,transcriber ,note ,text emphasis denoted by ,italics4 ,whole and fractional parts of numbers as #abc-d_/e4 ,illustration3 ,principio sedes ,apibus statioque petenda1 ---- ,virgil4 ,,humanity ,,to ,,honey-,,bees3 ,,or1 ,,practical ,,directions ,,for ,,the ,,management ,,of ,,honey-,,bees ,,upon ,,an ,,improved ,,and ,,humane ,,plan1 ,,by ,,which ,,the ,,lives ,,of ,,bees ,,may ,,be ,,preserved1 ,,and ,,abundance ,,of ,,honey ,,of ,a ,,superior ,,quality ,,may ,,be ,,obtained1 ,,by ,,thomas ,,nutt4 ---- ,vos non vobis mellificatis ,apes3 ,sic --------------------------------- ,virgil4 ,,second ,,edition4 ,,wisbech3 ,,printed ,,by ,h4 ,,and ,j4 ,,leach1 ,,for ,,the ,,author1 ,,of ,,whom ,,it ,,may ,,be ,,had ,,at ,,moulton-,,chapel1 ,,or ,,at #aca1 ,,high ,,holborn1 ,,london4 ,,sold ,,also ,,by ,,longman ,,and ,,co4 ,,paternoster-,,row1 ,,london4 ,price ,ten ,shillings1 #ahcd4 ,,entered ,,at ,,stationers' ,,hall4 ,also may be had on application to my agent1 ,mr4 ,g4 ,neighbour1 #aca1 ,high ,holborn1 near ,southampton ,street1 ,london1 honey taken on the principles here specified1 with hives stocked with bees1 or unstocked4 ,all letters must be post paid to the author4 ,,dedication1 ,,by ,,permission1 ,,to ,,her ,,most ,,gracious ,,majesty1 ,,queen ,,adelaide ,,may ,,it ,,please ,,your ,,majesty1 ,to pen a dedication skilfully is generally the most difficult part of an ,author's task2 but a dedication to ,,royalty is so delicate a matter1 that ,i almost tremble for the success of my undertaking--tremble lest ,i should fail to express myself dutifully1 gratefully1 properly2 though ,i am not without hope that your ,majesty's goodness will graciously extend to the ,author that degree of indulgence of which he is sensible he stands so much in need1 especially as nothing unbecoming a dutiful subject to write1 or improper for a gracious ,sovereign to read1 is intended to be here expressed4 ,as1 however1 every colony of ,bees1 wherever domiciled1 whether in a box1 or in a cottage-hive1 in the roof of a house1 or in the trunk of a hollow-tree1 is under an admirable government1 the presiding head and ,sovereign of which is a ,,queen1--as no colony of ,bees1 deprived of its ,,queen1 ever prospers1 or long survives such loss1--as this insect government1 or government of insects1 exhibits to man the most perfect pattern of devoted attachment1 and of true allegiance on the part of the subject ,bees to their ,sovereign1 and of industry1 ingenuity1 prosperity1 and apparently of general happiness in their well-ordered state1--and as these most curious and valuable little creatures have hitherto been most cruelly treated--have been1 and still are1 annually sacrificed by millions1 for the sake of their sweet treasure2 ,i do feel a pleasure1 and think there is a sort of analogical propriety1 in dedicating to your ,gracious ,majesty this work1 the leading feature of which is--,humanity to ,honey-,bees4 ,under your ,majesty's fostering and influential ,patronage1 ,i cannot but anticipate that this object will be essentially promoted1 and that the management of ,bees1 in this country at least1 will not hereafter reflect disgrace upon their owners4 ,in this pleasing hope1 ,i humbly beg to subscribe myself1 ,,your ,,majesty',s most dutiful and most grateful ,subject and ,servant1 ,,thomas ,,nutt4 ,moulton-,chapel1 ,lincolnshire1 ,nov4 #bgth1 #ahcb4 ,,preface4 ,could ,i disarm criticism as easily as ,i can deprive ,bees of their power to sting1 this would be the proper place to do so2 though ,i am doubtful whether it would be well-judged in me1 or to my advantage1 to stay the critics' pen4 ,but1 possessing no such talismanic power1 ,i shall adventure my little book into the world1 without any attempt to conciliate the critics' good-will1 or to provoke their animosity1 conscious that from fair criticism ,i have nothing to fear4 ,that ,i shall be attacked by those apiarians who are wedded to their own theories and systems1 however faulty1 is no more than ,i expect3 of them1 ,i trust1 ,i have nowhere spoken disparagingly2 towards none of them do ,i entertain unkindly feelings--far otherwise4 ,their number1 ,i am led to believe1 is not formidable2 and as gentlemen1 and fellow-labourers in the same work of humanity1 their more extensive learning will hardly be brought to bear against me with rancour and violence4 ,should any one of them1 or of any other class of writers1 so far degrade himself1 ,i shall have the advantage of the following preliminary observation1 viz4 that one set of my collateral-boxes1 placed in a favourable situation1 and duly and properly attended to1 for one season only1 will outweigh all the learning and arguments that can be adduced against my ,bee-practice1--will be proof positive1 visible1 tangible1 that there is in my pretensions something more than empty boast4 ,luckily for me1 there are plenty of those proofs to be met with in the country1 and there are some--several1 not far from town2 they are at ,blackheath1 at ,kensington1 at ,clapham1 and at other places4 ,as hundreds of the ,nobility and ,gentry of this country will recollect1 there was one of these incontrovertible proofs of the truth of what ,i am stating1 exhibited for several weeks at the ,national ,repository last autumn1 where it was seen1 examined1 admired1 and1 ,i may without any exaggeration add1 universally approved4 ,practice1 which has resulted from more than ten years' experience in the management of an apiary1 and from innumerable experiments1 carried on1 and a hundred times repeated1 during that period1 is what ,i ground the utility of my discoveries upon4 ,to theory ,i lay no claim4 ,born and brought up in the fens of ,lincolnshire1 where ,i have spent the greater part of my life amidst difficulties1 misfortunes1 and hardships1 of which ,i will not here complain1 though ,i am still smarting under the effects of some of them1 my pretensions to learning are but small3 for1 though sent to the respectable ,grammar ,school at ,horncastle in my boyhood1 my education was not extended beyond writing1 arithmetic1 and merchants' accompts4 ,as soon as it was thought that ,i had acquired a competent knowledge of these useful branches of education1 it was my lot to be bound apprentice to learn the trades and mysteries of grocer1 draper1 and tallow-chandler4 ,whilst endeavouring to gain an honest livelihood as a grocer and draper1 at ,moulton-,chapel1 in #ahbb1 ,i was afflicted with a severe illness1 which1 after long-protracted suffering1 left me as helpless as a child1 the natural use and strength of my limbs being gone2 and1 though supported by and tottering between my crutches1 it was a long time before ,i was able to crawl into my garden4 ,fatigued and exhausted with the exercise of journeying the length of a garden-walk of no great extent1 it was my custom to rest my wearied limbs upon a bench placed near my ,bees4 ,seated on that bench1 ,i used to while away the lingering hours as best ,i could1 ruminating now on this subject1 now on that1 just as my fancy chanced to fix4 ,among other things my ,bees one day caught my attention3 ,i watched their busy movements1--their activity pleased me1--their humming noise long-listened to became music to my ears1 and ,i often fancied that ,i heard it afterwards when ,i was away from them4 ,in short1 ,i became fond of them and of their company1 and visited them as often as the weather and my feebleness would permit4 ,when kept from them a day or two1 ,i felt uneasy1 and less comfortable than when ,i could get to them4 ,the swarming season arrived2 and with it ideas took possession of my mind which had not until then possessed it3--,i conceived that swarming was an act more of necessity than of choice1--that as such it was an evil2 but how to provide a remedy for it--how to prevent it--was a problem that then puzzled me4 ,i studied it for a long time1 and to very little purpose4 ,the old-fashioned method of eking did not by any means satisfy my mind2 it might answer the purpose for one season1 but how to proceed the next did not appear4 ,then the time for taking honey was approaching3 to get at that treasure without destroying my little friends that had collected it1 and that had1 moreover1 so often soothed me in my sorrow and my sufferings1 was another problem that long engaged my mind4 ,after some years' unremitted attention to my ,bees1 for ,i had formed a sort of attachment to them during the first stage of my convalescence1 which never left me1 an accident aided my studies by directing my attention to the effects of ventilation1 as will be found related in the body of this work1 and ,i began to make experiments1 which being repeated1 varied1 improved1 and then gone through again1 have gradually led to the development of my improved mode of ,bee-management1 attempted to be explained in the following pages4 ,at the time ,i have been speaking of1 ,i had not read one single book on ,bees2 nor had ,i then one in my possession4 ,whatever my practice may be1 it has resulted from my own unaided experience and discoveries4 ,to books ,i am not indebted for any part of it3 nay1 had ,i begun to attempt to improve the system of ,bee-management by books1 ,i verily believe1 ,i never should have improved it at all1 nor have made one useful discovery4 ,the ,bees themselves have been my instructors4 ,after ,i had so far succeeded as to have from my apiary glasses and boxes of honey of a superior quality1 to exhibit at the ,national ,repository1 where1 with grateful thanks to the ,managers of that ,institution for their kindness to me1 ,i was encouraged to persevere1 ,bee-books in profusion were presented to me1 some of them by friends with names1 some by friends whose names ,i have yet to learn4 ,i have read them all3 but nowhere find1 in any of them1 clear1 practical directions1 how honey of the very purest quality1 and in more considerable quantity than by any of the plans heretofore proposed1 may be taken from ,bees1 without recourse to any suffocation whatever1 or any other violent means2--how all the ,bees may be preserved uninjured2--and how swarming may be prevented4 ,these are the grand features in my plan2 and minute directions for the accomplishment of these most desirable objects are laid down in this book4 ,i by no means maintain that my system of ,bee-management is incapable of improvement2 but ,i do think that the principles upon which it is founded are right1--that the foundation is here properly laid1--and that every apiarian1 who may hereafter conform to1 or improve upon1 my practice1 will be instrumental in contributing a part towards raising the superstructure--namely--an asylum or sanctuary for ,honey-,bees4 ,i cannot close this preface without acknowledging myself to be under the greatest obligations to the ,rev4 ,t4 ,clark1 of ,gedney-,hill4 ,but for his assistance the following work would not have made its appearance in its present form2 if indeed it had appeared at all4 ,he has revised1 corrected1 connected1 and arranged the materials of which it is composed2 and he has1 moreover1 gratuitously added much that is original and valuable from his own rich stores of knowledge4 ,to him ,i am indebted for the selection of the ,latin mottos4 ,as an apiarian he is one of my most improved and skilful pupils1 and bids fair to become an ornament to the science of ,bee-management4 ,as a mechanic he is ingenious enough to make his own ,bee-boxes1 and has actually made some of the very best ,i have yet seen4 ,to his knowledge of mechanics it is owing that the description and explanation of each of the different boxes1 of all the other parts of my ,bee-machinery1 and of my observatory-hive1 in particular1 are more detailed1 clearer1 and more intelligible than they would have been in my hands4 ,as a scholar there are passages in the following work that afford no mean specimen of his abilities4 ,i have only to regret that the reward for the pains he has taken with it must be my thanks--that it is not in my power to remunerate him for his kind labours more substantially than by this public acknowledgement of the obligations ,i am under1 and of my sense of the debt of gratitude that is due to him4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,second ,,edition4 ,out of print1 though a somewhat laconic1 might be a not inappropriate preface to this second edition1 and of itself a quaint apology for its appearance4 ,out of print is certainly exhilarating news to the author anxious for the success of a work inculcating a new system of ,bee-management1 in which not only is his reputation as an apiarian involved and evolved1 but1 it may be1 the very means of his subsistence are bound up in it2 the oftener therefore he hears the bibliopolist expression--out of print--the more animating and welcome it becomes2 because its reiteration can hardly fail to be considered by him an indication that the demand for his book continues4--that his system is progressing1--or1 at any rate1 that either curiosity respecting it1 or some higher and more laudable motive1 is still existent in the public mind4 ,thus cheered on1 thus1 as it were1 encored1 it has become his duty to the public no less than to himself to proceed forthwith to the publication of a new edition4 ,previously1 however1 to stating what alterations1 emendations1 c4 have been introduced in order to render the work1 as far as ,i am yet able to render it1 worthy a continuance of public patronage1 ,i consider it to be my duty to record my grateful thanks for the success and encouragement ,i have already received4 ,to the scientific and literary press1 and to the several gentlemen of scientific attainments connected therewith1 who1 by their influence and kind professional assistance1 and promptitude in the furtherance of my interest1 have greatly contributed to my success1 my best thanks are due1 and are hereby respectfully tendered3 amongst these ,i have sincere pleasure in particularizing ,dr4 ,,birkbeck--the talented ,president of the ,london ,mechanics' ,institution1--,dr4 ,,hancock--,fellow of the ,medico-,botanical ,society--a veteran of high and esteemed attainments1--and ,mr4 ,,booth--the popular ,lecturer on ,chemistry--a young man of first-rate abilities4 ,to ,j4 ,c4 ,london--the erudite editor of the ,gardeners' ,magazine1--to ,e4 ,j4 ,robertson1 ,esq4--the able and ingenious editor of the ,mechanics' ,magazine1--to ,richard ,newcomb--the editor and publisher of the ,stamford ,mercury1--and to the several editors of the ,metropolitan and ,provincial ,press1 who have made favourable mention of my labours1 my public thanks are justly due1--and particularly to the editor of the ,cambridge ,quarterly ,review1 for a highly commendatory notice of my work1 evidently written by a practical apiarian1 and with competent knowledge of his subject1 which appeared in ,no4 #c of that ,review1 published in ,march #ahcd4 ,also to my long-tried1 worthy ,friend--,george ,neighbour--it is gratifying to me to have this opportunity of offering my sincere thanks for his valuable services in my behalf2--and to the conductors of those excellent and useful institutions--the ,national ,gallery of ,practical ,science1 ,adelaide ,street1--and the ,museum of ,national ,manufactures1 ,leicester ,square1 ,london1 ,i gratefully acknowledge myself to be under no slight obligations for the advantageous opportunities which ,i have there possessed of extending the knowledge of my system1 and of exhibiting1 year after year1 to thousands of visitors1 the products of my apiary4 ,with the view of making ,the ,humane ,management of ,honey-,bees more interesting1 the dialogue1 which formed the introductory chapter in the first edition1 has been withdrawn1 and in its place have been substituted some valuable remarks of ,dr4 ,birkbeck1 ,dr4 ,hancock1 and ,mr4 ,booth1 respecting ,bees1 honey1 wax1 c4 of course the first chapter is new2 as is chapter ,x4 giving an account of the apiary of the ,most ,noble the ,marquess of ,blandford1 at ,delabere ,park1 which can hardly fail of being interesting to every reader3 it is principally from the able pen of ,mr4 ,booth4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 on ,apiarian ,societies1 is new also4 ,and1 besides these three entire chapters1 not short paragraphs merely1 but whole pages of new matter have been introduced interspersedly by my most respected friend--the ,rev4 ,t4 ,clark1 of ,gedney-,hill1 who has revised1 corrected1 and re-arranged the whole2 and who has not only bestowed much time and pains upon the improvement of my work1 but in the kindest and most disinterested manner has1 in superintending this and the former edition through the press1 actually travelled upwards of eight hundred miles4 ,the friendly performer of services so generous1 so laborious1 and so perseveringly attended to1 without any stipulation for fee or reward1 merits from me1 and has from me1 every expression of my gratitude1 and1 were it in my power1 should have one expression more4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents4 ,chapter ,page ,i4 ,introductory ,matters #a ,,ii4 ,bee-,boxes and ,management of ,bees in them #ad ,,iii4 ,ventilation #di ,,iv4 ,thermometer #eh ,v4 ,on ,driving ,bees #ij ,,vi4 ,inverted-,hive #if ,,vii4 ,observatory-,hive #ajg ---- ,mode of ,stocking an ,observatory-,hive #aai ,,viii4 ,fumigation #aba ,,ix4 ,objections against ,piling ,boxes #ace ,x4 ,apiary at ,delabere ,park #adi ,,xi4 ,honey-,bees #aef ---- ,for the ,sting of a ,bee #aga ,,xii4 ,impregnation of the ,queen-,bee #age ,,xiii4 ,supernumerary ,queens #aha ,,xiv4 ,bee-,feeding #aij ---- ,bee-,food #bjj ,,xv4 ,catalogue of ,bee-,flowers1 c4 #bjf ,,xvi4 ,honey-,comb #baa ---- ,bees' ,wax #bcb ,,xvii4 ,winter ,situation for ,bees #bcg ,,xviii4 ,apiarian ,societies #bdf ,,xix4 ,miscellaneous ,directions #bec ,,index ,,to ,,the ,,engravings4 ,frontispiece1 to face title4 ,page ,octagonal-,cover for the ,pavilion #af ,collateral-,boxes apart #ag ,ditto closed4 #bi ,inverted-,hive #ajj ,observatory-,hive #aji ,ditto with additions #aah ,fumigator #abc ,tower at ,delabere to face #adi ,the ,three ,bees #aeg ,honey-,comb #bac ,,management ,,of ,,bees4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,introductory ,,matters4 ,the object of the generality of persons who keep ,bees1 is--profit3 and that profit might be indefinitely augmented were ,bees properly managed1 and their lives preserved--were the still extensively-practised1 cruel1 and destructive system superseded by a conservative one4 ,some few there may be in the higher ranks of life1 who cultivate bees from motives of curiosity--for the gratification of witnessing and examining the formation and progress of their ingenious and most beautiful works1 and with a view to study the instinct1 habits1 propensities1 peculiarities1 or1 in one word1 the nature1 of these wonderful1 little insects1 in order to improve their condition1 and to gain additional knowledge respecting their natural history1 hitherto1 it must be confessed1 enveloped in much uncertainty1 and very imperfectly understood4 ,to this class of ,bee-masters and ,bee-friends the system of management to be explained in the following pages1 will1 it is hoped1 unfold discoveries and impart facilities and improvements hitherto unknown in apiarian science4 ,and they1 whose sole object in keeping ,bees is profit1 may derive incalculable advantage from conforming to the mode of management1 and strictly attending to the practical directions hereinafter to be detailed3 because as their profits are expected to arise principally from honey and wax1 it evidently must be for their interest to know how to obtain those valuable ,bee-productions in their purest state and in the greatest quantity4 ,the quantity obtained in a good honey-year 7viz4 #ahbf7 from a well-stocked and exceedingly prosperous colony--still in existence1 and still flourishing1 7i4 e4 in #ahcd7 was so considerable1 and so far beyond anything ever realized from a common straw-hive colony1 that my statements respecting it have been doubted by some1 and totally discredited by others1 unacquainted with my 7,i trust ,i may say7 improved system of ,bee-management4 ,with respect to the purity of the honey taken according to my plan1 and the general properties and medical virtues1 and1 of course1 value of honey when pure1 ,i have much pleasure in being enabled to submit to the reader the opinions of my scientific friends--,dr4 ,birkbeck1 ,mr4 ,abraham ,booth1 ,lecturer on ,chemistry1 and ,dr4 ,hancock2 because their opinions may safely be considered as unimpeachable authority on this subject1 viz4 the uses and medical virtues of pure honey4 ,in some observations on the effect of the temperature of ,bee-hives on the quality of honey1 published in a scientific journal1 ,mr4 ,booth observes--notwithstanding the adequate justice which has been done to ,mr4 ,nutt's improved and admirable system of ,bee-management1 there is one point which does not appear to have elicited much attention--the superiority in quality both of the honey and the wax4 ,it does not appear to me that the whole of this superiority consists in freedom from extraneous animal or vegetable matters1 a point of very great importance1 however1 as its dietetic purposes are concerned2 but that it greatly depends upon the modified degree of temperature at which the ,bees effect their labours1 and which is insufficient to produce any chemical changes in the constitution of these substances2 whereas under the old system1 the continued high temperature of the hive is sufficient to induce those changes which impart the colour that so materially deteriorates the quality as well as the value of the products4 ,from ,mr4 ,nutt's hives we obtain pure honey1 as it is actually secreted by the ,bee1 which cannot be ensured by any other mode of management4 ,to my very intelligent friend and patron1 ,dr4 ,birkbeck1 whose uniform liberality and kindness1 from the infancy of my pursuits1 ,i have reason to appreciate1 ,i am indebted for introducing this subject in a ,lecture,a at the ,london ,institution1 ,moorfields1 on the application of the oxy-hydrogen light to illustrate the economy and structure of the insect world4 ,in the course of his observations1 on referring to the tongue of the ,bee1 the learned ,doctor made copious allusions to my system1 and the advantages which would in his view result from its general extension4 ,he observed that so small is the supply that we derive from the labours of ,bees in this country1 that the production of wax does not even more than equal its consumption in the simple article of lip-salve4 ,under this improved system1 we may however hope that the advantages of ,bee-management may be more generally diffused throughout the kingdom1--that ,bee-hives will be multiplied1 and that the choicest flowers of the field and forest will no longer 'waste their sweetness in the desert air4' ,in a dietetic point of view1 it is of great importance that a saccharine1 secreted by one of the most beautiful processes of nature1 should be substituted for one produced by the most imperfect and complicated process of art1 whilst the more salutary properties of the former would recommend it as far more eligible for use4 ,he could not but hope that1 in this view the system would soon receive that extension in practice to which its merits fitted it4,b ,footnote ,a3 ,delivered ,april #bc;d #accd4 ,footnote ,b3 ,dr4 ,birkbeck related the following instance of the power of recognition possessed by ,bees to myself and ,mr4 ,booth1 which ,i cannot suffer to pass unnoticed4 ,when a boy1 he was accustomed to cover his hand with honey1 and go to the front of one of the hives in his father's garden4 ,his hand was soon covered by the ,bees1 banquetting on the proffered sweets1 and the whole of it was speedily removed4 ,the ,bees appeared to recognize the learned ,doctor ever afterwards when he appeared in the garden1 his hand being always surrounded by them in expectation of there finding their accustomed boon4 ,some very important observations on honey1 in a medical point of view1 are those which were contained in a paper written by my very learned and valued friend1 ,dr4 ,hancock1 and read before the ,medico-,botanical ,society at their sitting ,november #bfth #ahcc4;,c ,footnote ,c3 ,for a copy of the first edition of this work1 with specimens of honey1 c4 the author received the thanks of the ,society2 and he has since been honoured with a diploma1 which constitutes him a corresponding member thereof4 ,an abstract of this important paper,d ,i shall communicate for the information of my readers4 ,footnote ,d3 ,an abstract of the paper was published in the ,lancet and several other journals4 ,the great objects which recommend ,mr4 ,nutt's plan1 consist in the great improvement in quality and augmentation of honey produced1 and that without destroying the ,bees--a discovery equally creditable to ,mr4 ,nutt1 as a man of benevolent mind1 and to his industry and indefatigable research4 ,the cultivation of ,honey-bees is of remote antiquity4 ,the ,bee was regarded as the emblem of royalty with the ancient ,egyptians1 and ,bees have been held in the highest esteem by all nations1 whether barbarous or civilized2 yet the united experience of ancients and moderns has never hitherto led to the happy results1 which1 by a connected series of experiments1 patient research1 and logical induction1 have in twelve years been achieved by ,mr4 ,nutt4 ,in the course of his observation he saw1 not only that the destruction of the ,bees was barbarous in the extreme1 but that this cruelty was equally subversive of the crops of honey2 his inquiries were hence directed to find how this destructive system could be exchanged for a conservative one4 ,in this he has completely succeeded1 and by preserving the ,bees has been enabled to increase their produce many-fold1 and that too1 in a far more salutary and improved quality4 ,it is equal even to the samples usually obtained from young hives called virgin honey1 which is scarce1 dear1 and seldom to be had genuine4 ,owing to the want of knowledge on the subject1 the consequent impurities1 and the great price of foreign honey1 together with the adulterations practised1 the use of this valuable article has been nearly abandoned in this country1 whether as an article of the materia medica or of domestic economy2 and for the reasons just stated1 the preparations of honey have even been expunged from the ,edinburgh ,pharmacopeia4 ,from the recent improvement1 however1 by the gentleman just mentioned1 we have reason to hope its use will be restored in a condition vastly improved1 and that at a great reduction in price1 the facilities of production being greatly enhanced1 and such as to render it in time available to all classes of society4 ,pure honey was justly considered by the ancients to possess the most valuable balsamic and pectoral properties--as a lenitive1 ecoprotic1 and detergent2 and it is well-known to dissolve viscid phlegm and promote expectoration4 ,as a medium for other remedies1 it is in its pure state far superior to sirups1 as being less liable to run into the acetous fermentation4 ,it appears that honey procured on ,mr4 ,nutt's plan is not excelled by the finest and most costly samples from the continent1 as that of ,minorca1 ,narbonne1 or ,montpelier4 ,the various impurities and extraneous matter usually contained in honey1 cause it in many cases to produce griping pains1 or uneasy sensations in the stomach and bowels2 this however has no such effect1 unless it be taken to an imprudent extent4 ,pure honey1 though in its ultimate elements similar to refined sugar1 yet differs considerably in its physiological effects on the body1 being a lenitive1 aperient or gentle laxative1 and hence incomparably more beneficial in costive habits4 ,it has in a dietetic or medicinal point of view been recommended in gravel or calculous complaints2 of this however ,i have no knowledge1 but its utility in asthma ,i have experienced in my own person as well as in others2--as also as an efficacious remedy in hooping cough1 taken with antimonial wine1 camphor1 arid opium4 ,for sedentary persons and those troubled with constipation of the bowels1 there is no dietetic or medicinal substance so useful as pure honey1 whether taken in drink or with bread and butter1 c4 ,it is well-known as a detergent of foul sores1 and ,i have often found it to succeed in healing deep-seated sinuous or fistulous ulcers1 and thus to obviate the necessity of surgical operations4 ,in ,south ,america and amongst the ,spaniards1 honey is considered as one of the best detergents for sloughing sores and foul ulcerations2 so it was formerly in ,europe4 ,its uses in a surgical point of view have in this country long been lost sight of4 ,its detergent power is such1 that it was formerly denominated a vegetable soap1 as we may see in the older writers4 ,it is still made the basis of cosmetics1 and this empirical practice goes to prove its efficacy--to those at least who have experienced its effects in cleansing and healing sinuous ulcers1 its stimulating property producing withal the sanitary adhesive inflammation4 ,a species of wine made from honey1 called metheglin and mead--the mulsum of the ancients--was formerly much in use in this country1 and most deservedly so from its pleasant taste and salutary properties4 ,by the perfection of honey1 this may now be obtained no doubt of equal excellence here1 and a rich mellifluous species of wine of the most wholesome kind will be acquired1 and open a new source of national industry4 ,it has been said1 that where the air is clear and hot1 honey is better than where it is variable and cold1 and this seems to have served as an apology for the inferiority of much of the honey contained in this country4 ,it is a position1 which ,i am persuaded is not well founded2 for the honey in hot climates1 notwithstanding the fragrance of the flowers1 is mostly inferior to the commonest samples produced here4 ,this inferiority1 however1 may be entirely owing to the difference in the ,bees--for ,i speak here of the wild or native honey--and it is probable that the apis mellifica might1 in ,south ,america1 on ,mr4 ,nutt's plan1 produce the best of honey1 and in very great abundance1 because it would there work all the year1 and the product therefore would be greatly increased4 ,i have seen honey taken in the forests of ,south ,america from several different species of ,bees2 they were always destitute of a sting1 although entomologists consider it as one of the generic characters of apis4 ,it is also singular that their wax is always black1 or dark brown1 although the pollen of the flowers1 which is said to give colour1 is equally yellow as in this country4 ,bees obtain honey from most kinds of flowers1 but appear in general to prefer the labiati or lip flowers1 as those of sage1 marjoram1 mint1 thyme1 lavender1 c4 ,mr4 ,nutt1 in the course of his observation1 has noticed the curious fact1 that the nectar or honey obtained from different plants is carefully deposited by the ,bees in separate cells1 or at least that the nectar from different genera of plants is kept distinct4 ,it appears indeed1 that the produce of the flowers is classed by them1 and arranged with a precision not inferior to that of the most accurate botanist4 ,what but a hand ,divine could guide these little insects thus to mock the boasted power of human reason6 ,this consideration too1 coupled with our own interests1 should operate as a powerful argument in favour of ,mr4 ,nutt's new conservative system of management1 and against the reckless destruction of the ,bees4 ,mr4 ,nutt has already been patronised by the ,royal ,family and several of the nobility1 and no doubt his plan will be adopted by all persons of intelligence1 who engage in this pursuit1 whether for profit or the most rational amusement4 ,when ,i first entered into my apiarian pursuits1 ,i felt convinced of the great and profitable extent to which they might be carried2 and of this ,i have been all along since confirmed as success has crowned my efforts4 ,if ,i could demonstrate--and ,i have repeatedly demonstrated--how much honey might be increased in quantity1 its superior quality also struck me as a point of no less importance2 and in this ,i am now most satisfactorily confirmed by the sanction of those scientific friends whose valuable opinions have been above quoted4 ,with alacrity and pleasure ,i will therefore proceed1 without further introduction1 to give a description of my ,bee-boxes1 and other hives1 and of all my ,bee-machinery1--and directions for the proper construction of them1--and also for the proper ordering and management of ,bees in them4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,bee-,,boxes ,,and ,,management ,,of ,,bees ,,in ,,them4 ,the schemes and contrivances1 and ways and means1 to which apiarians have had recourse1 in order to deprive ,bees of their honey1 without at the same time destroying their lives1 have been various1 and some of them ingenious2 but hitherto not one of them has been crowned with the desired success4 ,the leaf-hives of ,dunbar and of ,huber--,huish's hive with cross-bars1--the piling of hive upon hive1 or box upon box1 7called storifying71 and several other contrivances1 have all had this great object in view1--have all had their patrons and admirers1--have all had fair trials1--but have1 notwithstanding1 all failed of fully accomplishing it4 ,whether my inventions may merit and may meet with a similar or with a better fate1 it is not for me to predict1--time will show4 ,i feel warranted1 however1 in asserting of my ,,collateral-,,box-,,hive1 which ,i am now about to explain1--of my ,,inverted-,,hive1 and of my ,,observatory-,,hive1 of which in their proper places minute descriptions will be given1--,i feel1 ,i say1 warranted in asserting that these--my inventions--possess such conveniences and accommodations both for ,bees and ,bee-masters1 that the pure treasure stored in them by those industrious1 little insects may at any time be abstracted from them1 not only without destroying the ,bees1 but without injuring them in the least1 or even incommoding their labours by the operation2--that they afford accommodations to the ,bees which greatly accelerate the progress of their labours in the summer-season2--and that the ,bees never leave them in disgust1 as it were1 as they not unfrequently do leave other hives1 after being deprived of their stores2 but1 as if nothing had happened to them1 continue day by day to accumulate fresh treasures1 the quantity of which has astonished the beholders1 and not only the quantity1 but the quality also4 ,that my boxes do not1 admit of improvement is more than ,i assert2 but having worked them most successfully for many years1 and knowing that several other persons1 following my directions1 have succeeded with them as well as myself1 and far beyond their most sanguine expectations1 ,i do flatter myself that the principle of managing ,bees after my plan is right4 ,illustration ,illustration ,the plates here presented to my readers exhibit a set of my collateral ,bee-boxes open1 and every compartment exposed to view1 especially to the view and for the examination of experienced workmen4 ,i make use of the word experienced1 because the better the boxes are made1 the more certain will the apiarian be of success in the management of his ,bees in them4 ,there has been some difference of opinion as to the most suitable dimensions for ,bee-boxes4 ,i approve of and recommend those which are from eleven to twelve inches square inside1 and nine or ten inches deep in the clear4 ,the best wood for them is by some said to be red cedar2 the chief grounds of preference of which wood are--its effects in keeping moths out of the boxes1 and its being a bad conductor of heat4 ,but of whatever kind of wood ,bee-boxes are made1 it should be well seasoned1 perfectly sound1 and free from what carpenters term shakes4 ,good1 sound1 red deal answers the purpose very well1 and is the sort of wood of which most of my boxes have been made hitherto4 ,the sides of the boxes1 particularly the front sides1 should be at the least an inch and a half in thickness2 for the ends1 top1 and back-part1 good deal one inch thick is sufficiently substantial2 the ends1 that form the interior divisions and openings1 must be of half-inch stuff1 well dressed off1 so that1 when the boxes and the dividing-tins are closed1 that is1 when they are all placed together1 the two adjoining ends should not exceed five-eighths of an inch in thickness4 ,these communication-ends1 the bars of which should be exactly parallel with each other1 form a communication1 or a division1 as the case may require1 which is very important to the ,bees1 and by which the said boxes can be immediately divided without injuring any part of the combs1 or deluging the ,bees with the liquid honey1 which so frequently annoys them1 by extracting their sweets from the piled or storified boxes4 ,this is not the only advantage my boxes possess3 the receptacles or frame-work for the ventilators1 which appear upon each of the end-boxes1--the one with the cover off1 the other with it on--must be four inches square1 with a perforated1 flat tin of nearly the same size1 and in the middle of that tin must be a round hole1 to correspond with the hole through the top of the box1 and in the centre of the frame-work just mentioned1 an inch in diameter1 to admit the perforated1 cylinder1 tin ventilator1 nine inches long4 ,this flat tin must have a smooth piece of wood well-made to fit it closely1 and to cover the frame-work just mentioned1 so as to carry the wet off it1 then placing this cover over the square1 perforated tin1 your box will be secure from the action of wind and rain4 ,the perforated cylinder serves both for a ventilator1 and also for a secure and convenient receptacle for a thermometer1 at any time when it is necessary to ascertain the temperature of the box into which the cylinder is inserted4 ,within this frame-work1 and so that the perforated1 flat tin already described may completely cover them1 at each corner make a hole with a three-eighths centre-bit through the top of the box4 ,these four small holes materially assist the ventilation1 and are1 in fact1 an essential part of it4 ,we next come to the long floor1 on which the three square ,bee-boxes1 7,a4 ,c4 ,c471 which constitute a set1 stand collaterally4 ,this floor is the strong top of a long1 shallow box1 made for the express purpose of supporting the three ,bee-boxes1 and must1 of course1 be superficially of such dimensions as those boxes1 when placed collaterally1 require2 or1 if the ,bee-boxes project the eighth part of an inch over the ends and back of this floor-box1 so much the better2 because in that case the rain or wet1 that may at any time fall upon them1 will drain off completely4 ,for ornament1 as much as for use1 this floor is made to project about two inches in front2 but this projection must be sloped1 or made an inclined plane1 so as to carry off the wet from the front of the boxes4 ,to the centre of this projecting front1 and on a plane with the edge of the part cut away for the entrance of the ,bees into the pavilion1 is attached the alighting-board1 which consists of a piece of planed board1 six inches by three1 having the two outward corners