,,bee-,,keeping4 ,,by ,,the ,,times ,,bee-,,master4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,bee-,,keeping4 ,,by ,,the ,,times ,,bee-,,master4 ,,with ,,illustrations4 ,,london3 ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,son1 ,,marston4 #ad1 ,,ludgate ,,hill4 #ahfd4 ,the right of translation is reserved4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,edmund ,,evans1 ,,raquet ,,court1 ,,fleet ,,street4 ,illustration ,,preface ,my apology for writing a ,bee-,book is as follows3--,i sent ,the ,times an account of a very successful honey harvest about the end of ,july1 containing some observations on the treatment of bees1 and the profits that might accrue to the cottager were he to take the right and humane way of taking honey from his hives4 ,this communication appears to have interested many1 for in consequence of it1 persons desirous of information wrote to the ,editor of ,the ,times1 requesting in confidence the name of the ,bee-master1 in order that they might correspond with him4 ,the ,editor declined to give it up without my consent1 which ,i felt it expedient to withhold4 ,but to satisfy those who took so warm an interest in the subject1 ,i addressed a series of letters to ,the ,times1 explanatory of some of the simplest elements of apiculture4 ,these excited so great interest1 that ,i received multitudes of letters addressed to ,the ,times ,bee-master1 which it was physically impossible to answer4 ,but most of my correspondents complained of the obscurity and complexity of bee-books in general1 and earnestly begged me to prepare a work they could understand and translate into practice4 ,i have attempted to do so1 strengthening my own observations by valuable extracts from the works of others4 ,i am not1 however1 insensible to the great value1 wide research1 and real usefulness of the works ,i have carefully and long read4 ,the first and most useful1 as well as most beautiful modern work on bees1 is ,my ,bee-,book1 by the ,rev4 ,william ,charles ,cotton1 ,m4,a41 student of ,christ ,church1 ,oxon4 ,it is profusely illustrated1 and is the most genial and instructive work on bees it has been my lot to read4 ,i have felt so great an interest in this good clergyman1 that it often occurred to me to try to ascertain where he was and what he was doing4 ,my own communications to ,the ,times1 among many interesting letters1 brought me one signed ,an ,australian1 which1 though long1 contains amid much interesting matter some notice of the author of ,my ,bee-,book4 ,the reader will not1 ,i am sure1 complain of its length4 ,sir1--,it may be interesting to you1 whose letters in ,the ,times have so delighted me1 to hear that my experience in ,australia of the habits1 instincts1 and affections 7if ,i may so apply the word7 of your little favourites is identical with your own4 ,from early childhood ,i shared my father's interest in his pets2 and at one time ,i could have counted upwards of ninety hives in the two apiaries which he kept for his own amusement1 and for the encouragement of those who were willing to keep bees4 ,everyone was welcome to a swarm who cared to ask for one4 ,i may give some curious facts as to the sagacity and gratitude of these insects4 ,during the prevalence of the hot winds1 it sometimes happens that the delicate comb melts1 and the first indication is a stream of melted honey and smothering bees4 ,i have been called to the rescue1 and have taken up honey and bees in my hands1 placed them in a basin of tepid water1 and spread my fingers as landing-stages until all capable of restoration have plumed their wings and buzzed gratefully away1 and so on until order and comfort was restored to the disturbed hive4 ,i never was stung on any occasion whilst working amongst the bees1 and only twice that ,i remember1 and then by meeting an angry bee accidentally in the garden4 ,the buzz of an angry bee is quite well known to their lovers4 ,on one occasion a swarm met my sister1 and actually began to settle on her hand and arm4 ,she knew their ways1 and walked very slowly on 7of course surrounded by bees7 until she found what she considered a comfortable bough1 under which she held her hand4 ,the queen adopted the suggestion1 and after a few minutes' patiently standing amidst the confusion1 she quietly retired1 and1 as you will believe1 unharmed4 ,of course we could not house all our swarms1 so they went off to the woods and found habitations in gum-trees hollowed out by the action of fires through the bush4 ,i recollect one swarm1 however1 belonging to a neighbour1 which preferred its old quarters1 and actually built the combs and filled them with honey suspended from beneath the shelf upon which the hives were ranged in the open air4 ,its ultimate fate ,i do not remember4 ,bees have many enemies in ,australia2 the greatest is probably the sugar-ant4 ,to protect them from these intruders1 we had the hives ranged on shelves1 the supports of which stood in wide vessels of water1 alike a protection against other foes4 ,the apiaries were built open in front and ends1 against a wall1 with thatched roof and overhanging eaves2 and there was a space between the shelf on which the hives stood and the wall1 where one could sit or stand and watch them2 for most of our hives were square1 made of wood1 with glass sides and wooden shutters2 and the bees were so accustomed to be looked at1 that they kept their side of the glass quite clean1 and generally built a smooth surface of comb next the glass1 leaving space to move between the comb and the glass2 and ,i have often seen the queen1 surrounded by her admiring subjects 7exactly as you describe7 making her progress across the comb1 each attendant bee with its head next her majesty1 fanning with its wings1 and one could hear a purr of satisfaction4 ,the antipathies of the bee are very curious4 ,i have known one individual who was chased perpetually round the garden1 and ,i have seen him obliged to rush through a hedge to escape his little tormentors4 ,their feuds were sometimes most violent1 and ,i have had to remove a hive from one apiary to the other1 a distance of half a mile1 to preserve the bees4 ,your plan of the super-hives is excellent4 ,most of our hives were square1 and all of wood4 ,the straw hives proved a harbour for insects1 and deprived us of the pleasure of watching the bees at work4 ,we used large confectioners' glasses as supers1 turned upside down4 ,they were speedily filled1 and we could ensure honey flavoured with the different blossoms1 by placing the glass during the season of the orange-blossom1 or heliotrope1 c41 c4 ,our chief guide in the management was a book written by the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,cotton1 called ,my ,bee-,book2 and it may be interesting to mention1 that when in after years that gentleman accompanied the ,bishop of ,new ,zealand to that country1 via ,australia1 he was my father's guest4 ,mr4 ,cotton's delight at finding his favourites so appreciated was only equalled by our pleasure in meeting the author of ,my ,bee-,book2 but1 sad to say1 our bees conceived a dislike to their visitor2 and upon his exhibiting his fearlessness in handling bees1 he was stung 7much to the amusement of some small bystanders7 by two wicked bees4 ,a relation of my own kept her bees in the verandah of her drawing-room2 and she has frequently cut out of the hive a large piece of comb1 taking care not to break it1 and merely cutting through the little connecting links of wax which support the layers of comb2 and this she could do with impunity from the super of a busy hive1 simply because she lived amongst her bees4 ,hoping that this letter may not have wearied you1 ,i remain yours faithfully1 ,an ,australian4 ,london1 #abth ,august1 #ahfd4 ,p4,s4 ,i have never had an opportunity of keeping bees in ,england4 ,i shall look for your promised manual1 as ,i hope some day ,i may be able to have some of my favourites to care for4 ,i may add1 my father procured our original stock from ,tasmania1 in the common straw hive1 a bit of pierced tin fastened over the entrance4 ,one system ,i do not see alluded to1 which we found answer very well1 when we wished1 for any cause1 to take the old comb and start the bees afresh4 ,we used in the early dawn to place the full hive over an empty one1 covering all with a large cloth1 and then beat the top hive steadily1 not roughly1 with a stick4 ,very soon the queen would take refuge in the lower box1 when a board was slipped between1 and the upper old hive removed4 ,the bees 7the few that loitered behind the queen7 soon left the honey to join their friends3 at night the new hive was carried to the site of the old one1 and turned up upon its own board4 ,we always had cross bars of wood on the hives1 upon which the swarm at first clung4 ,taylor's and ,wood's ,manuals of ,bee-keeping are exceedingly good4 ,richardson's is very full4 ,lardner's ,treatise in the ,museum of ,science and ,art well deserves the attention of the reader4 ,i do not profess to have struck out any original methods of constructing hives or treating bees4 ,to the science of apiculture ,i have contributed nothing4 ,all ,i profess to do is to give plain1 practical directions for the successful management of bees1 chiefly from observation and experience4 ,i am persuaded there has been much useful and instructive matter in my letters1 because ,i have received a few very ill-natured communications4 ,one of them 7not the worst7 ,i insert1 as a specimen of the reception my little work is doomed to expect4 ,but perhaps the writers may repent of their intentions1 and recover the sweet temper they seem to have lost4 ,august #ae4 ,sir1--,i have read very attentively the letters in ,the ,times about bees1 and am convinced that the ,american gentleman is right1 and that much of what you say is mere old woman's twaddle4 ,your nonsensical rant about loyalty to the queen-bee 7in these days1 when loyalty to kings and queens is utterly and very properly extinct71 and your raving against radical reform 7so much wanted in all matters71 both give evidence of anility and failing intellect4 ,i shall act on my conviction by ordering the ,american book on bees for myself and friends1 and ,i shall use all my literary influence 7which is considerable7 in preventing the circulation of your poor trumpery twopenny-halfpenny bee-papers4 ,a ,non-believer in the ,bee-master of ,tunbridge ,wells4 ,p4,s4 ,i am no ,american1 but ,i sympathise with ,messrs4 ,bright and ,cobden4 ,i rejoice at the downfall of the ,danish monarchy2 and ,i would not fight1 under any circumstances1 either for king1 queen1 princes1 or peoples--not foreign peoples at least1 ,i look on loyalty as rank humbug4 ,kings must behave better before we can respect or love them6 ,in this work ,i have purposely left out all notice of a variety of hives as ingenious as they are disliked by bees4 ,some apiarians have expended all their talent in making tortuous entrances1 worrying homes1 and elegant residences for the queen and her subjects4 ,they seem to estimate their success by the extent of their departure from simplicity4 ,they merge the useful and convenient in the elegant and complex4 ,but the less the bees are plagued by intricate and arduous arrangements in the interior of their residences1 the more comfortable and contented they feel1 and the more efficiently they work4 ,it is on this account ,i have written so favourably of the ,ayrshire hive4 ,it is simple in structure1 and the parallel openings in the roof of the stock hive introductory to the super are far more liked by the bees than a round central hole1 while the facility of removing a super in the honey harvest is perfectly charming4 ,the comb in the super is never or rarely connected with the comb in the stock hive1 and1 therefore1 needs no cutting with zinc plates4 ,a screw-driver gently introduced loosens the propolis1 or a table-knife may be employed to cut it all round the lower edge of the super1 and the proprietor has only to lift it off and carry it away on a deal board4 ,i can easily see that had ,i praised several ingenious contrivances for the residence of bees1 ,i should have provoked fewer charges of ignorance of modern apiculture4 ,i repeat1 ,i have read much on the subject2 but my recommendations are not the results of theory or imagination1 but of practical knowledge and of careful watching4 ,the best hop-garden is that which grows the most and best hops2 the best mill is that which grinds most corn2 and the best hives are those in which is deposited the largest amount of the best honey4 ,by all means let us have observatory hives for scientific investigations2 but what the cottager requires is plenty of produce1 with the least tax on his toil and pocket4 ,hence this work is drawn up1 not for scientific apiarians1 but for all who wish to enjoy a pleasant and profitable employment4 ,i must tender my best thanks to ,messrs4 ,neighbour1 of ,regent-street1 ,london1 and to ,mr4 ,pettitt1 of ,snargate1 ,dover1 for their permission to copy such of their woodcuts as ,i thought it useful to describe or to suggest amendments on4 ,i may also add1 that in using the name1 ,the ,times ,bee-master1 ,i avail myself merely of the title given me by the countless correspondents who did me the honour to write me either directly or indirectly through the editor of ,the ,times4 ,in reprinting my letters to ,the ,times1 ,i must here notice an alteration ,i think expedient4 ,i felt it right to reply to a very injudicious and extreme letter which appeared in that paper4 ,i did so playfully1 and with kindly feeling4 ,but the correspondent ,i thus replied to seems to have viewed it as a personal attack4 ,under the inspiration of very irritated feelings he wrote another letter to the ,editor of ,the ,times1 which was very properly refused admission4 ,but he was kind enough to send it to several papers1 in which he published it1 prefacing it in one with controversial remarks so far removed from the courtesies of fair correspondence1 that it ceased to be possible to hold any further argument with him4 ,i am really very sorry that a gentleman ,i never saw1 and do not yet know whether he is a clergyman or layman1 should have so passionately interpreted remarks made by me in perfect good-humour4 ,i offer him every apology that is due for being misunderstood4 ,in order to avoid any such contingency again1 ,i have omitted his name1 and have substituted ,your ,correspondent4 ,i may also add1 that when ,i sent my letters to ,the ,times ,i had not the remotest idea of composing a book on the subject4 ,having other and absorbing work to attend to1 ,i have been able to devote spare hours only to a very pleasant work1 undertaken at the request of many1 and dedicated to the service of all4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,contents -------- ,,page ,introduction #a ,bee-keeping ,money-making #c ,bee-keeping a source of ,enjoyment #f ,how to begin ,bee-keeping #aj ,the ,bee-house1 and how to place it #ba ,hives and ,bee-boxes #ce ,how to get ,bees #ei ,the ,inmates of the ,hive #hg ,bee ,enemies #ajd ,the ,bee-master's ,letters to ,the ,times #aaf ,bee ,things in general #afi ,letters from ,correspondents #bjj 99 99 99 99 99 ,erratum4--,page #de1 line #ah--;,for inches read degrees4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,this ,,was corrected6 ,,bee-,,keeping4 ,,by ,,the ,,times ,,bee-,,master4 -------- ,this work is not a speculative or philosophical treatise on bees4 ,its main interest consists in its usefulness2 and its author's greatest reward will be the greatest measure of his success in promoting among cottagers and others a means of paying their rent1 at once interesting1 civilising1 and remunerative4 ,next to this1 ,i hope ,i may contribute toward the extinction of the savage and unprofitable1 but almost universal1 habit in this country of burning the bees with sulphur in ,august1 in order to collect honey richly flavoured1 and much deteriorated by sulphurous acid4 ,it is a fundamental principle in my bee-management1 that no bee shall be burned1 or1 if possible to avoid it1 crushed or killed4 ,no man deserves the name of a ,bee-master1 or should attempt to keep bees1 who has not resolved1 with all his might1 to avoid bee-murder4 ,bee-cide1 like homicide1 may accidentally occur1 but it must be accidental1 not designed and culpable4 ,that system of management which combines the safety and health of the bees1 with the production of the largest amount of pure honey available to the proprietor1 while providing generously for the inmates of the hive during the winter months1 deserves the greatest patronage4 ,illustration ,illustration ,i4-,,bee-,,keeping ,,money-,,making4 ,we live in a practical age4 ,proposals of all sorts are too often1 right or wrong1 weighed against gold3--,how much will it bring8 ,can ,i turn a penny by this business8 ,i do not pretend to say bee-masters are rich men1 or that the way to a fortune is through a bee-hive2 but ,i do assert that a poor parish minister1 vicar1 or curate with a little glebe--a cottager who works all day for the squire--or maiden ladies who desire to engage in very delightful and loving labour--may add to their little income or stipend or dividend from ten to twenty pounds a year4 ,to half-pay officers ,i would earnestly recommend bee-keeping4 ,it would keep them out of those wild speculations into which1 from their inexperience in business matters1 they are so frequently and ruinously drawn1 by giving them an interest1 which would soon become a passion1 in studying and conferring with a new family1 besides yielding them a few spare sovereigns for personal use or charity4 ,for white cells filled with honey in glasses--than which nothing more elegant or picturesque can be placed on a breakfast-table--one can obtain in ,june two shillings1 and even two shillings and sixpence1 a pound4 ,for honey later in the season one and sixpence a pound may be easily had2 and where the proprietor prefers to be his own consumer1 he may dispense with bacon and butter1 and take what is far more wholesome--honey--at breakfast4 ,it is a fair average to calculate on fifteen pounds of surplus produce from each hive1 if properly attended to4 ,i do not see why our country should not be a land flowing with milk and honey1 or why we should import so much honey and wax from abroad1 exporting good money in return1 when so many flowers lift their beautiful blossoms1 waiting and longing to be kissed and rifled by visitors they love so well4 ,it should not be forgotten1 too1 that bees do