      

distance to be preserved1 between the   
lateral surfaces of the perpendicular   
combs formed in the bee-frames1 and thus
 permit them to slide by each other with
 facility4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 ,,iii4 
,the observation-frame1 fig4 #c1 is a   
mahogany frame1 fourteen inches high1   
eleven inches long1 and about four      
inches wide1 having a single groove half
 an inch deep1 and half an inch broad1  
running within its whole length of      
eleven inches4 ,the two largest sides   
have panes of glass fixed in them with  
small brads4 ,the top1 bottom1 and one  
end 7this end forming the back7 of this 
frame1 are made of solid wood2 the back 
having a small hole1 f1 #b_/h of an inch
 in diameter in the middle1 to allow the
 spindle before mentioned to pass       
through it4 ,the end which forms the    
front of the frame is open1 so that any 
one of the bee-frames can be run into   
the observation-frame1 but may be closed
 by a piece of tin 7d7 being slipt into 
the small grooves at c c4 ,the          

observation-frame has two pins1 a1 b1 to
 fit into the #b_/h holes made along the
 bottom board of the bee-box1 shown by  
the figures1 #a1 #b1 #c1 c41 see ,plate 
,i1 fig4 #a1 and also two small bolts r 
and m2 r1 the upper one to fix into the 
holes above ,x ,x ,x1 c41 in the        
mahogany bar2 7but this bolt is only    
used during the operation of drawing out
 the bee-frames into the observation    
frame72 and the other bolt m at the back
 of the frame1 to fasten into the #b_/h 
holes1 a1 a1 a1 c41 made in the lid1 ,i 
,j4 ,when the two pins and the bolts of 
the observation-frame have been adjusted
 and fixed1 the groove in it will be in 
a straight line with one of the grooves 
formed in the bottom board of the box1  
consequently a bee-frame can be made to 
slide1 by means of the long spindle1 in 
and out of the box1 into the            
observation-frame4  ,the use of this    
observation frame must now be explained 
more fully3 the top lid of the bee box1 
,plate ,i1 fig4 #a4 ,g4 ,h4 being thrown

 up1 will screen the operator from the  
bees1 which are flying in and out in the
 front of the hive or box4 ,the back    
lid1 ,i4 ,j41 is let down1 and supported
 by the quadrants ,q4 ,q41 and forms a  
table1 the box having been raised from  
the ground by the four legs1 ,l ,l ,l   
,l4 ,the observation frame is placed    
opposite to whichever bee-frame is to be
 examined2 the two pins1 a1 b1 fig4 #c1 
running into the holes #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1  
#e1 c41 made in the bottom board4 ,the  
small bolts1 ,plate ,i1 secured at the  
top1 as at r1 and the back m3 the long  
spindle1 ,s1 is run through the #b_/h   
hole in the back of the observation     
frame1 as at ,z1 and the end of the     
spindle screwed into the screw socket t1
 at the back of the bee-frame w2 the two
 pieces of tin on the right and left of 
the bee-frame are pulled out 7of course 
the observation frame being empty1 and  
having the piece of tin from its front  
taken out71 the operator holding by the 
handle1 z1 of the spindle1 gradually    

draws out the bee-frame into the        
observation frame1 and after examining  
the bees and comb1 gently returns the   
bee-frame into its groove in the        
floor-board3 the two slips of tin are   
then replaced in the backs of the       
bee-frames3 the spindle is unscrewed and
 withdrawn1 the bolts are unfastened1   
the observation frame being kept firmly 
in its place1 held by the left hand of  
the operator1 whilst with the right he  
runs in the long slip of tin1 d1 fig4   
#c1 into the front of the observation   
frame1 to keep the bees 7escaped from   
the returned bee-frame71 until the      
observation frame is again fixed        
opposite to another bee-frame1 when the 
tin is withdrawn and the bolts fastened 
as before4 ,it has been shown that by   
these means1 each bee-frame1 and the    
bees and comb contained in it1 can be   
easily drawn out and examined1 without  
interfering with any other part of the  
hive1 or occasioning the loss of a      
single bee4  ,the whole of the interior 

of the hive is thus open to inspection  
at any moment1 and a choice can be made 
of the combs containing the most honey1 
or the bee owner enabled to trace the   
devastation of the honey moth1 and      
ascertain the presence of any other     
enemy1 and this without the assistance  
of smoke1 which must be injurious both  
to the bees and their brood4  ,when the 
bee-frame is returned and secured1 the  
observation-frame is removed2 then the  
lid1 ,i ,j1 being shut up and bolted1   
and the upper lid1 ,g ,h1 closed1 the   
box may be locked up4 ,when the bees    
have been shut in with the slide in the 
front1 the hive or box is ready to be   
transported anywhere1 to procure new    
pasturage for them1 which1 as every     
experienced bee-keeper knows1 is of the 
greatest benefit to prolong their       
honey-harvest4  ,perfect protection from
 wet and the vicissitudes of            
temperature1 is partly ensured by the   
external bee-box being made of          
well-seasoned wood2 poplar is           

recommended as of a looser grain than   
fir1 deal1 c41 and consequently1 not so 
great a conductor of heat2 but the      
objection to wooden bee-hives or boxes1 
for being more easily affected by the   
variations of the temperature1 is       
removed by the construction of the bar  
frame-hive2 for the bee-frames form1 as 
it were1 a smaller box within the oblong
 box1 and are not in immediate contact  
with the external air1 but have a half  
inch space nearly all round them1 which 
will to a certain extent maintain an    
equable temperature for the bees1 both  
in summer and winter4  ,any moisture    
condensed from the heated air generated 
by the bees1 is carried off through the 
perforated sheets of zinc above the     
frames1 and cool store-room for the     
honey is also thus secured4  ,a feeding 
trough is made on the principle of a    
bird-glass3 with a tin feeder and a     
small bottle for the liquid food to be  
put into4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 ,,iv4   
,the tin feeder is six inches by #g-a_/b

 long1 and one inch deep1 and just fits 
on to the top of the bee-frames1 where  
the perforated sheets of zinc are laid2 
within this feeder a half inch opening  
is cut at the bottom1 fig #d1 a1 and an 
inclined plane b1 reaching half way up  
the depth of the trough2 and a sheet of 
perforated tin1 c 7placed horizontally  
from point b17 through which the bees   
suck the food1 which is kept at the same
 level by atmospheric pressure2 for as  
the food is drawn down below the mouth  
of the bottle1 d1 air forces itself into
 the bottle1 and the same quantity of   
food trickles down into the feeder1 a   
piece of glass1 e1 exactly the same size
 as the feeder1 is placed over it1      
through which the bees may be seen      
whilst feeding1 and the feeding trough  
will be nearly of the same temperature  
as the interior of the box or hive1 and 
prevent the bees being chilled1 as they 
would be in winter1 if compelled to     
descend for their food2 and besides1 the
 bees are less likely to be attacked by 

wasps or strange bees when fed from     
above1 as the intruders would have to   
ascend through the mass of bees in the  
box1 which would be attended with danger
 to them4  ,the bees can be fed when    
necessary by one of the sheets of       
perforated zinc being drawn on one side1
 and the feeding trough1 with the bottle
 of food in it1 being placed over the   
opening2 when the bees will ascend      
through the half inch space at a1 and   
feed themselves with the liquid1 or     
carry it away and store it up for future
 use4     ,,hives ,,and ,,bee-,,boxes4  
,having given a description of the      
bar-frame-hive1 it will be as well to   
enter into the comparative advantages of
 using wooden boxes and straw hives4    
,some apiarians confine themselves to   
the use of straw hives1 others to wooden
 boxes1 and a third party use both2 but 
as far as the bees are concerned it     
matters little what kind of hive is     
given them1 for if the season be        
favourable1 and the bee-pasturage rich  