rounded off a little4 ,the passage from this alighting-board into the pavilion1 7not seen in the plate1 it being at the centre of the side not shown7 is cut1 not out of the edge of the box1 but out of the floor-board1 and should be not less than four inches in length1 and about half an inch in depth2 or so as to make a clear half-inch-way under the edge of the box for the ,bee-passage4 ,i recommend this as preferable to a cut in the edge of the box1--because1 being upon an inclined plane1 if at any time the wet should be driven into the pavilion by a stormy wind1 it would soon drain out1 and the floor become dry2 whereas1 if the entrance-passage be cut out of the box1 the rain that may1 and at times will1 be drifted in1 will be kept in1 and the floor be wet for days1 and perhaps for weeks1 and be very detrimental to the ,bees4 ,in depth the floor-box1 measured from outside to outside1 should be four inches1 so that1 if made of three-fourths inch-deal1 there may be left for the depth of the box-part full two inches and a half4 ,internally it is divided into three equal compartments1 being one for each ,bee-box3 admission to these compartments1 or under-boxes1 is by the drawer and drawer-fronts1 or blocks1 which will be described presently4 ,the bottom1 or open edge of each of the boxes1 7,a4 ,c4 ,c47 should be well planed1 and made so even and square that they will sit closely and firmly upon the aforesaid floor1 and be as air-tight as a good workman can make them1 or1 technically expressed1 be a dead fit all round4 ,in the floor-board are made three small openings1 i4 e4 one near the back of each box4 ,these openings are of a semi-lunar shape1 7though any other shape would do as well7 the straight side of which should not exceed three inches in length1 and will be most convenient if made parallel with the back-edge of the box1 and about an inch from it4 ,they are covered by perforated1 or by close tin-slides1 as the circumstances of your apiary may require4 ,the drawer 7,g47 the front of which appears under the middle-box1 is of great importance1 because it affords one of the greatest accommodations to the ,bees in the boxes4 ,in this drawer is placed1 if necessity require it1 a tin made to fit it1 and in that tin1 another thin frame covered with book-muslin1 or other fine strainer1 which floats on the liquid deposited for the sustenance of the ,bees4 ,here1 then1 you have a feeder1 containing the prepared sweet1 in the immediate vicinity of the mother-hive1 and without admitting the cold or the robbers to annoy the ,bees4 ,when you close the drawer thus prepared with ,bee-food1 you must draw out the tin placed over the semi-lunar aperture1 which will open to the ,bees a way to their food in the drawer beneath4 ,the heat of the hive follows the ,bees into the feeding apartment1 which soon becomes the temperature of their native-hive4 ,here the ,bees banquet on the proffered boon in the utmost security1 and in the temperature of their native domicile4 ,under such favourable circumstances it is an idle excuse1 not to say--a want of humanity1 to suffer your ,bees to die for want of attention to proper feeding4 ,i now come to notice the use of the block-fronts on each side of the feeding-drawer1 marked ,g4 ,these two block-fronts answer many good purposes1 and furnish the apiarian with several practical advantages3 first1 in the facility they afford of adding numbers to the establishment1 as occasion may require1 which is done without the least inconvenience or trouble to the apiarian1 and without the least resentment from the native ,bees2 second1 in affording to the ,bees a place of egress when you are about to take from them one of the end-boxes2 third1 in the effectual and beautiful guard they furnish against robbers3 for instead of the solid block1 seen in the plate1 a safety-block 7of which a description will be given presently7 may be substituted1 which is so contrived that ten thousand ,bees can with ease leave their prison and their sweets in the possession of the humane apiarian1 without the possible chance of a single intruder forcing its entrance to rob the magazine or to annoy the apiarian4 ,perhaps this is the most pleasing part1 and the most happy convenience attached to the boxes4 ,its origin was this3 ,whilst explaining to some scientific gentlemen at the ,national ,repository the method to be pursued in the management of ,bees in a set of collateral-boxes1--and1 in particular1 the manner of taking off a box of honey1 it was objected--that1 on removing the block-front and withdrawing the tin that opens a communication into the box above1 though a passage would thereby be opened for the imprisoned ,bees to get away1 it would at the same time afford an opening and an opportunity--nay1 be a sort of invitation for the ,bees of other hives1--for strange ,bees and robbers to get in1 annoy1 and destroy the native ,bees1 then subdued by having been imprisoned1 and to plunder and carry away their treasures4 ,this objection1 to persons unskilled in ,bee-matters1 may1 ,i grant1 appear to be plausible--nay1 reasonable3 but every practical apiarian1 who has taken off two or three end-boxes of honey1 knows very well that there is not the least danger to be apprehended from robbers or marauders during the short time that the liberated1 native ,bees are hurrying away as fast as they can get4 ,i have never witnessed any thing like an attempt to besiege and rob a box so situated4 ,were1 however1 the communication to be left open for any considerable time after the ,bees have departed1 ,i have no doubt that1 if not discovered by ,bees belonging to other hives1 it 7the vacated box7 would be re-entered by its own ,bees1 and by them be soon entirely emptied of its honey4 ,nothing1 however1 but down-right carelessness on the part of the operator will ever subject a box of honey to a visitation of this description4 ,but1 notwithstanding the conviction in my mind that the above-stated objection is in fact groundless1 ,i set my wits to work to answer it in a way more satisfactory to the highly respectable persons who raised it1 and1 if by any means ,i could1 to obviate it entirely4 ,it did not cost me much mental labour to invent--a safety-block1--nor does it require much manual labour to make one4 ,a safety-block must be made to fit the place of the common block1 and may be cut out of a piece of half-inch deal board1 having one side planed off so as to leave the bottom-edge less than one-fourth of an inch in thickness2 then with a three-eighths-inch centre-bit cut as near the lower1 that is--the thin edge1 as you can1 a row of holes4 ,ten holes in a length of six inches will allow a convenient space between each hole4 ,next1 over each of these small holes1 suspend a piece of talc1 cut of a proper size for the purpose1 by a thread of silk1 and make that thread fast round a tiny brass nail above4 ,the talc1 which is a mineral substance as transparent as glass1 and much lighter1 and on that account much better than glass1 thus suspended over each hole1 is easily lifted and passed by ,bees from within1 but is heavy enough to fall again as soon as a ,bee has made its exit1 and forms an effectual bar or block against the entrance of ,bees from the outside4 ,a block of this description may be had for a trifling expense1 and is recommended to all such inexperienced and timid--timid because inexperienced---apiarians1 as are apprehensive of being annoyed by intruders when they are taking off a box of honey4 ,though this safety-block rather impedes the escape of the ,bees1 it has nevertheless a pretty appearance when it is neatly made1--and it is amusing enough to see the beautiful1 little creatures pushing open first one little trap-door and then another1 popping out their heads1 and then winging their flight to the entrance of the pavilion4 ,after all1 though it certainly is a complete safety-block1 and was invented to obviate a groundless objection1 it is more an article of curiosity than of real usefulness4 ,lastly1 ,i have to notice the security which the under-box or frame gives to the stability of the three upper boxes1--the firmness with which it supports them1--and the dry and comfortable way in which the ,bees by it are enabled to discharge their dead1 and other superfluities of the colony1 without their being exposed to the cold atmosphere of an autumn or a spring morning4 ,the octagon-box1 marked ,h1 is a covering for the bell-glass1 marked ,b1 which is placed on the middle-box1 or seat of nature4 ,it matters not of what shape this covering is1 because any covering over the glass will answer the same purpose1 provided the under-board of it is wide enough to cover the divisional openings1 and to throw off the wet4 ,i choose an octagon because of the neatness of its appearance4 ,in endeavouring to recommend these ,bee-boxes as worthy of general adoption1 in order to succeed in my object1 it is undoubtedly necessary that the parts and construction of them1 and of every thing pertaining to them1 be fully explained and clearly understood3 ,i therefore proceed to give another view of them4 ,in the former plate they are exhibited as open1 or detached and apart from each other3 in the following one they are represented as closed and standing together1 as when stocked with ,bees1 and in full operation in an apiary3 in both it is the back of the boxes that is presented4 ,with the exception of the alighting-board1 the front is quite plain1 being without window-shutters in the boxes1 and without drawer and block-fronts in the under-board4 ,illustration ,in this plate the engraver has made the floor-box to extend beyond the ends of the ,c4 ,c4 boxes2 but1 as has already been observed1 and for the reason before given1 it is better that the floor-box be made so that those 7,c4 ,c47 boxes project a little over the ends and also over the back of the floor4 ,,explanation ,,of ,,the ,,references ,,to ,,the ,,different ,,parts ,,of ,a ,,set ,,of ,,collateral-,,boxes4 ,a4 is the pavilion1 or middle-box1 which may be most easily stocked by a swarm of ,bees1 just as a cottage-hive is stocked4 ,b4 is the bell-glass in the first plate1--in the second1 it only points to the place where the glass stands4 ,c4 ,c4 are the collateral1 or two end-boxes4 ,d4 ,d4 are neat mouldings1 about three inches wide1 made of three-fourths-inch deal1 and are so fastened to the middle-box in front1 7i4 e4 the side not here shown7 as well as at the back1 that an inch and a half of each may project beyond each corner of that box1 and form a cover and protection for the edges of the dividing-tins1 and also for the four seams1 or joints1 necessarily made by placing the end-boxes against the middle one4 ,e4 ,e4 are the frame-work and covers of the ventilation and thermometer4 ,f4 ,f4 are the block-fronts ,g4 is the feeding-drawer already described4 ,h4 is the octagon-cover ,i4 ,i4 ,i4 are the window-shutters1 five inches by four1 or larger or smaller1 as fancy may direct3 these shutters open as so many little doors by means of small brass-joints1 and are kept fast1 when closed1 by a brass-button set on the box4 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 are so many tin-slides1 to cut off1 or to open1 as the case may require1 the communications between the pavilion and the bell-glass1 between the pavilion and the feeding-drawer1 and between the end-boxes and their under-boxes4 ,for a ,bee-passage between the pavilion and the bell-glass1 is cut1 in the centre of the top of the pavilion1 a circular hole1 an inch in diameter1 and from the edge of that circular hole are cut four or six passages1 just wide enough to allow the ,bees space to pass and re-pass4 ,these lineal cuts must of course terminate within the circumference of the circle formed by the edge of the bell-glass that is placed over them4 ,perhaps it may be said1--in fact1 it has been said--that these boxes are in reality nothing more than a common cottage-hive4 ,be it so3 but it is an improved cottage-hive1 made convenient by being divisible1 and by having its parts well arranged4 ,the middle-box1 or department1 marked ,a1 is1 however1 square1 and not round1 like the common straw-hive4 ,but beyond this one box the comparison cannot easily be carried2 the common straw-hive possesses no such conveniences and accommodations as those afforded both to ,bees and ,bee-masters by the end-boxes of my hive4 ,in the middle-box the ,bees are to be first placed3 in it first they skilfully construct their beautiful combs1--and1 under the prerogative of one sovereign--the mother of the hive--carry on their curious works1 and display their astonishing1 architectural ingenuity4 ,in this box the regina of the colony1 surrounded by her industrious1 happy1 humming subjects1 carries on the propagation of her species1--deposits in the cells prepared for the purpose by the other ,bees1 thousands upon thousands of her eggs1 though she deposits no more than one egg in a cell at one time3 these eggs are hatched and nursed up into a numerous progeny by the other inhabitants of the hive4 ,it is at this time1 viz4 when hundreds of young ,bees are daily coming into existence1 that my collateral-boxes are of the utmost importance to the ,bees domiciled in them3 for when the young larv are perfected upon the cottage plan1 a swarm is the necessary consequence4 ,the ,queen1 with thousands of her ,bee-subjects1 leaves the colony1 and seeks another place in which to carry on her astonishing labours4 ,but as swarming may1 by proper precaution and attention to my mode of management1 generally be prevented1 it is manifestly a good thing to do so2 for the time necessarily required to establish another colony1 even supposing the cottager succeeds in saving the swarm1 would otherwise be employed in collecting the pure sweets1 and in enriching the old hive4 ,here1 then1 is one of the advantages of my plan1 viz4 the prevention of swarming4 ,when symptoms of swarming begin to present themselves1 and which may be known by an unusual noise in the hive or box 7for it is of ,bees in boxes that ,i am now treating71 and by the appearance of more than common activity among the ,bees2 when these symptoms are apparent1 then the ,bee-master may conclude that more space is required4 ,at this period1 therefore1 he should draw out the sliding-tin1 marked #a1 from under the bell-glass1 which simple operation will immediately open to the ,bees a new room--a palace--which they will adorn1 and fill with their sweets as pure as the crystal stream4 ,but if by mistake the manager should draw up either of the collateral-slides1 which divide the end-boxes from the pavilion1 the ,bees in that case will refuse to go up into the glass1 and will commence their works in the collateral-box opened to them1 in preference to the elevated glass2 so well aware are these matchless insects of the inconvenience attending the carrying of their treasures into an upper room1 when a more convenient store-house is to be had in a lower one4 ,the natural movements of ,bees have demonstrated to me this fact by more than a thousand trials3 year after year ,i have made this experiment to my entire satisfaction4 ,the natural movements of the ,bees also suggested to me the idea of the utility of ventilation1 and that by its influence their works might be both divided and purified2 and that a place of safety might still be preserved for the ,queen in the pavilion4 ,she wants a certain situation in which to carry on the work of propagating her species4 ,like the fowls of the air1 she will not1 if she can avoid it1 propagate her young whilst under the observation and influence of man3 she1 therefore1 prefers the middle-box for her work of propagation2 as well on account of its privacy1 as because the ventilation of the end-boxes so cools their temperature1 that they are not the situation nature requires to bring the young larv to perfection2 yet they can be kept at such a temperature as to make them desirable store-rooms for the ,bees' treasures4 ,by this mode of management we prevent the necessity of swarming2 and behold the grandest chemists in the world1 and stores after stores of their pure treasure1 unadulterated by the necessary gathering of immense quantities of farina for the young larv1 which we see in the piling system1 as well as in the common cottage-hive2 but this is all carried into the immediate vicinity of the seat of nature1 the place where it is wanted4 ,when the glass is nearly filled1 which in a good season will be in a very short space of time1 the ,bees will again want accommodation4 ,previously1 however1 to drawing up the tin-slide to enlarge their crowded house1 the manager should take off the empty end-box he intends to open to them1 and smear or dress the inside of it with a little liquid honey4 ,thus prepared1 he must return the box to its proper situation1 and then withdraw the sliding-tin between it and the pavilion1 or middle-box1 and thereby enlarge the ,bees' dominion1 by opening an end-box to them1 which will produce the greatest harmony in the hive4 ,the ,bees will immediately commence their operations in this new apartment4 ,this simple operation1 done at a proper time1 effectually prevents swarming2 and by it the ,queen gains a vast addition to her dominions1 and consequently additional space for the population of her enlarged domicile4 ,there is now no want of store-house room1 nor of employment1 for our indefatigable labourers4 ,and while the subjects are employed in collecting1 and manufacturing 7if ,i may so say7 their various materials1 the regina is engaged in carrying on the great1 first principle of nature--the propagation of her species4 ,this she does in the department 7,a47 re-filling with her eggs the cells which have been vacated by the young larv4 ,when1 however1 her next new progeny are about to be brought into life1 the ,bee-master must draw out the other tin-slide1 and thereby open a communication to the other empty apartment1 and so make a further addition to the ,queen's realm2 which the new1 and even veteran labourers1 will presently occupy1 and set about improving and enriching their again enlarged commonwealth4 ,no sooner have the ,bees finished their operations in the several compartments of their box-hive1 which may be ascertained by looking through the little windows at the back and ends of the boxes1 than the ,bee-master gently puts in the tin-slide 7#a47 lifts up the lid of the octagon-box or cover 7,h47 and takes off the bell-glass1 filled with the purest and most perfect honey4 ,before1 however1 he endeavours to take away the glass1 it is necessary that he should cut through between the bell-glass and the box1 with a fine wire1 in order that the tin may the more easily slide under the full glass of honey2 when this is done1 he may take off the full glass and replace it with an empty one4 ,he must then draw out the tin-slide 7#a47 and so on for even ,the operation of taking off a glass1 or a box1 of honey1 may be best performed in the middle of a fine1 sunny day2 and in taking off a glass1 the operator1 having put in the tin-slide 7#a47 as already directed1 should wait a few minutes1 to see whether the ,bees made prisoners in the glass manifest any symptoms of uneasiness2 because1 if they do not1 it may be concluded that the ,queen-bee is amongst them2 and in that case it is advisable to withdraw the slide 7#a47 and to re-commence the operation another day4 ,but if1 as it generally happens1 the prisoners in the glass should run about in confusion and restlessness1 and manifest signs of great uneasiness1 then the operator may conclude that all is right1 and1 having taken off the octagon-cover1 may envelope the glass in a silk handkerchief1 or dark cloth1 so as to exclude the light1 remove it with a steady hand1 and place it on one side1 or so that the ,bees may have egress from it1 in some shady place1 ten or fifteen yards from the boxes1 and the ,bees that were imprisoned in it will in a few minutes effect their escape1 and return with eagerness to the pavilion and their comrades4 ,and what may be done with ,b1 may also be done with either of the ,c4 ,c4 boxes1 as occasion requires4 ,it may not1 however1 be amiss to be more explanatory of the mode of taking away the treasures of the ,bees in the side-boxes4 ,it will be necessary to examine minutely the state of your boxes1 particularly when the whole of your colony is full of the ,bees' works4 ,when the tin is put down to divide an end-box from the mother-hive1 you1 no doubt1 make many prisoners2 to prevent which1 the night before separating an end-box from a middle one1 lay open the ventilator1 which will not only lower the heat of the box1 but will admit the atmospheric air1 which naturally causes the ,bees to leave that apartment1 and to draw themselves into the middle-box--their native climate2 when this is done1 you may put down the tin-slide 7,d47 as already directed1 and let your ,bees remain fifteen or twenty minutes in total darkness3 then open the windows of the box you are about to take off1 and if the ,queen-bee is not within that box1 the ,bees that are in it will show a great desire to be liberated from their disagreeable confinement1 by running about in the most hurried1 agitated1 and restless manner4 ,but should the ,queen-bee be there1 you will then find the ,bees show no desire to leave her2--the commotion will appear in the middle-box4 ,under such circumstances1 which sometimes happen1 you must act with caution2 for were you to open the egress from the box1 that is1 the block 7,f47 and tin-slide 7#b4 or #d4 as the case may be7 to permit their departure1 very shortly would the whole of the working ,bees join their sovereign in the box you intended to take2 and this would be a great disappointment and complete puzzle to the ,bee-master1 not thoroughly acquainted with the moves of1 or proper mode of managing1 his valuable hive4 ,to me such an occurrence would be a repetition only of a demonstration of facts--of pleasures unspeakable1 in beholding the grand works of nature1 the noble influence of her majesty--the ,queen of the ,bees4 ,when1 however1 you do find the ,queen in the box you are about to take off1 is it not easy to draw the tin-slide up again8 ,certainly it is easy to draw up the dividing-tin4 ,do so1 then1 and that done1 the ,queen-bee will readily embrace the opportunity of leaving the place of her confinement2 and then1 having put down the dividing-tin1 you will presently be in a situation to accomplish your object4 ,you will soon see the ,bees running to and fro upon the windows in the box you are about to take off1 and when you thus find them anxious to leave your box of honey1 close the windows1 and you have then only to open an egress by withdrawing the tin1 ,no4 #b4 or #d4 as your box may require2 the ,bees finding an aperture1 with light to direct their departure1 will immediately embrace the opportunity of regaining their liberty1 will fly away from their prison1 and join their fellow-labourers at the entrance of the mother-hive4 ,in a few minutes you will be in possession of a box of honey1 and all your ,bees will be in safety and harmonizing with their beloved parent--the ,queen of the hive4 ,take from them the box your humanity entitles you to1 minding that the tin-slide is safe to the middle-box4 ,you will then empty the full box1 and return it empty to its former place2 then draw up your tin1 and you again enlarge their domicil1 having gained a rich reward for your operation1 at the expense of their labour4 ,a child of twelve years of age may be taught to do this without the least danger2 there need no ,bee-dresses1--there needs no fumigation of any sort4 ,it is a natural movement for the welfare of these worthies1 that prevents their swarming1 and at once secures to the sovereign ,queen of ,bees her rightful throne4 ,reader1 this declaration is founded on facts1--on the practical experience of many years4 ,and that you may adopt this principle and mode of managing ,honey-,bees1 that is1 of taking from them their superabundance of treasure1 and preserving your ,bees uninjured1 and1 if you can contrive it1 improve upon the instructions here given you1 and upon the example here set you1 is my hearty wish1 for my country's welfare1 and for the welfare of my admired1 nay1 my beloved ,,bees4 ,should it1 however1 so happen1 as it sometimes may1 owing to a variety of causes1 such1 for instance1 as the negligence1 or unskilfulness1 or unavoidable absence of the ,bee-master at a critical time1 or from any other cause1 should it1 ,i say1 so happen that the pavilion1 or middle-box1 should swarm1 take such swarm into one of the end-boxes1 prepared for such an event1 by merely making an entrance to it1 at or as near as possible to the corner farthest from the entrance into the middle-box2 and before this new entrance fix a small alighting board4 ,the swarm will thus become a family of itself1 and as much a stock pro tempore1 as if it were placed on a separate stand1 provided the dividing-tin1 which separates the middle-box from that in which the swarm is put1 be carefully adjusted1 and made perfectly tight and secure1 so that a ,bee cannot pass from one box to the other4 ,to this material point the apiarian will necessarily attend when he first removes the end-box in order to put the swarm into it4 ,in the evening place the box containing the swarm on its floor1 just where and as it was before it was taken off4 ,let the ,bees thus managed work two or three weeks1 or as the nature of the season may require1--,i mean--until the end-box appears to be pretty well filled with combs4 ,then close up the exterior entrance of the collateral-box containing the swarm of ,bees1 and draw out the sliding-tin which hitherto has separated the two families or colonies1 and the ,bees will unite1 and become one family4 ,the apiarian will likewise witness with pleasure the effect of ventilation in the hive2 for as soon as the ,bees have deposed one of the ,queens1 and the end-box has been cooled by means of the cylinder-ventilator1 he will discover that the combs will be presently emptied of every material necessary for the support of the young larv2 so that the combs1 that had been so recently constructed for a seat of nature1 soon become receptacles for pure honey1 and the numerous ,bees become the subjects of one sovereign in the middle-box4 ,this is a neat method of re-uniting a swarm to its parent-stock2 and the operation is so easy that the most unpractised apiarian may perform it without subjecting himself to the slightest danger of being stung by the ,bees4 ,it can however only be practised with ,bees in boxes4 ,another and a more prompt method of returning a swarm to its parent-stock1 and which is practicable with swarms from cottage-hives1 as well as with those from boxes1 is the following4 ,after the swarm has been taken in the usual way into an empty box1 or into a straw-hive1 and suffered to settle and cluster therein for an hour or two1 gently and with a steady hand take the box or hive1 and1 having a tub of clean water placed ready and conveniently for the purpose1 with a sudden jerk dislodge the ,bees from the box or hive and immerse them in the water4 ,let them remain therein two or three minutes3 then drain it off through a sieve1 or other strainer1 and spread the now harmless ,bees--harmless1 because apparently half-drowned1 upon a dry towel or table-cloth1 and search for and secure the ,queen4 ,this done1 and which may very easily be done1 place a board or two in a slanting direction from the entrance of the parent-hive to the ground2 upon this lay the cloth on which are your immersed ,bees1 and spread them thinly over it1 in order that they may the sooner become dry2 and1 as they become dry1 you will with pleasure see them return to their native-hive1 which they will be permitted to enter without the slightest opposition from the ,bees already therein4 ,by this operation not only are the immersed ,bees cooled1 but their re-union with those already in the hive cools them also1 and considerably lowers the temperature of the whole stock4 ,with a late swarm from any sort of hive1 as well as with an accidental swarm from boxes1 this is a good method to be adopted2 and1 if the apiarian possess sufficient coolness and dexterity to perform it cleverly1 it is a practice ,i would recommend whenever it is advisable to return a swarm to its native-hive4 ,when a swarm has thus been returned to a cottage-hive an eke should be added forthwith4 ,before ,i further explain the nature of my collateral ,bee-boxes1 ,i shall briefly express my desire that my readers will attend particularly to the discovery of the effects of ventilation4 ,i have been asked--,of what use is ventilation in the domicil of ,bees8 ,i answer--one of its uses has already been described1 and much more of its use1 ,i may say1 of its necessity1 in the humane management of ,bees will be told presently4 ,many treatises on the management of these valuable insects have appeared1 but in none of them do ,i find any allusion to this important point--important in my practice at least1 and essentially necessary in it4 ,therefore-- ,to works of ,nature join the works of man1 ,to show1 by art improved1 what ,nature can4 ,nature's great efforts can no further tend1 ,here fix'd her pillars1 all her labours end4 ,dryden4 ,perhaps the divided labour of the ,honey-,bees was anticipated by the author of these lines3 but1 be that as it might1 ,i1 in my turn1 will ask--,how can we preserve the ,bees uninjured1 divide their works1 and take away their superabundant treasure1 without the influence of ventilation8 ,i think it is impossible4 ,a lesson1 a true lesson from nature1 has demonstrated this fact to me1 and twelve years' constant labour and attention to this important subject have put into operation my plans for the welfare of that wonderful insect--the sovereign ,queen of ,bees4 ,well might ,dr4 ,bevan say-- ,first of the throng1 and foremost of the whole1 ,one stands confess'd the sovereign and the soul4 ,curious facts respecting this extraordinary creature are before me1 which have been ascertained and proved by means of my observatory-hive4 ,this hive is unknown in any work hitherto published on the interesting subject of ,bee-management3 and with reference to it ,i may observe--that when a new principle is discovered by studying nature1 such principle will seldom fail to produce effects beneficial in proportion to its being understood and skilfully applied4 ,so simple and so rational 7if ,i may so say7 is my observatory-hive1 that it cannot but be approved1 when it is once understood1 by the followers of my apiarian practice4 ,be my humble theory what it may1 it hath truth for its foundation2 and by perseverance and industry ,i flatter myself ,i shall materially improve1 if not bring to perfection1 the cultivation and management of ,honey-,bees1 merely by pointing out how the produce of their labour may be divided1 how a part thereof may be taken away1 a sufficiency be left for the sustenance of the stock1 and how their lives may be preserved notwithstanding4 ,much has been said against the probable results of this practice3 but facts are stubborn things2 and luckily for me and my mode of ,bee-management1 ,i have an abundance of the most incontrovertible facts to adduce1 which will1 ,i think and hope1 convince all those who have heretofore entertained doubts upon the subject4 ,the first movement in my apiarian practice commences with the pavilion of nature4 ,this pavilion1 which is equivalent to a cottage-hive1 is the subject of my present observations and explanation4 ,i say1 then1---disturb not this hive--this pavilion of nature3 weaken not its population2 but support its influence1 and extend to it those accommodations which no practice1 except my own1 has yet put into operation1 or made any adequate provision for4 ,this humane practice partakes not of the driving1 nor of the fumigating1 nor of the robbing system4 ,it is a liberal principle of ,bee-cultivation founded on humanity4 ,and it is by such practice that we must succeed1 if we hope to be benefited by the culture of ,honey-,bees4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,ventilation4 ,to ascertain the degree of heat in a colony of ,bees1 and to regulate it by means of ventilation1 as circumstances may require1 recourse must be had to the use of the thermometer1 as will be explained presently4 ,but here ,i would ask my worthy ,bee-keepers1 whether1 in the course of their experience1 they have at any time beheld a honey-comb suspended beneath the pedestal of any of their hives--a circumstance that not unfrequently occurs under old stools8 ,the beautiful appearance of a comb suspended in such a situation is1 as it were1 the very finger of ,providence1 pointing out the effects of ventilation1 and teaching us by an example the necessity there is for it in a crowded1 busy hive4 ,behold the purity of such a comb2 examine the cause of that purity1 and you will find that it is owing--solely and undoubtedly owing--to the powerful influence of ,,ventilation4 ,an occurrence of this description1 ,i mean--the discovery of a beautiful comb suspended1 as just described1 having excited my curiosity and my admiration1 led me to inquire into the cause of it1 and to study to discover1 if by any means ,i could1 why my skilful1 little ,bees should have constructed their combs in such a situation4 ,my observations soon satisfied me that one of these two causes1 viz4 either a want of room in the hive1--or a disagreeable and oppressive heat in it1--or most probably1 a combination of these two causes1 had rendered it necessary for them1 if they continued working at all1 to carry on their work in that singular manner4 ,my next step was to endeavour to prove the truth of my reasonings and conclusions1 in which1 ,i flatter myself1 ,i have fully succeeded1 after no inconsiderable labour1 and many contrivances to accommodate the ,bees with additional room1 as they have had occasion for it1 and after repeated experiments to keep such room1 when added1 at a temperature agreeable to them by means of ventilation4 ,in short1 my ,,collateral-,,boxes and ,,ventilation are the results of my studies and experiments on this point of apiarian science4 ,there are few persons1 who are managers of ,honey-,bees under the old hive system1 who1 if they have not seen a comb constructed and suspended in the manner just described1 have not1 however1 beheld these little creatures1 when oppressed with the internal heat of their crowded domicil1 and straitened for want of room in it1 unhappily clustering and hanging at the door1 or from and under the floor-board of their hive1 in a ball frequently as large as a man's head1 and sometimes covering all the front part of it1 for sixteen or twenty days together2 and this1 be it remarked1 at the season of the year which is the most profitable for their labours in the fields and among the flowers4 ,during this distress of the ,bees in1 or belonging to1 such a hive1 their labours are of necessity suspended1--their gathering of honey ceases1--ceases too at the very time that that saccharine substance is most plentifully secreted by the vegetable world4 ,and---why8 ,because they want an enlargement of their domicil1--an extension of the dominion1 or 7if it may be so termed7 of the territory of the ,queen2 by which enlargement swarming is superseded1 and the ,royal ,insect relieved from the necessity of abdicating her throne1 retains it1 continues and extends the propagation of her species1 and of course increases the busy labours of her innumerable subjects4 ,this accommodation is provided for ,bees in my collateral-boxes4 ,ancient as well as modern ,bee-keepers have frequently adopted the plan of eking1 that is--placing three or four rounds of a straw-hive 7called an eke7 under their hives4 ,this method of enlarging a hive does in many instances prevent swarming during that one season4 ,notwithstanding1 from all that ,i can see in it1 it tends only to put off the evil day1 and to accumulate greater numbers of ,bees for destruction the following year4 ,this is certain1 because on minute examination of the pavilion of nature1 we find an increase of wealth1 as well as an increase of numbers in the state2 but there is no provision or contrivance in the common hive for dividing the wealthy produce of the labours of those numbers3 eking will not do it1--eking enlarges the hive1 and that is all it does2 consequently to get at their honey1 the necessity for destroying the ,bees follows1 and the suffocating fumes of brimstone at length bring these worthies to the ground--to the deadly pit in which they are first suffocated1 then buried1 and are1 alas1 no more6 a few minutes close the existence of thousands that had laboured for their ungrateful masters2 and their once happy domicil becomes a scene of murder1 of plunder1 and of devastation1 which is a disgrace to ,bee-masters1 and ought by all means to be discountenanced and discontinued4 ,assuredly ,bees are given to us by the gracious ,giver of all good things for a better purpose than that of being destroyed by thousands and by millions4 ,are we not instructed by the sacred writings to go to the ,bee and to the ant1 and learn wisdom8 ,we are not told1 neither are we warranted1 by this language1 to go and destroy them and their works1---to disobey the commands of their1 no less than of our ,maker1 who has given ,bees to us for our edification and comfort1 and not wantonly to commit a species of murder1 in order to procure their delicious treasure4 ,nor is there the slightest necessity for destroying ,bees in this cruel manner1 when an act of humanity will obtain for us their purest honey1 and secure to us their lives for future and profitable labour4 ,surely1 then1 an act of humanity to ,bees cannot be displeasing to any one1 especially when we are taught by the beneficial results of our experience1 that their lives may be preserved1 and their labours for us thereby continued4 ,apiarian reader1 take this subject into thy serious consideration3 in the busy hive behold the curious works of ,god's creatures--the ,bees2 misuse riot1 then1 the works of his hands2 but improve upon this lesson from nature3 and for a moment pause before thou lightest the deadly match1--before thou appliest it with murderous intent to the congregated thousands in thy hive4 ,it's he who feels no rev'rence for ,god's sacred name1 ,that lights the sulphur up to cause the dreadful flame3 ,alas6 ,i think1 viewing the monster's busy hand ,taking the dreadful match1 ,i see a murderer stand4 ,these insects' indefatigable labours alone should humanize our feelings for them1 and induce us to spare their lives1 for the rich treasures which they first collect1 and then unresistingly yield up to us when operated upon by the healthy influence of ventilation4 ,why should we lay the axe to the root of the tree that produces such good fruit8 ,rather let us gather from its pure branches1 and let the root live4 ,examine the nature and effects of my ,bee-machinery1 and you will discover its utility and its value in the management of ,bees4 ,by the proper application of that machinery you may instantaneously divide the treasures of the ,bees1 even in the most vigorous part of their gathering season1 without the least danger to the operator1 and