immense good to flowers2 some think they introduce one to another1 and celebrate the marriage of the flowers4 ,this1 however1 is certain3 flower-gardens are immensely benefited by bees1 and therefore every lover of flowers and proprietor of gardens should never drive away or destroy a bee2 for the visitor is not only collecting honey for his bee-master1 but adding to the variety1 fragrance1 and beauty of the flowers of their owner4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,ii4--,,bee-,,keeping ,a ,,source ,,of ,,enjoyment4 ,when pleasure and profit can be combined1 time runs swiftly and the heart feels happy4 ,it is enjoyment to stand by one's bee-hives and watch the intense and untiring work of one's bees4 ,it is like standing at a window in ,cheapside1 and watching the counter-currents of human beings that ceaselessly traverse its pavement2 only1 instead of faces grooved with cares and pale with anxieties1 we do not see issuing from their hives or returning home a single bee that seems bowed down with trouble or fretful about the future4 ,each bee1 from the queen down to the sentinel at the gate1 seems to have heard the ,master's words1--,take no thought 7i4e41 irritating care7 for the morrow1 for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself4 ,sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof4 ,bees rarely fail to become acquainted with a kind and affectionate master4 ,i have stood in the midst of thousands returning home after their day's work1 and seen them resting on me1 brushing their wings and bodies1 and1 thereby refreshed and recruited1 they enter their home and deposit their sweet burdens4 ,they do not forget little acts of kindness shown them1 and rarely fail to show gratitude1--an example ,christians would do well to copy4 ,i have sat for hours by my hives with glass windows1 and watched the orderly and beautiful array in which some give wax1 others build it into forms of strength and beauty1 others clear away incidental dirt1 others pour honey into the warehouses1 others carry out their dead1 and all reverently and loyally attend to the instructions of their queen4 ,relays of ventilators1 joining the tips of their wings and making fanners1 take up their position at the doors1 and send in currents of fresh air4 ,others are placed as sentries on the bee-board1 who1 like faithful soldiers1 repel wasps and moths1 and die rather than desert the post of duty4 ,there is not an idle bee in a hive1 if one may except the drones after their mission is ended4 ,fruges consumere nati2 they meet with the consequences which all idle and unproductive citizens provoke4 ,they1 however1 may be regarded as the exceptional inmates4 ,the bees do not fail to understand their relations1 and therefore they get rid of them as soon as they cease to contribute to the wealth or comfort or protection of the hive4 ,they become in ,june and ,july the mere hangers-on--the fat1 lazy monks1 who believe that everybody is made to work for them1 while they are excused helping anybody4 ,but the bountiful ,creator has left no place for indolence in this world of ours2 it would be too disastrous an example to be permitted with impunity4 ,the bees accordingly turn them out to starve1 or garrote them as they catch them1 and at all risk get rid of the incumbrance4 ,do idle young men deserve better treatment8 ,a hive in ,june is a perfect study1 a model of order1 work1 neatness1 and beauty2 it is rich in interest to everyone who has an hour to spare4 ,about nine o'clock at night you cannot do better than listen for a quarter of an hour by your hives1 and you will hear an oratorio sweeter and richer than you ever heard in ,exeter ,hall4 ,treble1 tenor1 and bass are blended in richest harmony2 sometimes it sounds as the distant hum of a great city1 and at other times as if the apiarian choristers were attempting the hallelujahs which will swell from earth to heaven when all things are put right1 and bee and bird and every living thing sing joyously together the jubilant anthem peal1 ,great and marvellous are thy works4 ,lord ,god ,almighty4 ,just and true are thy ways1 thou ,king of nations4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,iii4--,,how ,,to ,,begin ,,bee-,,keeping4 ,your garden may be very small1 and its flowers few and far between2 but as your bee-pasture is an area two or three miles round on all sides yours for the use of your bees1 though entered in other peoples' title-deeds1 your own little plot need not much trouble you4 ,bees seem to prefer to feed at a little distance from the hive1 but have no objection to pasture close at hand4 ,in the beginning of ,august1 when the honey-yielding flowers begin to fail1 ,i have found ,broadwater ,common1 near ,tunbridge ,wells1 which grows the finest heather south of ,braemar1 covered with my bees1 and have lain down amid the heath-blossoms1 watching and listening to my young friends1 immensely enjoying their work4 ,but if you have any spare space--and there are always nooks and spots available in the smallest garden--sow on these lemon-thyme in abundance1 rosemary1 lavender1 salvia1 borage1 mignonette1 and crocus4 ,apple-trees1 gooseberry and currant-trees1 and above all1 raspberry-plants1 are great favourites with bees2 and as their blossoms come early in spring1 they are most seasonable and productive4 ,but your chief reliance must be on neighbouring acres of bean-fields and buckwheat or clover meadows1 heather and furze1 and hedge-blossoms4 ,lime-trees are very valuable2 ,i wish people would allow thorn-hedges to blossom4 ,let me urge the cottager to use for the edging of his garden lemon-thyme instead of box or daisies4 ,do not fear keeping a dozen stocks4 ,i think many apiarians talk nonsense when they allege that a district may be overstocked with bee-hives4 ,if the surrounding country be wholly arable1 with little common1 and with too good farming1 it may be overstocked4 ,but there are still left commons unenclosed1 woods and heath1 and clover and tiny weeds1 which farmers persecute and bee-masters love2 and far off are gardens of all sorts and sizes1 in which flowers are cultivated for the owners' pleasure1 constituting admirable bee-pasture4 ,i only regret there is such a wide-spread rage for double flowers1 for bees never touch them4 ,on that magnificent standard rose1 so rich in delicious perfume and so very lovely1 a bee never alights2 but the briar and hedge-rose are favourites and much frequented4 ,on the ,clyde1 it is usual for bee-proprietors to carry their hives to ,arran1 ,dunoon1 and ,kilmun1 as soon as the heather comes into blossom2 and cottagers take charge of them at a shilling apiece4 ,the hives often therefrom receive great and remunerative additions4 ,dr4 ,bevan states3-- ,in ,lower ,egypt1 where the flower-harvest is not so early by several weeks as in the upper districts of that country1 this practice of transportation is carried on to a considerable extent4 ,about the end of ,october the hives1 after being collected together from the different villages1 and conveyed up the ,nile1 marked and numbered by the individuals to whom they belong1 are heaped pyramidally upon the boats prepared to receive them1 which1 floating gradually down the river1 and stopping at certain stages of their passage1 remain there a longer or a shorter time1 according to the produce which is afforded by the surrounding country4 ,after travelling three months in this manner1 the bees1 having culled the perfumes of the orange flowers of the ,said1 the essence of roses of the ,faiocum1 the treasures of the ,arabian jessamine1 and a variety of flowers1 are brought back about the beginning of ,february to the places from which they have been carried4 ,the productiveness of the flowers at each respective stage is ascertained by the gradual descent of the boats in the water1 and which is probably noted by a scale of measurement4 ,this industry procures for the ,egyptians delicious honey and abundance of bees'-wax4 ,the proprietors1 in return1 pay the boatmen a recompense proportioned to the number of hives which have thus been carried about from one extremity of ,egypt to the other4 ,richardson sensibly remarks3-- ,water carriage1 when procurable1 is the best1 as it shakes the hives least1 but when land carriage must be resorted to1 the hives should be carried on poles slung on men's shoulders4 ,the journey should be pursued at night only1 and the bees suffered to go forth and feed during the day4 ,such is their instinct1 that they will readily find their way back2 but they should not be suffered to go forth until at the distance of upwards of ten or eleven miles from their original home1 otherwise they will be lost in endeavouring to regain it--a moderate distance induces them to abandon the idea1 and to become reconciled to their new quarters4 ,if travelling by canal1 the hives should be removed from the boat1 and placed on stands at some distance from the bank1 ere the insects are let out1 otherwise they will be lost in thousands by falling into the water on their return4 ,the charge made by shepherds for taking care of the hives during a season is from one shilling to eighteen-pence each4 ,it is better to pay a trifle over and above the usual fee1 in order to prevent your hives being placed too near to each other1 or to those of other parties2 for if your weak stocks happen to be placed near the strong ones of some one else1 you will stand a fair chance of having them all killed in encounters with their more powerful neighbours4 ,it would be well also to see that your hives are placed in a situation where they will be safe from the attacks of cattle or other foes4 ,before fetching the hives home again from the heath1 it will not be amiss to ascertain their condition and weight1 and to take from them what honey they can spare4 ,i must here inform you how to ascertain the state or wealth of a hive4 ,on the subject of removing bees to the heather in ,august1 ,mr4 ,briggs makes the following useful and practical remarks3-- ,in the vicinity of extensive heaths1 the bees are removed to them about the beginning or middle of ,august1 according to the season4 ,the usual practice is to raise each hive with small wedges in the evening1 to induce the bees to congregate together at the top of the hive4 ,the hives are then firmly fixed to the bottom boards1 or tied up in cloths1 and conveyed in the night1 or very early in the morning1 to the garden of a shepherd or other person whose residence adjoins the heath4 ,all hives and swarms are taken1 including old and young ones1 and the persons who receive them usually charge a shilling for each hive during the season4 ,the hives are thus very frequently crammed together as close as they can stand1 and the consequences are that much fighting and loss of life is often caused1 and the weak stocks of one person are frequently partly destroyed and robbed of their stores and killed by the stronger ones belonging to other persons4 ,when the blooming of the heath is over1 the old stocks are1 in general1 suffocated on the spot1 to obtain possession of the fruits of their labours1 and those intended for winter stocks are conveyed home by their respective owners4 ,the above system of managing bees at the heather is susceptible of material alterations and improvements4 ,i would suggest that it would be of great advantage to the owners of bees residing within twenty miles' distance1 if the proprietors or occupiers of residences adjoining the heath were to extend the accommodation by enclosing a larger extent of ground which is suitable for the purposes desired4 ,it might be cheaply and expeditiously performed by hiring a few dozen of stout stakes1 c41 from the neighbouring farmers for the season1 and having the bars of them full of coarse thorns1 briars1 furze1 or other convenient or suitable materials1 to prevent the inroads of cattle and other depredators4 ,i would recommend that none but strong stocks be taken to the heath1 until arrangements are made for their convenience and accommodation2 and that the collateral system of side hives1 c41 be practised with them whilst they are at the heath1 as well as on other occasions4 ,where there is no water conveyance1 a hive may be suspended from each end of a long pole1 which may be carried on the shoulder to the neighbourhood of a common1 in ,august1 not less than four miles from your