with flowers1 they collect and store up 
the honey in their combs in any         
receptacle of any shape or size1        
provided it affords them shelter from   
the weather4  ,hives made of straw are  
generally preferred for an out-of-door  
apiary1 as being less liable to be      
over-heated by the rays of the sun1 and 
in the winter they exclude the cold     
better than hives made of other         
materials1 while the moisture arising   
from the bees is more quickly absorbed  
within the hive1 and does not run down  
the sides as it generally does in wooden
 hives or boxes2 at the same time they  
are always to be obtained from their    
cheapness1 and from their simplicity    
easily understood and made use of2      
wooden boxes can only be used with      
advantage in a bee-house1 they stand    
firmer on the bottom boards1 or one upon
 another1 they admit of having glass    
windows1 through which to observe the   
operations of the bees1 and they are not
 so liable to harbour moths1 spiders1   

and other insects1 as the straw hives4  
,the objects to be attained in the      
construction and management of an       
apiary1 are1 to secure the prosperity   
and multiplication of the colonies of   
bees1 to increase the amount of their   
productive labour1 and to obtain their  
products with facility1 and with the    
least possible detriment to the stock4  
,it is to the interest of the owner1    
therefore1 that he provide for the bees 
shelter against moisture1 and the       
extremes of heat and cold--especially1  
sudden vicissitudes of temperature1     
protection from their numerous enemies1 
every facility for constructing their   
combs and for rearing their brood1 and  
that the hive should be so constructed  
as to allow of every part of the combs  
to be inspected at any moment1 and      
capable of removal when requisite3 and  
while attention is paid to economy1 it  
should be made of materials that will   
secure its durability4  ,these          
observations apply equally to the straw 

hives1 boxes1 or whatever the bees may  
be lodged in or hived4 ,some cultivators
 of bees have been chiefly anxious to   
promote their multiplication1 and to    
prevent the escape of the swarms in     
their natural way1 by forming artificial
 swarms1 by separating a populous hive  
previous to its swarming1 into two      
parts1 and allowing to each greater room
 for the construction of their works4   
,others1 and the most numerous class1   
have contemplated only the abundance of 
the products which they yield1 and the  
facility of extracting them from the    
hive1 without showing any particular    
solicitude as to the preservation of the
 bees themselves4 ,another class of     
apiarians have1 on the other hand1 had  
it more particularly in view1 to        
facilitate the prosecution of researches
 in the natural history and economy of  
bees4  ,then1 again1 amongst apiarians a
 diversity of opinion exists regarding  
the system to be adopted in the         
management of the hives1 whether the    

bees are to be kept in single hives1    
caps or bell-glasses1 and extra boxes1  
which may be added at the top1 which is 
called the storifying system2 or        
inserting additional room at the bottom1
 called nadering2 or whether adding     
boxes at the sides1 called the          
collateral system1 should be followed   
out2 and a plan of ventilating the boxes
 has been added to the last system1 but 
experience has proved that it is utterly
 useless1 as in spite of ventilating    
tubes and thermometers1 the bees have   
swarmed1 and the queen-bee has deposited
 her eggs in the collateral boxes and   
destroyed the purity of the honey4  ,no 
successful plan has been yet devised to 
ventilate the combs where the bees      
cluster2 for the bees prevent the       
circulation of the cold air amongst the 
combs by immediately forming themselves 
in thick rows at the bottom of the      
combs2 and instead of ranging the fields
 to gather honey or pollen1 have to     
collect together and idle away their    

time to retain the necessary heat for   
the formation of the combs1 or to rear  
their brood4  ,as a single hive1        
,huber's leaf-hive is certainly the     
best2 but it requires great attention1  
and none but experienced apiarists can  
use it for the purpose of trying        
experiments2 but in the hands of        
experienced apiarists it is invaluable4 
,all other single hives are             
objectionable1 as neither the           
proceedings of the bees can be observed1
 nor the honey taken out1 without either
 destroying the bees1 or driving them   
out with smoke by which much of the     
brood is killed2 or if rainy weather    
occur at the time the bees are preparing
 to throw off a swarm1 and the hive be  
filled to its utmost limits with comb1  
all the bees must remain idle till the  
return of fine weather for want of room4
  ,to meet this objection1 some         
apiarians have straw-hives with flat    
wooden tops made1 or use boxes1 and have
 holes cut in them at the top1 so that  

small glasses may be added1 when the    
bees require room4 ,but this does not   
prevent swarming1 and besides1 the      
flatness of the roof is prejudicial1 as 
it allows the moisture which exhales    
from the bees to collect in the roof1   
and to fall in drops at different parts1
 to the great injury of the subjacent   
contents of the hive1 and1 like the     
common straw hive or square box1 the    
bees cannot be examined1 except         
partially through the windows made in   
the sides4  ,to remedy this evil1 the   
further plan of storifying hives or     
boxes1 was introduced1 and by this      
method swarming may to an extent be     
prevented1 and the wax and honey can be 
taken without destroying the bees2 and  
with the same view was introduced the   
collateral system1 which is adding room 
at the sides 7of course preserving a    
free communication between the boxes and
 hives74 ,but there are objections to   
the collateral system1 as it is now a   
very well established fact1 that        

partitions of any kind are detrimental  
to the prosperity of the bees2 and the  
same applies1 though perhaps in an      
inferior degree1 to the storied system1 
or hives and boxes divided into stories 
one above another2 besides that which   
holds good equally to all hives or      
boxes1 that it is not possible to       
proportion the hives in all cases to the
 magnitude of the swarms1 or the energy 
with which they labour4  ,in single     
hives the honey becomes bad and         
discoloured from being put into the old 
breeding cells4 ,in double storied1 or  
collateral hives1 the bees are divided1 
and live in different families2 while   
their own preservation1 and that of the 
brood1 requires them to live in the     
strictest union2 the heat also necessary
 for the secretion of wax is lessened by
 the division of the bees into different
 groups4 ,and1 besides1 all these       
different hives or boxes should have    
some sort of protection from the        
weather1 either in the way of eaves or  

covers1 or be placed in a shed or       
bee-house4  ,they require also centre   
boards and division tins1 c4 to separate
 one hive or box from another1 floor    
boards for them to stand upon1 as well  
as stands or stools to raise them from  
the ground1 c41 for a description of    
which1 and a full history of all hives  
and boxes1 ,i refer the reader to ,dr4  
,bevan's ,honey-bee4  ,in mentioning the
 defects of these different boxes and   
hives1 ,i do not mean to condemn them as
 useless1 for they will all answer to a 
certain extent the purposes for which   
they were intended1 rewarding the       
attentive bee-keeper1 according to the  
seasons1 and enabling the bees to send  
forth many swarms1 and collecting and   
storing up their treasures of honey2 but
 my object has been to point out briefly
 to those anxious for the better1 more  
extended1 and economical mode of        
bee-management1 the difficulties to be  
provided against1 and to recommend to   
their consideration the advantages      

offered in the bar frame-hive4 ,but1    
however1 ,i should not be doing justice 
to ,mr4 ,r4 ,golding1 if ,i did not     
particularly mention his improved       
,grecian hive by the use of which combs 
may be removed from the interior of the 
hive and inspected at pleasure3 this    
improvement he has effected by carefully
 investigating the laws of the insects  
for whose use the hives were intended1  
and by a particular arrangement of the  
bars1 7every alternate one being        
furnished with guide combs17 the bees   
have been induced1 in a manner at once  
simple and beautiful1 to construct a    
uniform range of combs4 ,when the hive  
is filled with honey1 two or three1 or  
more of the bars may be1 at any time1   
removed1 or exchanged for unoccupied    
bars1 without much disturbing the brood 
combs1 all annoyance from the bees being
 prevented by a whiff or two of tobacco 
smoke being blown into the hive at the  
time of the removal of the bars4 ,with  
the protection of a bee-house these     