frequently without the destruction of a single ,bee4 ,is not this1 then1 a rational and humane practice8 ,i trust it wants only to be properly understood in order to be universally adopted4 ,again3 ,does not she that is a kind mother know the wants and desires of her children8 ,take the lovely offspring from its mother's care and protection1 and imprison it before her eyes1 and will she not impatiently cry aloud for its release and restoration to liberty8 and will not the child's screams show its affection for its fond parent8 and when its liberty is restored1 does not consolation quickly follow8 ,the lost child being once more under its mother's care1 both mother and child are happy4 ,similar facts are exemplified by the mother of the hive1 who loves her multitudinous offspring1 and lives in harmony and affection with them4 ,she evidently dislikes a separation from her subjects1 who seem to be1 and doubtless are1 most devotedly attached to her4 ,and when1 on taking off a glass or a box1 they are divided only for a few minutes1 we witness their sorrow1 and hear their lamentations in the hive1--the ,queen-mother calling for her children1 anxious on their part to be released2 and as soon as an opportunity is afforded them of effecting their escape1 they embrace it1--the moment they feel their liberty1 they gladly take advantage of it1 and return to the pavilion in multitudes1 so that in a short time tranquillity is restored1 and peace and happiness are again enjoyed by the previously unhappy mother of the hive1--her subjects crowd round her1 and the place that had lately been their prison soon becomes their palace1 and a magazine for future treasure1 which the humane apiarian will again be entitled to4 ,much has been said on the piling or storifying mode of managing ,bees2 and ,i admit that there are advantages in it which we do not meet with in the cottage-hive system4 ,it is1 notwithstanding1 imperfect in the design1--it is founded in error1--in practice it is liable to many difficulties1--and it is particularly disadvantageous to the labours of these valuable insects1 as will be more fully shown when ,i come to state my objections to it4 ,we have only to study the nature and habits of ,bees1 and to watch particularly the desires of these indefatigable creatures4 ,they alone will teach us the lesson4 ,but follow them through their movements during a summer's day1 and you will behold them1 as it were1 pitifully asking for the assistance of man1 according to the varying state of the thermometer4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,thermometer4 ,as ,i have been frequently asked to explain the utility of ventilation in a hive or colony of ,bees1 so have ,i as frequently been asked1 sometimes with civility and politeness1 sometimes jeeringly and in contempt1--,what has the thermometer to do with ,bees8 ,i answer--,we shall see presently2 and ,i trust1 see enough to convince the veriest sceptic on the subject1 that the thermometer is an instrument that is indispensably necessary in the management of ,bees according to my plan4 ,such inquirers might as reasonably ask what the mainspring of a watch has to do with the movements of that machine8 ,without the mainspring the watch would not work at all2 and without the thermometer we cannot ascertain with any degree of accuracy the interior temperature of the hive2 the knowledge of which temperature is of the utmost consequence in the humane management of ,honey-,bees4 ,the thermometer is the safest1 if not the sole guide to a scientific knowledge of their state and works4 ,to ventilate an apiary or colony of ,bees1 when their interior temperature is under #fj degrees1 would be ruinous to them1--because contrary to the prosperous progress of their natural labours4 ,from upwards of fifteen hundred observations in the summer of #ahbe1 ,i am fully satisfied on this point4 ,their nature is to keep up at least that1 and sometimes a much higher1 degree of temperature by their indefatigable labours2 and as the temperature of the hive rises1 so does it invigorate and encourage an increase of population1 as well as an increase of their treasured sweets4 ,as the hive fills1 so will the thermometer rise to #abj and even to #acj degrees1 before these worthies will by over-heat be forced to leave their wealthy home4 ,when the thermometer is at the above height1 these wealthy colonists will have arrived at the highest state of perfection1--wealthy indeed1 every store-house being filled nearly to suffocation with their abundant treasures1 and they1 as it were1 petitioning the observer of their too-limited store-house for a fresh room4 ,thus circumstanced then give them a fresh room1--accommodate them with such a store-house as either of my collateral-boxes will and is intended to afford them4 ,force them not to warm3 an emigration from a prosperous colony of half its population cannot fail of being very disadvantageous1 both to those that emigrate1 who must necessarily be poor1 and to those that remain1 be they ever so industrious1 or ever so wealthy4 ,when you discover your thermometer rising rapidly1 and1 instead of standing1 as it generally does in a well-stocked colony1 at about #hj degrees1 rising in a few hours to #ij1 and perhaps to #if1 or even to #ajj1 you may conclude that ventilation is then highly necessary4 ,the more you ventilate1 when their temperature gets to this oppressive and dangerous height1 the more you benefit the ,bees labouring under it2 for when they find a comfortable temperature within1 they enjoy it1 and will proceed to fill every vacant comb4 ,nature has provided the ,queen of ,bees with the power of multiplying her species1 and of providing against any casualty which in so numerous a state may frequently happen4 ,that all-seeing eye that neither slumbers nor sleeps1 but constantly superintends alike the affairs of insects and of men1 has1 doubtless1 long beheld the shameful neglect of man1 which is the main cause of the distress of the hive1 and which forces it to swarm4 ,let man1 then1 remedy the distress and mischief which he occasions1 by preventing it4 ,it is the ,queen-,bee that emigrates2 were she not to lead1 none would lead2 nor would any follow were another than the ,queen to lead1 to seek and to settle in some place more congenial to them than an over-heated1 over-stocked1 though rich hive4 ,she well knows she cannot live in a state subjected to a suffocating heat1 amidst an overgrown population4 ,so she leaves the royal cradle1 impregnated with the royal larva1 and withdraws from the hive1 reluctantly1 one may suppose1 though accompanied by thousands of her subjects4 ,the ,queen-,bee leads the swarm to seek a place of comfort1 and to establish another home1 where not one cell nor drop of honey exists4 ,to establish the truth of these assertions1 and to prove the utility of ventilation and of the thermometer1 in regulating the degree of ventilation in the management of ,bees1 ,i will now give my reader an account of some interesting experiments that ,i made in #ahbf1 and then add a few extracts from my thermometrical journal of that summer2 which in fact guided me in those experiments1 for without the assistance of my thermometer ,i could not have made them2 from which1 taken together1 it will1 ,i think1 be sufficiently evident that ventilation and the thermometer are highly necessary1--are alike important1--in short1 are indispensable in the humane management of ,honey-bees4 ,on the #bfth of ,june #ahbf1 ,i suffered a colony of ,bees to swarm1 in order to prove the truth of the foregoing statements4 ,it was a very fine colony3 the thermometer had been standing at #aaj for six days previously1 in one of the collateral end-boxes2 on the eighth day it rose suddenly to #abj4 ,i was then forcing my ,bees to leave their home2 ,i could have lowered their temperature1 and by so doing1 ,i could have retained my worthies in their native boxes3 but ,i was then about to prove a fact of the greatest moment to apiarians4 ,on the ninth day1 at half-past twelve o'clock1 the finest swarm ,i ever beheld towered above my head1 and literally darkened the atmosphere in the front of my apiary4 ,after remaining about five minutes in the open air1 the ,queen perched herself upon a tree in my garden1 where she was exposed to the rays of a scorching sun2 but her loyal subjects quickly surrounded her1 and screened her from its influence4 ,i immediately did what ,i could to assist my grand prize1 by hanging a sheet before it1 to ward off the intense heat of the sun4 ,i allowed the ,bees to hang in this situation until the evening4 ,during the absence of the swarm from the colony1 my full employment was to watch the parent-stock1 in order that ,i might1 in the evening1 return the ,bees of this beautiful swarm to their native-hive1 which they had been forced to leave4 ,curiosity and a desire to solve a doubtful problem1 for the good of future apiarians1 led me to act as already related1 at the expense of much inconvenience to the ,bees4 ,the remaining ,honey-,bees continued labouring during the remainder of the day2 and in the evening of that same day1 the thermometer was standing at #ij degrees in the old stock2 so that the absence of the swarm had lowered the temperature of the pavilion #cj degrees1 and ,i was quite sure ,i could reduce it in the collateral end-box to that of the exterior atmosphere1 which1 after the sun had gone down1 was only #fe4 ,to effect this1 ,i resolved at once to take off a fine top-glass filled with honey4 ,i did so3 its weight was fourteen pounds4 ,this operation reduced the interior heat of the colony to #ge4 ,but looking at my grand swarm1 and intent as ,i was upon re-uniting it to the parent-stock1 ,i thought it impossible for the vacant space conveniently to hold all the ,bees4 ,i had one1 and only one1 alternative left1--and that was to take from my colony a collateral-box4 ,i therefore took it2 and a most beautiful box it was3 its weight was fifty pounds4 ,i immediately placed an empty box in the situation the full one had occupied4 ,i then drew from the side of the pavilion the dividing tin-slide1 and the whole of the colony was shortly at the desired temperature of #fe1 that being the exterior heat of the evening4 ,i was now fully convinced of the propriety of returning the swarm4 ,i commenced operations for accomplishing that object at ten o'clock in the evening1 by constructing a temporary stage near the mouth of the parent-stock4 ,i then procured a white sheet1 and laid it upon the table or temporary stage1 and in a moment struck the swarm from the hive into which the ,bees had been taken from the bough in the evening4 ,my next difficulty was to imprison the sovereign of the swarm3 but with a little labour ,i succeeded in discovering her1 and made her my captive4 ,no sooner was she my prisoner than the ,bees seemed to be acquainted with her absence4 ,but so near were they placed to the mouth of the parent-stock that they soon caught the odour of the hive1 and in the space of about fifteen minutes the whole swarm1 save only her majesty1 were under the roof of their parent-home4 ,the following morning increased my anxiety about the welfare of my stock4 ,fearful lest my carious anticipations should meet with a disappointment1 at sun-rise in the morning ,i released from her imprisonment the captive ,queen4 ,i placed her on the front-board1 near the entrance of her hive1 to ascertain1 if possible1 whether there was within the state one greater than herself4 ,but no visible sign of such being the case presented itself4 ,the influence of the cheery sun soon caused her to move her majestic body to the entrance of her native domicil1 where she was met1 surrounded1 and no doubt welcomed1 by thousands of her subjects1 who soon conducted her into the hive1 and1 it may be presumed1 re-instated her on the throne1 which a few hours before she had been compelled to abdicate4 ,the ,bees afterwards sallied forthwith extraordinary alacrity and regularity1 and1 beyond my most sanguine expectations1 filled a large glass with honey in the short space of six days4 ,that glass of honey was exhibited at the ,national ,repository1 with a model of my apiary1 and was much admired by many of the members and visitors of that noble institution4 ,i have now to remark1 that during the nine days after the swarm had been returned to the parent-stock1 the thermometer continued rising until it reached the temperature of #ij within the collateral-box2 and on the tenth day1 at five o'clock in the morning1 ,i witnessed the grand secret1--,i viewed with unutterable delight the extraordinary fact ,i had been endeavouring to ascertain1--viz4--two royal nymphs laid prostrate on the alighting-board1 near the exterior entrance of the hive4 ,this circumstance alone convinced me that no more swarming was necessary4 ,i have further to notice1 that on the third day afterwards the ,bees commenced their destruction of the drones1--which was a satisfactory proof that ,i had gained my point4 ,that colony has never swarmed since the period ,i thus first satisfactorily established the utility of ventilation4 ,and on minutely attending to the extraordinary movements of this my favourite colony1 it was not uncommon to notice the most infant appearance of the royal brood lying upon the front-board of the pavilion4 ,so that ,i am well satisfied that the royal larva is always in existence in the hive1 independently of the reigning ,queen4 ,let me not be misunderstood2 ,i do not mean by this expression to assert--that the royal larva exists in the hive without the instrumentality or agency of the reigning ,queen2--far from it2 for no common ,bees can make a sovereign ,bee without the egg from the royal body3 what ,i do mean is--that the royal larva is always in existence in a colony of ,bees1 notwithstanding the existence and presence of a reigning ,queen--that the ,queen is there1 and that the royal larva is there at the same time4 ,in this the wisdom of ,providence is manifest2 for ,nature has thus provided that the royal cradle should contain the royal brood1 that in case any accident1 misfortune1 casualty1 or necessity1 should occasion the absence of the reigning ,queen1 another may be brought forth4 ,this larva in reserve1 as it were1 is protected and reared by the inhabitants with the utmost care1 nay1 in the absence of the ,queen1 it is almost worshipped1 until it becomes sufficiently matured to take the office and fulfil the duties of its royal predecessor2 of course it then reigns supreme1--it is then ,queen absolute4 ,on this point ,i not only coincide in opinion with ,thorley1 but have seen enough in the course of my experience among ,bees to confirm the truth of what ,i have now stated4 ,as1 however1 the further discussion of this nice point belongs to the natural history of the ,bee rather than to the explanation and inculcation of my practical mode of ,bee-management1 ,i refrain from saying more upon it1 lest by so doing ,i should inadvertently excite criticism and controversy4 ,i therefore proceed with my proper subject4 ,the following thermometrical observations are from the journal before mentioned4 ,the first column gives the day of the month1--the second shows the hour of the day when the thermometer was examined1--and the third is its height at those several times in the colony of ,bees upon which my experiments were so successfully made4 #ahbf4 ,at this state of the ,thermometer ,april ,hour ,ther4 it is highly necessary to remove your ,bees to their #a #h #ch summer stand4 ,a great decrease -- #ab #df of wealth in the hive will appear #b #h #ch daily under this temperature2 -- #ab #dc and feeding should be resorted #c #h #cb to until it rise to #ej3 and if -- #ab #cg moderate feeding be continued #d #ab #cg until the interior temperature #e #cg reach #ee1 it will materially #f #cg strengthen and invigorate your #g #cg ,bees4 ,and as the thermometer #h #h #dj continues to rise1 you will find -- #ab #de your hive improve4 ,it will soon #i #h #df be in a good state for the spring4 #aj #ab #eh ,considerable improvements in #aa #f #df the combs1 and immense gathering -- #aj #eh of farina1 appear to occupy #ab #i #eb the ,bees at this time4 -- #a #fd #ac #ab #fd ,the enemies of ,bees are #ad #fd numerous and active in this #ae #fd month4 ,as much as possible #af #fd guard against their attacks1 and #ag #fd be careful to defend your ,bees #ah #h #ed against them4 ,at all times keep #ai #ab #fj their floor-boards clean2 and #bj #ef now withdraw the dead ,bees1 if #ba #ab #eh there should appear to be any #bb #ej lying on the floor-boards or #bc #eb other stands4 ,this will save #bd #fj the live ,bees much labour1 and #be #fe may be done very easily4 #bf #gj #bg #gd #bh #fh #bi #gd #cj #gj ,may ,hour ,ther4 ,swarming may be expected in #a #e #db this month if the hives be rich -- #i #eh and the season favourable4 ,to -- #ab #gj prevent which enlarge your #b #e #da hives1 by adding three or four -- #h #dh rounds1 i4 e4 an eke1 to the -- #ab #fj bottom of each of them4 #c #e #dc -- #ab #ef ,if you have the collateral-box #d #g #ea hives1 you need only draw up #e #g #eb the tin-slides1 or one of them1 -- #d #eb as occasion may require4 ,by #f #g #df this means you enlarge the ,bees' -- #a #fc domicil1 without admitting the #g #e #db atmospheric air4 ,this move #h #ab #fj so pleases these indefatigable #i #a #gh creatures1 that you will behold #aj #ab #eh at once the utility and humanity #aa #ab #ed of this mode of management4 #ab #ab #fb #ac #ab #gb #ad #ab #gj -- #a #ge #ae #e #dc -- #ab #gj -- #b #gd #af #ab #gj ,should the weather be seasonable1 #ag #ab #fh the boxes will now be filled #ah #h #eh rapidly1 and the thermometer #ai #h #ej will rise quickly4 ,at this period -- #ab #gj ventilation will demonstrate #bj #h #eh what has hitherto been a secret -- #ab #fj of nature2--viz4 many young #ba #h #ed sovereigns in various states of -- #ab #fb perfection will be seen daily cast -- #b #eh out of the hives3 and the waxen #bb #h #ed cells will be extended to the -- #ab #fb remotest corners of their domicil4 -- #b #eh #bc #g #ej ,riches are now rapidly accumulated3 -- #ab #fb and the glasses filled -- #b #gj with the purest sweets4 ,small #bd #g #ej glasses may be taken off from -- #ab #fh the inverted-hives1 if the weather -- #b #gb prove fine4 #be #e #fj -- #h #fb ,mem4--,a glass of honey1 weighing -- #aa #fd #ab lbs4 and a collateral-box1 -- #ab #gj weighing #db lbs4 taken4 -- #c #ga #bf #g #eh ,after taking the above treasure -- #aj #gd from the collateral-hive1 -- #a #hj and placing an empty glass and -- #d #gc an empty box in the places of #bg #f #fa those taken off1 the interior -- #aj #gd temperature was reduced to #fj -- #ab #hd degrees1 while the atmosphere -- #b #hb was #ef at twelve o'clock at -- #d #hj night4 -- #e #gj #bh #f #fj -- #ab #fh ,the pure honey taken was -- #b #fh about one-fourth of the weight -- #c #gj of the hive1 and it will be -- #h #fa observed that the heat shows a #bi #e #fj decrease in the temperature of -- #aj #fd one fourth4 -- #a #gf -- #g #ff -- #i #fd #cj #f #fj -- #h #fd -- #i #gd -- #ab #gh #ca #f #fa -- #ab #gd -- #b #gh -- #d #gf ,june ,hour ,ther4 #a #g #fb -- #ab #gf #b #f #fb -- #ab #gh -- #e #gf #c #f #fj ,mem4--,a collateral-box of -- #ab #gf honey1 weighing #ef lbs4 and a -- #e #gd glass on the #ajth1 weighing #ad-a_/b #d #f #fj lbs4 taken4 -- #ab #gd -- #c #gh #e #f #ed -- #ab #fh #f #f #eh -- #ab #ff -- #c #fb #g #f #ed -- #b #fb -- #d #fd #h #f #eb -- #ab #ef -- #d #eb #i #g #ed -- #ab #gd -- #b #hj #aj #f #fj -- #ab #gd -- #c #gb #aa #f #fj -- #ab #gj -- #c #gf -- #d #gh -- #i #gj #ab #f #fd ,mem4--,a collateral-box1 -- #ab #gd weighing #fj lbs4 and -- #b #hb another1 weighing #eb lbs4 #ac #f #fj taken4 -- #aj #hb -- #ab #ij #ad #f #fd -- #ab #hd -- #b #hh -------------------------- -- #d #hf #ae #g #ff -- #aj #gj -- #c #hh -- #f #hj #bd #g #ff #ag #ab #gj -- #h #hb -- #c #hh -- #c #ij -- #i #fh #be #f #gj #ah #f #ff -- #aj #ij -- #ab #gj -- #ab #id -- #b #gf #bf #g #hf #ai #f #fj -- #aa #id -- #ab #gj -- #e #ia -- #e #ff -- #i #hf #bj #h #fj #bg #g #hd -- #ab #gj -- #i #ij -- #c #gf -- #a #if #ba #g #fj #bh #f #hh -- #ab #gj -- #ab #id -- #c #gb -- #aa #ij #bb #i #gj #bi #f #hf -- #ab #gj -- #ab #id -- #c #fe -- #b #if #bc #f #gj -- #g #ia -- #ab #ge #cj #e #ij -- #c #hb -- #ab #if -- #f #gf -- #d #hd ,july ,hour ,ther4 #a #f #id ,if the pasturage for ,bees begin -- #ab #if to fail in your neighbourhood -- #d #id at this time1 it is advisable1 if -- #g #id it be practicable1 to remove your #b #f #id colonies to a better and a more -- #ab #if profitable situation4 ,you will be -- #f #id richly rewarded for this attention -- #aj #id to the prosperity of your apiary4 #c #f #id -- #ab #if -- #f #id -- #aj #ij -------------------------------- #d #f #ib -- #ab #id ,july ,hour ,ther4 -- #f #ij #ad #f #gf #e #f #ij -- #ab #gh -- #ab #ib -- #f #gf -- #f #ij #ae #f #gd #g #f #ij -- #ab #gf -- #ab #ib -- #f #gh -- #f #ib #af #f #gh -- #aj #ib -- #ab #hf #h #g #ib -- #f #hf -- #ab #ib -- #aj #hj -- #f #ij #ag #f #gh -- #aa #ij -- #aj #gh #i #f #hh -- #ab #hj -- #ab #ib #ah #f #gf -- #c #hb -- #ab #hj -- #aj #hj -- #f #gh #aj #f #gh -- #aj #gf -- #ab #hj #ai #f #gf -- #f #hb -- #ab #hj #aa #f #hj -- #f #gd -- #ab #hd -- #aj #gd -- #f #hf #bj #f #fh -- #aj #ij -- #ab #gj #ab #f #hf -- #f #gj -- #ab #hj -- #aj #gj -- #f #gf #ba #f #ff -- #aj #gd -- #ab #fh #ac #f #gd -- #d #fd -- #ab #gf -- #f #gf ,summary of memorandums of the several deprivations or takings of honey from one set of boxes this season3 ,may #bg4 ,glass and box #ed lbs4 ,june #i4 ,box #ef 44 ---- #aj4 ,glass #ad-a_/b 44 ---- #ab4 ,box #fj 44 ---- #ac4 ,ditto #eb 44 ,collateral-box #fj 44 -------- #bif-a_/b lbs4 ,did ,i deem it necessary1 ,i could1 from the letters of a variety of highly respectable correspondents1 show that the mode of managing ,bees in the way1 and upon the principles1 now explained1 has been adopted1 and has succeeded even beyond the most sanguine expectations of many of my worthy friends and patrons2 but ,i will content myself at present with giving the two following letters1 which ,i have just received from a gentleman in this neighbourhood1 whose very name1 to all who have any knowledge of or acquaintance with him1 will be a sufficient guarantee that his statements are facts4 ,besides1 his letters are a condensed1 and ,i must say--clever epitome of my practical directions for the management of ,bees in my boxes1 and may be useful on that account2 and moreover1 ,i have1 as will be seen presently1 his unsolicited authority to make them public1 and therefore run no risk of being called to order for so doing4 ,gedney-,hill1 #acth ,july1 #ahcb4 ,dear ,sir1 ,you will1 ,i am persuaded1 excuse me for troubling you with the information that ,i yesterday took off a fine glass of honey from one of my ,bee-colonies4 ,i went to work secundum artem1 that is1 in one word1 scientifically1 or in four words1 according to your directions2 and ,i have the satisfaction1 nay more1--,i have the pleasure to add that ,i succeeded--,i had almost said completely1 but ,i must qualify that expression by saying1 that ,i succeeded all but completely2 for one luckless ,bee had the misfortune to be caught between the edges of the dividing-tin and the glass1 and to be crushed to death in consequence4 ,excepting that accident1 ,i believe that not one ,bee was injured1 nor lost4 ,they left the glass1 as soon as ,i gave them the opportunity of leaving it1 in the most peaceable manner2 in a subdued and plaintive tone they hummed round me1--settled upon me1--crept over me in all directions1--but not one of them stung me2 in short1 they returned to their home without manifesting the slightest symptoms of resentment1 and in less than half an hour from the commencement of the operation1 there was not a single ,bee left in the glass4 ,in my eye it is a very handsome glass of honey2 it weighs exactly #ac lbs1 and it has not one brood-cell in it4 ,i intend to close it up1--to label it1--and to keep it1 at least until ,i get another as handsome4 ,it is a rich curiosity to exhibit to one's friends1 especially to those who have never seen such a thing4 ,on the other side1 ,i send you a fortnight's register of the heights and variations of a thermometer1 placed in the colony from which ,i have taken the glass1 and also1 of one placed in the shade1 and apart from all ,bees2 from which register you will know1 in a moment1 whether ,i have managed my ,bees properly4 ,i am willing to flatter myself that ,i have1 and that you will say ,i have been very attentive indeed4 ,ther4 ,ther4 ,ther4 ,ther4 #ahcb4 in the in the #ahcb4 in the in the ,july ,hour ,colony ,shade ,july ,hour ,colony ,shade -------------------------------- ------------------------------- #a #aa #hf #ff #e #i #hh #fd 44 #f #hh #ff #f #h #hh #fd #b #f #ij #fe 44 #b #hh #fe 44 #a #ib #ff 44 #i #hh #fd 44 #a #ib #ff #g #h #hi #fd 44 #i #hf #fe 44 #i #hh #fd #c #h #hh #fe #h #i #hf #fd 44 #a #hg #fe 44 #i #hf #fd 44 #c #hi #fe #i #g #ij #fd 44 #e #hg #fd 44 #b #hi #fe 44 #i #hh #fd 44 #h #hh #ff #d #d #hh #fd #aj #h #hh #ff 44 #aj #hc #fd 44 #b #hi #ff 44 #ab #hf #fe #aa #i #hh #ff 44 #e #ij #fe 44 #b #hi #ff 44 #i #hf #fd #ab #i #ij #fe #e #g #hi #fd 44 #a #id #ff 44 #aj #hh #fd 44 #i #hi #fh 44 #a #ij #fe #ac #h #hi #ff 44 #e #hi #fe 44 #e #ij #ff ,in addition to this ,i could1 time and space permitting1 tell you from what point the wind blew on each of these days1 when it came full in front of my boxes1 and when it came upon them in any other direction1 when it was high1 and when it was otherwise1 on what days the ,bees were able to get abroad1 and also when they were kept at home by rain1 or by any other cause4 ,from these observations of the wind and weather1 and particularly from the manner in which the wind is directed towards1 or into the ventilators in the boxes1 in conjunction with the movements of the ,bees1 ,i think ,i can account pretty satisfactorily for what may appear1 at first sight1 to be a little contradictory1 viz4 for the rising of the thermometer in the boxes sometimes when it was falling in the shade2 and vice versa1 for its sometimes rising in the shade when it was falling in the boxes4 ,but instead of writing you a dissertation on these subjects1 or on any of them1 ,i choose rather to put you into possession of the whole of my ,bee-practice1 by submitting to your notice a copy1 or as nearly as ,i can make it a copy1 of a letter ,i took the liberty of addressing to the ,editor of ',the ,voice of ,humanity1' in ,october last1 after the appearance in ,no4 ,v4 of that publication1 of a representation and imperfect explanation of your boxes4 ,i was encouraged to write that letter by the following announcement in an article in that ,no4--',a due regard of rational humanity towards the ,bee1 though but an insect1 we shall feel a pleasure in promoting in the future as well as the present pages of our publication4 ,this subject has1 moreover1 a very strong claim1 inasmuch as it also exemplifies the grand principle upon which ,the ,voice of ,humanity is founded--the true prevention of cruelty to animals1 by substituting a practical1 an improved system1 in the place of one which is defective2 this1 in reference to the present subject1 c1 is true prevention of cruelty1 not only to units1 but to thousands and tens of thousands of animals4' ,notwithstanding this very rational announcement1 and the prompt acknowledgment of the receipt of my letter1 it did not appear in either of the next two numbers1 nor am ,i aware that it is in the last1 but ,i have not yet seen the last ,no4 of that publication1 therefore must not be positive4 ,but this is not all3 in ,no4 #f1 the conductors of that work express i sincere pleasure' in inserting an article which1 they say1 c forms an admirable addition to that on ,mr4 ,nutt's ,bee-hive2' and that 'the plan which it developes1 in addition to its humanity1 has the recommendation of being more simple and practicable than even the excellent improvements of ,mr4 ,nutt4' ,now what do you suppose this admirable addition to your ,bee-hive1---this plan recommended on account of its humanity1 as well as on other accounts--is8 ,it is no other than that most cruel and destructive one of depriving ,bees of their honey and of every thing else1 by 'driving them out of a full hive into an empty one1 so early in the season as to afford the ,bees sufficient time to provide themselves with another stock of winter food before the bad weather begins4' ,very considerate this1 certainly6 but who can tell how soon the bad weather may begin8 ,of all the methods ever resorted to of getting their honey from ,bees1 this1 in my humble opinion1 is the most cruel and inhuman3 suffocating the ,bees and destroying them at once is far preferable to this 7,i had hoped7 exploded mode of robbing them4 ,if practised1 it will1 however1 soon cure itself3 but is it not a strange practice for ',the ,voice of ,humanity' to revive8 ,either the utterers of that sweet ,voice are unacquainted with the humane management of ,bees upon your plan1 or they are unaware of the mischievous and destructive consequences attendant on the driving mode of deprivation1 or they have little claim to the title they bear on the score of their humanity to ,bees4 ,i believe the former to be the case with them3 and therefore1 in addition to the reason already given for troubling you herewith1 and in order to set them right on this vital subject1 ,i give you full power to do what you please with these letters4 ,if they will be of any use to you in your projected publication1 give them a place in it1 and welcome3 only do not garble them1 give them entire1 if you give them at all4 ,i am decidedly opposed to the driving scheme2 and ,i as decidedly approve of yours1 which is1 if properly attended to1 at once simple1 practicable1 profitable1 admirable1 and truly humane4 ,accept me1 ,dear ,sir1 ,yours very truly1 ,thomas ,clark4 ,mr4 ,editor1 ,since the publication of the last ,no4 of ',the ,voice of ,humanity1' in which you treated your readers with some interesting particulars explanatory of the construction and different parts of ,mr4 ,nutt's ,bee-boxes1 and also of the mode of managing the ,bees in them1 so far at least as regards the taking away a box when stored with the delicious sweet 7i4 e4 with honey71 it has been suggested to me1 that a plain1 simple history of a colony of ,bees in my possession1 and managed according to ,mr4 ,nutt's excellent plan1 may not be altogether unacceptable to the general readers and friends of ',the ,voice of ,humanity' and may be even a treat to amateur apiarians1 who may be unacquainted with the merits of ,mr4 ,nutt's plan2 or who1 if partially acquainted therewith1 may have their doubts as to its practicability1 or1 at least1 as to its advantages1 i4 e4 superiority over other plans4 ,as far1 then1 as #f ,the ,voice of ,humanity' can make them 7the merits of ,mr4 ,nutt's plan7 known1 ,i trust it will be as music to that ,voice to publish the following facts4 ,having had a complete set of ,mr4 ,nutt's boxes presented to me1 ,i1 though comparatively a novice in apiarian science1 and not at that time particularly attached to it1 could not1 in compliment to the donor1 do less than endeavour to work them1 that was--get them stocked4 ,that was done with a swarm on the #ahth of ,may #ahcj2 and the middle-box1 or pavilion of nature1 as ,mr4 ,nutt calls it1 into which the said swarm was taken just in the same way it would have been if put into a common straw-hive1 was conveyed a distance of nearly four miles and placed in my garden in the evening of the same day4 ,the next day being fine1 ,i observed that the ,bees were very busy constructing comb1 and had1 within twenty-four hours of their being domiciled in their new abode1 actually made a progress in that most curious work that astonished me3 they were passing and re-passing1 and literally all alive2 many were visibly loaded with materials for their ingenious work4 ,my curiosity was excited1 and so much was ,i pleased with my multitudinous labourers that ,i visited them daily1 and many times in the course of each day1 when the weather was favourable for their getting abroad4 ,their combs were rapidly advanced2 but to my great mortification they very soon obstructed my view of their interior works1 by bringing a fine comb quite over the only little window at the back of the pavilion1 at the distance of about half an inch from the glass4 ,i was not1 however1 without the means of ascertaining that they were filling the pavilion with their treasures1 and consequently that they would soon be in want of more room4 ,i1 therefore1 at the end of a fortnight admitted them into the large bell-glass by withdrawing the slide1 which1 when closed1 cuts oft' the communication between the pavilion and the said glass4 ,they 7the ,bees7 immediately reconnoitred it1 as it were1 and examined it round and round1 and presently took possession of it in great numbers2 and in the course of the second day afterwards ,i could perceive that they began to continue their work upwards from and upon the combs in the box4 ,here ,i was again inexpressibly gratified by daily observing the progress of their beautiful work1 and by the busy thousands in perpetual motion4 ,when they had about half-filled the glass1 and before ,i was aware that there was any occasion for their admission into either of the collateral-boxes1 they suddenly threw off a swarm4 ,that event ,i attribute partly to my own inexperience in apiarian matters1 and partly--principally to the want of a thermometer by which to ascertain and regulate the temperature of the crowded pavilion1 so as to keep the ,bees at the working1 and below the swarming point of heat4 ,mr4 ,nutt assures me that a barn would not contain a colony of ,bees if its temperature were raised above a certain degree4 ,what that precise degree of heat is ,i leave to ,mr4 ,nutt to determine and explain3 at present it is enough to state that ,i am convinced it is possible1 nay1 quite easy1 to keep ,bees at work1 and to prevent their swarming1 by giving them plenty of room1 and by proper ventilation4 ,after my ,bees had thrown off the swarm1 as above mentioned1 the work in the glass progressed but slowly1 indeed it was for some time almost deserted1 owing1 ,i presume1 to the room made in the pavilion by the absence of the thousands that had left it3 for1 whenever the weather was such that they could get abroad1 they were always busy4 ,the season1 however1 it is well-known1 was so wet as to be very unfavourable for ,bees3--the summer of #ahcj was not by any means what is called a ,bee-year2 and early in the autumn ,i could see that1 instead of adding to their store1 they were under the necessity of living upon it4 ,they were1 however1 abundantly provided for the winter1 and lived through it almost to a ,bee4 ,in the spring of this year 7#ahca7 they appeared to be strong and in excellent condition4 ,as early as the middle of ,may they had replenished the emptied combs in the glass1 and1 it may be presumed1 in the pavilion too4 ,in the first week of ,june1 the glass was completely filled in the most beautiful manner4 ,i therefore opened the communication to one of the end or collateral-boxes1 and two or three days afterwards1 viz4 on the #ajth of ,june1 ,i took off the glass and replaced it with another4 ,so rapidly did those industrious little insects proceed with their work1 that in about six weeks they completely filled the end-box4 ,i then opened the way to the empty box at the other end of the pavilion3 and a few days afterwards had the full box taken off by ,mr4 ,nutt himself 7who happened to call upon me1 and who handsomely volunteered his services on the occasion71 without any stifling of any sort--without the destruction1 or the loss1 of--scarcely a ,bee1--as nearly in the manner described in your last ,no4 as circumstances would permit2 for the ,queen-,bee being in the box taken off made it necessary for ,mr4 ,nutt to vary the operation a little2--not a person was stung1 though ladies1 very timid ladies1 and children too1 were among the admiring lookers on2 only1 in returning the ,queen-,bee1 found in the box1 to the pavilion1 ,i myself was stung1 owing to my over-anxiety to see how she would be received by the ,bees in the pavilion4 ,her majesty's presence in that box 7the box taken off7 at that time might probably have puzzled me2 but to ,mr4 ,nutt it presented no difficulty2 and to witness his operation was to me a most instructive lesson1 and would have delighted any friend of humanity4 ,it was performed in the middle of a fine day4 ,that box contained1 as nearly as we could estimate1 about #ce lbs4 of honey1 incomparably purer and finer than any ,i ever saw1 except from ,mr4 ,nutt's boxes4 ,the glass beforementioned contained #ab lbs4--so that ,i have this year taken forty-seven pounds of the very finest honey from one stock of ,bees2--,i have all my ,bees alive--and they are at this time abundantly provided for the ensuing winter2 nay1 without impoverishing them1 ,i believe1 ,i might take #f or #h lbs4 more2 but ,i have already had enough2 and1 if my ,bees have more than enough for their winter's consumption1 they will not waste it2--it will be found next year4 ,the preservation of the ,bees unhurt1 uninjured1 very many of them undisturbed at all1--the quantity of honey that may be had1--and the very superior quality of that honey1 are advantages of ,mr4 ,nutt's mode of ,bee-management1 over the barbarous1 stifling system1 that cannot fail to recommend it to the adoption of every friend of humanity1--to every lover of the delicious sweet1--and to every apiarian who has nothing beyond self-interest in view4 ,one word more1 and ,i have done4 ,there are1 ,i observe with pleasure1 persons of considerable influence among your subscribers1 and probably there may be persons of still greater influence among your readers4 ,to such ,i would most respectfully suggest the propriety of doing something to reward ,mr4 ,nutt for the services he has already rendered the ,honey-,bee and the cause of humanity4 ,i--an obscure1 country clergyman1 know not how to set about procuring it2 but a premium was never more richly deserved4 ,though longer than ,i intended1 when ,i sat down to write1 ,i hope you will find no difficulty in giving the foregoing communication a place in your pages2 and1 in this hope1 ,i beg to subscribe myself1 ,your humble servant1 ,thomas ,clark4 ,gedney-,hill1 near ,wisbech1 ,october #bjth1 #ahca4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,on ,,driving ,,bees4 ,as my reverend correspondent has introduced the subject of driving ,bees from their full hive into an empty one1 in order that they may be deprived of their honey and wax1 and has animadverted upon that practice with some severity1 ,i will take the opportunity of here stating my objections to it4 ,mr4 ,huish1 in his treatise on ,bees1 has twice described the manner in which driving a hive may be performed2 but nowhere1 that ,i can find1 has he once recommended it4 ,in a note 7in page #bd7 he says---that by driving a hive may be understood the act of obliging the ,bees to leave their own domicil1 and take refuge in another4 ,this is performed by placing the full hive under an empty one1 7or he might have said1 