garden1 and put in charge of a reliable cottager4 ,in ,yorkshire1 says the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,cotton1 that prince of bee-masters1 it is the regular custom of the country to send the stocks to the moors for change of pasture in ,august and ,september4 ,cotters1 who have a little garden by the moorside1 take in dozens every year1 and get a shilling a stock for their trouble4 ,the trouble is a mere nothing--at least not one shilling's worth in all--and the pleasure is surely very great2 for what can be a greater pleasure than to have ten additional stocks of bees on a visit to your own1 and to cheer you with their glad music whenever you are walking in your garden8 ,to say nothing of the pleasure you must feel at their honied stores1 by playing the part of a kind host to these busy bees2 and then1 what is more1 you may have the still greater pleasure of showing your friend 7for all bee-masters are1 or ought to be1 friendly7 how to take up his bees who have been your guests so long1 as ,i trust you do your own1 that is1 without killing them4 ,you and he may do so1 if you try2 and ,i1 a bee-master like yourself1 beg you most earnestly to try4 ,what ,i have found a very good way with my bees you cannot find a very bad one4 ,the stocks are taken up in the old way as soon as the heather goes out of flower4 ,i hope many a man will learn by my letter to take them up by the fingers1 instead of the sulphur match1 that ready instrument of bee-murder4 ,in ,france they put their hives into a boat1 some hundreds together1 which floats down the stream by night1 and stops by day4 ,the bees go out in the morning1 return in the evening1 and when they are all back and quiet1 on the boat floats4 ,i have heard they come home to the ringing of a bell2 but ,i believe they would come home just the same whether the bell rings or no4 ,i should like to see this tried on the ,thames1 for no river has more bee food near its banks3 willows1 the best bee food in spring2 meadows1 clover1 beans1 and lime-trees1 in different places and times1 for summer4 ,a handy man1 who could make his own boxes1 though not up to hard work1 might1 ,i am pretty sure1 gather through the mouths of his many thousand bees enough to fill his own one mouth1 though it be somewhat larger4 ,he might float softly down the river1 as the flowers go off at one place and come on at another2 and any bargeman would be glad1 for the small price of one pound of ,thames honey1 to give him a tow up when he wishes to go back4 ,i should like to see it tried4 ,but all this is supererogatory at present1 and temporary removals are undesirable1 unless where surrounding pastures entirely fail in ,august4 ,it is1 at best1 supplemental4 ,taylor1 in his useful ,bee ,manual1 says3-- ,it is almost needless to say1 that in the nature and extent of the vegetable production following in succession in the immediate neighbourhood of an apiary1 must mainly depend its prosperity4 ,after every care has been bestowed on all points of housing and management1 it is in vain to expect a large harvest of honey where ,nature has limited the sources of supply1 or restricted them to a particular season of the year4 ,payne observes3-- ,i have always found the advantage of planting in the vicinity of my hives a large quantity of the common kinds of crocus1 single blue hepatica1 helleborus niger1 and tussilago petasites1 all of which flower early1 and are rich in honey and farina4 ,salvia memorosa 7of ,sir ,james ,smith71 which flowers very early in ,june1 and lasts all the summer1 is in an extraordinary manner sought after by the bees1 and1 when room is not an object1 twenty or thirty square yards of it may be grown with advantage4 ,origanum humile1 and origanum rubescens 7of ,haworth71 and mignonette may also be grown4 ,cscuta sinensis is a great favourite with them2 and the pretty little plant anacampseros populifolium1 when in flower1 is literally covered by them4 ,garden cultivation beyond this1 exclusively for bees1 ,i believe1 answers very little purpose4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,iv4--,,the ,,bee-,,house1 ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,place ,,it4 ,having decided on the furniture of the garden and the flowers it should grow1 and the best kind of neighbourhood for pasture1 we must now discuss 7and it is done from very considerable experience7 the structure and aspect of the bee-house under shelter of which your hives are to stand4 ,taylor remarks3-- ,the common wooden bee-houses1 as usually constructed1 open in front1 and closed altogether behind1 retaining the sun's heat as an oven1 are objectionable4 ,these are frequently the receptacles of dirt and vermin1 and most inconvenient to operate in4 ,it would be an improvement to make them deeper backwards2 or with a falling front1 moving on hinges1 so that the hives can be recessed behind it1 away from the influence of weather4 ,at the back should be folding doors1 opening from top to bottom1 allowing a good access to the hives4 ,for greater convenience1 it is best to have them only in a single row1 with good head room4 ,but a still more desirable plan is to board up the front of the house entirely1 making oblong openings through for a passage to the bees1 with an exterior alighting-board1 a good deal slanted downwards 7the bees preferring this to a flat surface74 ,the hives are arranged immediately behind1 upon a shelf1 the further apart the better1 as the bees occasionally mistake their own homes1 and fall a sacrifice in consequence4 ,the following is a sketch of the shed proposed by ,dr4 ,bevan4 ,it is extremely picturesque4 ,my only objection to it is his use of thatch1 which shelters vermin--the pests it is hard to keep away in the most favourable circumstances4 ,dr4 ,bevan's shed or bee-house is seven feet square in the clear1 with three hives on the upper shelves and three on the under4 ,illustration ,a very picturesque and efficient bee-shed is presented by ,dr4 ,lardner1 about twelve feet long and about nine feet high4 ,illustration ,my objection to this bee-house is1 that the hives are exposed too much to wind and weather2 if of straw1 they will soon rot--if of