hives can be applied to many of the     
systems of bee-management1 and prove    
equally profitable1 and more manageable 
than some of the newly-invented hives4  
,,the ,,apiary4   ,next of importance to
 the kind of hive and the system to be  
followed1 is the proper situation of an 
apiary4 ,this subject engaged the       
attention of bee-keepers in ancient as  
much as in modern times2 but the        
directions given by ,columella and      
,virgil are as good now as when they    
were written2 and as is observed by the 
writer in ,no4 ,,cxli4 of the ,quarterly
 ,review1 in the amusing article on     
,bee-books1--,it would amply repay 7and 
this is saying a great deal17 the most  
forgetful country gentleman to rub up   
his schoolboy ,latin1 for the sole      
pleasure he would derive from the       
perusal of the fourth ,georgic4 ,the    
aspect has been regarded as of the first
 importance2 but there are points of    
greater consequence1 namely the vicinity
 of good bee pasturage1 the shelter of  

the hives from the winds by trees or    
houses1 and their distance from ponds or
 rivers1 as the high winds might dash   
the bees into the water4  ,various      
aspects have been recommended1 but the  
south1 with a point to the east or west1
 according to its situation as respects 
the shelter it may receive from walls or
 trees1 c4 is the best3 care1 however1  
must be taken that neither walls1 trees1
 nor anything else impede the going     
forth of the bees to their pasturage4   
,i have ever found it best1 says        
,wildman1 to place the mouth of the     
hives to the west in spring1 care being 
taken that they have the afternoon sun2 
the morning sun is extremely dangerous  
during the colder months1 when its glare
 often tempts these industrious insects 
out to their ruin2 whereas the mouth of 
the hive being then in the shade1 the   
bees remain at home2 and as clouds      
generally obscure the afternoon's sun at
 that season1 the bees escape the       
temptation of going out4 ,when food is  

to be obtained1 the warmth of the air   
continues round the hive in the         
afternoon1 which enables the bees to    
pursue their labours without danger4  ,a
 valley is a better situation for an    
apiary than a hill1 being more          
convenient to the bees returning home   
with their loads2 and1 besides1 bees are
 not so apt to fly away when swarming as
 when on a hill3 but when swarms take a 
distant flight1 they generally fly      
against the wind1 so that the stragglers
 of the swarms may better hear the      
direction of the course taken by their  
fellow emigrants4  ,i recommend a hard  
gravel terrace for the hives to be      
placed upon1 as being drier both in     
summer and winter for the bee-master to 
walk upon1 when inspecting his bees1 and
 also as less likely to afford shelter  
for ants or other enemies to bees2 and1 
besides1 it is better for the bees1     
which when much fatigued by their       
journeys1 or benumbed by the cold1 are  
apt to fall around the hives1 and would 

recover more quickly from the warmth of 
the dry ground than if they had alighted
 on damp grass4  ,the hives should not  
be placed where water from the eaves of 
houses1 from hedges1 or trees1 drop upon
 them2 but they should be near the      
mansion house for the convenience of    
watching the bees1 c4  ,a small stream  
of water running near the hives is      
thought to be of advantage1 especially  
in dry seasons1 with gently declining   
banks1 in order that the bees may have  
safe access to it4  ,heaths1 or places  
abounding in wild flowers1 constitute   
the best neighbourhood for an apiary1   
and in default of this pasturage1 there 
should be gardens where flowers are     
cultivated1 and fields in which         
buck-wheat1 clover1 or sainfoin1 is     
sown4  ,but cultivating small gardens of
 flowers for bees is useless1 except a  
few early flowers near the hives for the
 bees to collect some pollen for the    
brood1 such as the common kinds of      
crocus1 white alyssum1 single blue      

hepaticas1 helleborus niger1 and        
tussilago petasites1 all of which flower
 early2 but should any of the tribe of  
the willows grow near1 there will be no 
necessity for cultivating the flowers   
above-mentioned1 as they yield an       
abundant harvest of farina1 or pollen4  
,a rich corn country is well known to be
 a barren desert to the bees during a   
greater portion of the year4 ,hence the 
judicious practice of shifting the bees 
from place to place according to the    
circumstances of the season1 and the    
custom of other nations in this         
particular well deserves our imitation4 
,few places are so happily situated as  
to afford bees proper pasturage both in 
the beginning of the season and also the
 autumn2 it was the advice of ,celsus   
that1 after the vernal pastures are     
consumed1 they should be transported to 
places abounding with autumnal flowers2 
as was practised by conveying the bees  
from ,achaia to ,attica1 from ,euboea   
and the ,cyclad ,islands to ,syrus1 and 

also in ,sicily1 where they were brought
 to ,hybla from other parts of the      
island4  ,pliny states that the custom  
of removing bees from place to place for
 fresh pasturage was frequent in the    
,roman territories1 and such is still   
the practice of the ,italians who live  
near the banks of the ,po1 7the river   
which ,pliny particularly instances17   
mentioned by ,alexander de ,montfort1   
who says that the ,italians treat their 
bees in nearly the same manner as the   
,egyptians did and still do2 that they  
load boats with hives and convey them to
 the neighbourhood of the mountains of  
,piedmont2 that in proportion as the    
bees gather in their harvest1 the boats1
 by growing heavier1 sink deeper into   
the water2 and that the watermen        
determine from this1 when their hives   
are loaded sufficiently1 and it is time 
to carry them back to their places from 
which they came4 ,the same author       
relates that the people of the country  
of ,juliers used the same practice2 for 

that1 at a certain season of the year1  
they carried their bees to the foot of  
mountains that were covered with wild   
thyme4  ,m4 ,maillet1 who was the       
,french ,consul in ,egypt in #afib1 says
 in his curious description of ,egypt2  
that in spite of the ignorance and      
rusticity which have got possession of  
that country1 there yet remain in it    
several traces of the industry and skill
 of the ancient ,egyptians4 ,one of     
their most admirable contrivances is1   
the sending their bees annually into    
different districts to collect food1 at 
a time when they could not find any at  
home4  ,about the end ,october1 all such
 inhabitants of ,lower ,egypt1 as have  
hives of bees1 embark them on the ,nile1
 and convey them up that river quite    
into ,upper ,egypt2 observing to time it
 so that they arrive there just when the
 inundation is withdrawn1 the lands have
 been sown1 and the flowers begin to    
bud4 ,the hives thus sent are marked and
 numbered by their respective owners1   

and placed pyramidically in boats       
prepared for the purpose4 ,after they   
have remained some time at their        
furthest station1 and are supposed to   
have gathered all the pollen and honey  
they could find in the fields within two
 or three leagues around1 their         
conductors convey them in the same      
boats1 two or three leagues lower down1 
and there leave the laborious insects so
 long a time as is necessary for them to
 collect all the riches of this spot4   
,thus the nearer they come to the place 
of their more permanent abode1 they find
 the plants which afford them food1     
forward in proportion4  ,in fine1 about 
the beginning of ,february1 after having
 travelled through the whole length of  
,egypt1 and gathered all the rich       
produce of the delightful banks of the  
,nile1 they arrive at the mouth of that 
river1 towards the ocean2 from whence   
they had set out3 care is taken to keep 
an exact register of every district from
 whence the hives were sent in the      