by placing an empty hive upon the full one inverted7 and by gently tapping the lower hive the ,bees will ascend into the upper1 and the lower one then remains vacant for experiments1 or the purpose of deprivation4 ,he afterwards 7in page #beb7 gives a more detailed account of the manner of performing this operation2 and having done so1 he presently observes that by the driving of the ,bees a number is unavoidably killed4 ,i do not find that ,mr4 ,huish himself practises it further than for the purpose of making experiments2 and that1 having made those experiments1 he returns the driven ,bees to their hives and to their treasures in them4 ,in short1 he describes it to his readers because they may wish to be acquainted with it1 and not because he approves of it4 ,i mention this because ,i consider ,mr4 ,huish to be respectable authority on such a subject4 ,now1 were there nothing in a hive but ,bees and honey1 driving them into an empty hive 7were it as easy in practice as it seems to be upon paper1 though ,i presume it is not7 in order to rob them of their all1 would be a most arbitrary and unjust method of treating them3 but1 besides ,bees and honey1 there are other substances in a prosperous hive which ought not to be disturbed4 ,there are the future inhabitants of the colony in every stage of existence1 from the egg to the perfect ,bee1 and these in a driven hive are all totally destroyed--eggs1 larv1 nymphs1 in one word1 the brood1 in whatever state1 is all destroyed1 when the ,bees are driven from it and not suffered to return4 ,and is it not an unnatural operation that thus destroys many thousands of lives in embryo1 over and above the number unavoidably killed thereby8 as painful must it be for the ,queen--the mother of the colony1 and to all the other ,bees1 to be forcibly expelled from a hive and home of plenty and prosperity1 as it is for an industrious man and his thriving family to be rudely ejected from a comfortable house and home1 without the least notice of1 or preparation for1 so calamitous an event1 and forced by lawless marauders to take shelter in an empty house1 and left there destitute1 to subsist as best they can1 or to starve1 as probably they may1 their spirits being cast down by the violent deprivations and desperate robbery they have experienced1 and it may be1 the winds1 and the weather1 and the elements of heaven1 are warring1 as it were1 against them at the same time4 ,and1 comparatively speaking1 is it not so with driven ,bees8 ,they are turned topsy-turvy1 and in that strange1 unnatural position their fears are operated upon1 or excited1 by unusual1 and to them1 no doubt1 terrible sounds made by even gently tapping their inverted-hive--their house turned upside down4 ,though no advocate for suffocating ,bees1 but the contrary--a decided opponent to it1 ,i agree in opinion with my correspondent that suffocation at once is preferable to the very reprehensible practice of driving a hive1 inasmuch as an instantaneous death is preferable to a lingering and unnatural one by starvation1 which1 whatever may befal the driven ,bees1 is the hard1 untimely fate of the brood and young larv of a hive when the ,queen and commoners are driven from them into a new and empty domicil4 ,they leave1 because they are forced to leave behind them1 and to perish1 thousands of the young brood in a state of helplessness4 ,their mother and their nurses are driven into banishment and pauperism1 while her offspring are doomed to perish for the want of their aid and support4 ,if driving be practised early in the season1 that is in ,june or ,july1 all the brood then in the driven hive must inevitably perish2 if later1 it is hardly to be expected that the surviving ,bees will or can prosper4 ,can the ,bee-master for a moment think that when ,bees are so driven from their old hive1 they will work in their new one1 as if they had swarmed voluntarily and then been put into it3 it is some considerable time before ,bees thus treated will work vigorously2 and during that time of lingering and irresolution the honey-season fast declines1--the ,bees' difficulties multiply1--and they become paupers at a time they should be rich4 ,nine times out of ten the hive so treated perishes by famine1 and like the young brood1 dies the worst of deaths1--the whole hive becomes a melancholy wreck1 and is absolutely sacrificed to the mistaken notions of the speculating1 or experiment-making proprietor4 ,it is a practice of which ,i disapprove altogether3 and ,i am surprised that any one could so far misunderstand the principles and nature of my practice as to recommend the driving of ,bees out of a full hive into an empty one as an admirable addition to my ,bee-hive--that is--to my ,bee-boxes4 ,i have the satisfaction1 however1 to state that in the management of ,bees in my boxes no driving is necessary1 nor even possible3 by them driving and suffocation are both superseded1 and rendered as useless to operators as they have long been destructive to ,bees1--and1 ,i cannot but say--disgraceful to apiarians4 ,what ,i have already said 7in page #dh7 ,i will here repeat with as much emphasis as ,i am able1 because that passage comprehends the very essence of my directions relative to the management of ,bees in the middle-box1--and because those directions are utterly incompatible with driving4 ,i say1 then1 ,,disturb ,,not ,,this ,,hive--,,this ,,pavilion ,,of ,,nature3 ,,weaken ,,not ,,its ,,population2 ,,rut ,,support ,,its ,,influence1 ,,and ,,extend ,,to ,,it ,,those ,,accommodations ,,which ,,no ,,practice1 ,,except ,,my ,,own1 ,,has ,,yet ,,put ,,into ,,operation1 ,,or ,,made ,,any ,,adequate ,,provision ,,for4 ,this humane practice partakes not of the driving1 nor of the fumigating1 nor of the robbing system4 ,it is a liberal principle of ,bee-cultivation1 founded on humanity4 ,and it is by such practice that we must succeed1 if we hope to be benefited in the culture of ,honey-,bees4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,inverted-,,hive4 ,many useful discoveries have been made by accident2--and to some of the greatest and grandest of those discoveries even philosophers and men of science have been led by accidents apparently the most trifling and insignificant4 ,to the playful tricks of some little children that astonishing and most scientific instrument--the telescope1 it is said1 owes its origin2 and it is said also that that great and good man--,sir ,isaac ,newton was led to investigate the laws of gravitation by accidentally observing an apple topple to the ground from the twig that had borne it4 ,one of the sweetest of our poets1 however1 informs us--that ,all ,nature is but ,art1 unknown to thee1 ,all ,chance1 ,direction1 which thou canst not see4 ,if1 therefore1 a beautifully delicate honey-comb suspended from the stool of a hive first led me to discover the utility of ventilation in a colony of ,bees1 though there may be nothing very surprising1 there is1 ,i trust1--nay1 ,i am convinced1 and therefore ,i assert--there is something very useful in it3 and if an accident of another description induced me to endeavour to turn it to advantage1 there is nothing to be greatly wondered at4 ,so1 however1 it happened2 and here follows the account of it4 ,on rising early one morning in ,july #ahbg1 and walking into my apiary1 as my custom then was1 and still is1 ,i discovered that some malicious wretch had been there before me1 and had overturned a fine colony of ,bees4 ,the reader may judge how much my indignation was aroused by that dastardly act of outrage against my unoffending ,bees4 ,my feelings of vexation soon1 however1 subsided into those of pity for my poor ,bees2 and fortunately for them1 no less than for me1 their overturned domicil1 which consisted of a hive eked or enlarged by a square box upon which ,i had placed it some weeks previously1 was so shaded from or towards the east by a thick fence1 that the rays of the sun had not reached it2--this compound-hive1 and the countless thousands that were clustering around it1 were prostrate in the shade4 ,i viewed my distressed ,bees for a considerable time1 and studied and planned what ,i might best do to relieve them1 and1 if possibly ,i could1 rescue them from the deplorable situation into which they had been thrown4 ,at length ,i determined to reverse the whole1 which ,i effected by first carefully drawing the box as closely as ,i was able to the edge of the hive1 and then placing the hive upon its crown1 so that1 in fact1 the whole domicil was inverted4 ,i shaded1 protected1 shored-up1 and supported the ,bees1 their exposed works1 and their hive1 in the best way ,i could1 and afterwards reluctantly left them for the day1 being under the necessity of going from home a distance of almost twenty miles1 viz4 to ,wisbech4 ,on my return in the evening ,i could discern evident proofs of the willingness of the ,bees to repair the sore injury they had sustained2 and on the third day afterwards ,i was highly pleased to witness the progress their united efforts had made to rescue their dilapidated habitation from the ruin that had threatened it and them too1 and which1 ,i confess1 ,i had anticipated4 ,i was particularly attentive to their movements4 ,i assisted them by every means ,i could devise4 ,they gradually surmounted all the difficulties to which they had been exposed4 ,in short1 they prospered2 and from that malicious trick of some miscreant or other ,i first caught the idea of an inverted-hive1 which ,i have since studied and greatly improved4 ,every ,bee-master will have had opportunities of observing--that this curious1 ,i may say--intelligent1 little insect--the ,bee1 is ever alive to the most ready methods of extricating itself from difficulties1 and of bettering the condition of the state1 whenever accident or misfortune has placed it in jeopardy3 and1 ,i will add--that the timely assistance of the ,bee-master will frequently save a stock from that ruin1 or at least from that trouble and inconvenience1 which apparently trivial circumstances1 such for instance as uncleanliness1 excessive heat in summer1 intense severity of winter1 too contracted an entrance at one season1 a too extended and open one at another1 or wet lodged on and retained by the floor-board1 may1 and very often do occasion4 ,the subjoined cut is a representation of an ,,inverted-,,hive fixed in its frame1 trellised1 roofed1 completely fitted up1 and just as it appears when placed in an apiary and stocked with ,bees4 ,illustration ,,explanation ,,of ,,an ,,inverted-,,hive4 ,a4 is a stout octagon-box1 in which is to be placed an inverted cottage-hive containing the ,bees4 ,its diameter within the wood1 ,i mean its clear diameter1 is seventeen inches1 and its depth1 or rather its height1 is fifteen or sixteen inches1 or just sufficient to reach to1 and be level with1 the edge of the inverted cottage-hive1 when placed within it3 in fact1 the octagon-box 7,a47 is a strong case or cover for the inverted-hive2 and1 if made an inch or two deeper than the hive to be placed in it1 it is an easy matter to pack the bottom1 so that the edge of the hive and the top-edge of the octagon-box 7,a47 may be exactly on a level4 ,fitted and fastened to this is a top or floor1 made of three-fourths-inch deal1 which top should sit closely upon the edge of the hive all round4 ,the centre of this top is cut out circularly to within an inch and a half of the inner circumference or edge of the hive upon and over which it is placed4 ,upon this floor is a box1 made of inch or inch-and-quarter deal1 seventeen inches square within1 and four inches deep4 ,this ,i call the ventilation-box1 because through two of its opposite sides are introduced horizontally two cylinder ventilating-tubes1 made of tin1 thickly perforated1 and in all respects similar to those described in page #bj4 ,the top of this box is the floor upon which nine glasses are placed for the reception of honey1 namely--a large bell-glass in the centre1 and eight smaller ones around it4 ,by a large bell-glass ,i mean--one capable of containing twelve or fourteen pounds of honey1 and by smaller ones--such as will hold about four pounds4 ,the ,bees of an inverted-hive in a good situation will work well in glasses of these sizes1 and soon fill some or all of them3 but1 if in an unfavourable situation1 lesser glasses1 down to one-half the abovementioned sizes1 will be more suitable4 ,situation1 season1 and strength of the stock1--strength1 ,i mean1 as respects the number of ,bees1 must1 after all1 guide the apiarian in this matter4 ,the floor abovementioned should be made of three-fourths-inch deal4 ,of course proper apertures must be cut through this floor under each of the glasses to admit the ,bees into them from the box beneath4 ,around and over the glasses is placed another neat box or case1 made like the ventilation-box1 upon which it rests or stands4 ,the lid of this box is made to open and shut4 ,it is represented in the foregoing cut as opened at ,b4 an inch or two1 and may be so retained at pleasure by a proper weight attached to a cord passed over a pulley fixed in the inside of the roof 7,c47 and fastened to the edge of the lid above ,b4 ,the depth of the box or cover for the glasses must of course be regulated according to their different sizes4 ,the alighting-board is on the front-side1 directly opposite to the latticed doors1 and on a level with the upper-side of the first floor2 so that the entrance for the ,bees must be cut through the lower edge of the ventilation-box2 and is made there most conveniently for them to pass either into the inverted pavilion below1 or into the glasses above such entrance1 as their inclinations may direct4 ,the octagon-cover placed upon the pavilion-hive1 as represented in the view of the closed boxes 7in page #bi7 if inverted1 would be a tolerably good model of part ,a4 of the inverted-hive4 ,i advise that every part be well-made--the floors and the boxes particularly so2 and that the whole exterior be well painted too1 previously to being exposed to the sun and to the weather4 ,this advice has reference to all my boxes and hives1 collateral as well as inverted4 ,the stocking of this hive may be effected in the following manner4 ,having made choice of a good1 healthy1 well-stocked1 cottage-hive1 you may1 at any time between the beginning of ,march and the end of ,october1 carefully invert and place it in the octagon below the ventilation-box1 that is1 in the apartment 7,a47 then fasten the floor with four short screws to the top of the octagon1 taking especial care that this floor sits upon the edge of the inverted-hive all round4 ,it will be necessary to keep the ,bees from annoying you whilst adjusting this floor and the other parts of the hive1 by putting a sheet of tin over the open circular space in the floor2 by which tin every ,bee may be kept in the hive below4 ,when the boxes1 ventilators1 glasses1 and all things1 are duly adjusted1 the dividing-tin may be withdrawn2 and the operation of stocking will be then completed4 ,another method of accomplishing the same object1 i4 e4 of stocking an inverted-hive1 is this3 ,take the floor that is to rest upon1 and be fastened to1 the top of the octagon ,a4 and that is to rest also upon the hive when inverted1 and with a sheet of tin cover and securely close the circular space made by cutting out its centre3 then invert it1 that is--let the tinned side be undermost1 and place upon this floor1 thus prepared1 the hive you intend to be inverted4 ,return it to1 and suffer it to occupy1 its usual place in your apiary2 and there for two or three weeks let it work in which time the ,bees will have fastened the hive to their new board with propolis4 ,then1 early in the morning1 or late in the evening1 when all the ,bees are in the hive1 make up the entrance1 and1 having two doors made in opposite panels or sides of the octagon 7,a47 ten inches by six1 or sufficiently commodious for the admission of your hands1 steadily invert your hive and prepared board upon which it has been standing1 and1 without sundering from the hive the board that will now be at its top1 carefully place them in the octagon2 which1 with the help of an assistant1 and by the facility afforded by the two little doors in the panels of the octagon for staying and properly supporting and adjusting the hive and its attached floor1 may be performed without the escape of a single ,bee4 ,as soon as this1 which is properly the inversion of the hive1 is completed1 proceed with the ventilation-box1 glasses1 c4 as before directed2 and1 lastly1 be careful to liberate the ,bees by withdrawing the tin that has kept them prisoners since the entrance was closed4 ,in inverting a hive by this method an expert apiarian need not confine the ,bees five minutes4 ,the ,bees will commence their labour by filling the square box between the pavilion and the glasses2 they will then extend their beautiful combs into the glasses above4 ,the appearance of their most curious works in this stage of their labour is highly interesting--nay1 gratifying1 to the apiarian observer2 and1 moreover1 proves the extraordinary influence and utility of ventilation in the domicil1 or1 rather let me say1 in the store-house apartment of ,bees2 for in the pavilion1 or breeding and nursing apartment1 it is seldom wanted4 ,the method of taking off the glasses1 whether large ones or small ones1 when stored with honey1 is in every respect the same as that of which a particular account has been already given1 7in pages #cg and #ch73 to that account1 therefore1 ,i beg to refer the reader1 instead of here repeating it4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,observatory-,,hive4 ,having now given such a description and explanation of my collateral box-hives1 and of my inverted-hive1 as will1 by referring to the plates or cuts that accompany them1 make both of those hives1 and every thing pertaining to them1 to be clearly understood2 ,i proceed to explain1 in the next place1 my ,,observatory-,,hive4 ,with the help of the subjoined representative figures or cuts1 ,i hope to succeed in my endeavour to make the reader thoroughly acquainted with every part of it1 novel1 though it be1 and1 as far as ,i know1 unlike any hive hitherto invented4 ,at first sight it may probably appear to be a piece of complicate machinery1 but upon examination it will be found to be otherwise--,i may say--simple and easy4 ,a little curiosity and a little patient attention are all the requisites that ,i entreat my apiarian friends to bring with them to the studying of this grand hive4 ,i call it grand1 not because it is my own invention1 but because it is admirably adapted for advancing1 and perhaps for perfecting1 our knowledge of the habits and economy of ,honey-,bees4 ,with the variation of one short word1 the following passage from ,evans' delightful poem on ,bees is so applicable to my observatory-hive that ,i am tempted to adopt it as a motto4 ,by this bless'd hive our ravish'd eyes behold ,the singing masons build their roofs of gold2 ,and mingling multitudes perplex the view1 ,yet all in order apt their tasks pursue2 ,still happier they1 whose favour'd ken hath seen ,pace slow and silent round1 the state's fair ,queen4 ,illustration ,the observatory-hive1 as here exhibited in ,fig4 #a1 consists of two apartments--an upper one and a lower one4 ,the upper one1 7marked a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 e47 is properly the observatory-hive1 and may be called the summer-pavilion2 the lower one1 7marked g47 may be termed the winter-pavilion4 ,of this winter-pavilion but little need be said1 except that it is an octagonal box1 in size1 in substance1 and in every respect1 similar to the octagon-part of the inverted-hive described in the last chapter2 save only that its top must not be cut away1 as is there directed to be done4 ,at present let us suppose this top to be a perfect plane--an entire surface1 without any aperture of any sort to form a passage for the ,bees from and through it down into the pavilion below2 farther let us suppose an alighting-board of the usual size to be fixed in front1 and on a level with this floor or top2 then the qure will be--how1 from the same front-entrance1 the ,bees are to have a passage both into the observatory-hive above1 and into the winter-pavilion below8 ,the difficulty is--to get a convenient passage into the summer-pavilion1 because the whole of that pavilion is made to turn round on the shoulder of an upright shaft1 through which shaft the passage for the ,bees must of necessity be made1 and which does not admit of a bore of above an inch in diameter4 ,as1 however1 this narrow1 perpendicular passage is of no great length1 7it need not be more than three inches7 many thousands of ,bees will1 in the course of a few minutes1 if necessary1 make their egress and regress through it without incommoding one another4 ,that this rather intricate part--the construction of this passage-work--may be fully comprehended1 ,i will endeavour to illustrate it by references to a well-known article1 now standing on the table1 on which ,i am writing4 ,it is a telescopic candlestick1 the pedestal of which covers a square space upon my table1 each side of which superficial square is three inches4 ,now suppose this candlestick was screwed or glued to the centre of the plain1 tabular top of the octagon 7g47 having one of its sides parallel to that side of the floor to which the alighting-board is attached4 ,next1 suppose that side of the candlestick to be cut away so as to form an entrance into the interior of the pedestal1 two inches in front and half an inch in height2 and let there be a covered-way of this height1 from the opened side of the pedestal to the front-entrance of the hive3 then1 if the front-entrance be six inches wide1 the ,bees on coming in will enter this covered-way1 which from six inches narrows to three at the part where they enter the pedestal1 and begin to ascend the perpendicular passage which leads through it and through the upright shaft of the candlestick into the--at present--supposed apartment above4 ,the top-part of a telescopic candlestick may be turned round at pleasure2 consequently1 if the pedestal be fixed and made immoveable1 the top1 and whatever may be upon that top and fastened to it1 may be moved round notwithstanding3 this is what we particularly want in the construction of an observatory-hive1 and must1 therefore1 be particularly attended to4 ,a piece of clean1 close-grained wood--beech1 elder1 mahogany1 or any other firm wood--made much in the shape of our telescopic candlestick1 but of not more than two inches and a half in height1 with a bore through it of an inch in diameter1 and turned1 that is1 wrought in a lathe1 so that an inch of the top-part may enter into1 and neatly fit1 the cap fixed round the inch bore at the centre of the bottom-frame of the upper pavilion 7,fig #b71 and which cap is represented by the moveable top of the candlestick1 is1 as well as ,i can describe it1 the pedestal to support the observatory-hive1--is1 with the cap just mentioned1 the compound1 or double-hinge upon which that hive is turned round1--and is also the ,bee-way into that hive4 ,the way into the winter-pavilion1 or octagon 7g47 is made by cutting a circular hole through the very centre of the plane top1 an inch in diameter1 directly under the upward passage2 so that the ,bees1 whether their way be into the summer-pavilion above1 or into the winter-pavilion below1 lies through the pedestal1 and the only difference is1 that one passage leads upwards and the other downwards4 ,the covered-way which has been so often mentioned1 may easily be made by taking out of the under-side of the bottom-board of the paneled and roofed box1 made to secure the observatory-hive1 and which is placed upon the top of the winter-pavilion1 just as much as will allow a sufficient space for that way4 ,having completed the passages1 my next business is--to describe the novel apartment into which the passage through the pedestal leads--that is1 the real observatory-hive4 ,figure #b shows the upper glass-frame of this hive with two small circular openings through the top of each arm1 over which openings are placed small glasses1 7at e4 e47 in both ,figures1 for receptacles for honey1 and are intended to answer the same purpose as those do which are placed upon the inverted-hive4 ,a line drawn from one extremity of any one of these arms or wings1 to the extremity of the arm or wing directly opposite to it1 is twenty-three inches2 and the distance between the dotted lines1 which are intended to mark the glass-way1 or1 in joiners' phrase1 the rebate to receive the edges of the glass1 is exactly one inch and three-fourths4 ,the lower glass-frame1 which 7in ,fig4 #a7 is placed upon f4 the shaft of the pedestal already described1 is the exact counterpart of the upper frame1 with the exception of its not having any perforations for honey-glasses3 the only perforation in this frame is that at its centre2 which must be made to correspond with that of the shaft1 and be a continuation of the ,bee-passage into the hive4 ,these two frames are connected and made one by four upright pieces1 or ends1 7marked a4 b4 c4 d4 in ,fig4 #a17 these upright1 end-pieces must be rebated1 or channeled1 to receive the ends of the glass-plates4 ,eight squares of glass1 each ten inches and a half by ten inches1 fastened with putty into this frame-work1--that is1 two squares into each wing1 will complete the glass-hive2 which1 when placed upon the top of the pedestal1 and made steady by an axis fixed at the central point of the upper frame1 and turning in a socket under the ball1 constitutes an observatory-hive4 ,confined as is the space between the glass-plates in each wing1 they being but an inch and three-fourths apart1 there is1 nevertheless1 room enough for the construction of one comb2 and space for more than one comb would spoil it as an observatory-hive3 and1 though each wing may appear to be but small1 there are upwards of #gfj cubic inches of clear space in the hive4 ,it is so constructed that plenty of light and the utmost transparency are afforded for observing and minutely examining the ,bees and the works of the ,bees in all their stages4 ,indeed the grand object of this contrivance is--to expose to view the labours of the ,bees in the inside of their hive2 and as the machine may be moved round at pleasure1 not a ,bee can enter it1 without being observed1 nor can a single cell be constructed in secret4 ,i will only add--that the appearance of the ,bees in this hive is beautiful1 and excites admiration and surprise1--nay1 is capable of enlivening the drooping spirits of the most desponding apiarian2 for who can view the ,queen of the hive constantly laying her eggs1 and1 by so doing1 constantly propagating her species1 and her thousands of loyal subjects1 whose indefatigable labour in all its parts is so conspicuous1 without experiencing sensations of the purest pleasure1--nay1 more of gratitude to ,god for his goodness to man6 ,it has been suggested to me by some ingenious friends--that a couple of magnifying glasses set in the doors1 and some mechanical contrivance to open a part of the roof by simply pulling a cord1 and to throw a proper light upon the four wings of the hive1 would be a great improvement2 because1 by these means1 or by some such means as these1 the opening and shutting of the doors would be rendered unnecessary1--and1 because the ,bees and their curious works would be more interesting by being viewed through magnifying glasses1--and because the exterior appearance of the whole concern would be more handsome4 ,without the slightest hesitation ,i admit--that1 to those persons to whom expense is no object1 the mode of examining the observatory-hive would be improved by some such arrangements as those just mentioned2 but the hive itself would not be improved in the least1--it would remain just as it was before these costly additions1 whether ornamental1 or useful1 or both1 were made to its covering only--not to the hive4 ,the following cut will1 in some degree1 represent and tacitly explain an observatory-hive1 fitted up in this way4 ,illustration ,,the ,,mode ,,of ,,stocking ,,an ,,observatory-,,hive4 ,this operation may be performed in various ways1 and almost at any time during the summer months1 by an experienced apiarian4 ,i will content myself with describing how it may be done most easily1 if not most scientifically1 by any person possessed of courage enough to operate at all among ,bees4 ,it is as follows3 ,when your ,bees swarm from a cottage-hive1 take it 7the swarm7 into a common hive in the usual way #g place it in a cool1 shaded situation1 and let it remain there until the evening2 and even then attempt no further operation1 unless the ,bees be all settled and quite still4 ,when they are all within their hive1 peaceable1 and retired1 as it were1 for the night1 you may suddenly strike them from their hive upon a clean1 white sheet1 spread over a table prepared and ready for the purpose1 and within the space occupied1 or rather--enclosed1 by four bricks placed edgewise4 ,upon these bricks place your glass-hive as expeditiously as possible with its entrance just over the ,bees4 ,then envelope your hive with a cloth so as to darken its interior1 and1 lastly1 throw the corners of the sheet over the whole4 ,this done1 the ,bees will presently ascend into the wings of the hive4 ,when they are all safely lodged in it1 you may carefully remove the sheet and the other coverings2 and1 having securely made up the entrance into the winter-pavilion1 then place the stocked hive upon its pedestal1 and the ,bees will be ready to commence their labour the next day4 ,at the latter end of ,august invert the parent-hive from which the swarm issued1 and place it in the octagon-box 7g47 below the summer-pavilion4 ,take out the plug that is between the two hives1 that is--open the passage into the winter-hive1 and you will have accomplished the union of the two families3 they will join or unite1 and thenceforward continue to labour as one family4 ,by this movement you give to your ,bees a winter-residence1 secure from all enemies1 which are numerous at this season4 ,and so well-stocked will the winter-hive be1 that an early swarm from it1 for the observatory-hive1 the following season may reasonably be expected4 ,the honey may be taken from the e4 e4 glasses1 placed upon the arms of the summer-pavilion so easily1 by turning round the loose boards under the glasses1 that further explanation is unnecessary4 ,the machine itself will point out to the perfect stranger the proper method of doing it4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,fumigation4 ,fumigation is a rather portentous word2 but1 as soon as ,i shall have explained for what purposes1 and in what manner1 ,i occasionally make use of it1 it will be totally divested of all deadly signification4 ,in my practice it is not a ,bee-destroyer1 but a ,bee-preserver2--when resorted to by me it is never carried1 nor intended to be carried1 to suffocation3 but1 in the operation of uniting weak swarms or poor stocks with more wealthy and prosperous ones--which ,i consider to be a meritorious and most humane practice1--when it is necessary to examine the state and condition of even a populous colony1 should unfavourable symptoms as to its healthiness or its prosperity manifest themselves1--when it is known1 or but suspected1 that there are wax-moths1 mice1 spiders1 or other ,bee-enemies lodged in a hive1 which the ,bees of themselves cannot dislodge nor get rid of2 and which1 if not got rid of by man's assistance1 would soon destroy almost any colony1--when ,bees and their works 7for ,i never transfer the former without transferring an ample sufficiency of the latter at the same time7 are to be taken out of a decayed straw-hive1 in order to be put into a more substantial one1 or into collateral-boxes1 which ,i hold to be the best of all hives1--and on innumerable other occasions1 it is absolutely necessary to subdue ,bees so far as to render them incapable of using that formidable1 venomous1 little weapon1 with which ,providence has armed them1 and which generally dreaded little weapon they can use so dexterously1 before we can operate upon them for their own good4 ,by means of a very simple apparatus1 which may be called a fumigator1 and which is a contrivance as novel and as useful in the management of ,bees1 as any of my hives or other inventions1 ,bees may be totally subdued without being injured in the slightest degree1 and dealt with as if they had neither stings nor wings4 ,i beg1 however1 to re-state distinctly--that1 in taking off a box or a glass of honey1 no fumigation whatever is necessary1 or ever practised by me4 ,it is only in cases such as those just enumerated that ,i have recourse to it2 but in no case for the destruction of ,bees4 ,fumigation1 therefore1 in my practice1 is not suffocation4 ,the following figure is a representation of a fumigator1 which a brief explanation will render intelligible4 ,illustration ,this useful article consists of a square top-board upon which is placed a straw-hive 7,e47 so as to show an open1 circular space under the hive and through the square board into the bag below4 ,i need hardly observe--that the straw-hive is no part of the fumigator1 but is here represented as standing upon it in order to exemplify its use4 ,the top-board is of inch-deal1 and is nineteen or twenty inches square4 ,a round piece is cut out of its centre of not more than thirteen inches in diameter--that being something near to1 or perhaps rather more than1 the inside diameter of a common hive--so that a hive will stand upon the wooden circumference of the part left1 without there being any ledge inside1 that is--any part so enclosed by the hive as to catch and detain the falling ,bees4 ,from the upper-edge of this circle is suspended a bag1 a yard in length1 made of glazed calico1 the bottom-part of which draws round the rim of a shallow1 funnel-shaped1 tin ,bee-receiver1 which ,bee-receiver is about ten inches across at the top1 and its lower part1 or neck 7,d4 or ,f47 is three inches and a half in length1 and its throat 7if ,i may so term it7 is nearly three inches in width4 ,to fit this neck1 which is thickly perforated for the purpose of admitting fresh air1 when fresh air may be required1 is a close lid1 just like that of a common1 tin canister1 to hold up the fumigated ,bees1 and also to stop the ventilation when not wanted4 ,c4 is the fumigating-lamp with a perforated top through which the fume ascends1 and is made conical1 so that a fumigated ,bee in its fall cannot rest upon it and be thereby scorched or injured1 as would inevitably be the case were this top flat4 ,the tie 7,b47 closes the bag and keeps every ,bee above until the lamp and every thing below be adjusted1 and it is then to be untied4 ,the fumigator is here represented as standing upon three legs made fast to the top-board by small bolts1 as at ,a42 but it is quite as convenient in practice1 and more portable1 if1 instead of these legs1 it be made like a common scale with a cord from each corner1 which may be gathered into a small iron-hook1 and thereby suspended from the branch of a tree1 or from any other convenient place1 when used4 ,the lower part of the bag is represented as being transparent1 but that is done purposely to show how the lamp is placed inside when prepared for operation4 ,by persons inexperienced in such matters it may be thought to be an extraordinary feat to unite the ,bees of one hive with those of another---to bind1 as it were1 the legs and wings1 and pro tempore1 to render useless the sting of every individual ,bee1 until such union be effected4 ,nothing1 however1 is more easy2 nor is any part of apiarian practice attended with more pleasing consequences to the operator1 or with more important and beneficial ones to the ,bees themselves4 ,when in a state of temporary intoxication from the fume made to ascend through the perforated tin 7,c47 into their hive1 these beautiful insects are perfectly manageable1--perfectly harmless4 ,this intoxicating fume is caused by introducing into the fumigating-lamp a piece of ignited vegetable substance1 called puck1 puckball1 or frog-cheese1 or1 most commonly1 fuzzball4 ,it is a species of fungus1 or mushroom1 and is plentiful enough in the autumn in rank pastures and in rich edishes4 ,shepherds1 milk-maids1 or country-school boys are well acquainted with them1--know very well where to find them1--and for a mere trifle will easily pick up as many of them as will supply the demands of twenty apiarians4 ,they are frequently as large as a man's head1 or larger4 ,in #ahbf ,i had an unripe1 white puckball1 which weighed ten pounds4 ,when ripe they are internally of a brown colour1 and turning spongy and powdery become exceedingly light1 and are then properly fuzzballs4 ,for the substance of the following directions respecting the preparation of fuzzballs for ,bee-fumigation1 and for its application to that occasionally necessary purpose1 ,i have no hesitation in acknowledging myself to be indebted to ,thorley's treatise on ,bees--no mean authority on such a subject4 ,when you have procured one of these pucks1 put it into a large piece of stout paper1--press it down therein to two-thirds1 or1 if you can1 to one-half1 of its original size1 and then tie it up closely1--and1 lastly1 put it into an oven sometime after the household bread has been drawn1 that is1 when the oven is nearly cool1 and let it remain there all night1 or1 until it will hold fire and smother away like touch-wood1 i4 e4 burn without kindling into flame4 ,in this state it is fit for the fumigating-lamp1 and may be used in the manner following1 when the union of two stocks is the apiarian's object4 ,take a piece of this prepared fungus1 as large as a hen's egg1 7it is better to have too much of it than too little to begin with7 ignite one end of it with a candle1 and then put it into the fumigating-lamp1--next fix the lamp in its socket over the ,bee-receiver1 and place the whole inside the bag1 as shown in the plate1 and untie ,b--the fastening round the middle4 ,in a very short space of time the ,bees in the hive placed upon the top-board 7which is necessarily the first thing to be attended to in every operation of this kind7 will be totally under your control4 ,the operator should be particularly careful to close every vacancy1 however small1 that there may happen to be between the top-board and the edge of the hive1 by tying a cloth round it--the hive--as soon as ever it is placed upon the board4 ,this precaution will prevent the escape of any of the fume1 and will also prevent the ,bees from annoying the operator during the time he is making the arrangements necessary previously to every fumigating process4 ,in the course of a minute or very little more you will hear the ,bees dropping like hail into their receiver1 at the bottom of the fumigating apparatus4 ,when the major part of them are down1 and you hear but few fall1 gently beat the top of the hive with your hands1 in order to get as many down as you can4 ,then1 having loosened the cloth1 lift the hive off and set it upon a table1 or upon a broad board1 prepared for the purpose1 and knocking the hive against it