wood1 wet and sunshine will rend and split them4 ,besides1 tier above tier is not good1 and it need not be adopted4 ,illustration ,illustration ,the shed ,i prefer is as follows3--,let it be twelve feet six inches in length1 six feet in height1 and two feet six inches in depth4 ,let it be made of good1 strong1 smooth deal4 ,divide it into six equal compartments1 divided off from each other4 ,let the roof be also of smooth deal1 covered first with ,croggon's patent felt2 and laid over the felt1 and nailed down1 let there be zinc plates1 projecting six or eight inches in front4 ,let an opening three inches wide extend along the front from end to end1 with a continuous landing-board projecting beneath it1 and sloping down at an angle of twenty-five degrees4 ,the floor should be about a foot or eighteen inches above the level of the ground1 and perfectly smooth4 ,behind let there be three doors1 with hinges attached to the floor1 falling back when open1 and thereby forming a pleasant platform1 when laid down and resting on the ground1 for the bee-master to watch and study1 and deprive1 and otherwise fulfil his mission4 ,when closed1 there must be a good padlock1 as bee-hive lifters are still too common in every part of the country4 ,in very hot weather1 open the doors behind1 but only in very hot weather4 ,i have found from experience that the smoother the surfaces of the bee-shed inside1 the less they are liable to the operations of the spider1 one of the greatest pests of bee-houses4 ,i have unfortunately1 and too often1 seen a dozen bees entangled of a fine ,may morning in a spider's web1 and most of them excavated in the cleanest manner4 ,wasps and spiders ,i have no mercy on2 they are thieves and murderers and beasts of prey1 as well as vermin4 ,to the former1 extermination by brimstone is a just recompense1 and to the latter the application of a hard dry brush is a daily duty4 ,i prefer three of these bee-sheds1 located in different parts of my garden1 to one very large shed with under and upper tiers of hives3 this makes less likelihood of confusion in swarming4 ,i do not like the sheds to be placed under large trees1 the drippings of which tend to create damp4 ,shrubs1 raspberry-plants1 and even gooseberry-bushes1 not nearer than ten or twelve feet1 form nice resting-places to the heavy-laden bees4 ,under and immediately around the hive should be closely-mowed grass4 ,the front of the hive is best due south1 and1 if convenient1 with an inclination to the east4 ,from the east and west a rising ground1 or shrubs tolerably high1 are a desirable protection2 they break the force of the gales4 ,do not place your bee-shed at a great distance from the house3 bees are civilised and domestic1 and delight to see children at play while they are at their work2 kept out of society1 they grow savage4 ,having selected the position1 do not change it1 unless imperatively and unavoidably necessary4 ,gelieu justly observes3-- ,i have seen people shift about their hives very inconsiderately2 but change of place invariably weakens them1 as the bees will return to their old residence1 the environs of which are so familiar to them4 ,a hive should remain as fixed to the spot as the ancient oaks1 in the hollows of which they delight to establish themselves2 where they have their young1 their companions1 their beloved queen1 and all their treasures4 ,when the young bees take wing for the first time1 they do it with great precaution1 turning round and round1 and fluttering about the entrance1 to examine the hive well before taking flight4 ,they do the same in returning1 so that they may be easily distinguished1 conducting themselves nearly after the same manner as the workers of a newly-hived swarm4 ,when they have made a few excursions1 they set off without examining the locality2 and returning in full flight1 will know their own hive in the midst of a hundred others4 ,but if you change its place you perplex them1 much the same as you would be if1 during a short absence1 some one lifted your house and placed it a mile off4 ,the poor bees return loaded1 and1 seeking in vain for their habitation1 either fall down and perish with fatigue1 or throw themselves into the neighbouring hives1 where they are speedily put to death4 ,when hives are transported to a considerable distance1 there is no fear that the bees will return4 ,but this inconvenience would be sure to take place if they were removed only a few hundred paces from the spot they have been accustomed to4 ,the hive may not perish1 but it will be greatly weakened4 ,in my opinion1 if the situation is to be changed at all1 they should be taken at least a mile and a half4 ,richardson1 who has offered many sensible suggestions on bee-culture1 makes some very sensible remarks on this4 ,but ,i do not agree with him in one of his opinions--that a south-westerly aspect is best1 or that a south-eastern aspect is likely to be prejudicial1 from its tempting the bees to go out in too cold spring mornings4 ,the early sun in early spring is not excessively seductive4 ,besides1 bees are very good judges of temperature1 as they are infallible prophets of weather1 and may be safely left in this matter to the exercise of their own good sense4 ,it is also worthy of notice1 that the main work of bees is over by four o'clock in the afternoon1 and the setting sun is therefore less important4 ,they are early risers1 and go early to bed4 ,but his remaining observations on bee-sheds are thoroughly good3-- ,some recommend high trees for the purpose of keeping the air calm1 lest the bees should be blown down when returning home4 ,high trees are not advisable2 they form an evil themselves of greater magnitude than that which they may be designed to remove4 ,bees are seldom blown to the ground by mere wind2 but even when they are1 they can1 in a great majority of cases1 recover themselves4 ,whereas1 if blown amongst trees1 they will be sure to be whipped so violently by the branches1 that they are absolutely hurled to the ground with such force as to render their recovery hopeless4 ,the bees also fly low on their return1 when they arrive at the immediate neighbourhood of their stand1 and1 consequently1 high