beginning of the season1 of their       
numbers1 of the names of the persons who
 sent them1 and likewise of the mark or 
number of the boat in which they were   
placed4  ,niebuhr saw upon the ,nile1   
between ,cairo and ,damietta1 a convoy  
of four thousand hives1 in their transit
 from ,upper ,egypt to the ,delta4      
,savary1 in his letters on ,egypt1 also 
gives an account of the manner of       
transporting the hives down the ,nile4  
,in ,france floating bee-houses are     
common4 ,goldsmith describes from his   
own observation1 a kind of floating     
apiary in some parts of ,france and     
,piedmont4 ,they have on board of one   
barge1 he says1 three score or a hundred
 bee-hives1 well defended from the      
inclemency of an accidental storm1 and  
with these the owners float quietly down
 the stream3 one bee-hive yields the    
proprietor a considerable income4 ,why1 
he adds1 a method similar to this has   
never been adopted in ,england where we 
have more gentle rivers1 and more       

flowery banks1 than in any part of the  
world1 ,i know not2 certainly it might  
be turned to advantage4  ,they have also
 a method of transporting their hives by
 land in carts in ,germany2 and         
particularly in ,hanover travelling     
caravans of bees may be seen during the 
season4  ,i have thus briefly quoted    
from famous authorities1 to impress upon
 those who keep apiaries the importance 
of transporting their bees from pasture 
to pasture4  ,the advantage to weak     
swarms is very great1 but whilst so     
little of the true principles of bee    
management is understood1 as that the   
destruction of the bees has been        
considered absolutely essential1 in     
order to the attainment of their stores1
 it is no wonder that so little         
attention should have been paid to their
 cultivation in this country1 and that  
it should not have proved a more        
productive department of rural economy4 
,bees1 like everything else worth       
possessing1 require care and attention2 

but persons generally think it is quite 
sufficient to procure a hive and a      
swarm1 and set it down in the middle of 
a garden1 and that streams of honey and 
money will forthwith flow2 and1 perhaps1
 commence calculating1 from the perusal 
of the statements of the profits made by
 ,thorley from a single hive1 which he  
estimates to be #dcjjl4 #afs4 from #haib
 hives kept during fourteen years6      
deducting ten shillings and sixpence1   
the cost of the first hive6  ,the bar   
and frame-hives are so constructed that 
they can be moved from place to place   
with the greatest ease1 and1 perhaps1   
this may be an inducement for           
bee-masters to try the recommendations  
of transporting bees1 and thus avoid one
 expense of feeding them during the     
winter4  ,connected with the foregoing  
subject of transporting bees from place 
to place1 is the question of the        
distance to which bees extend their     
flight in search of food1 c42 and the   
comparative excellence of the position  

of an apiary depends in some measure on 
the greater or less distance the bees   
will have to fly to their pasturage4    
,dr4 ,chambers1 and ,dr4 ,hunter were of
 opinion1 that the bee cannot extend its
 flight beyond a mile1 which idea they  
adopted on the authority of ,schirach2  
but then it must be recollected that the
 ,german mile of ,schirach is equal to  
about #c-a_/b ,english miles4  ,it was  
the opinion of ,huber1 that the radii of
 the circle of the flight of the bee    
extended nearly to four ,english miles4 
,and ,huish says ,the travelling        
apiaries of ,germany1 particularly those
 of ,hanover1 are regulated by the      
prevailing opinion1 that the bee can1   
and does1 extend its flight to four and 
even five miles2 and acting upon that   
supposition1 when the bee-masters move  
their apiaries1 they always travel about
 two stunden1 that is1 about eight      
miles1 as they then calculate that the  
bees are beyond the former range of     
their pasture by four miles4 ,and adds1 

a travelling apiary of #hj or #ajj hives
 will exhaust the food within the area  
of a circle of four miles in about a    
fortnight or three weeks4  ,but         
certainly there is no reason to fear    
that any part of this country will be   
overstocked with bees1 for where one    
hive is now kept1 fifty might be kept   
without running any risk of overstocking
 the country2 for the average number of 
hives in the various apiaries does not  
exceed five4  ,it has been calculated   
says another authority1 that the        
pastures of ,scotland could maintain as 
many bees as would produce #d1jjj1jjj   
pints of honey1 and #a1jjj1jjj lbs4 of  
wax2 and were these quantities tripled  
for ,england and ,ireland1 the produce  
of the ,british empire would be         
#ab1jjj1jjj pints of honey1 and         
#c1jjj1jjj lbs4 of wax per annum1 worth 
about five shillings per pint for the   
honey1 and one shilling and sixpence per
 lb4 for the wax1 making an annual      
produce in money of about #c1bbe1jjjl4  

,but in consequence of the present      
neglect of this branch of rural economy1
 we pay annually nearly #ab1jjjl4 for   
honey alone4  ,the imports and exports  
of wax bleached and unbleached were as  
follows3                                
,returned                ,imported4     
,exported4      for home          the   
rate                                    
,consumption4      of ,duty             
#ahca4   #ahcb4   #ahca4   #ahcb4       
#ahca4   #ahcb4                         
,cwt4            ,cwt4            ,cwt4 
s4 d4  ,unbleached   #g1jje             
#a1hgh          #aj1jjb            #a   
#aj  #j                       #d1cdi    
#b1ecf             #hbf  ,bleached      
#aie             #ejd              #id  
#c  #j  #j                              
,produce of ,duty4                      
,unbleached     #aj1bfb                 
,bleached           #hbc   ,the price of
 wax varies 7duty included7 from #el4 to
 #ajl4 a cwt4  ,in #ahca1 #g1bjc cwt4 of
 wax were imported1 of which #c1hib cwt4

 of it came from ,western ,africa2      
#a1eea1 from ,tripoli1 ,barbary1 c42 and
 #iaj cwt4 from the ,united ,states4    
,in #ahci1 imports were #f1cad cwt41 in 
#ahda1 #d1dhc cwt4 of wax2 in #ahch1    
#fge cwt4 of honey2 and in #ahda1 #c1gfa
 cwt4 valued at #ab1jjjl4 brought       
principally from the ,west ,indies1     
,germany1 and ,portugal4  ,the above    
statement proves the demand there is in 
this country for honey and wax4  ,it is 
mentioned in ,wildman's pamphlet that1  
when ,corsica was subject to the        
,romans1 a tribute was imposed upon it  
of no less than two hundred thousand    
pounds of wax yearly2 but this is no    
proof of the excellence of their honey1 
which1 according to ,ovid1 was of very  
ill account1 and seems to be the reason 
why the tributary tax was exacted in    
wax1 in preference to honey4  ,the honey
 collected by the bees at all times     
retains qualities derived from the kind 
of plant from whence it has been        
procured1 as is manifest not only by the

 peculiar odour of the honey1 such as   
that collected from leek blossoms and   
all the onion tribe1 but by the effects 
produced by the use of honey obtained   
from certain plants1 chiefly from the   
subtribe ,rhodorace1 such as the kalmia1
 azalea1 rhododendron1 c41 which yield a
 honey frequently poisonous and         
intoxicating1 as has been proved by the 
fatal effects on persons in ,america4   
,it is recorded by ,xenophon in his     
,anabasis that1 during the retreat of   
the ten thousand1 the soldiers sucked   
some honey-combs in a place near        
,trebizonde1 and in consequence became  
intoxicated1 and did not recover their  
strength for three or four days2 and    
these effects are supposed to have been 
produced from the honey having been     
extracted by the bees from the          
rhododendron ponticum or azalea pontica 
of ,linnus4  ,although many of these    
plants have been introduced into this   
country1 yet1 probably from their small 
proportion to the whole of the flowers  

in bloom1 the honey collected by the    
bees has not been found to be injured or
 to have produced any evil consequences4
  ,the goodness and flavour of honey    
depend on the fragrance of the plants   
from which the bees collect it1 and     
hence it is that the honey of different 
places is held in different degrees of  
estimation4  ,the honey gathered from   
the genus erica 7termed heather honey7  
and most labiate plants1 is wholesome4  
,that which is made early in the year is
 preferred to what is collected in the  
latter end of the season4 ,whilst on the
 subject of honey1 ,i will add the      
directions given by ,wildman1 how to    
separate the honey from the wax3 ,take1 
he says1 the combs which have been      
extracted from the different hives or   
boxes into a close room1 rather warm    
than otherwise1 that the honey may drain
 more freely1 and keep the doors and    
windows shut1 to prevent the bees from  
entering1 or else they will be very     
troublesome1 and will attack and carry  