several times1 many more ,bees will fall down1 and perhaps the ,queen amongst the rest2 for1 as she generally lodges near the crown of the hive1 or is driven thither by the fume1 and surrounded and protected there by the other ,bees to the very last1 and as long ever they have the power loyally to cling round her1 she often falls one of the last4 ,if the ,queen is not among the ,bees on the table1 search for her among the main body in the ,bee-receiver2 first1 however1 putting them upon the table1 if you discover her not before lying among the uppermost ,bees therein4 ,during this search for the ,queen1 or with as little delay as possible1 you1 or some one for you1 should be proceeding in a similar manner with the ,bees in the other hive1 with which those already fumigated are to be united4 ,as soon as the ,bees of the hive last fumigated are all composed and quiet1 and you have found and secured one of the ,queens1 you may put the ,bees of both hives together into an empty one1 for the purpose of mingling them thoroughly together1 and of sprinkling them at the same time with a little ale and sugar2 this done1 put them and one only of the two ,queens among the combs of the hive you intend them to inhabit1 and gently shake them down into it4 ,when you have thus got all the ,bees of your two hives into one1 cover it with a cloth and closely bind the corners of that cloth about it1 and let them stand during that night and the next day1 shut or closed up in this manner1 so that a ,bee may not get out2 but not so close as to smother them for want of air4 ,in the evening of the following day1 having previously removed the hive1 containing your united-stock1 to its proper stand1 viz4 that which it had occupied before the operation1 loose the corners of the cloth and remove it from the mouth of the hive1 and the ,bees will1 with a great noise1 immediately sally forth2 but being too late to take wing1 they will presently go in again2 and remain satisfied in and with their new abode--new at least1 to one-half of them1 and new to the other half also when transferred into a fresh hive1 or into boxes4 ,but in taking away the cloth discretion and caution must be used1 because the ,bees will for some time resent the affront put upon them by such to them1 no doubt1 offensive treatment4 ,the best time of the year for unions of weak stocks with strong ones is in autumn1 after the young brood are all out--in the latter part of ,august1 or any time during ,september3 but for removals of stocks from straw-hives into boxes1 the best time is early in the spring before the eggs of the ,queen have changed and quickened into larv1--,i will say--in the month of ,march2 and if the weather is cold1 it is advisable to perform the operation in a room where the temperature is about #fj degrees4 ,for if ,bees are displaced1 that is--taken from their hive1 in a cold atmosphere1 it is but rarely that they recover from the effects of the fume so as to marshal themselves into working order in a box or new hive4 ,but this they can do1 and will do most effectually1 under this agreeable temperature4 ,as twelve hours are sufficient for the ,bees to regain their former independency in their new domicil1 you may place them at the end of that period on their summer stool1 and they will work1 as soon as the weather will permit them1 as if they had never been removed from their former hive1 nor in any way disturbed4 ,the great number of operations of this kind1 which ,i have performed before hundreds of admiring and gratified spectators1 chiefly of the higher ranks of society1 renders it almost unnecessary for me to observe--that once being present at and witnessing it1 will convey a more perfect idea of the whole performance than any written description of it can give4 ,if1 however1 any gentleman1 or other apiarian friend1 who has not yet seen the performance of this operation1 should be desirous of witnessing it1 the author will freely undertake that1 or any other ,bee-service in his power1 by which he can oblige1 assist1 or instruct him4 ,the same degree of precaution is not necessary on the removing of the ,bees of a cottage-hive on my principle2 it is only requisite in the particular case of joining or uniting two or more hives together1 that such nice management need be observed4 ,and certainly the more expeditiously the whole is performed1 the more pleasing will be the result of the operation1 and the more certain of success4 ,i will conclude this subject with an anecdote3--,in the year #ahbh1 ,i was engaged by the ,honourable ,lady ,gifford1 of ,roehampton1 to unite the ,bees of two hives2 and as the operation was novel to the spectators1 who on that occasion consisted principally of the branches of that worthy family1--when ,i had drawn the ,bees from the cottage-hive and they were all spread on a white cloth1 and every eye was anxiously intent upon discovering the ,queen-,bee1 there was some trouble in finding that particular ,bee2 even ,i myself--an old practitioner--had overlooked her2 and having occasion to leave the table and my fumigated ,bees surrounded by my young ,lord and ,lady ,gifford1 and by the rest of her ,ladyship's family1 her infant son1 in the arms of his nurse1 eagerly called out--,mamma1 mamma1 what is that8 ,hearing the child's animated expression1 ,i returned to the table1 and instantly beheld and caught the ,queen of the ,bees1--and her actually pointed out by an infant not three years of age4 ,is there any excuse then for not knowing the ,queen-,bee8 ,and1 as a true description of this ,bee and of the office she fulfils in the hive1 will be given in the course of this work1 accompanied with a plate of her and also of the other ,bees1 ,i trust my ,bee-friends will not hereafter allow a child of only three years of age 7although that child was the son of a late ,attorney-,general17 to excel them in this particular point of apiarian knowledge1 which is not only highly interesting1 but very useful to the operator1 when uniting stocks1 or transferring ,bees from one domicil to another4 ,never shall ,i forget the look of satisfaction that beamed on the countenance of the affectionate mother4 ,to see each of her eight amiable children around the table with her ,ladyship1 minutely searching every little cluster of ,bees1 in order to give the first information of the ,queen1 was a lovely sight2 but to hear her infant son proclaim1 as it were1 the ,queen of the ,bees1 by pointing his little1 delicate finger to the object of his curiosity1 and exclaim--,mamma1 mamma1 what is that8 was most gratifying even to me4 ,well might the little naturalist inquire--what is that8 when he was in the presence of royalty1 and pointing to one of the most extraordinary monarchs in the world1 while ,i myself--an old practitioner1 had not previously observed her4 ,be it so1 ,i acknowledge my oversight in this instance1 and feel it incumbent on me to give the merit of the discovery to him1 to whom on that occasion it was so justly due4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,objections ,,against ,,piling ,,boxes4 ,having gone through the explanation of my different hives1 and of all my ,bee-machinery1 ,i will1 previously to entering upon other matters1 here state my objections to the piling of ,bee-boxes one upon another1 which is sometimes1 and not improperly1 called--storifying4 ,it is also termed super-hiving1 nadir-hiving1 or centre-hiving1 according to the place occupied by the added box3 if an empty box be placed upon a stocked one1 it is super-hiving2--if put under such box1 it is nadir-hiving2--and if introduced between two boxes1 it is centre-hiving4 ,but with whatever term dignified--not to say--mystified1 it amounts to1 and in effect is--storifying4 ,from an old book in my possession ,i find--that in #afge a patent was granted to ,john ,gedde1 to secure to him for a term of fourteen years the advantages of his invention of boxes for storifying2 so that it is at least of a hundred and sixty years' standing4 ,after ,gedde it was successively adopted and encouraged by ,rusden1 ,warder1 and ,thorley1 and has been the fashionable or fancy practice down to the present day2 for it is a mode of managing ,bees that has been recommended by some modern authors1--principally1 if ,i mistake not1 by ,dr4 ,bevan2 and it is practised by some ,bee-masters1 who1 ,i am told1 consider it to be the most humane mode1 and the only humane mode of managing ,honey-,bees4 ,i have no wish to depreciate the inventions and labours of others1 nor to offend any man1 and particularly that man who has exerted himself so much to better the condition of the ,honey-,bee4 ,if he has been mistaken in the means to be employed to gain so desirable an end1 and in my humble opinion he certainly has been mistaken1 every praise is due to him for his good intentions4 ,my first objection to the piling system is--because it occasions a great deal of extra trouble1 labour1 and inconvenience to the ,bees1 and consequently prevents their collecting so great a quantity of honey and wax as they will do where they are not subjected to these drawbacks4 ,and where1 ,i would fain know1 is the humanity in increasing and obstructing the labours of these indefatigable1 little insects8 ,is it not inhumanity to force them to deposit their treasures in a garret1 two or three stories high1 when a far more convenient store-room may be provided for them on the first floor8 ,let not1 then1 the piling advocate of the present day any longer recommend this faulty practice1 nor erroneously contend that the elevating of boxes one upon another1 is the best and only way of ensuring an abundance of honey and wax4 ,but fairly to get at the merits--not to say--demerits of this practice1 ,i will examine it a little in detail4 ,first1 then1 the piling practitioner puts a swarm of ,bees into a box1 which ,i will call box ,a4 ,this box1 if prosperous1 of course soon becomes a pavilion of nature1--that is1 it soon contains quantities of brood-comb1 young brood1 larv1 and embryo ,bees in various stages of existence4 ,it is allowed to stand alone until it be filled1 or nearly filled1 with the ,bees' works4 ,it requires no great skill to know that the contents of box ,a4 at this period are as just described4 ,when nearly full it is placed upon another box 7,b47 to prevent what is called the maiden-swarm4 ,this box1 like box ,a4 is quickly filled with combs3 the ,queen too follows her labourers and progressively lays her eggs even to the lowest edges of the combs4 ,of course box ,b1 like box ,a4 soon contains quantities of brood4 ,the second box 7,b47 gets full just as the first did1 and as a cottage-hive does--not with pure honey1 but with brood1 pollen or farina1 and other substances1 as well as with honey2 in short1 there is no provision for1 nor means of1 dividing the works of the working ,bees from the works of the ,queen-,bee2 consequently they become1 as of necessity they must become--one promiscuous mass4 ,the brood continues to increase and occupies that part of the box which should be of pure honey and wax4 ,this goes on until more room is wanted2 and then it is that the two full boxes 7,a4 and ,b47 are exalted and placed upon the third and last box 7,c47 ,this1 however1 does not mend the matter2 but1 as will be seen presently1 it does occasion a great deal of additional labour and inconvenience to the ,bees4 ,in the meantime they carry on their works of nature and of art--they construct new combs and store some of the cells with honey1 and the ,queen lays her eggs in others1 just as in the other boxes4 ,the fact is--the three boxes soon become as one3 they soon become and continue to be of one temperature1--the same compound of the old hive1--the brood-cells are intermixed with those containing honey1--wreaths of pollen are3 in every pile1--and animated nature is everywhere peeping from the waxen cells1 in which nothing but pure honey should have been deposited4 ,but this is not all1 nor the worst part2 though bad enough1 if purity of honey be any consideration4 ,it is a fact known by me and by every one at all experienced in the management of an apiary1 that no sooner are the combs in box ,,cl got into a state of forwardness--it would be saying rather too much to say--completed1 than numbers of working ,bees are1 as it were1 struck off their work there1 and set about removing all superfluities and nuisances from the combs lately filled with young brood in the uppermost box ,a4 ,every cell in those combs that has been the nest and nursery of a young ,bee they cleanse thoroughly and repair1 where repairs are needed1 preparatory to its being made a receptacle for honey1 or for the other treasures brought from the field4 ,at this time1 that is--as soon as the combs are free from the first brood1 the uppermost box is nearly empty1 instead of being full3 it contains empty combs and ,bees1 but little or no honey4 ,here then the ,bees are subjected to that extra labour and inconvenience which form my first objection to the piling-plan4 ,from the entrance into box ,c4 through box ,b4 and up into box ,a4 the way1 to a loaded ,bee1 is neither short nor pleasant2 it is a labyrinth beset with difficulties and obstructions1 in surmounting which much of that time is occupied which would otherwise be more profitably1 and we may suppose--far more agreeably employed1 in passing from flower to flower1 and in culling their various sweets4 ,any person1 it may be presumed1 would rather set down a heavy load on the ground-floor than have to tug it up two or three long flights of stairs1 and through intricate1 winding passages1 and be jostled and impeded and pushed about1 and perhaps backward every now and then1 by countless crowds of busy men1 unceasingly hurrying up and down and passing and re-passing the burdened man in every direction4 ,and is it not comparatively the same with ,bees going through boxes ,c4 and ,b4 up into box ,a48 ,i maintain that it is so1--and that ,bees in piled-boxes lose much time in performing the unnecessary1 climbing labour1 imposed upon them by their unskilful masters4 ,the natural consequence of this--,i repeat--unnecessary waste of their time1 must not be placed to the account1 or laid to the instinct of the ,bees2 for of all creatures in the world1 ,bees perhaps work with the most extraordinary celerity4 ,the beautiful piles of honey1 and when unobstructed1 the regular movements of these wonderful insects1 are admirably scientific and correct4 ,the consequence1 namely1 a deficiency in the quantity of honey and wax1 is chargeable solely to the account of the unskilful manager4 ,at length the time arrives when the three piled-boxes are1 or are supposed to be1 well stored1--and when a part of the ,bees' treasure is to be taken as a remuneration for the care and trouble of the proprietor4 ,let him then put on his grotesque ,bee-dress1 and booted up to the middle and gloved to the very elbows1 let him proceed to take the uppermost box4 ,he divides it from that on which it stands1 that is--from box ,b4 by a slide or a divider of some sort prepared for such an operation1 or in any way he pleases1 for that ,i leave to him4 ,well1 he succeeds in getting off his prize2 not1 however1 without the destruction of a considerable number of ,bees3 for to presume that he is acquainted with my easy mode of taking away a box1 would be to presume too much2 ,i therefore allow him a ,bee-dress at once1 and have accoutered him in the best way ,i can for his arduous undertaking4 ,the box1 then1 is off4 ,he turns it up and examines it1 and to his great disappointment1 he finds that the combs are discoloured1 that each pile of the expected treasure contains parts of the young larv1 and that there is much pollen commingled with the other substances in the box2 in short1 he finds that the whole is dirty and filthy in appearance2 and that he has destroyed a part of the most valuable brood for another year4 ,and1 if instead of box ,a4 he take box ,b4 he will fare little1 if any better2 nay1 he will in all probability destroy a greater quantity of brood3 and in box ,c4 he cannot expect to find more than half-filled cells1 or empty combs4 ,such are the fruits and profits of the piling system of ,bee-management4 ,there are ,bee-masters resident within twenty miles of the good town of ,spalding1 and in many other places that might be mentioned1 who know that the foregoing account is true1 lamentably true3 but1 until such practitioners are sensible of the faultiness of their system of ,bee-management1 it would be folly in me to appeal more directly to any of them for a confirmation of what ,i know to be the truth4 ,how1 ,i would ask1 can the ,bees' sweet treasures be divided from their other work1 if there be no means of varying and regulating the temperature in their hive8 ,without the aid of ventilation it is1 in my opinion1 impossible2 but with it1 it is perfectly easy1 perfectly safe1 and not at all distressing nor even unpleasant to the ,bees4 ,before ,i take my leave of the piling or storifying practitioner1 whom ,i consider1 as perhaps he may consider me1 to be very1 very imperfect in the management of ,bees1 ,i feel it to be my duty to my readers1 and of course to the piling ,bee-master1 if he should vouchsafe to me a reading1 to record a few other facts that bear strongly against the piling practice--facts derived from long and attentive observation of the nature and habits of ,honey-,bees4 ,twelve years' steady practice and constant attention to the movements of these ingenious insects are the foundations ,i have to build upon4 ,besides ,i have proofs1 well-authenticated1 indisputable proofs1 of the abundant produce of honey having been taken from collateral-boxes1 and that of very superior quality too2 which honey ,i take from the ,bees as being a superabundant store1 and not as a part1 the taking away of which has any tendency to weaken1 or in any way to injure1 the prosperity of the colony from which it is taken4 ,but what do we behold when a box is taken from a storied pile8--what that in the least deserves to be termed humanity8 ,do not a thousand murders stare us in the face8 ,why should the operator be veiled and muffled up and made sting-proof1 if no conflict was expected--if no deeds of violence were anticipated8 ,but violence is anticipated1 and practised too1 to such an extent that it is no uncommon occurrence for the ,bees that escape destruction to desert the other boxes altogether4 ,this ends one part of the business4 ,and these objections against the practice of storifying boxes will1 ,i trust1 induce the reflecting1 ingenuous reader to turn his attention to the importance of ventilation in collateral-boxes4 ,by regulating the interior temperature of the hive1 suitable and generative heat is confined to the pavilion1 that is--to the mother-hive1 which heat causes the ,queen to propagate her young in the pavilion--this being the middle-box1 and near the entrance1 a great advantage is thereby afforded to all the ,bees passing in and out1 that fully demonstrates the necessity of their labours being assisted in the breeding-season1 and not obstructed4 ,it is the heat which causes the working-,bees to deposit their pollen in the immediate vicinity of the seat of nature4 ,this pollen1 which is called by some writers ,bee-bread1 is gathered and deposited for the special purpose of supporting the young larv1 while helpless insects1 or babies1 as it were1 in the hive4 ,combined with heat1 it is this material which discolours the much admired works of the ,bees2 it is this which also makes the wax and honey yellow3 besides where this pollen is deposited by the ,bees1 there1 or in that part of the hive1 will the ,queen lay her eggs1--and there of course propagate her species4 ,and as animal nature advances to perfection1 so rises the interior temperature of the hive1 until an almost suffocating heat obliges the ,bees to leave their home4 ,this heat extends itself to the most remote parts of their domicil2 and were it not for the influence of ventilation in the end-boxes1 a discolouration of their beautiful works would also be extended through the hive1 and the ,queen would lay her eggs promiscuously as she does in the cottage-hive4 ,but this mischief is corrected by ventilation3 can then any reasonable man deny its powerful and useful effects in the management of ,bees8 ,the ,queen-,bee is but seldom seen by the most acute observer2 she loves to propagate her young in secrecy1 at the regular temperature of the hive at her own birth4 ,if she can possibly avoid it1 she will not lay her eggs where man can overlook and examine her movements2 consequently the ventilation in the side-boxes prevents her extending her works of nature beyond the limits of her native hive4 ,as soon as she feels a cooling change of temperature1 she immediately withdraws to her native clime1 and leaves her working subjects to store the beautifully white combs with the purest crystal sweet4 ,bat1 were the ,queen permitted1 as she is in the piling system1 as well as in the cottage-hive1 to follow her subjects through the whole hive1 with one and the same temperature throughout1 she would most certainly propagate her young just as she does in the piled-boxes4 ,in that case there would be no advantage derivable from the purity of the honey4 ,again1 on my plan1 the middle-box is so situated that the ,queen in it is placed conveniently to superintend her labourers2 her eye can behold them in the throngest of their labour1 being so near the well fortified entrance of her pavilion4 ,in such a favourable situation1 she can view the movements of her subjects1 and not a moment need be lost1 because all their streets and passages are short4 ,the direct ascent to the top of one of my boxes is not quite eleven inches1 and with a middle-sized bell-glass superadded1 it does not exceed eighteen inches2 so that in one day1 when the honey-dew is plentiful1 ten thousand ,bees will gather more treasure than three times that number on the piling system1 in which the ,bees are compelled to mount up to the ,babylonian height of ,thorley's fourth box4 ,these 7partly repetitions of what has been stated before1 ,i am aware17 are conveniences which collateral-boxes possess1 and which do not belong to piled-boxes4 ,in piled-boxes ,bees are subjected to unnecessary labour1 which is so far a waste of time4 ,from piled-boxes not nearly the quantity of honey and wax is procured1 that may be procured from collateral-boxes1--nor is that deficient quantity of a quality at all comparable with the other4 ,in managing piled-boxes many ,bees are destroyed4 ,these are my objections to that system of ,bee-management2 and ,i put it to every person who has practised storifying to say whether they are not well-founded4 ,illustration3 ,l4 ,bennett and ,co4 ,typ4 #aj1 ,guilford ,place1 ,spa-,fields1 ,london4 ,,the ,,apiary ,at the most noble the ,,marquis of ,,blandford',s1 ,,delabere ,,park1 ,,pangbourn1 7near ,,reading17 ,,berkshire4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,apiary ,,at ,,delabere ,,park4 ,having stated 7in page #add7 that ,i have well-authenticated1 indisputable proofs of the abundant produce of honey having been taken from collateral-boxes1 and that of very superior quality too1 ,i could1 in support of this statement refer the reader to a great number of my apiarian friends1 a bare catalogue of whose names would fill several pages of this book4 ,but as the best proofs of the merits1 advantages1 and practicability of anew system1 are in its established success1 ,i will select one instance1 and have great pleasure in referring to that of the apiary established on my principles1 at the seat of my noble patron--the ,marquess of ,blandford1 at ,delabere ,park1 near ,reading4 ,situated in a part of the country most abundantly favoured by nature1--effete with every variety of ,bee-herbage1 and with every local advantage combined in its favour1 the noble ,marquess has prosecuted his apiarian pursuits with a spirit of liberality and enterprize redounding to his credit1 and well meriting the success which has equalled my own as it has his most sanguine expectations4 ,i do not consider that ,i can introduce this better to the notice of my readers1 than by transcribing the account of a visit1 that was paid to it by my intelligent friend ,mr4 ,booth1 the ,lecturer on ,chemistry1 and which appeared in the ,stamford ,mercury of ,july #bfth1 #ahcc4 ,it is as follows3-- ,to the ,editor of the ,mercury4 ,sir1 ,from the interest you appear to take in whatever relates to the extension of ,mr4 ,nutt's invaluable system of ,bee-management1 and the prompt attention you have given to former communications on the subject1 ,i am induced to detail the successful results of that system in the hands of the ,marquess of ,blandford1 who has gone most extensively into the subject1 and with an ardour and enthusiasm second only to that of the intelligent inventor4 ,as ,i had the permission of the noble ,marquess to make my observations1 so ,i am enabled to make reference to his ,lordship for the accuracy of my statements1 and ,i am only fulfilling' the wishes of the noble ,lord1 in making these details as extensively public as possible1 for the information of those who are interested in this most important1 though long neglected branch of rural economy4 ,his ,lordship's park is most pleasantly situated near the beautiful and romantic village of ,pangbourn1 in ,berkshire1 and the choice of situation for the apiary is most excellent4 ,it is at the top of a tower,e forty-six feet high1 situated in the midst of a wood1 and commanding a most extensive view of the surrounding country1 including ,hampshire1 ,berkshire1 ,wiltshire1 and ,oxfordshire1 the face of nature being clad in an almost endless variety of fertility1 and old ,father ,thames gently meandering through the valley1 formed by the distant hills which bound the scene1 affording but few prospective traces of the immense physical developments of his powers1 which render him1 truly1 the monarch of rivers4 ,at the top of this tower his ,lordship possesses four colonies in collateral-hives1 and one inverted-hive1 all of which have been started since ,april #ahcc4 ,in the collateral-hives the labours of the ,bees have been highly successful4 ,from one colony has already been taken a box containing thirty pounds of honey2 whilst another box and three small glasses1 which cannot together contain less than forty pounds1 are quite ready for taking1 and which will afford the sum of seventy pounds1 and this without infringing on the quantity necessary for the winter support of the ,bees4 ,the thermometer in the collateral-boxes did not exceed #gj degrees1 whilst in the air it was at #fd4 ,a most remarkable contrast was afforded by the superior quality of the honey in the end-box and that of the 'pavilion of nature3' the superiority of the former was most evident4 ,mr4 ,smith1 the keeper1 who quite follows in the steps of ,mr4 ,nutt1 informed me that the average quantity of honey produced from a cottage-hive1 upon the old principles1 does not exceed from thirty to forty pounds2 whilst1 but in one case1 did he ever obtain from a hive1 enlarged by eking1 the amount of fifty pounds4 ,it is extremely satisfactory and fortunate1 that1 for the sake of reference1 ,mr4 ,nutt's system has fallen into such good hands1 as both his lordship and the keeper appear as devoted to the subject1 as they have been happy in their results4 ,for young beginners the results reflect great credit4 ,footnote ,e3 ,vide1 plate at the head of this chapter4 ,i am not able to speak much regarding the progress of the inverted-hives1 of which his lordship possesses two2 the one being at the top of the tower and the other situate on the lawn1 at the back of the house2 the former containing twenty-three glasses and the latter thirty-three4 ,the latter is really a magnificent construction--an ornamental appendage such as the gardens of few noblemen can boast4 ,the ,bees had1 in each1 filled all the intermediate parts betwixt the hive and the glasses1 and were just then commencing their labours in the latter4 ,next summer his lordship will1 ,i anticipate1 reap a glorious harvest both from these1 and his collateral-hives1 which are getting into prime condition for the winter4 ,i have troubled you with these details because they relate to facts1 and a publication of such facts is all that is required to introduce this admirable system of ,bee-management into universal practice4 ,to what extension it may be brought1 it is impossible to state1 but these results most strongly impress upon others of the nobility to ',go and do likewise4' ,the mantle of the warrior has indeed fallen upon the philanthropist in the person of the heir to the title and fortunes of a ,marlborough2 and let the example but be extended1 and the practice inculcated amongst our rural population1 and1 whilst it will greatly conduce to their advantage1 we need no longer look to ,france or ,italy for a supply of treasures1 which our own country and peasantry can so efficiently produce4 ,nothing could possibly more advance these objects1 than the formation of an ,apiarian ,society1 which should offer premiums and prizes to the most successful competitors2 and ,i do hope that for the sake of humanity as well as philanthropy1 and when ,i see the long and noble list of names which dignify ,mr4 ,nutt's patronage1 ,i shall not be deceived in my anticipations of the speedy formation of a society1 established for such laudable purposes4 ,yours1 c4 ,abraham ,booth1 ,lecturer on ,chemistry4 ,reading1 ,july #bb;d1 #ahcc4 ,to the above very able and explicit description1 and which is to me the more interesting because not written by a practical apiarian1 ,i have nothing to add1 but that it has met the cordial approbation of his ,lordship1 whose still more recent and continuous success has confirmed him in the practicability and value of my system4 ,the sketch which precedes this account was taken for the purpose by his amiable ,countess1 whose kind solicitude for the welfare of the industrious and valuable little insects1 to which so much of my attention has been devoted1 and approbation of my exertions1 have not been amongst the least valued of my rewards and consolations4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,honey-,,bees4 ,that branch of natural history which treats of ,,insects is called entomology4 ,and ,linnus1 the celebrated naturalist and botanist1 and the father of the classification of animated and vegetable nature1 has divided insects into seven orders2 the fifth of which is termed hymenoptera1 and includes all those insects that have four membranous1 gauze-like wings1 and that are furnished with a sting1 or with a process resembling one4 ,to this class the ,honey-,bee belongs4 ,it has1 however1 been so repeatedly described by naturalists and by apiarian authors1 that it would be difficult to say any thing respecting it as an insect merely that has not been said before4 ,it is1 moreover1 so universally known1 that it may seem to be a superfluous undertaking to attempt to describe it at all4 ,as1 however1 my little work might be deemed to be imperfect without some account of it1 ,i will present to my readers the substance of what appears to me to be a condensed1 well-written article on the ,bee4 ,it is from ,watkins' ,cyclopdia4 ,there are1 he says1 and ,i believe it1 fifty-five species of ,bees4 ,the general characteristics of the ,bee are these3--its mouth has two jaws and a proboscis enfolded in a double sheath2 its wings are four1 the lower or under pair of which is smaller than the upper pair2 in the anus of the female and working ,bees is a concealed sting4 ,of the fifty-five species the ,,honey-,,bee--classically1 or at any rate entomologically--apis mellifica1 is the most interesting and important1 and that with which ,i am directly concerned4 ,of this ,bee there are three kinds--the ,queen1 the drone1 and the working ,bee2 it is no more than justice to the draughtsman and to the engraver to say1 the following are beautiful representations1 except the head of the working ,bee1 which is too round4 ,illustration ,fig4 #a4 represents a ,drone4 -- #b4 ---------- a working ,bee4 -- #c4 ---------- a ,queen ,bee4 ,the ,drones are larger than the others2 their heads are round1 eyes foil1 and their tongues short2 they are also much darker and differ in the form of the belly2 they have no sting1 and they make a greater noise in flying than the common ,bees4 ,generally speaking1 they are found in hives from the beginning of ,may to the middle or latter end of ,july3 sometimes they may be seen earlier1 especially in good stocks2 and sometimes their destruction does not take place till the middle of ,august1 or even later4 ,they neither collect honey nor wax4 ,it has been supposed that their office is to impregnate the eggs of the ,queen after they are deposited in the cells2 but according to ,mr4 ,bonner this supposition is a mistake4 ,in this ,i agree with him1 and beg to remark--that in no case is a supposition a proof4 ,bonner says that the ,queen lays eggs which produce young ,bees without any communication with the drones4 ,he supports this position by the statement of several very exact experiments4 ,in this opinion he is supported by the respectable evidence of ,schirach4 ,on the mysterious subject of the ,queen's impregnation ,i am inclined to coincide in opinion with ,huber1 whose multiplied observations1 and various and curious experiments1 do render it highly probable that the ,queen is impregnated by the drone1 not whilst in the hive1 but whilst flying in the air3 but of this debatable subject more by and by4 ,the ,,queen-,,bee is easily distinguished from other ,bees by the form1 size1 and colour of her body4 ,she is larger1 longer at least1 and her wings are shorter in proportion to her size than those of other ,bees4 ,the wings of drones and of common working ,bees cover their bodies1 but those of the ,queen scarcely reach beyond the middle4 ,her hinder part tapers more than the corresponding part of other ,bees1 and is admirably adapted for the purpose of being introduced into the cells to deposit her eggs1 which she does without being incommoded by her wings1 as she no doubt would be1 were they long in proportion to the length of her body4 ,considering then the office she has to perform1 the shortness of her wings and the length and tapering of her body are alike conveniences to her2 her belly and legs are yellower1 and her upper parts darker than those of other ,bees4 ,though furnished with a sting1 she very rarely uses it1 and will bear being handled without being provoked4 ,a young ,queen is smaller than a full grown one4 ,when three or four days old she is quick in her motions2 but when impregnated she becomes heavy4 ,the common or working ,bees have the faculty or instinctive power of raising a ,queen-,bee1 when they are in want of one1 from an egg in a common cell4 ,to do this1 they choose a common cell in which is an egg1 and inject a thick1 white1 liquid matter from their proboscis1 they then build on the edges of that particular cell and enlarge it2 on the fifth day the royal maggot appears in the form of a semicircle1 in which form it swims in the midst of the matter in the cell2 and on the seventh day it is sealed up4 ,during which period the embryo ,queen undergoes various metamorphoses4 ,on the fourteenth or fifteenth day afterwards it comes forth a perfect ,queen-,bee4 ,schirach has discovered a method of multiplying ,queen-,bees to almost any extent1 and consequently of making artificial stocks4 ,this can only be successfully accomplished when there are in a hive eggs1 nymphs1 and little maggots two or three days out of the cell1 that is1 when there is in a hive young brood in these three different stages of existence4 ,when a ,queen dies and the ,bees are left without the means of raising another1 that is--when there are no eggs nor young brood of a proper age in the hive1 the ,bees cease working1 consume the honey1 fly about at random1 and if not supplied with another ,queen1 soon dwindle away2 but if supplied with a new ,queen1 they revive1 and exercise their labour with new and increased activity4 ,the ,queen is1 as it were1 the very soul of the hive4 ,it has been computed that the ovary of the ,queen contains above #ejjj eggs at once1 and that in the space of two months she may produce #aj or #ab1jjj ,bees4 ,i am inclined to think that this computation is too-limited3 from what ,i have witnessed in my observatory-hive this summer 7#ahcb71 ,i am led to conclude that a fertile ,queen is capable of laying far more than the beforementioned number of eggs in the space of two months4 ,the working ,bees are considerably smaller than either the drones or the ,queen4 ,they1 like the others1 have four wings1 which enable them to fly with heavy loads4 ,they have six legs1 of which the two foremost are the shortest1 and with these they discharge themselves of their loads4 ,the two last or hindmost are the largest1 and on the outside of the middle joint of these is a cavity in which the ,bees collect the materials for wax1 which materials they carry home to their hives2 this hollow is peculiar to the working ,bee4 ,each foot terminates in two hooks4 ,the honey-bladder is of the size of a small pea1 and very transparent4 ,the sting is horny and hollow1 through which the poison is ejected4 ,the wound inflicted by it is mortal to many insects2 and instances are not wanting of horses and cows having been stung to death by ,bees4 ,when the sting is left in the wound1 and being barbed it commonly is left there1 the ,bee that loses it dies in consequence4 ,with regard to the age of ,bees1 the drones have a short life1 being destroyed annually by the working ,bees2 these--the workers--are supposed by some to live but one year1 but others are of opinion that they live several years3 those of them that escape a premature death will live1 if ,i mistake not1 three or four years1 or even longer4 ,i once clipped one of the wings of a ,queen so that ,i could identify her1 in case ,i should ever meet with her again3 ,i then returned her to her hive1 and had the good fortune to see her several times afterwards during three successive years4 ,of course she lived more than three years4 ,what became of her at last ,i do not know2 nor whether she may not still survive ,i do not know4 ,if1 however1 working ,bees be as long-lived as ,queen-,bees1 and ,i think it will be difficult to assign a good reason why they should not1 they may live to be three or four years of age1 and perhaps more than that4 ,the ample provision they make for life seems to me to be a natural indication that they expect at least to live to have occasion for it4 ,sometimes fierce1 destructive battles take place between the ,bees of different hives in an apiary1 and when the ,queen of one hive is killed1 the war ceases1 and the surviving ,bees of the two hives unite and become one peaceable stock4 ,some apiarians have obtained an extraordinary command over ,bees1 particularly ,mr4 ,wildman1 who could entice a whole swarm to settle just where he pleased--on his chin1 on his head1 on his hand1 or on any particular branch of a tree2 but these feats1 so surprising to the beholders1 he effected1 as any other dexterous person may1 by getting possession of the ,queen-,bee1 and placing her where he intended the ,bees should settle2 for it is a well-ascertained fact1 that such is the attachment of ,bees to their ,queen1 that they will congregate around her1 and1 as far as they can1 protect her in whatever situation they find her4 ,were the attachment and allegiance of all subjects to their legitimate sovereigns thus true and powerful1 it would1 as ,sterne says1 be something6 ,in working the ,bees are said by some1 whose sayings are perhaps more fanciful than correct1 in the following instance at least2--it has1 however1 been said--that in working the ,bees form themselves into four companies1 one of which roves the fields in search of materials for the hive1 another is employed in laying out the bottoms and partitions of the cells1 the third in smoothing the inside from the corners and angles1 and the fourth in bringing food for the rest4 ,according to this account some are labourers1 others are builders1 others finishers1 and others purveyors4 ,as there is no difference in the formation of the workers1 ,i see no reason for assigning them any particular task or sort of work1 nor do ,i think the allotment of labour just mentioned rests upon any other foundation than that of vague conjecture4 ,their diligence1 however1 and activity1 are so great1 that in a favourable day they will make cells which lie on each other1 sufficient to contain some thousands of ,bees4 ,to keep their habitations--their hives1 close and tight1 they make use of a resinous gum1 which the ancients called1 and which is still called--propolis4 ,this substance is at first soft and pliable1 but becomes firmer every day2 when it has acquired its proper consistency1 it is harder than wax and is an excellent cement4 ,they guard against the entrance of ants and other inimical insects into their hive1 by gluing or filling up with this propolis the smallest inlets2 and with it they fasten the edge of their hive to its floor in a very secure manner4 ,some ,bees stand as sentinels1 and mount guard1 as it were1 to prevent the intrusion of strangers and enemies4 ,but if a snail1 or other reptile1 or any large insect1 forces its way into the hive1 they first kill it1 and then coat it over with propolis1 to prevent being annoyed by the noisome smell1 or by the maggots which might proceed from its putrefaction1 if left to putrefy4 ,bees can perceive the approach of bad weather2 for when black clouds are in the sky indicating rain1 they immediately hurry home with the greatest speed2 and when to the eye of man there is no visible token of a sudden shower or other immediate change from fine weather to foul1 ,bees are aware of it1 and by their sudden1 hurried return to their hives1 are the first to prognosticate a change as near2 nor1 often as ,i have observed them1 have ,i ever found them wrong in this respect4 ,the manner in which ,bees rest when they settle1 after having swarmed1 and frequently in the hive also1 is by collecting themselves into a cluster and hanging to each other by the hooks of their feet4 ,when the weather has been warm ,i have frequently seen them1 presently after being admitted into an end-box1 hang in catkins or ropes3 this they no doubt do to cool themselves the more4 ,to view the ,bees suspended from one another in these single ropes is a natural curiosity well worth attention4 ,the flight of ,bees when swarming is singularly rapid and most extraordinary3 during some minutes after having risen into the air1 they dart across each other in every conceivable direction1 wheel round and shoot through the merry crowd again1 again wheel round and again dart through2 and notwithstanding the very limited space within which they confine their gambols on these occasions1 they never seem to come in contact or to clash with each other2 though animated and excited to a degree of apparently frantic ovation1 ,i never have observed one ,bee fall foul of another1 and this it is that strikes me as being wonderful4 ,the balls attached to the legs of ,bees returning to the hives1 consist of a powder gathered from the stamina of flowers1 not yet brought to the state of wax4 ,the ,bee1 when it enters the cup of the flower1 rolls itself till its whole body is covered with the yellow farina that is therein4 ,it then brushes off this powdery farina with its hind legs1 and kneads it into two balls or small pellets1 loaded with which it returns to the hive4 ,bees powdered all over with farina may frequently be seen entering their hive3 the ,bees thus covered carry their loads upon their whole bodies1 without the labour of packing them upon their thighs4 ,probably when farina is collected in the immediate vicinity of their hives1 ,bees may have the wisdom 7,i know not what else it can be properly called7 to save themselves the labour of brushing and making it into pellets4 ,some authors hold that this substance is eaten by degrees1 and being digested in the body of the ,bee1 that it becomes wax1--or that by some peculiar process it certainly is converted into wax1--and that when there is a superfluous quantity of this undigested1 or unmanufactured matter1 it is laid up in store1 and is called ,bee-bread4 ,for my part ,i am of opinion that farina is stored up purely as ,bee-bread and food for the young brood1 and that it enters not into the composition of wax4 ,the material of which wax is formed ,i take to be quite distinct from farina--a material of a different nature4 ,the following account of a working ,bee appeared in the ,farmers' ,journal some time ago1 ,i subjoin it1 because1 in some respects1 it is more particular than that just given2 but in one thing it is deficient--it makes no mention of the eyes--the two luminaries or lights of the body4 ,the eyes of ,bees are of an oblong figure1 black like jet1 transparent and immoveable4 ,,bee1 says the ,farmers' ,journal1 a small and well-known insect1 famous for its industry4 ,this useful and laborious insect is divided by two ligaments into three parts or portions1--the head1 the breast1 and the belly4 ,the head is armed with two jaws and a trunk1 the former of which play like two jaws1 opening and shutting to the right and left2 the trunk is long and tapering1 and at the same time extremely pliant and flexible1 being destined by nature for the insect to probe to the bottom of the flowers1 through all the impediments of their chives and foliage1 and drain them of their treasured sweets3 but were this trunk to be always extended1 it would prove incommodious1 and be liable to be injured by a thousand accidents2 it is therefore of such a structure1 that after the performance of its necessary functions1 it may be contracted1 or rather folded up2 and besides this1 it is fortified against all injuries by four strong scales1 two of which closely sheath it1 and the two others1 whose cavities and dimensions are larger1 encompass the whole4 ,from the middle-part or breast of the ,bee grow the legs1 which are six in number2 and at the extremity of the paws are two little hooks1 discernible by the microscope1 which appear like sickles1 with their points opposite to each other4 ,the wings are four1 two greater and two smaller1 which not only serve to transport them through the air1 but1 by the noise they make1 to give notice of their departure and arrival1 and to animate them mutually to their labours4 ,the hairs1 with which the whole body is covered1 are of singular use in retaining the small dust that falls from the chives of the flowers4 ,the belly of the ,bee consists of six rings1 which slide over one another1 and may therefore be lengthened or contracted at pleasure2 and the inside of this part of the body contains the intestines1--the bag of honey1--the bag of poison1--and the sting4 ,the office of the intestines is the same as in other animals4 ,the bag of honey is transparent as crystal1 containing the sweet juices extracted from the flowers1 which the ,bee discharges into the cells of the magazine for the support of the community in w inter4 ,the bag of poison hangs at the root of the sting1 through the cavity of which1 as through a pipe1 the ,bee ejects some drops of this venomous liquor into the wound made by the sting1 and so renders the pain more excessive4 ,the mechanism of the sting is admirable1 being composed of two darts1 inclosed within a sheath that tapers into a fine point1 near which is an opening to let out the poison2 the two darts are ejected through another aperture1 which being armed with several sharp beards1 like those of fish-hooks1 are not easily drawn back again by the ,bee2 and indeed she never disengages them if the wounded party happens to start and put her in confusion2 but if1 when stung1 one can have patience to continue calm and unmoved1 the stinging ,bee clinches those lateral points round the shaft of the dart1 by which means she recovers her weapon1 and gives less pain to the person stung4 ,,for ,,the ,,sting ,,of ,a ,,bee4 ,the poisonous liquor which the stinging ,bee infuses into the wound causes a fermentation1 attended with a swelling1 which continues sometimes several days2 but that may be prevented by immediately pulling out the sting1 and enlarging the puncture1 to let the venomous matter have room to escape4 ,many nostrums have been recommended as cures--infallible cures1 of course--for the sting of a ,bee1 a few of which ,i will just mention2 premising1 however1 that ,i myself never make use of any of them2 for1 if by chance a ,bee happens to sting me1 which is very rarely indeed the case1 though ,i never so much as cover my face1 nor even put on a pair of gloves1 when operating among thousands and tens of thousands of ,bees1 ,i extract the sting instanter1 and never afterwards experience the least pain1 nor suffer the slightest inconvenience4 ,but1 if the sting be suffered to remain in the flesh1 during a few seconds only1 it is not very easy to stop the inflammation and to allay the pain4 ,an onion cut horizontally into thin slices1 and pressed closely to the wounded part1 and renewed at short intervals1 has been accounted a good application4 ,if the part stung be first well-rubbed with one of those slices1 that would perhaps have a soothing effect4 ,the juice of the plantain is also said to be a specific2 olive oil is another2 so is common salt2 so is laudanum2 so is spirits of hartshorn2 so is a solution of sal ammoniac2 and so is chalk or whitening4 ,the ,,doctor 7and who so likely to prescribe properly for the case as the ,doctor87 says,f common whitening proves an effectual remedy against the effects of the sting of a ,bee or wasp4 ,the whitening is to be moistened with cold water1 and immediately applied4 ,it may be washed off in a few minutes1 when neither pain nor swelling will ensue4 ,footnote ,f3 ,see ,the ,doctor1 page #ae4 ,in ,the ,apiarian's ,guide1 by ,j4 ,h4 ,payne1 published since the first edition of this work1 ,i find the following novel mode of treatment recommended as almost a perfect cure1 and which is said to be as immediate as it is effectual4 ,the method ,i 7,j4 ,h4 ,payne1 ,esq47 have of late adopted1 by which the pain is instantly removed1 and both the swelling and inflammation prevented1 is to pull out the sting as soon as possible1 and take a piece of iron and heat it in the fire1 or for want of that1 take a live coal1 7if of wood the better1 because it lasts longer7 and hold it as near to the place as ,i can possibly endure it1 for five minutes2 if from this application a sensation of heart 7quere heat7 should be occasioned1 a little oil of turpentine or goulard cerate must be applied4 ,i have found the quicker the application1 the more effectual the cure4,g ,footnote ,g3 ,see the ,apiarian's ,guide1 pp4 #eh1 #ei4 ,pressure with the hollowed end of a small key1 or with a pencil-case1 is practised by some unfortunates1 and is said to check the circulation of the poison4 ,this last mode of treatment--i4 e4 pressure with a small key1 or pencil-case--the smaller the better--is the simplest1 and1 if immediately adopted1 is ,i believe the very best3 but its efficacy depends upon the instant application of the key or pencil-case to the part stung1 by which the poisonous matter is not only prevented from being absorbed into the system1 but the puncture is laid open1 and the virus thereby expressed and entirely got rid of more readily than by any other means4 ,accidents may sometimes happen1 and the most cautious and humane apiarian may occasionally receive a sting2 but gentle treatment does not irritate ,bees2 and when not irritated they have no disposition to use their stings4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,impregnation ,,of ,,the ,,queen-,,bee4 ,notwithstanding the most persevering attention of ,huber and of other ingenious apiarians1 and notwithstanding the experiments and expedients had recourse to1 to discover the secret1 it is still doubtful--it is still undiscovered1 in what precise way the ,queen-,bee becomes impregnated4 ,no one has ever yet witnessed the fact of her copulation with a drone1 either in the hive or elsewhere1--in all probability no one ever will be witness to it2 consequently the contradictory conclusions apiarians have come to on this subject are unsatisfactory1 because unsupported by sufficient and convincing proofs4 ,huber1 after having made a variety of observations and tried numberless experiments to get at the fact1 gives it as his opinion--that the impregnation of the ,queen is accomplished by her intercourse with the drone during a flight in the open atmosphere2 but modestly states that he never witnessed the act of copulation4 ,on this last point ,i entirely coincide with him1 and firmly believe that no man ever yet has been present to confirm the supposed fact2 neither can any person deny the possibility--not to say--the probability of such an union4 ,on the other hand1 ,mr4 ,huish is an advocate for the drones in another way1 stating them to be the male ,bees1 and that they fecundate--not the ,queen1 but all the eggs of the ,queen1 produced by her1 the year in which the drones are brought into existence4 ,but ,mr4 ,huish has nowhere stated1 in his much admired treatise on ,bees1 what fecundates those eggs of the ,queen which are produced by her in the absence of the drones4 ,it is well-known that those eggs do well and come to perfection1 long after the drones have ceased to exist in the hive4 ,eggs are laid and matured into ,bees when there is not one drone in the hive4 ,this1 therefore1 is an argument in favour of ,mr4 ,huber's opinion--namely--that the ,queen once impregnated remains so during her life1--and that1 as the ,queen lives some years1 the drones are called into being to fecundate the young ,queens1 brought into existence for purposes that will be noticed in the next chapter4 ,neither should we overlook the singular services of the short-lived drones in other circumstances of the colony2 for most essential is their presence in the hive during the months of ,may1 ,june1 and ,july4 ,do we not in those months behold the extraordinary rapidity with which the working ,bees leave their hive in search of materials for their various works8 ,so indefatigable are these admired insects1 after enriching their commonwealth1 that in the time of honey-dews1 scarcely a mechanical labourer is left in the hive4 ,now1 were it not for the drones--those large bodied ,bees--what would become of the young larv then in existence8 ,it would undoubtedly perish4 ,no sooner1 however1 is this busy season at an end1 than the total destruction of the drones takes place2 but not until the animal heat which the drones impart to the hive has accelerated the production of the young ,bees1 and added thousands of them to the mother hive4 ,it is not possible that the drones can influence the impregnation of the ,queen's eggs1 particularly those eggs which are produced after the total destruction of the drones1 which generally takes place in ,august1 and sometimes in the latter end of ,july4 ,these later eggs are hatched1 and brought to a state of perfection by the crowded population of the hive at that period3 for a sufficient number of common ,bees1 that is--a well-populated hive1 will always bring to perfection the ,queen's eggs that have been deposited in the cells1 after the total destruction of the drones4 ,this seems to prove1 that there is some probable truth in ,huber's opinion respecting the agency of the drones in the procreation of ,bees1 by their sexual union with the ,queen4 ,though ,i was once inclined to differ in opinion with ,huber on this subject1 and even went so far as to venture to say with ,huish1 and in ,huish's own words--that the ,queen knows not coition1 and that she is both virgin and mother1,h from what ,i have seen in my observatory-hive this summer 7#ahcb7 ,i am led to doubt the accuracy of that remark1 and am disposed to lean to ,huber's doctrine1 and to think1 that there may be more truth in his experiments than has hitherto been awarded to them3 in short1 ,i see no objection to ,huber's theory1 although there is no direct proof of the copulation of the ,queens with the drones4 ,all apiarians allow that there are male and female in a hive or stock of ,bees2--all admit--indeed1 it is impossible to deny---that ,bees do increase and multiply at a prodigious rate1 and so fulfil the ,divine injunction2 the only question to be solved is this--,how is the ,queen-,bee impregnated8 ,this secret in nature--if those matters1 or natural operations which we cannot clearly explain1 which1 though in themselves sensible and gross1 may1 nevertheless1 be too subtile1 too refined1 for our obtuse understandings to comprehend1 and for our dull faculties to investigate1--if these may be called secrets in nature1 there is a secret of this description respecting the sexual union of ,queen and drone ,bees1 or1 at any rate1 respecting the manner of the impregnation of the ,queen-,bee4 ,i condemn no man who differs from me on this nice subject1 as ,i have no direct proof1 either that ,huber is right1 or that ,huish is wrong1 in their surmises relative to this disputable matter4 ,individually they are men deserving the highest respect2 their labours and perseverance to throw light upon this mystic branch of apiarian science deserve the utmost praise2 as also do the labours of the learned and ingenious ,dr4 ,bevan1 whose treatise on ,bees ,i have read with much pleasure2 and have occasionally referred to1 and shall again make use of it1 in this my humble attempt4 ,we have all exerted our best abilities to become the favourites of our patrons and friends4 ,how much each of us deserves the honours conferred on us1 is best known to those who have been most benefited by our unceasing endeavours to improve and extend apiarian science4 ,my great object is--not to dispute with the naturalist1 the philosopher1 or with the apiarian1 how the ,queen-,bee becomes impregnated3 because1 be that as it may1 it is1 no doubt1 consistent with the law of nature1--it is1 no doubt1 a part of that all-prevailing law2 and though hitherto undiscovered1--hitherto one of nature's gambols with the human mind1 ,i do cherish strong hopes that the observatory-hive ,i have constructed1 will on some auspicious1 future day1 disclose such facts as will set the matter at rest for ever3 my great object at present is--to endeavour to improve the culture of ,honey-,bees1 and to lay before my readers practical instructions for the more humane1 and more profitable management of those interesting1 little insects4 ,footnote ,h3 ,see ,huish on ,bees1 page #ac4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,supernumerary ,,queens4 ,in the last chapter we were at sea without a compass by which to steer our course aright1--with two pilots on board1 'tis true2 one of them a foreigner1 experienced beyond most other men1 though aged1 and infirm1 and defective in his eyesight1 but willing1 nevertheless1 nay--anxious to conduct us to our wished-for haven2 the other1 though not inexperienced1 less practised1 it is thought1 in voyages of discovery1 and more venturesome than his senior in the office1 contending that the respectable1 old gentleman had put us on a wrong tack1--that we were in a wrong latitude1--that our reckoning was incorrect1 and even making merry with the old man's infirmities4 ,perplexed1 and doubting in whom it is most reasonable and safest to confide1 we seize the helm ourselves and make to the nearest shore1 and luckily land on terra firma--terra cognita1 and are now approaching a field with every corner of which we are thoroughly acquainted4 ,but metaphor apart1 lest we should not properly sustain it4 ,there is but one reigning ,queen in a colony of ,bees at one time3 but previously to swarming1 royal-cells are constructed1 and provision made1 for ensuring a successor to the ,queen that leads the swarm and emigrates1 when the too-crowded population1 and over-heated temperature of the hive1 render such emigration necessary4 ,that it is the old ,queen that leaves the hive with a swarm ,i am well convinced1 notwithstanding what some apiarians assert to the contrary4 ,to satisfy myself on this point1 ,i have sometimes in the evening of the day on which a hive has swarmed1 at other times on the second1 and at others on the third day after that event1 put the parent-stock under1 or rather1 ,i may say--over fumigation1 dissected and examined the combs and ,queen-cells minutely1 and the ,bees also1 and whenever ,i did find a ,queen1 she was invariably a young one2 but1 instead of a ,queen1 ,i have more frequently found a royal-cell just ready to give birth1 as it were1 to a successor to that that had left the hive2 and in general there are several of these royal-cells containing embryo ,queens1 in different states of forwardness3 so that it seems1 ,bees have an instinctive foresight which leads them to provide against casualties1 for they are generally provided with the means of bringing forth supernumerary ,queens1 that in case the first that comes forth should prove steril1 should be defective1 or in any way unfortunate1 or unfitted to assume the sovereignty of the hive1 there may be others ready to burst into being1 and remedy the misfortune that would ensue1 were there but one chance of a successor1 and were that one chance to prove abortive4 ,but no sooner is a young ,queen enthroned1 as it were1 and established in the government of the hive than the supernumerary ones1 in whatever stage of existence1 are all discarded1 and cast out of the colony1 ,mr4 ,porter1 of ,cowbit1 has this year 7#ahcb7 picked up eight of those discarded1 virgin ,queens1 together with the old ,queen1 which last was sorely mutilated1 but not killed--she alone was cast out alive1 the others had been killed3 these nine supernumerary ,queens were all cast out of one fine colony of ,bees in the course of two successive days4 ,that colony is a remarkably prosperous one1 and has not swarmed4 ,i myself have observed no fewer than twenty-four supernumerary1 virgin ,queens that were cast out of one of my stocks2 and that stock is flourishing1 and has not swarmed3 and my respected friend1 ,mr4 ,salmon1 of ,stokeferry1 informs me that he once collected upwards of thirty of these young ,queens2 whether his stock swarmed or not ,i am unable to state positively1 but presume it did not2 for1 generally speaking1 when supernumerary1 virgin ,queens are cast out of a colony1 it may be considered as an indication that that colony is not only prosperous1 but that swarming is not contemplated--in fact1 is abandoned for that season4 ,the question then is--how are ,bees to be managed1 in order that they may be induced to rid themselves of these supernumeraries8 ,the relation of the following practical lesson will both answer the question1 and exemplify and confirm the foregoing remarks4 ,it has already been related 7in pages #fb-ff7 that in #ahbf ,i forced a colony of ,bees to swarm1--that ,i returned that swarm to its parent-stock1 and managed so as to prevent its swarming in future1--and that two royal nymphs were cast out on that occasion4 ,to prove whether ,i could not accomplish the same object1 and prevent swarming altogether1 ,i had recourse to the following experiment4 ,on the #bfth of ,june1 #ahbg1 at one o'clock p4m4 the thermometer1 in one of my colonies of ,bees1 suddenly rose to #if4 ,the progressive rise and constantly high temperature in that colony1 during the evening and night1 together with the extraordinary weight of the hive1 induced me to suspect that swarming1 if not prevented1 would shortly take place4 ,not1 however1 perceiving any of the symptoms that usually precede the immediate act of swarming1 ,i suffered matters to go on until the #fth of ,july1 on which day the thermometer stood at #ajb4 ,the drones came out and sung their merry tune2 and during the whole night the temperature of the colony continued to increase4 ,on the next day unequivocal symptoms of swarming presented themselves4 ,these urged me to push my experiment to the highest pitch of proof2 ,i therefore went on narrowly watching and ventilating this stock1 until the #ajth of ,july1 when1 in spite of my endeavours to keep down the temperature by merely ventilating the thermometer was standing at #aab1 consequently ,i concluded that it was high time to lay this prosperous colony under contribution2 and in the evening of that day1 ,i took from it a beautifully finished glass of honey1 as pure as the crystal stream2 its weight was sixteen pounds4 ,i continued ventilating the side-boxes1 and placed an empty bell-glass upon the middle one1 from which ,i had just before taken the full one1 ,i then withdrew the dividing-slide1 and the ,bees immediately entered the glass1 and began their works in it1 and in four days filled it with comb1 and partly filled the cells with honey4 ,on the sixth day after those operations had been performed1 a continuance of the former temperature demonstrated to me the necessity of taking away a side-box4 ,i did so1 and found its weight to be no less than sixty-five pounds4 ,on removing the box of honey1 ,i replaced it with an empty one2 and on drawing up the tin-slide1 in order to admit the ,bees into the empty box1 to my great gratification ,i found the thermometer standing at #hb in that box1 and in the space of five minutes the other collateral-box was under the same agreeable temperature4 ,by this continued ventilation1 within the short space of twenty-four hours afterwards1 ,i ascertained the following important fact1--viz4--that no sooner did the ,queen-,bee feel the agreeable change that had taken place in the interior of her domicil1 than the royal nymph was dislodged from its cell1 and by the ,bees brought out of the pavilion1 and laid lifeless on the front-board4 ,this fact taught me by experiment1 that the reigning ,queen would very soon1 from real necessity1 have been compelled to leave the now discarded nymph to take possession of the hive4 ,the ,queen1 owing to the excessive and daily increasing heat of the hive1 would have left her wealthy colony--would have been compelled to leave it--had not the ventilation1 and the enlargement of her domicil1 prevented the painful necessity of her so doing4 ,this1 ,i think1 proves the truth of the observation--that it is the old ,queen which leaves1 when ,bees are compelled to swarm2 but1 if not1 the following experimental operations have demonstrated the fact4 ,i have united many swarms1 and every sovereign ,bee ,i have been under the necessity of making a captive1 has invariably been an old one4 ,on the #beth of ,june1 #ahbh1 ,i took up a parent-stock1 four days after it had thrown off a swarm1 and there found only the royal nymph within its cradle--there was no ,queen left in that stock1 save the one in embryo--the old ,queen had gone with the swarm4 ,this lesson caused me to carry my experiments farther4 ,having taken up the parent-stock1 as just stated1 ,i united all the working ,bees of that stock to those of the swarm already mentioned1 and ,i also put the young larv found in the parent-stock1 to the now united-stock2 ,i then placed the intended royal species--the nymph already mentioned--with the remainder of the young brood1 in one of the collateral-boxes1 and immediately let the odour of the stock through the communicating slide4 ,to my great satisfaction ,i discovered the willingness of the old ,bees to bring to perfection the young they had been compelled to leave in their former domicil4 ,the royal nymph1 however1 was an exception2 she alone was instantly dragged from her cell1 and cast out of the hive4 ,this confirmed the proof of the important fact gained the preceding year1--namely--that ventilation and the means of dividing the treasures of the ,bees1 by taking off a glass or a box of honey1--or1 if necessary1 by taking off both a glass and a box1 set aside the necessity for swarming4 ,on all occasions1 under this practice1 a proper temperature may be supported in a colony2 and in all critical points1 by a just observation of the state of the thermometer1 ,bees may be relieved and assisted1 and all the mischiefs attending the old mode of management may be guarded against and prevented4 ,for when adequately relieved and properly assisted1 they proceed to rid the colony of all embryo ,queens1 which would only become so many supernumeraries in a hive where the reigning ,queen is fertile1 and the necessity for emigration is superseded4 ,but1 unless ,bees could be made to understand that accommodation will be extended to them at the proper time1 they1 guided by their sense of their situation--not by ours--naturally and wisely provide their own means of relieving themselves2 and in so doing frequently bring forth what afterwards become supernumerary ,queens1 which are invariably destroyed and cast out of the colony1 as soon as the ,bees are sensible that they have no occasion for them4 ,and1 whenever a royal nymph or a virgin ,queen is thus cast out1 swarming need not be apprehended4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,bee-,,feeding4 ,neglected generally1 as is the management of ,bees by their cottage possessors1 there is no part of it less attended to1 nor more slovenly performed1 when performed at all1 than that of feeding4 ,the cottager commonly takes up1 as he terms it1 his best hives for the sake of the treasures they contain1 or are supposed to contain4 ,this is destroying ,bees because they are rich6 ,he also takes up the lightest and poorest--of course the late swarms--and those that are the least likely to live through the winter2 because if he get from one of these but two or three pounds of honey1 though he seldom gets so much1 and a few ounces of wax1 he thinks that that is all clear gain3 and1 if he get neither honey nor wax1 he1 at any rate1 gets rid of the expense and trouble of feeding his good-for-nothing swarms1 which1 in his opinion1 however fed1 would never come to any good4 ,a pennyworth of brimstone will do the job at once1 and is more easily paid for than a pound of sugar1 and after that another1 and perhaps another4 ,such is the reasoning1 and calculation1 and cruel practice of the generality of cottage ,bee-keepers6 ,such is the destruction annually dealt out to hundreds of poor swarms1 and thousands and millions of poor ,bees66 ,i do from my heart pity and deplore the untimely fate of these suffocated1 innocent1 valuable insects4 ,to destroy ,bees because they are rich is a barbarous practice1 and ought by all means to be discountenanced and discontinued2--to destroy ,bees because they are poor and may need support1 is cruel---is inhuman--is shocking1 however little may be thought of it by those who still adhere to this practice4 ,even with the common straw-hives1 this terrible havoc among poor stocks and late swarms might be prevented1 if they1 who happen to have them1 would so far improve themselves in the practical management of an apiary1 as to be able to fumigate1 and to take such ,bees out of the hives containing them1 and to join them to their richer stock-hives1 in the latter end of ,august1 or any time in ,september4 ,this is by far the best plan that can be adopted with poor hives2 and there really is no difficulty in the operation4 ,this strengthens the population of rich stocks1 and causes them to swarm early in the ensuing spring1 it preserves the ,bees1 which is of itself1 independently of the advantages accruing from it afterwards1 a consideration that never should be lost sight of1--it leaves the contents of the fumigated hive1 as absolutely in the possession of the ,bee-owner1 as if the ,bees had been suffocated and destroyed1--and in most cases it entirely does away with the necessity of feeding4 ,i confess ,i should rejoice greatly1 and flatter myself that every friend of humanity would rejoice with me1 to see this mode of disposing of weak hives universally adopted2 because1 it may be presumed1 that the next step in the way of improvement would be to take away the superabundant treasure of the ,bees and still preserve them4 ,notwithstanding1 under certain circumstances it will always be necessary1 and judicious in ,bee-masters1 to have recourse to feeding4 ,if1 for instance1 after an early swarm is put into a hive1 or into a box1 two or three or more cold1 ungenial days should follow1 and more particularly if those days should happen to be rainy also1 by feeding such a swarm you will assist your impoverished labourers1 not only with necessary food1 but with materials and treasure1 which1 unfortunately for them1 they cannot at such an unfavourable juncture get abroad to collect elsewhere4 ,different apiarians have adopted and recommended different ways of feeding ,bees1 none of which1 in my opinion1 possess any great merit2 in order1 therefore1 to improve this part of ,bee-management1 my endeavours have been directed to the contrivance and construction of a feeding department2 which is attached to my collateral-hives in so convenient a manner1 that ,i can feed my ,bees1 at any time when feeding is required--in spring1 in autumn1 or in winter1 without disturbing the position of the hive1 and without changing its interior temperature2 which temperature cannot be kept equable and comfortable1 where a hive is frequently lifted up from its stand1 and its interior is suddenly exposed to the action of perhaps an extremely cold atmosphere4 ,besides1 a hive cannot be lifted up without breaking the propolis by which it has been cemented all round and made fast to its stool4 ,in sharp1 cold weather1 disruption of the hive from its stool is a serious mischief done to the ,bees2 because1 however carefully it maybe set down again1 there will have been made many vents and crevices between the edge of the hive and the stool1 which will occasion various currents of air1 cold1 frosty1 or other--proper or improper--to be continually passing through the lower part of the hive4 ,and should ,bees be tempted by food1 or urged by hunger1 to descend into these currents in sharp1 frosty weather1 but few of them will get away alive2 the keen air acting upon them whilst feeding1 paralyzes and kills them4 ,i am an advocate for keeping ,bees cool in winter--yes1 cool and still also3 let them not be disturbed nor disunited1--let them not be forced nor tempted to 7if ,i may so say7 uncluster themselves4 ,i have no objection to a current of air passing through the lower part of a hive in winter1 provided the ,bees be not disturbed--be not exposed singly to its nipping influence2 but ,i strongly object to the feeding of ,bees in such currents1 because1 in that case1 feeding is prejudicial to them4 ,the cottager seldom protects his hives in winter with any other covering than that which a pot1 called a pancheon1 whelmed over each hive1 forms2 capped with this unsightly piece of earthenware1 his hives are exposed to all weathers2 consequently the less he disturbs them the better4 ,he therefore should give his weak stocks a copious feeding1 in ,september at the latest1--not molest them during the severity of winter1--but in the spring1 as soon as the ,bees begin to make their appearance at the mouth of his hives1 introduce his wooden trough furnished with a little ,bee-sirup1 and then close up the entrance1--withdraw the trough in the morning1 and return it replenished every evening1 as long as feeding is necessary4 ,tearing off a hive at ,christmas1 and scattering a few ounces of brown sugar upon the stand1 and then setting down the hive again1 deserves not the name of feeding2 though it is all the bounty that is bestowed on some stocks2 and is even more than others are treated with4 ,it need not then be wondered at that so many stocks of ,bees perish in the winter1 and in the spring of every year4 ,by judicious feeding1 at proper seasons1 almost any stock of ,bees may be preserved3 by injudicious feeding1 at an improper season1 even good stocks--stocks that would survive1 if not fed at all1 nor molested1 during the depth and severity of winter1 may be seriously injured--may be totally destroyed4 ,the peasant ,bee-keeper1 however1 does not often subject himself to the charge complimental of being accessary to the death of his ,bees through mistaken kindness4 ,the sum and substance of my directions1 as respects ,bee-feeding1 are these3-- #a4 ,in spring feed sparingly4 #b4 ,in autumn feed plentifully4 #c4 ,in winter do not feed at all4 #d4 ,feed swarms1 if unseasonable weather immediately follow the act of swarming4 #e4 ,preserve the ,bees of weak stocks1 and prevent a great deal of the necessity for feeding1 by adding them to those that are rich and able to support them4 ,this last is the best and cheapest1 nay--it is even a profitable method of feeding ,bees4 ,early swarming1 where swarming is necessary as in the straw-hive colonies1 is of great advantage to the watchful apiarian1 but not to the inattentive and slothful manager4 ,i have seen in a cottager's garden a swarm of ,bees on the #ajth of ,may1 which was considerably weaker in the month of ,august1 than was a swarm on the #ajth of ,july1 and that solely on account of not being fed and properly attended to4 ,if early swarms are judiciously fed1 and supported by a natural heat within1 they will be greatly benefitted thereby1 and eventually prosper4 ,but1 notwithstanding what has been already said1 the cottager may probably ask--how can ,i feed my ,bees without lifting up their hive8 ,i again and again request him to examine my collateral box-hive2 and he will perceive that he may easily feed the ,bees in his cottage-hive in the same easy manner1 if he have but ingenuity enough to attach a proper feeder to the stool or floor of his hive4 ,mr4 ,huish advises apiarians to make choice of a fine and warm day in which to feed ,bees1 he says1 the danger to be apprehended from the change of the temperature in the hive will thereby be obviated4 ,this1 ,i grant1 is rational and humane1 and in some degree a confirmation of my already expressed opinion1 respecting the mischiefs resulting from the inconsiderate practice of exposing the interior of a hive to sudden and extreme alternations of temperature4 ,but it matters not what sort of weather it may be1 if my mode of feeding be adopted4 ,i feed my ,bees in their native temperature1 without disturbing them or exposing their food to the temptation of robbers1 which feeding in the ordinary way so frequently encourages1 during the spring and