away the greater part of the honey from 
the combs4  ,lay aside such combs as    
have young bees or brood in them1 as    
they would give your honey a bad flavour
 and render it unwholesome1 and the     
bee-brood must also be separated and    
melted with the brood-combs4 ,when you  
have thus separated the combs1 let such 
as are very fine be nicely drained by   
themselves1 without the least pressing  
whatever1 having been carefully cleaned 
of every sort of filth1 or insects1 and 
dividing each comb in such a manner that
 the cells may be open at both ends1 and
 placing them upon a sieve or coarse    
cloth1 that the honey may drain off     
quite pure and undefiled4 ,the remainder
 of the combs from which the honey has  
been thus drained1 together with those  
which contained the bee-bread and brood1
 must be put into a coarse cloth or bag1
 and squeezed or pressed to get all the 
honey out4 ,this will make it inferior  
in quality1 and unfit for many uses1    
therefore it should be put into pots or 

bottles by itself1 to feed bees with1   
for which purpose it will be better than
 pure honey1 on account of the bee-bread
 that will be mixed with it1 which is   
necessary for their subsistence4  ,in   
order to obtain the wax in a pure state1
 what remains of the combs after        
separating the honey1 together with the 
empty combs which had been laid aside1  
should be put into a copper with clean  
water2 made to boil gently over a slow  
fire1 keeping it constantly stirring4   
,when it is melted1 run it through a    
coarse cloth or bag made for the        
purpose1 and put it into a press to     
separate the wax from the dross4 ,let   
the wax run from the press into a vessel
 placed under it1 into which put some   
water to prevent the wax adhering to the
 sides4  ,if this process of boiling and
 pressing is repeated twice or even     
three times1 the wax will be much purer 
and consequently of greater value4 ,set 
it in a place where it may cool by      
degrees1 in pans of the size you would  

choose your cakes to be1 with some water
 in them1 to prevent the wax sticking to
 the sides whilst hot4 ,honey should be 
kept only in stone jars1 called ,bristol
 ware1 and in a cool and dry situation1 
but not corked up until a week or two   
after it has transuded through the      
sieve1 c41 but should be carefully      
covered with perforated sheets of zinc  
to keep out insects and flies1 c4 after 
which period the jars may be secured and
 put into the store-rooms4  ,the only   
protection necessary for gentlemen1--for
 ladies1 ,i presume1 would never venture
 to undertake the dangerous task of     
extracting the honey combs from hives or
 boxes1--will be a pair of buckskin     
gloves1 with a pair of worsted gloves   
over them extending to the elbows2 so   
that the bees should not be able to     
creep between the gloves and the        
sleeves2 for the face a piece of wire   
pattern gauze net1 made in the shape of 
a bag1 to draw with a string round the  
hat above the brim1 which will keep it  

from the face1 and the other open end   
being secured under the neck            
handkerchief1 and with the assistance of
 a puff or two of smoke into any hive   
intended to be operated upon1 the       
bee-master may fearlessly turn up the   
hive1 and cut out combs or dislodge bees
 from their habitations1 c4 with        
impunity4     ,,the ,,enemies ,,to      
,,bees1 c4   ,the proprietor having     
provided shelter for his bees1 and as   
great a plenty of pasture as he possibly
 can1 should next be careful to guard   
them from the numerous enemies which    
prey upon them1 and destroy their       
honey-combs4 ,bees themselves1 in the   
autumn and spring1 are very often great 
enemies to one another1 and rob each    
other's hives1 especially in dry        
seasons1 when the honey gathering is    
almost over2 and the bees from          
over-stocked hives1 not having honey    
sufficient for their winter's store1    
will through necessity attack the old   
hives or stocks1 which are thinned by   

over swarming1 carry away all their     
honey1 and often destroy their queens4  
,in order to prevent this havoc1        
contract the entrance or entrances of   
the hive attempted to be robbed1 so that
 a few bees only can enter at a time1 by
 which means the old stocks will be     
better able to defend themselves4 ,if1  
notwithstanding this narrowness of the  
passage1 robbers attack a hive1 the     
entrance should be instantly closed and 
kept so till the thieves are gone1 and  
it will be advisable in the evening to  
examine the state of the hive1          
especially as to weight1 and if the     
queen be safe1 remove it to another     
place1 at least a mile from the old     
locality4 ,the person who is thus       
employed1 at a time when the bees are   
full of resentment1 should be well      
defended from their stings4 ,but1 should
 he be so unfortunate as to get stung   
for his interference1 the first thing is
 to extract the sting4 ,to alleviate the
 irritation1 cooling lotions should be  

applied1 but the pain of a sting is     
relieved by applying spirits of         
hartshorn1 or liquor potass1 to the spot
 where the sting entered4  ,one would   
imagine the moth to be an enemy of no   
consequence1 but the wax-moth 7,tinea   
mellonella7 is a most formidable enemy4 
,she lays her eggs under the very skirts
 of the hive1 or in the rubbish on the  
floor1 or even in the combs of the bees2
 these eggs when hatched produce a small
 whitish worm or larva1 and it is in    
this stage that it commits its ravages1 
extending its galleries through every   
quarter of the combs1 detaching them    
from the tops and sides of the hives1   
and causing them to fall together4  ,the
 way to destroy them is frequently to   
lift up the hive in the morning1 and    
kill all you can see4 ,the most         
effectual way is to drive the bees into 
a new hive1 but this can be only done in
 the height of the honey season2 or the 
affected combs may be cut out1 and the  
bees restored to their old habitation4  

,mice are likewise very destructive to  
bees2 sometimes they enter at the door1 
but most commonly near the top of the   
hive2 this they do generally during     
winter1 when the bees are in a torpid   
state2 when this is suspected1 set a few
 traps about the hives4  ,the common bat
 will also sometimes take possession of 
a hive1 and commit very great havoc     
amongst the bees4  ,wasps and hornets   
must be destroyed1 if possible1 either  
by gunpowder1 or by the more primitive  
mode of placing limed twigs before the  
holes1 when you have discovered their   
nests4  ,the spring is the time to kill 
the female wasps and hornets1 for then1 
by the death of one female1 a whole nest
 is destroyed4 ,or place bottles half   
full of sugar and beer where the wasps  
frequent2 they will go in to drink1 and 
drown themselves in the liquor1 not     
being able to get out of the bottle     
again4 ,spiders must be killed1 and     
their nets or webs broken down1         
otherwise they will catch and destroy   

many bees4  ,swallows1 frogs1 ants1     
earwigs1 snails1 woodlice1 poultry1 and 
small birds of almost all kinds1 are    
reckoned amongst their foes4 ,and1      
therefore1 there should be no lack of   
vigilance on the part of the owner of   
bees1 to keep the bee-house as clean as 
possible from all vermin4  ,the signs of
 dysentery having commenced in any      
colony of bees may be known by the      
floor-boards and combs being covered    
with stains1 by the dark coloured       
evacuations1 producing an offensive     
smell1 and frequent deaths amongst the  
bees4 ,bees1 says ,gelieu1 have no real 
disease2 they are always in good health 
as long as they are at liberty1 are kept
 warm1 and provided with plenty of food4
 ,all their pretended diseases are the  
result of cold1 hunger1 or the infection
 produced by a too close and long       
confinement during winter1 and by       
exposure to damp1 c4  ,they appear      
however sometimes to be seized1 in the  
spring1 with dysentery2 this is         