autumnal seasons2 and it is at these times that ,bees stand in most need of assistance4 ,in the year #ahbh1 ,i purchased a cottage-hive of a neighbour1 it was a large hive1 and well-stocked with ,bees1 but extremely light2 ,i was fearful for the safety of its inmates1 and1 therefore1 placed it over one of my feeders2 in order to give them support by feeding1 ,i placed the sirup intended for their food beneath the hive2 but to my great surprise the ,bees refused to take the proffered bounty4 ,i persevered in my endeavours to induce them to feed for four days1 but they would not touch the well-intended boon3 ,i therefore resolved to ascertain the cause of their refusal1 and on turning up the hive ,i discovered that thousands of the ,bees were in a dying state1 ,i had the curiosity to take the whole of them out singly4 ,after several hours' particular attention and patient search1 ,i found the ,queen was dead4 ,i then united the weak1 enfeebled ,bees to a rich stock1 and they nearly all recovered their strength4 ,their numbers greatly assisted in the labour of the hive to which they were joined4 ,certain it is1 that if any accident befal their ,queen in winter1 it is total ruin to that stock of ,bees3 where such a death is discovered1 feeding will avail nothing1 the ,bees dwindle away and perish4 ,mr4 ,huish says--and he is perfectly correct in saying--that there are some persons who defer the feeding of their ,bees until the moment they suppose that they may be in actual want4 ,this is a most reprehensible plan2 for should feeding be too long delayed1 the ,bees will become so weak and debilitated1 that they will be unable to convey the food into their cells3 the food ought to be administered to poor stocks1 three weeks or a month before they may be supposed to be in actual want2 it will then be conveyed with the greatest despatch into the cells1 and the hive will be saved from a death of famine4 ,he then goes on to observe--that some apiarians conceive that the feeding of ,bees in the spring renders them lazy and inactive4 ,on what this opinion is grounded he is at a loss to conjecture1 as must be every practical apiarian2 for it is in direct contradiction1 not only to ,mr4 ,huish's experience1 but also to that of many other apiarians4 ,a little food granted to a populous1 and even well-provisioned box or hive in the spring1 is attended with very beneficial consequences4 ,it diffuses animation and vigour throughout the whole community2--it accelerates the breeding of the ,queen--and consequently conduces to the production of early swarms1 where room is not previously given in order to prevent swarming altogether4 ,,bee-,,food4 ,artificial food proper for ,bees may be made by mixing coarse1 raw sugar1 and good1 sound ale1 in the following proportions3-- ,to a quart of ale add a pound and a half of sugar1 gently boil them1 in a sweet1 well-tinned saucepan1 over a fire clear from smoke1 for five or six minutes1 or until the sugar be dissolved and thoroughly incorporated with the ale2 and1 during the process of boiling1 skim off the dross that rises to the surface4 ,some persons boil these ingredients much longer1 and until they become1 when cool1 a thick1 clammy sirup2 this not only diminishes the quantity of the mixture1 but renders it rather disadvantageous1 to weak ,bees in particular1 by clogging and plaguing them1 if1 as they are almost sure to do1 they get their legs or wings daubed with it4 ,i prefer sirup in a more liquid state4 ,for spring feeding1 ,i advise--that not more than a pound of sugar be put to a quart of ale1 or sweet wort1 if it can be obtained1 and that a small quantity of common salt be added4 ,by a small quantity ,i mean--a drachm or two at the most to a quart of the sirup4 ,salt1 it has been said1 is conducive to the health of ,bees1 and the most efficacious remedy for the dysentery1 which sometimes affects ,bees in the spring2 therefore1 it may not be amiss to put a little salt into their food1 by way of preventive1 rather than to have recourse to it afterwards as a remedy4 ,speaking of the substances which are proper for the feeding of ,bees1 ,mr4 ,huish says,i--he is perfectly convinced that honey alone is very injurious to ,bees1 as it in general gives them the dysentery4 ,whether by this extraordinary passage ,mr4 ,huish has1 or has not1 subjected himself to the lash of his own ridicule1 it would be hypercritical and unbecoming in me to determine4 ,as an apiarian ,i respect him2 in no other character am ,i acquainted with him4 ,his work on the management of ,bees ,i have read1 and have derived information and occasionally assistance from some of its pages4 ,there are in it1 nevertheless1 several untenable positions1 of which ,i consider the above-quoted passage to be one3 and1 if what he has remarked somewhat sarcastically1 in a note at the foot of page #ca1 be read in conjunction with this passage1 it will be for the candid reader1 apiarian1 or other1 to decide whether ,mr4 ,huish in propri person does not1 oddly enough1 exemplify his own remark4 ,it is there said--that there is no wonder in nature which an apiarian has not seen4 ,professedly an apiarian himself1 he must have seen some1 at least1 of the wonders in nature1 otherwise he never could have been perfectly convinced--that honey--honey alone--the very substance which ,bees1 guided by the instinct of their nature1 collect with so much industry1 and store up with so much care1 for their subsistence1 should be very injurious to them1 and in general give them the dysentery4 ,from this it seems that the substance1 which is the natural food for one stock of ,bees1 is physic for another1 if not poison66 ,i cannot but express my astonishment that a gentleman1 so acute and experienced as ,mr4 ,huish undoubtedly is1 should have asserted in the most unqualified manner--that honey alone is very injurious to ,bees4 ,were this the fact1 rich stocks1 and all stocks that subsist upon honey alone during winter1 would in general be affected with dysentery in the spring1 which certainly is not the case4 ,in general rich stocks are healthy and strong in the spring4 ,poverty is the predisposing cause of dysentery among ,bees3 a regular supply of their natural--their peculiar food1 does not induce dysentery or disease of any sort4 ,had ,mr4 ,huish analyzed the honey given to ,bees as food1 and which induced dysentery1 he would1 ,i suspect1 have discovered that it was not honey alone1 but--medicated honey--honey and brimstone1 or honey strongly tinctured either with brimstone or tobacco4 ,that honey1 tinctured with the pernicious qualities of those substances1 should have a laxative effect upon impoverished1 debilitated ,bees1 is no more than might be expected3 but then it is not the honey that has the injurious effect1 but the essence of the brimstone or of the tobacco that is administered along with it4 ,what effect honey1 that has not been stoved and saturated with brimstone or with tobacco1 may have upon weak ,bees1 when given to them for spring food1 ,i pretend not to determine1 because ,i have never tried the experiment4 ,but ,i do say that before the arrival of spring1 honey1 that has been drained or expressed from the comb1 undergoes fermentation1 and that fermentation may1 for aught ,i know1 impart to it physical properties1 which in its pure1 liquid1 unchanged state1 in the warm hive1 it does not possess4 ,i am not chemist enough to venture to assert that it is so1 but ,i think it highly probable that fermentation may alter the properties of honey1 and perhaps may render it unwholesome to ,bees4 ,but fresh1 unfermented honey1 even that in the blackest and oldest combs--the very refuse1 and all such as the cottage-housewife makes into common mead1 if spread upon large dishes and placed in an apiary1 will be banqueted upon by the ,bees in the most eager manner1 and is apparently much enjoyed by them4 ,they soon carry into their hives what they do not consume on the spot1 and suffer no inconvenience whatever from the treat4 ,i have feasted my ,bees in this way scores of times1 and esteem it the very best mode of autumnal feeding1 and the most profitable way of disposing of broken combs and refuse honey4 ,honey alone is the natural food of ,bees1 and if given to them pure and untainted1 in its primitive1 limpid state1 so far from being injurious1 it is highly beneficial to them2 of this ,i have not the shadow of a doubt4 ,for autumnal feeding1 ,i prefer honey to all other substances1 and recommend it as the most proper food that can be given to them4 ,footnote ,i3 ,huish on ,bees1 page #bgb4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,catalogue ,,of ,,bee-,,flowers1 ,c4 ,from the account of the mode of supplying ,bees with artificial food1 to the enumeration of such trees1 plants1 and flowers as are most frequented by ,bees1 for the purpose of culling from them the various substances1 which their necessities1 their nature1 or their instinct 7which is a part of their nature7 urge them to seek for1 the transition is so easy and natural--is so akin to the subject of ,bee-feeding1 as to be rather a continuation thereof than a transition to a fresh one2 ,i therefore proceed to give a catalogue of those trees and plants which afford pabulum for ,bees4 ,it is furnished principally from my own ocular observation1 and is partly collected from the observation of others1 whose curiosity has led them to pay attention to the subject1 and to make remarks upon it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,alder-tree ,celery ,almond-tree ,cherry-tree ,althea frutex ,chesnut-tree ,alyssum ,chickweed ,amaranthus ,clover ,apple-tree ,cole or coleseed ,apricot-tree ,coltsfoot ,arbutus 7alpine7 ,coriander ,ash-tree ,crocus ,asparagus ,crowfoot ,aspin ,crown-imperial ,cucumber ,balm ,currants ,bean ,cypress-tree ,beech-tree ,betony ,daffodil ,blackberry ,dandelion ,black-currant-tree ,dogberry-tree ,borage ,box-tree ,elder-tree ,bramble ,elm-tree ,broom ,endive ,bugloss 7viper's7 ,buckwheat ,fennel ,burnet ,furze ,cabbage ,goldenrod ,cauliflower ,gooseberry-tree ,gourd 99 99 99 99 99 ,hawthorn ,mallow 7marsh7 ,hazel-tree ,marigold 7,french7 ,heath ,marigold 7single7 ,holly ,maple-tree ,holly-hock 7trumpet7 ,marjoram 7sweet7 ,honey-suckle ,melilot ,honey-wort 7cerinthe7 ,melon-tree ,hyacinth ,mezereon ,hysop ,mignionette ,mustard ,ivy ,nasturtium ,jonquil ,nectarine-tree ,nettle 7white7 ,kidney-bean ,oak-tree ,laurel ,onion ,laurustinus ,orange-tree ,lavender ,ozier ,leek ,lemon-tree ,parsley ,lily 7water7 ,parsnip ,lily 7white7 ,pea ,lime-tree ,peach-tree ,liquidamber ,pear-tree ,liriodendrum1 or ,peppermint ,tulip-tree ,plane-tree ,lucerne ,plum-tree ,poplar-tree ,poppy ,primrose ,privet 99 99 99 99 99 ,radish ,tacamahac ,ragweed ,tansy 7wild7 ,rasberry ,tare ,rosemary 7wild7 ,teasel ,roses 7single7 ,thistle 7common7 ,rudbechi ,thistle 7sow7 ,thyme 7lemon7 ,saffron ,thyme 7wild7 ,sage ,trefoil ,saintfoin ,turnip ,st4 ,john's wort ,savory 7winter7 ,vetch ,snowdrop ,snowberry-tree ,violet 7single7 ,stock 7single7 ,strawberry ,wallflower 7single7 ,sunflower ,willow-herb ,sycamore-tree ,willow-tree ,woad ,yellow weasel-snout 99 99 99 99 99 ,of these some are valuable for the supply of pabulum they afford ,bees early in spring2 as the white alyssum1 broom1 crocus1 furze1 hazel1 laurustinus1 mezereon1 ozier1 plane-tree1 poplar-tree1 snowdrop1 sycamore-tree1 the willow-tree1 c4 ,others again are valuable on account of the lateness of the season that ,bees derive assistance from them2 as the golden-rod1 heath1 ivy1 laurustinus1 mignionette1 ragweed1 c4 ,some abound with honey2 as borage1 buckwheat1 burnet1 coleseed1 currant and gooseberry-trees1 heath1 leek1 mignionette1 mustard1 onion1 thyme1 the blossoms of apple1 apricot1 cherry1 nectarine1 pear1 and plum-trees1 and the leaves of those trees remarkable for what is called honey-dew1 as the aspin1 blackberry1 laurel1 laurustinus1 lime1 maple1 oak1 plane1 poplar1 and sycamore-tree4 ,among those that are rich in pollen1 may be classed--the arbutus1 ash1 blackberry1 box1 chesnut1 cypress1 elder1 laurel1 marsh-mallow1 turnip1 c4 ,the cultivation of some of the most valuable of these is too-limited to be particularly advantageous to ,bees1 as alyssum1 borage1 burnet1 golden-rod1 laurustinus1 mezereon1 mignionette1 c4 ,the most extensive and lasting ,bee-pasturage in this country is clover1 heath1 and in my own immediate neighbourhood mustard4 ,in short1 every one of the flowers1 c4 mentioned in the foregoing catalogue1 and others innumerable1 are in their turns resorted to by ,bees1 and of course are more or less advantageous to them4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,honey-,,comb4 ,to excite our admiration of the industry and ingenuity of ,bees1 we need only take into our hands a piece of honey-comb1 and examine it attentively4 ,its neatness1 its beauty1 its construction1 the similarity and exact proportion of its double web of cells1 for a honey-comb is1 in fact1 a web of cell-work on both sides1 are most admirable1 and calculated to lead the contemplative mind from nature's work up to nature's ,god4 ,when a swarm of ,bees is put into a hive1 or into a box1 they immediately set about constructing combs in it1 and proceed in their building work with a rapidity that is truly astonishing4 ,the cells that are opposite to each other are advanced alike3 the work on one side is just as forward and in the same state as that on the other side4 ,in the cells first finished the ,queen begins to deposit her eggs4 ,in an incredibly short space of time1 an immense number of cells is completed1 and the ,bees store pollen1 farina1 or ,bee-bread1 7which are so many names for the same substance7 in some of those not already occupied by eggs1 and in others honey soon becomes visible3 all is activity1 industry1 and apparently happiness4 ,but1 to come to particulars3-- ,as ,dr4 ,bevan1 in the course of his masterly chapter ,on the ,architecture of ,bees1 has given an engraved representation of a piece of honey-comb1--and as ,mr4 ,huish also has given a somewhat similar representation1 but better than ,dr4 ,bevan's1 inasmuch as it is more varied1 and shows the royal-cells in their different stages to more advantage1 and the drone-cells likewise2--,i cannot1 perhaps1 do the honey-comb so much justice in any way1 as by presenting to my reader a copy of ,mr4 ,huish's piece of comb1 which has been greatly improved by the skilful hand of my engraver1 and by giving along with it ,dr4 ,bevan's able description4 ,though after all1 a piece of real comb1 to look at and examine1 is more beautiful and far better than any engraving possibly can be1 however cleverly it may be executed3 and therefore1 notwithstanding the plate1 ,i would recommend it to my reader to procure a piece of real honey-comb1 and with it in his hand read the following account1 which is chiefly from ,dr4 ,bevan's pen4 ,illustration ,royal-cells in different states of forwardness1 common-cells1 and drone-cells1 are intended to be severally represented in this plate4 ,the ranges forming the upper half1 and marked--a4 are intended to represent common brood-cells and honey-cells--most of them in an empty state4 ,the lower ranges1 marked--b4 are drone-cells1 and are represented as closed up1 and as they appear when full of brood4 ,drone-cells1 when filled with brood and sealed up1 present a fuller and more convex surface than the cells containing common brood--these1 that is--the cells containing the brood that becomes working ,bees1 are sometimes flat and even1 and sometimes rather concave4 ,the four large cells1 attached perpendicularly to the edge of the comb1 and marked--c4 d4 e4 f4 are royal-cells in different states of forwardness2 that marked--c4 is similar in size and shape to an acorn-cup1 and is supposed to be quite empty2 that marked--d4 is in a more advanced state1 and is supposed to contain a royal embryo1 in its larva state3 the royal-cell1 marked--e4 is considerably lengthened1 narrowed1 and nearly closed1 because the larva it is supposed to contain is about to be transformed into a royal nymph1 in which stage of its existence1 as it does not require the assistance of nurses or common ,bees1 it is closed up entirely1 as in the royal-cell1 marked--f4 ,in this closed cell it progresses from nymph to ,bee1 and in due time--that is1 in about sixteen days from its being deposited as an egg1 it emerges a virgin ,queen4 ,when the temperature of a hive1 or pavilion of nature1 is at a proper height--namely1 between #gj and #hj degrees1 sixteen days is the period nature requires for the production of a ,queen-,bee1--twenty-one for the perfection of a working ,bee1--and twenty-six for a drone ,bee4 ,but1 as ,dr4 ,bevan very justly remarks1 the development of each species proceeds more slowly when the colonies are weak1 or the air cool1--and that when the weather is very cold it is entirely suspended4 ,but to return from this short1 though it is hoped1 not uninteresting digression1 into which the explanation of the ,queen-cells has led us4 ,the combs of the ,bee-hive comprise a congeries of hexagonal cells1 formed by the ,bees1 as receptacles for honey or for embryo ,bees4 ,a honey-comb is allowed to be one of the most striking achievements of insect industry1 and an admirable specimen of insect architecture4 ,it has attracted the admiration of the contemplative philosopher in all ages1 and awakened speculation1 not only in the naturalist1 but also in the mathematician3 so regular1 so perfect1 is the structure of the cells1 that it satisfies every condition of a refined problem in geometry4 ,still a review of their proceedings will lead to the conclusion1 as ,huber has observed1 that1 the geometrical relations1 which apparently embellish the productions of ,bees1 are rather the necessary result of their mode of proceeding1 than the principle by which their labour is guided4 ,we must therefore conclude1 that ,bees1 although they act geometrically1 understand neither the rules nor the principles of the arts which they practise so skilfully1 and that the geometry is not in the ,bee1 but in the great ,geometrician who made the ,bee1 and made all things in number1 weight1 and measure4 ,before the time of ,huber1 no naturalist had seen the commencement of the comb1 nor traced the several steps of its progress4 ,after many attempts1 he at length succeeded in attaining the desired object2 by preventing the ,bees from forming their usual impenetrable curtain by suspending themselves from the top of the hive2 in short1 he obliged them to build upwards1 and was thereby enabled1 by means of a glass window1 to watch every variation and progressive step in the construction of a comb4 ,each comb in a hive is composed of two ranges of cells1 backed against each other3 these cells1 looking at them as a whole1 may be said to have one common base1 though no one cell is opposed directly to another4 ,this base or partition1 between the double row of cells1 is so disposed as to form a pyramidal cavity at the bottom of each1 as will be explained presently4 ,the mouths of the cells1 thus ranged on each side of a comb1 open into two parallel streets 7there being a continued series of combs in every well filled hive74 ,these streets are sufficiently contracted1 to avoid waste of room1 and to preserve a proper warmth1 yet wide enough to allow the passage of two ,bees abreast4 ,apertures through different parts of the combs are reserved to form near roads1 for crossing from street to street1 whereby much time is saved to the ,bees4 ,these in firm phalanx ply their twinkling feet1 ,stretch out the ductile mass1 and form the street1 ,with many a cross-way path and postern gate1 ,that shorten to their range the spreading state4 ,evans4 ,bees1 as has been already observed1 build their cells of an hexangular form1 having six equal sides1 with the exception of the first or uppermost row1 the shape of which is an irregular pentagon1 the roof of the hive forming one of the members of the pentagon4 ,there are only three possible figures of the cells1 says ,dr4 ,reid1 which can make them all equal and similar1 without any useless interstices4 ,these are--the equilateral triangle1 the square and the regular hexagon4 ,it is well-known to mathematicians1 that there is not a fourth way possible1 in which a plane may be cut into little spaces1 that shall be equal1 similar1 and regular1 without having any interstices4 ,of these three geometrical figures1 the hexagon most completely unites the prime requisites for insect architecture4 ,the truth of this proposition was perceived by ,pappus1 an eminent ,greek philosopher and mathematician1 who lived at ,alexandria1 in the reign of ,theodosius the ,great1 and its adoption by ,bees1 in the construction of honey-comb1 was noticed by that ancient geometrician4 ,these requisites are3-- ,first1 ,oeconomy of materials4 ,there are no useless partitions in a honey-comb1 each of the six lateral panels of one cell forms also one of the panels of an adjoining cell2 and of the three rhombs which form the pyramidal base of a cell1 each contributes one third towards the formation of the bases of three opposing cells1 the bottom or centre of every cell resting against the point of union of the panels that are at the back of it4 ,secondly1 ,oeconomy of room2 no interstices being left between adjoining cells4 ,thirdly1 the greatest possible capacity or internal space1 consistent with the two former desiderata4 ,fourthly1 ,oeconomy of materials and economy of room produce economy of labour4 ,and in addition to these advantages1 the cells are constructed in the strongest manner possible1 considering the quantity of materials employed4 ,both the sides and bases are so exquisitely thin1 that three or four placed on each other are not thicker than a leaf of common writing paper2 each cell1 separately weak1 is strengthened by its coincidence with other cells1 and the entrance is fortified with an additional ledge or border of wax1 to prevent its bursting from the struggles of the ,bee-nymph1 or from the ingress and egress of the labourers4 ,this entrance border is at least three times as thick as the sides of the cell1 and thicker at the angles than elsewhere1 which prevents the mouth of the cell from being regularly hexagonal1 though the interior is perfectly so4 ,on books deep poring1 ye pale sons of toil1 ,who waste in studious trance the midnight oil1 ,say1 can you emulate with all your rules1 ,drawn1 or from ,grecian or from ,gothic schools1 ,this artless frame8 ,instinct her simple guide1 ,a heaven-taught insect baffles all your pride4 ,not all your marshall'd orbs that ride so high1 ,proclaim more loud a present ,deity1 ,than the nice symmetry of these small cells1 ,where on each angle genuine science dwells1 ,and joys to mark1 through wide creation's reign1 ,how close the lessening links of her continued chain4 ,evans4 ,having just adverted to the ingenuity of ,bees in thickening1 and thereby strengthening the mouths of the cells1 it may here be observed--that additional strength is also derived from the ,bees covering the whole surface of the combs1 but more particularly the edge of the cells1 with a peculiar kind of varnish1 which they collect for the purpose4 ,at first the combs are delicately white1 semi-transparent1 and exceedingly fragile1 smooth but unpolished3 in a short time their surfaces become stronger1 and assume more or less of a yellow tint4 ,the deepening of the colour of honey-combs has been supposed1 by some1 to be the effect of age2 and in part it may be3 but it is principally owing to the coat of varnish1 with which the ,bees cover them4 ,this varnish strongly resembles propolis1 appearing to differ from it only in containing the colouring material which imparts to wax its yellow hue4 ,the source of this colouring matter has not been discovered3 it is insoluble in alcohol1 but the manufacture of white-wax shows that it is destructible by light4 ,but to return to the construction of the cell-work4 ,the pyramidal basis of a cell is formed by the junction of three rhomboidal or lozenge-shaped portions of wax3 the apex of the pyramid being situated where the three obtuse angles of the lozenges meet4 ,to the exterior edges and angles are attached the six panels or sides of each cell4 ,the apex of each pyramidal bottom1 on one side of a comb1 forms the angles of the bases of three cells on the opposite side1 the three lozenges respectively concurring in the formation of the bases of the same cells4 ,this will1 ,i hope1 explain what is meant by each cell separately weak1 being strengthened by coincidence with others4 ,the bottom of each cell rests upon three partitions of opposite cells1 from which it receives a great accession of strength4 ,as it is desirable that the reader should thoroughly comprehend this subject1 ,i will re-state it in other words4 ,the partition which separates the two opposing rows of cells1 and which occupies1 of course1 the middle distance between their two surfaces1 is not a plane but a collection of rhombs1 there being three at the bottom of each cell3 the three together form in shape1 a flattened pyramid1 the basis of which is turned towards the mouth of the cell2 each cell is in form1 therefore1 a hexagonal prism1 terminated by a flattened trihedral pyramid1 the three sides of which pyramid are rhombs1 that meet at the apex by their obtuse angles4 ,the union of the lozenges in one point1 in addition to the support which it is the means of affording to the three partitions between opposing cells1 is also admirably adapted to receive the little egg and to concentrate the heat necessary for its incubation4 ,each obtuse angle of the lozenges or rhombs forms an angle of about #aaj degrees1 and each acute one1 an angle of about #gj degrees4 ,mr4 ,maraldi found by mensuration that the angles of these rhombs1 which compose the base of a cell1 amounted to #aji degrees and #bh seconds1 and #gj degrees and #cb seconds3 and the famous mathematician ,koenig1 pupil of the celebrated ,bernoulli1 having been employed for that purpose by ,m4 ,reaumur1 has clearly shown1 by the method of infinitesimals1 that the quantity of these angles1 using the least possible wax1 in the cell of the same capacity1 should contain #aji degrees and #bf seconds1 and #gj degrees and #cd seconds4 ,this was confirmed by the celebrated ,mr4 ,mac ,laurin1 who very justly observes1 that ,bees do truly construct their cells of the best figure1 and with the utmost mathematical exactness4 ,the construction of several combs is generally going on at the same time4 ,no sooner is the foundation of one laid1 with a few rows of cells attached to it1 than a second and a third are founded on each side1 parallel to the first1 and so on1 7if the season give encouragement to the operations of the ,bees17 till the hive is filled with their works2 the first constructed comb or combs being always in the most advanced state1 and therefore the first to be completed4 ,the design of every comb is sketched out1 and the first rudiments are laid by one single ,bee4 ,this founder-,bee forms a block1 out of a rough mass of wax1 drawn partly from its own resources1 but principally from those of other ,bees1 which furnish materials1 in quick succession1 from the receptacles under their bellies1 taking out the plates of wax with their hind feet1 and carrying them to their mouths with their fore feet1 where the wax is moistened and masticated1 till it becomes soft and ductile4 ,thus filter'd through yon flutterer's folded mail1 ,clings the cool'd wax1 and hardens to a scale2 ,swift1 at the well-known call1 the ready train 7,for not a buz boon nature breathes in vain7 ,spring to each falling flake1 and bear along ,their glossy burdens to the builder throng4 ,evans4 ,the architect-in-chief1 who lays1 as it were1 the first stone of this and each successive edifice1 determines the relative position of the combs1 and their distances from each other3 these foundations serve as guides for the ulterior labours of the wax-working ,bees1 and of those which sculpture the cells1 giving them the advantage of the margin and angles already formed4 ,the expedients resorted to by that ingenious naturalist1 ,huber1 unfolded the whole process4 ,he saw each ,bee extract with its hind feet one of the plates of wax from under the scales where they were lodged1 and carrying it to the mouth in a vertical position1 turn it round1 so that every part of its border was made to pass in succession1 under the cutting edge of the jaws2 it was thus soon divided into very small fragments2 and a frothy liquor was poured upon it from the tongue1 so as to form a perfectly plastic mass4 ,this liquor gave the wax a whiteness and opacity which it did not possess originally1 and at the same time renders it tenacious and ductile4 ,the issuing of this masticated mass from the mouth was1 no doubt1 what misled ,reaumur1 and caused him to regard wax as nothing more than digested pollen4 ,the mass of wax1 prepared by the assistants1 is applied by the architect-,bee to the roof or bottom of the hive1 as the case may be2 and thus a block is raised of a semi-lenticular shape1 thick at top and tapering towards the edges4 ,when of a sufficient size1 a cell is sculptured on one side of it1 by the wax-working ,bees1 who relieve one another in succession1 sometimes to the number of twenty1 before the cell is completely fashioned4 ,at the back and on each side of this first cell1 two others are sketched out and excavated4 ,by this proceeding the foundations of two cells are laid1 the line betwixt them corresponding with the centre of the opposite cell4 ,as the combs extend1 the first excavations are rendered deeper and broader2 and when a pyramidal base is finished1 the ,bees build up walls from its edges1 so as to complete what may be called the prismatic part of the cell4 ,every succeeding row of cells is formed by precisely similar steps1 until there is a sufficient scope for the simultaneous employment of many workers4 ,these1 with sharp sickle1 or with sharper tooth1 ,pare each excrescence and each angle smooth1 ,till now1 in finish'd pride1 two radiant rows ,of snow-white cells1 one mutual base disclose4 ,six shining panels gird each polish'd round1 ,the door's fine rim1 with waxen fillet hound1 ,while walls so thin1 with sister-walls comhin'd1 ,weak in themselves1 a sure dependence find4 ,evans4 ,the pyramidal bases and lateral plates are successively formed1 with surprising rapidity2 the latter are lengthened as the comb proceeds1 for the original semi-lenticular form is preserved till towards the last1 when1 if the hive or box be filled1 the sides of all the cells receive such additions as give them equal depth4 ,the cells intended for the drones are considerably larger1 and more substantial1 than those for the working ,bees1 and1 being later formed1 usually appear near the bottom of the combs4 ,last of all1 are built the royal-cells1 the cradles of the infant ,queens3 of these there are usually three or four1 and sometimes ten or twelve1 in a hive1 attached commonly to the central part1 but not unfrequently to the edge or side of the comb4 ,mr4 ,hunter says that he has seen as many as thirteen royal-cells in a hive1 and that they have very little wax in their composition1 not one third1 the rest he conceives to be farina4 ,such is the genuine loyalty of ,bees1 that the wax which they employ with so much geometric economy1 in the construction of hexagonal cells1 is profusely expended on the mansion of the royal ,bee-nymph1 one of these exceeding in weight a hundred of the former4 ,they are not interwoven with them1 but suspended perpendicularly1 their sides being nearly parallel to the mouths of the common-cells1 several of which are sacrificed to support them4 ,no more with wary thriftiness imprest1 ,they grace with lavish pomp their royal guest1 ,nor heed the wasted wax1 nor rifled cell1 ,to bid1 with fretted round1 th' imperial palace swell4 ,evans4 ,the form of these royal-cells is an oblong spheroid1 tapering gradually downwards1 and having the exterior full of holes1 somewhat resembling the rustic work of stone buildings4 ,the mouth of the cell1 which is always at its bottom1 remains open till the maggot is ready for transformation1 and is then closed as the others are4 ,immediately on the emergence of a ripened ,queen1 the lodge which she inhabited is destroyed1 and its place is supplied by a range of common cells4 ,the site of this range may always be traced1 by that part of the comb being thicker than the rest1 and forming a kind of knot2 sometimes the upper portion of the cell itself remains1 like an inverted acorn-cup1 suspended by its short peduncle4 ,yet no fond dupes to slavish zeal resign'd1 ,they link with industry the loyal mind1 ,flown is each vagrant chief4 ,they raze the dome1 ,that bent oppressive o'er the fretted comb1 ,and on its knotted base fresh garners raise1 ,where toil secure her well earn'd treasure lays4 ,evans4 ,in this mutilated state only1 and not in the breeding-season1 could ,mr4 ,hunter have seen this cradle of royalty2 for he describes it as the half of an oval1 too wide and shallow to receive its supposed tenant4 ,i have spoken of the perfect regularity in the cell-work of a honey-comb2--particular circumstances1 however1 induce a departure from this exactness3 for instance1 where ,bees have commenced a comb with small cell-work1 and afterwards wish to attach to it a set of large cells1 as in the case of drone-cells being required to be appended to workers'-cells4 ,these deviations from the usual regularity renew our admiration of ,bee-ingenuity1 though ,reaumur and ,bonnet have regarded them as examples of imperfection4 ,they effect their object by interposing three or four series of1 what may be called1 cells of transition1 the bottom or bases of which are composed of two rhombs and two hexagons1 instead of three rhombs2 the rhombs and hexagons gradually varying in form and relative proportion1 till the requisite size1 namely1 that of the cells which they are approaching1 has been attained4 ,the same gradation is observed when returning to smaller cells4 ,every apparent irregularity is therefore determined by a sufficient motive1 and forms no impeachment of the sagacity of the ,bee4 ,the common breeding-cells of drones or workers are occasionally 7after being cleaned7 made the depositories of honey2 but the cells are never made so clean1 as to preserve the honey undeteriorated4 ,the finest honey is stored in new cells1 constructed for the purpose of receiving it1 their configuration resembling precisely the common breeding-cells3 these honey-cells vary in size1 being made more or less capacious1 according to the productiveness of the sources from which the ,bees are collecting1 and according to the season of the year3 the cells formed in ,july and ,august vary in their dimensions from those that are formed earlier2 being intended for honey only1 they are larger and deeper1 the texture of their walls is thinner1 and they have more dip or inclination2 this dip diminishes the risk of the honey's running out1 which1 from the heat of the weather1 and the consequent thinness of the honey1 at this season of the year1 it might otherwise be liable to do4 ,when the cells1 intended for holding the winter's provision1 are filled1 they are always closed with waxen lids1 and never re-opened till the whole of the honey in the unfilled cells has been expended4 ,the waxen lids are thus formed2--the first ,bees construct a ring of wax within the verge of the cell1 to which other rings are successively added1 till the aperture of the cell is finally closed with a lid composed of concentric circles4 ,the brood-cells1 when their tenants have attained a certain age1 are also covered with waxen lids1 like the honey-cells2 the lids differ a little1 the latter being somewhat concave1 the former convex4 ,the depth of the brood-cells of drones and working ,bees is about half an inch2 their diameter is more exact1 that of the drone-cells being three lines,j and one third1 that of the workers two lines and three fifths4 ,these1 says ,reaumur1 are the invariable dimensions of all the cells1 that ever were1 or ever will be made4 ,footnote ,j3 ,a line is the twelfth part of an inch4 ,from this uniform1 unvarying diameter of the brood-cells1 when completed1 their use has been suggested1 as an universal standard of measure1 which would be understood1 in all countries1 to the end of time4 ,while heav'n-born instinct bound their measured view1 ,from age to age1 from ,zembla to ,peru1 ,their snow-white cells1 the order'd artists frame1 ,in size1 in form1 in symmetry1 the same4 ,evans4 ,,bees' ,,wax4 ,,bees' ,,wax1 in its strictest sense1 is a secretion from the body of the ,honey-,bee1 and is that peculiar substance or material with which ,bees principally construct their combs2--,i say--principally1 because the foundation of every comb is propolis3 it is by this tenacious substance 7propolis7 that combs are securely attached to1 and suspended from1 the roof of a hive or a box1--and it is by this that they are firmly glued to the sides1 wherever they are made to touch them4 ,,bees' ,,wax1 however1 in the common acceptation of the term1 is that well-known1 valuable article1 obtained from honey-comb by the following process3-- ,having drained all the honey from the combs1 put them into a clean pot1 together with as much rain-water as will make them float2 then simmer over a clear fire until the combs be completely dissolved2 and the wax and the dross mixed with it will swim at the top of the water4 ,pour the whole into a strong and tolerably fine canvas bag1 made wide at the top and tapering downwards to a point1 in the form of a jelly bag4 ,hold this over a tub or large vessel in which is a quantity of cold water4 ,the boiling water will1 of course1 soon drain through1 and leave in the bag the greater part of the liquefied wax commingled with dross4 ,have ready then a piece of smooth board of such a length that1 when one end of it is placed in the tub of cold water1 the other end may be conveniently rested against1 and securely stayed by your breast4 ,upon this inclined plane lay your dripping1 reeking strainer1 and keep it from slipping into the cold water by bringing its upper part over the top of the board so as to be held firmly between it and your breast4 ,if the strainer be made with a broad hem round its top1 a piece of strong tape or cord passed through such hem will draw it close1 and should be long enough to form a stirrup for the foot1 by which an additional power will be gained of keeping the scalding-hot strainer in its proper place on the board3 then by compressing the bag1 or rather its contents1 with any convenient roller1 the wax will ooze through and run down the board into the cold water1 on the surface of which it will set in thin flakes4 ,when this part of the operation is finished1 collect the wax1 put it into a clean saucepan1 in which is a little water to keep the wax from being burnt to the bottom2 melt it carefully 7for1 should it be neglected and suffered to boil over1 serious mischief might ensue1 liquid wax being of a very inflammable nature7 therefore melt it carefully over a slow fire1 and skim off the dross as it rises to the top2 then pour it into such moulds or shapes as your fancy may direct1 having first well rinsed them1 in order that you may be able to get the wax1 when cold and solid1 out of them without breaking either the moulds or the wax3 place them1 covered over with cloths or with pieces of board1 where the wax will cool slowly2 because the more slowly it cools the more solid it will be and free from flaws and cracks4 ,you will thus have your wax in cakes1 which may be rendered still more pure by a second melting and moulding4 ,if run into very thin cakes1 and afterwards exposed to the influence of the sun and the air1 frequently turned1 and occasionally wetted1 it will lose its yellowness1 and become beautifully white4 ,this last process is called bleaching2 and1 though more simple and practicable than that pursued in establishments where large quantities of wax are bleached--where bleaching wax is of itself a regular business--it may probably be sufficient to answer all the purposes for which white-wax is wanted in private families4 ,i have by me wax of my own bleaching that is equal in whiteness and delicacy to any ,i have ever met with4 ,good wax is a heavy1 solid substance1 of a deep yellow colour1 has an agreeable1 balsamic odour1 and possesses several medicinal and other valuable qualities4 ,combs that have never been filled1 and those that have been filled with honey only1 afford the best wax4 ,of the former kind but very little need ever be taken from ,bees in collateral-boxes2 and when any such combs are taken1 they may be far more advantageously disposed of than by being melted down for the wax they contain4 ,instead of crushing and melting all the combs of three or four hives together1 as is mostly done by cottage ,bee-keepers1 the fine1 clean parts should be separated from those that are discoloured1 less pure1 and inferior1 by reason of their age1--of having been brood combs1--or of containing pollen1 and should be melted first4 ,by this very easy mode of manipulation1 the quantity of wax would not be lessened1 and the superior quality of the fine would command a price that would be an ample remuneration for the additional trouble attending the management of it in this way4 ,should the preceding directions be thought to be tediously or unnecessarily minute1 my apology for making them so is--an anxious wish on my part to render every thing relating to ,bees clearly understood--understood so as to be set about and properly managed by persons who never before bestowed one thought upon the subject4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,i4 ,,winter ,,situation ,,for ,,bees4 ,there is no part of ,bee-management more utterly disregarded by cottage-hive ,bee-keepers than that which relates to a proper situation for store-hives during winter4 ,from whatever cause this inattention may proceed1--whether from custom1 ignorance1 or prejudice1 it is much to be regretted2 because nothing is so essentially conducive to the future prosperity1 and often to the very preservation1 of a colony1 as due attention to its winter situation4 ,left1 as stock-hives commonly are1 in their summer aspect1 and to stand upon the very spot they have occupied ever since the day of their existence as stocks1--with their entrances wide open1 just as they were in summer1--exposed alike to every change of weather and to every attack of prowling enemies2 or1 if covered at all1 it is mostly with a rude coat of straw1 or reed1 or such material as affords to mice1 vermine1 and various sorts of ,bee-enemies1 shelter and concealment1 and1 in fact1 encouragement to attack and destroy the hives4 ,thus1 neglected and unheeded1 it is no wonder that so many stocks of ,bees perish in the winter and spring of every year2 the wonder rather is that any should escape4 ,some apiarian authors are opposed to the confinement of ,bees in their hives1 except when snow is on the ground3 then1 and then only1 they recommend the confinement of ,bees as necessary for their safety4 ,now1 ,i would respectfully ask--if1 in the ,north of ,england and in ,scotland1 snow does not lie on the ground for weeks1 and in some years for months together8 and ,i would ask further--if ,bees can bear this confinement with snow on the ground1 why they cannot bear it when there is no snow8 ,they argue1 however1 in the face of this admission1 that confinement is injurious to ,bees1 and that a flight in the open air on a fine day1 if there should happen to be a fine day1 in the depth of winter1 is beneficial to ,bees1 otherwise1 they say1 the ,bees would not take it4 ,a mild1 open winter1 every body knows1 renders unconfined ,bees poor--and when kept in a state of perpetual agitation and alarm by the restless enemies that surround them and nestle in their straw covering1 and tempted by the faint1 wintery sun-beams that gleam upon their floor-board through the unclosed entrance of their hives1 they will1 no doubt1 sometimes sally forth4 ,but what is the consequence8 ,hundreds and thousands of them become paralyzed,k and never return2 and those that do get home again have occasion for food3 of course1 the oftener these winter flights take place1 the more the population of the hives they issue from is diminished1 and the more pauperized that diminished population becomes in consequence of such flights3 whereas1 if ,bees were confined1 kept in darkness1 or1 at any rate1 out of the influence of the sun1 kept dry1 cool1 still1 and undisturbed1 no such disastrous consequences would ensue4 ,footnote ,k3 ,in the #aeth page of his ,apiarian's ,guide1 ,j4 ,h4 ,payne1 ,esq4 says--a ,bee becomes torpid at a temperature of thirty-two degrees--,payne is an experienced apiarian4 ,what credit then is due to the anonymous critic1 who in one of the weekly periodicals,l has told us that ,bees in a glass hive1 exposed in the open air1 when its temperature was twenty degrees below freezing1 instead of being in a state of of torpor1 continued very lively866--,before yielding implicit credence to this statement1 it would be exceedingly satisfactory to be informed how long the ,bees so exposed continued very lively4 ,footnote ,l3 ,mechanics' ,magazine1 ,no4 #efd1 p4 #aee4 ,the following detail will show my readers the results of some experiments1 relative to the aspect and situation of ,bee-hives during winter2 and whilst in some degree they corroborate the foregoing observations1 they may perhaps induce those1 who are anxious for the prosperity of their ,bees1 to submit to be taught a useful lesson respecting the winter management of them4 ,in #ahbd ,i had six cottage-hives1 which had prospered well with me during the summer of that year4 ,in the autumn of the same year ,i resolved to weigh those six hives1 and to place three of them on the north side of my house1 and to let the other three remain in their summer situation4 ,the separate weights of my hives1 in ,november of the year #ahbd1 were as under1 viz4 ,no4 #a4 #ce lbs4 ,no4 #d4 #db lbs4 #b4 #ch -- #e4 #cb -- #c4 #dj -- #f4 #cg -- --- --- #aac #aaa --- --- ,the first three of these ,nos4 viz4 #a1 #b1 and #c1 weighing together #aac lbs4 remained during the winter in their summer situation3 ,nos4 #d1 #e1 and #f1 weighing together #aaa lbs4 were removed to a cold dry place1 on the north side of my house4 ,on the #bfth of ,march1 #ahbe1 ,i again weighed those six hives1 and found their respective weights to be as follows1 viz4 ,no4 #a4 #ae lbs4 ,no4 #d4 #cg lbs4 #b4 #af -- #e4 #bg -- #c4 #ai -- #f4 #cb -- -- -- #ej #if -- -- ,so that the three hives1 remaining in their summer quarters during the winter1 had decreased in weight just #fc lbs4 being on an average #ba lbs4 each2 while the three which had wintered on the north side of my house had decreased only #ae lbs4 being on an average only #e lbs4 each4 ,this gives an average difference of #af lbs4 a hive1 between a proper and an improper winter situation and aspect for ,bees4 ,it is lamentable to think how many people lose their ,bees1 either from ignorance1 prejudice1 or want of attention to this particular point--a proper winter situation4 ,i need scarcely relate to my readers1 that the ,bees which were placed fronting1 or open to the north1 were the first that swarmed the next spring4 ,they swarmed in the month of ,may2 while those hives that had remained fronting1 or open to the south1 did not swarm until ,july2 and one hive 7,no4 #b47 never swarmed at all during the season4 ,at the latter end of ,october1 #ahbe1 ,i again weighed my hives1 and found them to be as under3-- ,no4 #a4 #bh lbs4 ,swarm from ditto #aj lbs4 #b4 #bb -- #c4 #cj -- ,swarm from ditto #ad -- -- -- #hj #bd -- -- ,no4 #d4 #dd lbs4 ,swarm from ditto #cb lbs4 #e4 #dc -- ,swarm from ditto #bh -- #f4 #da -- ,swarm from ditto #cj -- --- -- #abh #ij --- -- ,hence it appears that the three hives 7,nos4 #a1 #b1 and #c7 that had never been removed from their summer stands1 were #cc lbs4 lighter than when ,i first weighed them1 that is1 on an average1 #aa lbs4 a hive2 and even with the weight of their two swarms added to them1 there was a falling off in the year of #i lbs4 or1 on an average1 of #c lbs1 a hive3 whilst ,nos4 #d1 #e1 and #f1 had gained #ag lbs4 or1 on an average1 nearly #f lbs4 each2 and with the weight of their swarms added to them1 they had gained #ajg lbs4 or1 on an average1 nearly #cf lbs4 a hive in the year4 ,i could carry this subject much further in my explanations1 as ,i did in my experiments1 but it requires no facts in addition to those just stated to explain the difference of aspect in the winter-season to ,bees4 ,every cottager must know that the richer his ,bees are in spring1 the sooner they will swarm4 ,then1 to make them rich1 he must not neglect to place his hives out of the influence of the sun during winter1--in a dry1 cold1 and quiet situation4 ,he will find by this practice1 that not more than five or six pounds of honey will be consumed by a good stock2 but if he suffer his ,bees to remain fronting the south1 they will in a mild winter1 if they survive it at all1 become paupers before spring4 ,now what is proper during the winter for stocks in common hives1 is equally proper for stocks in collateral-boxes1 of which the middle-box is the winter-pavilion or stock-hive4 ,long before winter all the ,bees of the most populous stock will draw into the middle-box and cluster round their ,queen2 and when that is the case1 the dividing-tins should be put down1 in order that all the ,bees may be securely kept in the pavilion2 and previously to removing them from their summer situation1 the entrance should be carefully closed with a piece of wire-cloth1 or perforated tin2 which1 whilst it admits fresh air into the box1 will keep the ,bees within and all their enemies without4 ,it is hardly possible for the smallest enemy to make its way into a box thus secured4 ,a perforated tin may also be put over the way down into the drawer4 ,towards spring this last may be withdrawn1 and the ,bees1 when they begin to revive1 will soon rid themselves of those that may have died in the winter1 by carrying them down into the drawer4 ,having made every necessary preparation1 remove your stocks to such a situation as that herein before recommended1 and there in quietude let them pass the dreary months of winter4 ,i do not advise that they be taken too early to1 nor that they remain too long in1 their hibernacula3 generally speaking1 they may be removed towards the latter end of ,november1 and again in the third or fourth week of ,february2 but the ,bees themselves1 if duly observed1 will be the best directors4 ,this is my practice1 and it is also the practice of my apiarian friend at ,gedney-,hill1 than whose1 no stocks in this neighbourhood are more healthy or much more prosperous4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,apiarian ,,societies4 ,the encouragement of any internal branch of industry1 which will supersede the necessity for the employment of ,british capital in speculative adventures where no equivalent is returned1 is in the mind of every patriot a subject worthy of consideration4 ,and that the prosecution and encouragement of my system of ,bee-management1 undertaken by those who are qualified by their means1 abilities1 and powers of patronage1 to set the example1 and thereby influence others1 will effect this to a considerable extent1 as far as the production of honey and wax is concerned1 will1 ,i think1 be sufficiently obvious to those who have witnessed1 or who hereafter may witness1 the successful results--the almost incredible quantity of these productions from my apiary alone2 or1 leaving my apiary entirely out of the account1 ,i will venture modestly to assert1 that from any one set of collateral-boxes1 well-stocked and well-managed1 the quantity and quality of honey that may be annually taken1 without either destroying or impoverishing the ,bees1 must be seen to be believed2 and being seen1 will not be disputed4 ,the exact amount annually paid to other countries for these two commodities--honey and wax--,i have not the means of ascertaining with accuracy1 but it is probable that it exceeds #cej1jjj4--;a sum lost to this country1 because1 not only have we in the vegetable world a profusion of these productions1 that waste their sweetness on the desert air1 but we have1 or might have1 if we would but encourage them1 the labourers necessary to collect them1 and this too without the deterioration of any other department of rural economy4 ,were ,bee-colonies multiplied to any thing like the number that the ,bee-pasturage of this country would support2 were there1 for instance1 but one set of well-stocked collateral-boxes on every square mile of ,england1 ,wales1 and ,scotland1--or1 to compute moderately1 on every square mile of every rural district of ,great ,britain1 that is fertile in ,bee-pasturage1--and were the price of the finest box-honey reduced to a shilling a pound1 the annual surplus produce of these colonies would realize a sum far exceeding #cej1jjj4 which would be put into the pockets of1 generally speaking1 an industrious and deserving part of the community--the rural population1 and a profitable remuneration given to them for their indulgence and perseverance in a most rational pursuit1 requiring but trifling1 and this only incidental attention4 ,i know of no time more proper for throwing out these hints than the present1 when the subject of rural allotments excites1 and that justly1 almost universal attention amongst those desirous of securing an industrious1 prosperous1 and virtuous peasantry4 ,i do not presume to imagine that1 antiquated as are the practices hitherto so generally adopted1 and so pertinaciously adhered to in ,bee-management in this country1 and characterized as are these practices by so many superstitious and irrational usages--,i do not presume to imagine that my system will1 at once1 up-root prejudices1 dispel superstitions1 and be immediately and heartily adopted by the cottager4 ,the generality of apiarians have yet to be taught that ,bee-management is a system2--that it is something more than merely stocking a hive or box with a swarm of ,bees1 and then leaving it to chance alone to prosper or to perish2 and1 if to prosper1 it is only until the time for its final doom--the reckless destruction of every ,bee--arrives4 ,they have yet to learn that the whole1 or at least1 the greater part of the contingencies1 to which ,bee-colonies are subject1 may be averted2 that the casualties of ,bees are analogous to those of other descriptions of stock2 and that1 if they would ensure success1 or expect to derive profit from them1 it must be by attention to their domicils1 to their protection from the variations of climate and atmosphere1 and from external enemies1--in short1 by proper management4 ,if in many instances1 the success of my hives has been so unqualified and extensive1 it has been because the necessity for careful management has been impressed and adhered to1 and because ,bees1 in whose welfare their owners had been previously uninterested1 have been looked upon with some degree of attention1 and their labours facilitated and requited by timely administering to their wants and comforts4 ,in the same way1 ,i believe1 that by attention to the observations contained in these pages1 the cottagers' labours may be more amply repaid1 and that more honey may be obtained1 even by their rough practices2 whilst this will be preparing them for the adoption of my improved plans and gradually pave the way for its general introduction4 ,for this ,i more particularly refer to the preceding chapter1 and to that on ,bee-feeding1 i4 e4 chapters ,,xiv4 and ,,xvii4 ,it has often been suggested to me1 to point out how the culture of ,honey-,bees might be more generally extended in this country1 and rendered more advantageous to the cottager than it has been hitherto4 ,as regards the extension of ,bee-cultivation1 ,i would observe1 that if those gentlemen1 especially those gentlemen resident in the country1 who possess affluence1 influence1 and leisure1 would undertake to promote it--would set the example and keep ,bees1 their example alone would go far to induce the cottager to keep them2 and that1 as other countries boast1 and that so usefully1 their apiarian societies1 the formation of such a society1 or societies1 could not fail to be attended with beneficial effects4 ,some feeble attempts1 it is true1 to establish such a society have been made1 but have proved abortive1 whilst premiums on the subject have been offered by other societies1,m injudiciously1 as they have tended to perpetuate mistaken views1 and to retard the progress of more correct ones4 ,i am not insensible of the extreme benefit which has resulted to the different branches of industry1 and to agriculture and horticulture in particular1 by well-regulated scales of premiums1 emulating to superiority and necessarily promoting a beneficial stimulus in the different branches with which they are connected4 ,and1 in my opinion1 nothing would more easily tend to the inculcation of sounder views of practice1 than1 if gentlemen1 pursuing my principles1 would interest themselves in connecting with the objects of such associations more generally1 graduated scales of prizes1 regulated by the quantity of honey obtained from stocks1 the prosperity of the hives afterwards1 and the state of the apiary generally1 c4 ,were they also to countenance the plan of placing colonies under the care of labouring cottagers1 giving them premiums as an inducement to careful management1 they could not fail of conferring a benefit1 by initiating them into the plans of the system1 as well as by more advantageously dividing the pasture of the district among the different hives1 and thereby rendering the labour of their collecting the stores considerably less to the ,bees4 ,this would1 undoubtedly1 effect much1 but ,i know of no means so decidedly calculated to foster and encourage the culture of ,honey-,bees among all classes1 and more particularly among the population of rural districts1 as apiarian societies1 formed for the express purpose of extending and improving the cultivation and management of ,honey-,bees4 ,footnote ,m3 ,a premium was last year 7#ahcc7 awarded by the ,cambridgeshire ,horticultural ,society1 to a ,mr4 ,widnal1 for his exhibition of a glass of honey4 ,but whether the encouragement of ,bee-culture be an object of that very respectable society1--or whether the reward given to ,mr4 ,widnal on that occasion was a sort of bye-premium1 bestowed for the gratification of seeing a curiosity1 it did not appear4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,miscellaneous ,,directions4 ,in undertaking this work1 as ,i originally did1 at the pressing solicitations of several of those ,noblemen and ,gentlemen1 whose names graced the list of the subscribers for the first edition1 ,i had two main objects in view2 of which a full and particular explanation of the mode of managing ,honey-,bees1 in my boxes and upon my principles1 was one1--and the other1 which ,i do ardently hope will result from the adoption and encouragement of my long-tried plan1 is--the prospective improvement1 not only of the culture and condition of those ingenious1 admired1 and most interesting little creatures1 but also of honey and wax--the two valuable articles which ,bees1 and ,bees alone1 afford us4 ,to prepare the way for the accomplishment of the latter of these objects1 ,i have exerted my best endeavours--,i have spared neither pains nor expense1 to give minute1 and1 ,i trust1 intelligible descriptions of all my boxes and hives1 of my ,bee-machinery1 and of every thing thereto pertaining2 which descriptions have been accompanied with such practical directions and relations of experiments1 as will1 if duly attended to1 enable my ,bee-friends to put their apiaries upon my humane and profitable system of management4 ,therefore ,i do not think it is incumbent upon me to proceed farther at present4 ,i might easily double the size of my book1 by entering into and giving lengthy details of several matters relative to ,bees1 which are not here so much as hinted at2 such1 for instance1 as the distance that they sometimes fly from their hives in quest of honey1 and the experiments that have been made to determine that distance2--the nature of honey-dew1 and how it is occasioned1--why it abounds on some trees and plants1 whilst others are entirely destitute of it1--whether it be a natural exudation of the plants that afford it1--or whether it be produced by the leaf-lice1 called aphides2--why1 if the impregnation of a ,virgin-,queen be retarded beyond a certain number of days after her coming into existence1 all the eggs she lays during her whole life1 should invariably produce drones2--the language of ,bees1 for ,bees1 it has been held1 have their peculiar language1 though ,i profess not to understand it1 nor even to have studied it1 my business being with their habits2--the various diseases or maladies with which skilful men assure us they are occasionally affected2--their senses1 their anatomy1 and their instinct2--their affinity to the wasp2--exotic ,bees from those of ,lapland to those of ,china2 and from those of ,siberia to those of the ,cape of ,good ,hope2--the stingless ,bees of ,south ,america1 mentioned by ,dr4 ,hancock1 that from the luxuriant ever-blooming1 tropical plants and flowers1 produce black wax2,n what ,aristotle hath remarked on one subject1--what ,pliny hath said on another1--what classic ,virgil hath so delightfully sung of the nature1 economy1 and management of ,bees in ,italy1--what ,gelieu in modest prose hath said of ,bees in ,switzerland1--,huber and ,reaumur in ,france1 and a host of writers in ,germany1 and in our own native ,england2 what opposite opinions have been entertained respecting honey2 whether plants and flowers secrete pure honey1 or whether the saccharine matter culled from them undergoes any percolating1 rectifying1 chemical process in the stomach of the ,bee4--,i might observe1 that the illustrious ,hunter was of opinion that it undergoes no change2 although the no less illustrious naturalist ,reaumur1 and the entomologists ,kirby and ,spence1 imagine that some change does take place before the honey is stored in the cells1--that1 as the nectarious exudation of plants is not of the same consistence as honey from the hives1 it is reasonable to suppose that it undergoes some change in transitu whilst in the body of the ,bee2 that1 as far as my experience has enabled me to make observations on this subject1 ,i am disposed to lean to the opinion of ,reaumur1 ,kirby1 and ,spence1 and to ascribe the difference between honey in the nectarium of a flower or on the leaf of a tree1 and honey in the cells of a comb1 to the absorption of the volatile parts of the saccharine of the plants and flowers whilst in the honey-bag2 which absorption is aided and accelerated by the natural heat of the ,bee1 and by which process honey is rendered of uniform consistence1 in the graphic language of my chemical friend--,mr4 ,booth--,i might exclaim1 ,how necessarily do the least valued products in the economy of nature1 eliminated in the most miniature laboratory of her operations1 confirm us in the belief of the existence1 wisdom1 and power of nature's ,god--the ,great ,chemist--who has not only imbued matter to act upon its fellow matter in the infinity of space1 to produce an infinite diversity of changes in the material world2 but1 within the small compass of a ,bee1 has provided apparatus for certain changes to take place1 which are more elaborate1 important1 and complicated1 than are produced in the largest apparatus of the manufacturer6 ,in this little insect are performed all those chemical processes of life1 by which nature is kept in the equanimity and beauty of existence--here composition and decomposition1 solution and precipitation1 sublimation1 volatilization1 distillation1 and absorption1 through the agency of heat and attraction1 take place on the minutest matters1 secreted by the plants and collected by the ,bees2 and in the hive1 by the concentration of their individual efforts1 is elaborated that immense quantity of those important products1 which constitute such useful commodities in the arts and economy of life4 ,footnote ,n3 ,see page #aa1 antea4 ,the discussion of some of these topics1 and dissertations on others1 might be made amusing1 perhaps interesting1 and would1 at all events1 swell the size of my book2 but whether ,i should thereby enhance its intrinsic merits 7if intrinsic merit it possess7 is more than ,i dare venture to affirm4 ,in short1 these topics come not within my plan1--they are foreign to it1 and ,i gladly leave them to be treated of by others1 whose learning is mare able to cope with them1 and whose taste may direct them to such subjects4 ,i have withheld nothing that ,i deem to be essentially necessary to the thorough understanding of my mode of ,bee-management2 consequently1 ,i anticipate that my two main objects will eventually be attained--that ,bee-culture will become a pleasing and a profitable study--a source of instructive amusement and of profit too1--and that our country will1 at no great distance of time1 be everywhere studded and ornamented with neat1 well-ordered apiaries4 ,i will1 therefore1 now close my present labours with a few miscellaneous directions1 chiefly recapitulatory1 which1 on account of their importance1 every apiarian should constantly bear in mind4 ,have your ,bee-boxes well-made1 and of good substantial materials4 ,strength and durability are of greater consequence than neatness1 though that need not be neglected--neatness and strength are not incompatible--they may be combined4 ,paint your boxes annually1 when they are in their winter situation4 ,make a clear ground or floor-way from the pavilion into each of the end-boxes1 by cutting away about two inches from the lower edge of each of the corresponding ends1 to the depth of half an inch2 and make this way or passage as near the front-entrance as it conveniently may be4 ,this convenience has been suggested to me since the directions for making collateral-boxes were printed1 and ,i therefore mention it here as an improvement1 because such a way on the floor1 and without any climbing1 will afford an additional accommodation to ,bees on many occasions4 ,boxes will not work ,bees1 neither will ,bees work boxes to advantage1 unless due attention be paid to them--i4 e4 both to boxes and to ,bees4 ,situation is of prime importance3 for summer it should be clear and open in front of your boxes1 and sheltered at their back by a north-wall or by a thick hedge4 ,in summer let their aspect be south-east3--early in spring1 and again in autumn1 due south is the best point to be in front3 therefore1 as spring advances turn the front of your boxes eastward1 and as summer declines move them back again to their spring aspect2 or1 in other words1 when there is not more than twelve hours' sun1 let the front of your boxes be due south2 and during the time that the sun is more than twelve hours above the horizon1 let it be south-east4 ,always have the cheerful rays of the morning sun fall upon your boxes3 but contrive to throw a shade upon their front for a few hours in the middle of the day1 when the weather is very hot4 ,such a shade will be grateful to your ,bees4 ,elevate your boxes twenty inches or two feet above the ground3 and always keep the grass or ground1 under and near them1 neat and clean1 and entirely free from all nuisances4 ,a constant supply of water in the immediate vicinity of your apiary is highly desirable2 if therefore you have not a natural supply of that element1 so necessary for ,bees1 contrive to let them have it by artificial means--by placing it in or near your apiary1 in large1 shallow dishes1 or in wooden troughs1 partially covering the surface with reed or moss1 and be careful to replenish them1 so that your ,bees may always find it there4 ,suffer not ants to burrow near your ,bees4 ,ants are enemies to ,bees1 and will annoy them1 if they get among them4 ,spiders also are ,bee-destroyers2 therefore1 brush away their entangling webs1 whenever and wherever you find them about your boxes4 ,fowls should not be permitted in an apiary4 ,early in spring let the entrance be not more than an inch1 and increase it gradually to its full extent1 as you find occasion3 contract it again towards the fall of the year2 and1 if the moths be troublesome in summer evenings1 nearly close it every evening2 but take care to open it again either early next morning1 or as soon as the evening flight of the moths is over4 ,this attention is more particularly due to weak stocks1 and affords them great protection against the attacks of moths1 which are among the boldest1 the most persevering1 and1 when once they have got into a hive1 most destructive enemies to ,bees4 ,destroy wasps and wasps' nests wherever you find them in the vicinity of your apiary4 ,the destruction of queen-wasps in spring is the most effectual method of diminishing the number of these formidable ,bee-enemies2 because the destruction of a queen-wasp in spring is tantamount to the destruction of a whole nest afterwards4 ,light in the domicil of ,bees1 if not actually prejudicial to them1 is1 at any rate1 displeasing to them2 therefore1 be careful never to expose your ,bees unnecessarily to its glare3 never leave the window-doors open1 nor suffer careless visitors to do so4 ,my ingenious friend1 the ,rev4 ,t4 ,clark1 of ,gedney-,hill1 suggests the propriety of recommending that the window-doors be self-shutting doors4 ,this1 he says1 may be done by fixing upon each door a light1 easy spring1 similar to those made use of to shut doors in good houses2 or by a cord attached to each door1 and passed through an eye1 and over a small pulley fixed to the side of each box2 from the end of which cord a weight of two or three ounces must be suspended4 ,this weight1 acting upon the cord1 will draw the little doors to the windows1 that is1 it will shut them4 ,the cords1 eyes1 and pulleys1 he further says1 may be so arranged1 that one small weight will keep all the hive doors1 in a set of collateral-boxes1 closed and safe1 and may be made to hang under the floor4 ,i have no hesitation in recommending his suggestion as ingenious1 practicable1 and useful4 ,the best security1 however1 after all1 is that afforded by lock and key1 the key being in the constant possession of the owner4 ,ventilate your collateral-boxes and bell-glasses1 when the interior temperature is at1 or above1 #gj degrees4 ,never irritate your ,bees1 nor offer any sort of violence or opposition to them2 and should an angry ,bee or two at any time attack you1 walk quietly away1 and leave them to settle into peace again4 ,on no account drive your ,bees2 it is a ruinous practice4 ,with boxes1 however1 ,i trust1 it is impracticable1 and totally superseded4 ,never disturb1 nor in any way interfere with1 the middle-box4 ,on no account destroy any of your ,bees3 independently of its cruelty1 it is an impolitic practice3 it is like cutting down a tree to get at its fruit1 which may easily be gathered by less laborious and indestructive means4 ,encourage your ,bees1--accommodate them1--support them1--and by all means preserve them2 and1 when seasons are favourable1 they will richly reward you for your attention to them4 ,always keep a cottage-hive1 or single box or two1 in your apiary1 for the purpose of having swarms from them1 with which to stock empty boxes1 or to strengthen such stocks as may stand in need of additional numbers2 and proceed with such supplementary swarms as directed in pages #db-de4 ,never impoverish your ,bees by taking from them more honey than they have to spare4 ,always suffer them to be in possession of a plentiful store4 ,over-deprivation distresses them1 and is no gain to the proprietor4 ,among other reasons this is one for my repeated directions--not to touch the middle-box4 ,honey of the very finest quality may commonly be obtained from collateral-boxes1 as early in the season as the months of ,may and ,june1 without injuring the parent-stock in the slightest degree4 ,the enlargement of their domicil by returning an empty glass1 or an empty box1 to the place from which a full one has been taken1 is at this busy period of their labour an accommodation to ,bees1 and is one great means of preventing the necessity for their swarming1 as it enables them to continue their work at the time that there is the greatest abundance of treasure for them in the fields1 and when ,bees in cottage-hives cannot profit by it1 owing to their want1 not of inclination to gather it1 but of room in their hive to store it2 they therefore swarm once1 twice1 perhaps three times4 ,what then can be afterwards expected from such exhausted stocks but weakness and poverty8 ,the more numerous the working ,bees are in any colony1 the more honey they will collect1 provided they have room wherein to store it4 ,accommodate them1 then1 with convenient store-room1 and the more workers you have in your boxes the better4 ,up to the middle of ,august you may1 with safety1 that is1 without injury to the ,bees1 take off glasses and boxes1 as they become ready4 ,after that time it is advisable to have1 and to leave1 in every colony1 honey sufficient for the subsistence of the ,bees until next spring2 and should you take off a full box1 later in the season than the middle of ,august1 instead of emptying it of all its treasure1 be content with a part of it1--take a part1 and return a part--share it with your ,bees1 and let their share be a liberal one4 ,as has been already enjoined--on no account impoverish them by over-deprivation1 at that precarious season especially4 ,they possibly may collect much honey after that time2 if so1 share with them again2 if not1 have them rich from your first bounty4 ,when a box1 well-stored with honey1 is taken off1 it is not an easy matter to extract the first comb or two1 without breaking them and spoiling their beauty1 besides shedding more or less of the honey2 therefore1 be prepared with proper knives4 ,any common knife that has a blade long enough1 may serve to sever the combs from the sides of a box3 but1 to cut them from the top1 it is advisable to have an instrument1 which may be called a ,bee-knife1 of the following construction3--a two-edged1 lancet-shaped blade1 two inches long and three-eighths of an inch broad1 having the hole1 through which the rivet would pass to fix it in a haft1 drilled large enough to admit the end of a steel rod1 upon which it is to be well brazed or riveted3 the other end of this rod may be finished with a neat handle1 leaving its clear length between the contrate blade and the handle eleven inches--that being rather more than the depth of my ,bee-boxes4 ,a knife of this description may easily be passed between the combs1 and is very convenient for cutting them from the top of a box4 ,whenever you have occasion to perform any operation among your ,bees1 be provided with every requisite material1 implement1 c4 ,have not any thing to seek for1 much less to get made1 at the moment it is wanted3 that moment may perhaps be a critical one4 ,in ,september unite the ,bees of poor stocks to rich ones2 and now1 or in ,march1 transfer stocks from straw-hives into boxes4 ,previously to withdrawing the tin-divider1 for the purpose of opening the communication into an end-box1 take off the end-box and dress its inside with a little liquid honey2 this will bring the ,bees into it1 when1 but for the honey1 they would perhaps refuse to enter it2 and at that time close the ventilation4 ,it is wrong to ventilate empty boxes1 because it drives the ,bees into the pavilion3 and it is a fact1 that they will swarm from the pavilion1 rather than take possession of an empty end-box1 if its temperature be1 and be kept1 disagreeably cold1 by having the ventilation open at the very time it should be carefully closed4 ,this will both explain and remedy the difficulty1 that some apiarians complain of having experienced1 in getting their ,bees to take possession of an empty box2 it will also account for swarms sometimes leaving the pavilion when there is no want of room3 the fact is--that the temperature of that room is not agreeable to them3 but it is owing to the mismanagement of the apiator that it is otherwise than agreeable4 ,whenever a box is taken off1 be careful to open the perforations in the cylinder-ventilator1 many of which will be found sealed up with propolis4 ,these perforations may be cleared at any time1 by introducing a piece of wire with a sharpened point1 turned so as to pick out the propolis2 but they are most effectually opened when a box is off4 ,towards the latter end of ,november1 or earlier1 if the weather be inclement and severe1 remove your ,bee-boxes to their winter situation3 this should be dry1 quiet1 cool1 and dark1 and place your boxes in it so that they may front towards the north or north-east4 ,guard and close the entrance with a piece of fine wire-cloth1 of ,lariviere's patent tin1 or of perforated zinc1 7which is the best1 on account of its not corroding7 made fast to the box1 either of which will confine the ,bees within their domicil1 admit plenty of fresh air1 and keep out inimical intruders4 ,thus prepared for winter1 having every tin and block in its proper place1 disturb your ,bees as little as possible1 and1 come winter as it may1 they will pass it in that state of semi-insensibility1 or torpor1 which nature1 or with reverence let me rather say--nature's ,god has appointed for them4 ,towards the end of ,february1 or as soon as vegetation begins to make its appearance1 take your boxes from their winter to their summer stands1 and commence another course of attentions1 observations1 and humane management1 similar to that herein directed and explained4 ,and1 though cases may arise1 and difficulties occur in the course of your practice1 for the remedying of which no specific directions are1 or can be1 here given1 your own experience and progressive improvement in the pleasing science of ,bee-management1 will lead you to adopt the proper mode of treating the former1 and the proper means for surmounting the latter4 ,,the ,,end4 ,h4 ,,and ,j4 ,,leach1 ,,printers1 ,,wisbech4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber ,note ,minor typographical errors have been corrected4 ,hyphenation standardized to most utilized form herein4