occasioned by their feeding too         
greedily1 it is supposed1 on honey dew1 
without the mixture of pollen and other 
wholesome nutriment4  ,the only remedy  
that has been found for this disease1 is
 to give the bees plenty of honey1 such 
honey as that extracted from the refuse 
combs in the autumn1 that had abundance 
of bee-bread pressed amongst it1--the   
more the better1--mixing with it a      
table-spoonful of salt1 and giving the  
bees their full liberty1 and a clean    
hive4 ,many things are necessary for the
 preservation of bees1 but more         
especially in this country1 where the   
bees have only one season in five1 on an
 average of years1 really good for their
 honey harvest2 wherefore the owner     
should take care to provide the light   
stocks with a sufficient quantity of    
food1 which they have not been able to  
secure by their own industry1 either    
through the badness of the              
bee-pasturage1 the inclemency of the    
seasons1 the weakness of the colony1 or 

the spoil made by their enemies2 and    
sometimes by the ill-judged management  
of their owners1 in robbing the bees    
beyond the bounds of reason4  ,by this  
last unjust way of proceeding1 these    
poor industrious little insects are     
absolutely starved1 and their greedy    
masters deservedly experience the old   
proverb2 that ,too much covetousness    
breaks the bag4  ,it is impossible to   
ascertain what quantity of honey will   
serve a hive of bees the whole winter1  
because the number in the hive may be   
more or less1 and in some years1 the    
spring is more forward than in others2  
but #be lbs4 is said to be the quantity 
required in a common cottage-hive4      
,during frost1 the bees consume very    
little food indeed2 and still less      
during severe cold weather4 ,mr4 ,white 
7with many other apiarians7 is of       
opinion1 that a greater degree of cold  
than is commonly imagined to be proper  
for bees is favourable to them in       
winter1 for the bees during that period1

 are in so lethargic a state1 that      
little food supports them4  ,the best   
method to feed the weak stocks1 if in   
one of ,mr4 ,r4 ,golding's improved     
,grecian hives1 is to place some combs  
7drone combs reserved for that purpose7 
filled on one side with honey1 over the 
centre-board1 and covering it over with 
a common hive4  ,the advantage of       
feeding bees from above is great2 they  
are less likely to be attacked by the   
bees from other hives1 and they do not  
become benumbed by the cold1 as the same
 temperature is maintained above as in  
the rest of the hive4  ,but in all      
cases1 bees should be fed in autumn1 and
 before they are in absolute want of    
food1 otherwise they will be so poor and
 weak that they will not be able to     
ascend or descend to feed themselves4   
,when that happens1 it is almost too    
late to save them2 however1 you may try 
and feed them1 by first tying a piece of
 gauze over the bottom of the hive1     
turning it up to receive the heat of the

 sun or fire1 and1 if the bees revive at
 all1 place a pewter dish with some     
liquid honey in it1 on the floor-board1 
and the hive over it1 when the bees will
 draw up the honey through the gauze or 
net without smearing themselves1 the the
 pewter dish having been filled with hot
 water to keep the honey liquid1 and to 
diffuse a genial warmth throughout the  
hive1 and thus secure them for a time   
from the cold1 which would chill and    
even kill the bees in the winter1 when  
they came down to the bottom of the hive
 to feed on the proffered bounty4  ,in  
prosperous hives or colonies1 as soon as
 the severity of the winter's frost is  
past1 the queen-bee begins to lay her   
eggs in the various cells in the combs1 
and proceeds in proportion to the       
mildness of the season to deposit a     
succession4 ,the number of young bees   
that may by this means rise in a hive1  
may endanger the lives of all the bees  
by famine1 for the increased multitude  
consume a great deal of honey1 an       

accident likely to happen if the mild   
weather of ,january or ,february should 
be succeeded by cold1 rainy1 or even dry
 weather2 for it is found that the      
flowers do not secrete the sweet juices1
 which constitute honey1 so freely      
during the prevalence of dry easterly   
winds2 and thus present a barren field  
for the out-of-door labours of the bees4
  ,on this account1 the proprietor      
should examine the hives frequently at  
this season1 that1 if necessary1 he may 
give them a proper supply1 in which he  
should be bountiful rather than         
otherwise1 because the bees are faithful
 stewards1 and will return with interest
 what is thus in their great need       
bestowed upon them4  ,the time of the   
bees' swarming is generally in the      
months of ,may and ,june1 and sometimes 
,july1 but the latter is too late1 as   
there are then fewer bees than in the   
earlier swarms1 and they seldom live    
through the winter without much care and
 feeding4  ,the later swarms should be  

hived in rather smaller hives than the  
first1 that1 by clustering together1    
they may the better nourish and keep    
themselves warm4  ,the hours of their   
swarming are for the most part about    
twelve o'clock at noon1 never before    
eight1 and seldom after four in the     
afternoon4  ,the symptom of swarming1 is
 generally the unusual number of bees   
seen hanging at the mouth of the hive1  
and if a piping noise1 or a shrill note1
 which is made by the queen is heard1 it
 is a sure index the bees will swarm1 if
 the weather be warm and dry4  ,if the  
bees work a comb under the floor-board1 
as is sometimes the case1 it is a sign  
they will not swarm2 a more certain sign
 is when they throw out the young dead  
queens with the drone brood4 ,when they 
retain the drones in the hives after    
,august1 it is a bad omen1 as they are  
then reserved for the sake of the young 
queens1 which they are expecting to     
raise2 and the season being too far     
advanced1 and their failing in the      

attempt1 and being without a queen1 the 
colony will most certainly dwindle away1
 before the next season4  ,always choose
 a hive proportionable to the size of   
your swarm1 and prepare to hive them as 
soon as possible1 lest they should rise 
again4 ,it is not unusual to ring a bell
 or tinkle a brass pan1 c41 at the time 
the bees swarm2 it is also a common     
method to dress the hives with honey1   
balm1 c4  ,i mention these things1      
because they are customs of long        
standing3 the tinkling of bells is of   
little use1 as the bees will generally  
settle near the hive2 and as to dressing
 the hives1 ,i by no means recommend it1
 as the bees like a clean new hive much 
better1 for it does not give them so    
much trouble to clean1 c4  ,if the swarm
 should rise in the full heat of the    
day1 and the sun shine hot upon them1   
they will not continue long in their    
first situation2 for when they find they
 have all got their company together1   
they will soon uncluster1 rise again1   

fly to some particular spot which has   
been fixed upon for that purpose by     
detached parties of bees1 who return and
 acquaint the swarm2 therefore ,i would 
advise to hive them as soon as possible1
 and remove them in the evening to the  
place where they are to remain4  ,the   
supposed relative value of early and    
late swarms is thus mentioned in an old 
,english proverb3--    ,a swarm in ,may1
   ,is worth a load of hay4   ,a swarm  
in ,june1   ,is worth a silver spoon2   
,a swarm in ,july1   ,is not worth a    
fly4     ,,swarming ,,and ,,hiving ,,the
 ,,bees4   ,every good swarm should     
weigh about #e lbs41 and according to   
the account given in ,key's ,treatise1  
would contain #bc1jjj bees4 ,the manner 
of hiving them must be regulated chiefly
 by the places upon which they alight4  
,if they settle on a dead hedge1 or upon
 the ground1 set a hive over them1      
putting props under it if necessary1    
and1 with a large spoon or brush of wet 
weeds1 stir them softly underneath1 and 

they will go in4  ,if they should happen
 to settle upon a small bough1 you may  
cut it off1 and laying it quietly on a  
cloth1 place a hive over them2 or if you
 cannot conveniently separate the bough 
from the body of the tree1 you may shake
 or sweep them off into the hive4  ,if  
the sun shines hot upon it1 shade it    
with a few boughs1 c41 but let it remain
 near the place where the bees settled  
until the evening1 at which time move it
 to the bee-house1 or the place where it
 is to stand during the season1 as just 
directed4  ,if the bees have hung a     
considerable time to the place where    
they first settled1 you will1 perhaps1  
find it difficult entirely to dislodge  
them1 as they will neglect their labour 
and fly about the spot for many days    
afterwards4 ,the best method to prevent 
this is1 by rubbing the branches with   
rue1 or any kind of herb disagreeable to
 the bees2 but be careful not to hurt   
any of the bees4  ,swarms seldom return 
home again1 when they are well settled1 

and if you find them inclined to do so1 
depend upon it1 some accident has       
happened to their queen1 which you will 
easily ascertain by their making a      
murmuring noise1 and running in a       
distracted manner over and about the    
sides of the hive4 ,when you observe    
this1 immediately seek about for her1   
beginning with the stock-hive from      
whence the swarm rose1 and pursue the   
track they took at setting out2 you will
 seldom miss finding her1 for she is    
never alone1 but generally encompassed  
with a cluster of bees1 who would sooner
 perish than leave her in danger4  ,when
 you have found her1 take her up gently1
 and put her to the swarm1 and you will 
soon find the cause of their            
dissatisfaction removed by the arrival  
of the queen4  ,the greatest care must  
be taken to have your hive clean and    
sweet1 free from loose straws or other  
obstacles1 which will create great      
trouble and loss of time to the bees1 if
 left to them to remove4  ,if bees have 

flowers suitable to their tastes1 and no
 great distance to travel to them1 they 
will fill their hives both with honey   
and wax1 in about a month or five weeks1
 and1 if the season has proved fair and 
pleasant1 in less time2 but the         
bee-keeper must expect four out of every
 five seasons to be unpropitious to his 
little charge1 and1 therefore1 he must  
be on the watch to assist them with food
 in the time of need4  ,scarcely has the
 swarm arrived at its new habitation1   
when the working bees labour with the   
utmost diligence1 to procure food and   
build their combs4 ,their principal aim 
is not only to have cells in which they 
may deposit the honey and pollen1 but a 
stronger motive seems to animate them2  
they seem to know that their queen is   
about to deposit her eggs2 and their    
industry is such1 that in four and      
twenty hours they will have made combs1 
twelve inches long1 and three or four   
inches wide4 ,they build more combs     
during the first fortnight1 than they do

 during all the rest of the year4       
,other bees are at the same time busy in
 stopping all the holes and crevices    
they happen to find in their new hive1  
in order to guard against the entrance  
of insects which covet their honey1     
their wax1 or themselves2 and also to   
exclude the cold air2 for it is         
indispensably necessary that they be    
lodged warm and secure from damp1 c4  ,a
 second swarm scarcely is1 and much less
 are the third ones called casts worth  
keeping single1 because1 being few in   
number1 they cannot allow so large a    
proportion of working bees to go abroad 
in search of provisions1 as more        
numerous swarms can1 after retaining a  
proper number for the various works to  
be done within the hive4  ,bees         
sometimes swarm so often that the       
mother-hive is too much weakened or     
reduced in population4 ,in this case    
they should be restored2 and this should
 also be done when a swarm produces a   
swarm the first summer1 as is sometimes 

the case in early seasons4  ,the best   
way1 indeed1 is to prevent such         
swarming1 by giving the bees more room2 
though this1 again1 will not answer     
where there is a prolific young queen in
 the hive2 as she well knows that her   
life is the forfeit of her remaining at 
home4  ,before the union of one or two  
casts or late swarms is made1 it is     
better to kill one of the queens1 if    
possible1 to prevent the queens         
destroying one another4  ,if an old hive
 is full of bees1 and yet shows no      
disposition to swarm1 puff in a little  
smoke at the entrance of the hive1 then 
turn the hive up1 and give it some      
slight strokes on the sides so as to    
alarm the bees4 ,they will immediately  
run to the extremities of the combs1 and
 if you then attentively examine them1  
you will1 in all probability1 perceive  
the queen-bee the foremost amongst them4
 ,seize her between your fore finger and
 thumb1 and confine her in your hand    
till most part of the bees take wing2   

let her then go1 the bees will soon join
 her1 and settle on some branch of a    
tree4 ,put them into an empty hive4     
,restore the old hive in its place1 that
 the bees which have been out in the    
fields may enter it on their return1 and
 having allowed them to remain there an 
hour or two1 place it upon another stand
 near or next to its own4  ,the hive    
having what may now be called a swarm in
 it1 is then placed on the stand of the 
old stock2 and if the bees in both hives
 work regularly1 carrying in loads of   
pollen on their thighs1 all is well4    
,bees are not apt to sting when they    
swarm naturally1 therefore1 it is not   
necessary then to take extraordinary    
precaution against them2 but when any of
 these violent and artificial modes are 
attempted1 ,i should advise the operator
 to be well guarded at all points4      
,wildman weighed bees and found it      
required #d1ibh bees to make a pound of 
sixteen ounces1 but the different       
circumstances in bees may occasion a    

considerable difference in their weight4
 ,when the bees swarm1 they come out    
loaded with wax secreted in their wax   
pockets and honey in their honey bags1  
and would weigh heavier than bees taken 
for that purpose by chance2 and1        
therefore1 the number of the bees is not
 to be thus computed1 from the weight of
 the swarm2 for one fourth of the number
 at least should be deducted1 in lieu of
 the wax and honey they have brought off
 with them4 ,there is also another      
allowance to be made1 namely1 that when 
alive1 they do not probably weigh so    
heavy as when dead4  ,the person who    
intends to erect an apiary1 should      
purchase a proper number of hives at the
 latter end of the year1 when they are  
cheapest4 ,the hives should be full of  
combs1 and well stored with bees4  ,the 
purchaser should examine the combs1 in  
order to know the age of the hives4 ,the
 combs of that season are white1 those  
of a darkish yellow are of the previous 
year2 and1 where the combs are black1   

the hives should be rejected1 because   
old hives are most liable to vermin and 
other accidents4  ,if the number of     
hives wanted were not purchased in the  
autumn1 it will be necessary to remedy  
this neglect after the severity of the  
cold is past in the spring4 ,at this    
season1 bees which are in good          
condition1 will get into the fields     
early in the morning1 return loaded1    
enter boldly1 and do not come out of the
 hive in bad weather2 for when they do1 
this indicates that they are in great   
want of provisions4  ,they are alert on 
the least disturbance2 and by the       
loudness of their humming1 you can judge
 of their strength4 ,they preserve their
 hives free from filth1 and are ready to
 defend it against every enemy that     
approaches4  ,but the better plan is at 
once to commence with new hives1 and    
purchase the first and strong swarms to 
put into them1 and introduce them into  
the bee-house4  ,there are various      
substances found in a hive1 such as the 

wax1 with which the combs are built1 the
 honey1 the farina or pollen1 with which
 the bee-brood is fed1 and propolis4    
,honey1 is a fluid or semi-fluid        
substance1 the materials of which are   
collected by the bees1 from the         
nectaries at the base of the coroll of  
flowers1 where this vegetable production
 is secreted4  ,it cannot be said to be 
a purely vegetable production when found
 in the combs1 for after being collected
 by the insect by means of its          
proboscis1 it is transmitted into what  
is called the honey bag1 where it is    
elaborated1 and1 hurrying homewards with
 its precious load1 the bee regurgitates
 it into the cell of the honey comb4 ,it
 takes a great many drops to fill a     
cell1 as the honey bag when full does   
not exceed the size of a small pea4     
,when the cell is full1 it is sealed up 
with a mixture of of wax and pollen1 and
 reserved for future use in winter and  
spring4  ,wax4 ,there are several       
varieties of this substance1 but        

bees-wax is a secretion of that insect  
from its ventral scales4 ,with this     
substance the comb is constructed2 it   
takes the bees1 according to ,huber's   
account1 twenty-four hours to secrete   
the six lamin of wax in the wax pockets1
 which may be seen to exude between the 
segments of the under side of the       
abdomen of the bee4 ,for the purpose of 
the formation of wax1 the bees have to  
cluster and form themselves into        
festoons from the top of the hive1 and  
after the elapse of the necessary       
period1 the wax scales are formed1 with 
which the bees commence immediately to  
build their combs1 and the various cells
 for the reception of the brood or food1
 according to the season of the year4   
,propolis1 is a tenacious1              
semi-transparent substance1 having a    
balsamic odour2 which the bees gather   
from the buds of certain trees in the   
spring1 such as the horse-chestnut1 the 
willow1 the poplar1 and the birch4      
,this tenacious substance is employed by

 the bees to attach more firmly the     
combs to the top or foundation1 and also
 the edges of the combs to the sides of 
the hive or box1 to stop the crevices1  
and fasten the hives or boxes to the    
floor-boards1 and in forming barriers   
against the intrusion of enemies4       
,farina1 or ,pollen1 is the dust or     
minute globules contained in the anthers
 of flowers1 and is the fertilizing     
property of flowers1 which the bees thus
 assist to carry1 whilst travelling from
 flower to flower1 without which the    
flowers would not fructify4 ,the bees   
have been found to continue collecting  
pollen from the same species of flowers1
 and prevent the multiplication of      
hybrid plants4 ,they collect and carry  
this substance on the outer surface of  
the tibia1 or the middle joint of the   
hinder leg2 this part of the leg is     
broad1 and on one side it is concave1   
and furnished with a row of strong hairs
 on its margins1 forming as it were a   
natural basket1 well adapted for the    

purpose4 ,this substance mixed with     
honey1 forms the food of the larv or    
young brood1 after undergoing1 perhaps1 
a peculiar elaboration by the working or
 nurse bees4  ,having thus mentioned the
 different substances found in a hive1  
it only remains to add a short history  
of the inmates of the hive4 ,every swarm
 of bees comprises three distinct kinds 
of the same species1 namely1 the female 
or queen1 the neuter or worker-bee1 and 
the male or drone4  ,as there is only   
one queen-bee in each swarm or colony1  
she is seldom to be seen amidst the     
thousands of other bees2 but she is     
easily distinguished from the rest by   
her slower movements1 her greater length
 and larger size2 and the general       
appearance of her body1 being of a more 
dark orange colour1 and her hinder legs 
having neither brushes nor pollen       
baskets upon them1 although longer than 
those of the worker-bee2 her wings also 
appear stronger1 and she possesses a    
more curved sting1 which she seldom     

uses1 except when asserting her rights  
to the sovereignty of the hive4         
,without a queen-bee no swarm can       
thrive1 for she is not only the ruler1  
but chiefly the mother of the community 
in which she dwells1 and wherever she   
goes1 the greatest attention is paid    
her4 ,in the hive1 the utmost solicitude
 is evinced to satisfy her in every     
wish2 wherever she moves the bees       
anxiously clear away before her1 and    
turn their heads towards their          
sovereign1 and with much affection touch
 her with their antenn1 and supply her1 
as often as she needs1 with honey or    
other delicacy which their own          
exertions1 or those of their fellow     
labourers1 have gathered for her use4   
,the queen-bee is said to live four or  
five years1 and is generally succeeded  
on her throne by one of her own         
descendants duly brought up for the     
purpose2 but in the event of her        
untimely decease1 the workers have the  
power of raising a sovereign from       

amongst themselves1 and fitting her for 
the station she is intended to occupy2  
this they do by selecting one of the    
larv of the worker-bee of a certain age1
 and1 enlarging the cell which it is to 
occupy1 supplying it with a nourishment 
different from that which they give to  
the worker and drone-brood4  ,a         
queen-bee takes seventeen days to arrive
 at maturity1 that is to say1 from the  
egg-state to the fully developed queen1 
but this period will vary as a sudden   
change of temperature will prolong the  
interval2 and this also applies to the  
perfect queen herself1 who will not     
deposit her eggs in the cells1 when any 
severe weather happens at the period she
 may be expected to produce the eggs4   
,the fecundity of the queen-bee is very 
great1 for it is estimated that during  
breeding time1 unless prevented by the  
cold weather1 she lays at the rate of   
from one hundred to two hundred eggs a  
day1 causing an increase of not less    
than eighty thousand worker-bees1 and   

drones included1 in a season when       
circumstances are favourable4  ,the     
cells formed for the royal brood are    
very different from those of the males  
or the workers1 and are generally       
suspended from the sides or edges of the
 combs2 in shape they are very much like
 a pear1 the thickest end joining the   
comb1 and the small end having the mouth
 or entrance to the cell1 and hanging   
downwards1 and being almost as large as 
a lady's thimble4  ,the drones or males 
in a hive are computed at from six      
hundred to two thousand1 but the numbers
 are remarkably irregular1 and the      
proportion is not regulated by the      
number of bees contained in a hive2 for 
a small swarm or colony will contain as 
many1 or more sometimes1 than a large   
one4  ,the drone may be easily          
distinguished from the queen or workers1
 from its greater breadth1 having large 
eyes which meet at the top of the head1 
and no sting1 and from its making a loud
 humming whilst flying4  ,it takes      

twenty-four days from the time of the   
laying of the drone egg to its coming   
forth a perfect insect4 ,drones are     
generally hatched about the end of      
,april or the beginning of ,may2 they   
venture out of the hive only in warm    
weather1 and then only in the middle of 
the day1 and they are generally expelled
 by the bees from the hives about ,july 
or ,august1 after the impregnation of   
the young queens has taken place4  ,when
 the destruction of the drones takes    
place earlier1 it may be considered a   
certain indication that no swarming will
 take place during that season2 but the 
retention of the drones after ,august1  
is a very bad sign1 as the swarm must   
certainly perish in the winter1 unless  
their vacant throne is supplied with a  
prolific queen4  ,the neuter or         
worker-bee1 is the least of the three1  
and of a dark brown colour2 the abdomen 
is conical1 and composed of six distinct
 segments1 and armed with a straight    
sting2 it possesses a long flexible     

trunk1 known by the name of a proboscis1
 and has on its two hinder legs a hollow
 or basket1 to receive the propolis and 
farina which it collects as before      
described4  ,the number of workers in a 
well-stocked hive is about fifteen      
thousand or twenty thousand4 ,upon them 
devolves the whole care and labour of   
the colony1 to collect pollen1 propolis1
 and honey2 to build the combs and to   
attend upon the brood or young bees4    
,the worker-bee is short-lived1 seldom  
surviving more than a year1 but this is 
more from the toil they have to endure1 
though it be a labour of love1 and the  
many risks they run upon each occasion  
of going out in search of food1 c41 from
 the weather1 or their numerous winged  
enemies4     ,sunt quibus ad portas     
cecidit custodia sorti3   ,inque vicem  
speculantur aquas et nubila coeli1      
,aut onera accipiunt venientum1 aut     
agmine facto   ,ignavum fucos pecus     
prsepibus arcent4   ,fervet opus1       
redolentque thymo fragrantia mella4     

,,london3   ,printed by ,s4  ,j4        
,,bentley1 ,,wilson1 and ,,fley1        
,bangor ,house1 ,shoe ,lane4            
99       99       99       99       99  
,transcribers notes3     ,a page of     
,errata appearing here has been applied 
to the text and    removed4             
,inconsistency in the hyphenation of    
phrases has been retained4