trees would be not only useless1 but absolutely inconvenient4 ,whatever trees you wish1 therefore1 to plant in the immediate vicinity of the hive should be of low size1 planted at the sides of the hive1 so as to leave the entrance quite free4 ,wildman recommends them1 and1 ,i think1 very judiciously1 to be 'of the dwarf kind1 with bushy heads1 in order that the swarms which settle on them may be more easily hived4' ,now1 although by judicious management swarming will generally be prevented from taking place1 yet1 despite of our utmost care1 it may accidentally occur2 or the bees may quit their boxes in a body1 from various causes--some of which ,i shall endeavour hereafter to explain--and1 under such circumstances1 ,mr4 ,wildman's suggestions will be found valuable4 ,the garden1 therefore1 in which you fix your stands should be thus planted2 and ,i further1 for the same reasons1 recommend wall fruit trees and espaliers4 ,avoid a site near mills or other noisy places1 or the neighbourhood of bad smells1 as factories and the like2 and if1 as occasionally may happen1 your stand be placed against your garden wall1 behind which is the farm-yard1 let not a dunghill be built against the opposite side4 ,i have witnessed this before now1 and in one instance found the consequence to be a desertion of the boxes4 ,do not place your stand where you see rat or mouse holes1 and let your shed be all of wood1 never thatched with straw1 as that substance harbours mice1 moths1 and other similar enemies to your stock4 ,water is essential to the well-being of your bees2 it must1 however1 be presented to them judiciously1 or it will prove a greater evil than a good4 ,if you can coax a shallow rippling brook through your garden1 so much the better2 if not1 place near the stand small1 shallow1 earthen pans of water1 and put some pebbles in them4 ,this water must be changed daily4 ,it is highly objectionable to have a pond or canal in your neighbourhood3 you will lose thousands of your bees through their means every season1 as they will be constantly blown into them when returning heavily laden to the hive1 especially in the evening1 when wearied after the toil of an industriously spent day4 ,the pebbles in the troughs are for the bees to rest on while drinking1 and are the recommendation of ,columella4 ,i have seen tin plates perforated with holes1 and placed over the pans just on the surface of the water1 used for drinking-vessels for bees2 ,i1 however1 prefer the pebbles4 ,i have found it a very good plan to place two or three soup-plates filled with pure water mixed largely with round pebbles in front of the bee-house2 they thus find water to drink and stepping-stones for their tiny feet1 which keep their wings out of water4 ,in long-continued dry and hot summers1 ,i have also been in the habit of using a common garden-squirt1 with the end perforated by a dozen pin-holes4 ,the water thus showered on the bee-house at noon cools it1 and does not strike down the bees1 and seems most acceptable to them all4 ,the shed should be kept scrupulously clean and dry4 ,earwigs1 snails1 and spiders will all try hard to establish their quarters under the warmth of the hives1 and must be repelled4 ,nothing but the bee-master's frequent but quiet and undemonstrative use of a good hard painter's brush1 perfectly dry1 will keep these pests at a distance4 ,i am no advocate of killing a single living thing1 but if these unproductive creatures will prey on the most productive of insects1 and kill and steal1 there is no help for it4 ,the bee-master must keep his bee-sheds particularly clean2 and as spiders and earwigs love dust and dirt1 and are inseparable from it1 they must go with it4 ,at all events1 ,i cannot give them hospitality in my bee-house4 ,for people to whom expense is no object1 the bee-houses of ,messrs4 ,neighbour are perfect--as ornamental as they are efficient4 ,their two-hive shed is as follows3-- ,illustration3 ,bee-house to contain two hives4 ,front view of bee-house1 price #c #ajs41 well painted1 constructed to contain two hives4 #c ft4 #f in4 high1 #d ft wide4 ,the back view is given on the following page4 ,illustration3 ,back view of the preceding1 showing the interior4 ,the top hive or cover for the glasses is balanced by a weight1 so as to be raised easily for the purpose of inspecting the bees at work in the super hives4 ,i have already said1 what ,i repeat1 that ,i do not think one row of hives above another in the same bee-shed at all expedient4 ,illustration ,illustration ,v4--,,hives ,,and ,,bee-,,boxes4 ,the inveterate use of the common straw hive1 with its fire and sulphur application in autumn to its unhappy inmates1 is deeply to be deplored4 ,no humane man can look on the straw hive1 rotting on a stand1 wasted and worn by wind and rain1 covered with a brown earthenware basin1 under which vermin breed and multiply1 and doomed to brimstone and bee-cide1 without feeling it is a penal settlement1 or cell of doom1 for subjects unworthy of it4 ,there is nothing picturesque or pleasant about it1 and the moss of age and usage even of a thousand years fail to beautify it4 ,a bee-shed is an absolute necessity2 it may be rough and coarse1 and badly put together1 but it cannot and must not be dispensed with4 ,i will assume1 in the first instance1 that the cheapness of a common straw hive--a rough one costing sixpence1 a better a shilling1 and a very excellent one eighteen-pence--brings it within the reach of a very poor cottager4 ,on this assumption ,i proceed to show how he can make the best of a bad house4 ,placed in his shed with a good swarm in ,may1 it is likely in a good year to be full by the end of ,june4 ,he must then have ready a good thick board--say three-quarters of an inch or an inch in thickness and twelve inches square1 with a round hole in the centre about three inches diameter1 perfectly smooth and bevelled in the lower edge of the hole4 ,on this he must have ready a small straw hive with a piece of glass1 four inches by three1 fastened into the side1 in order to see inside2 but if he can afford it1 still better1 a bell-glass or garden-glass1 with a woollen nightcap drawn over it1 to keep out the light and keep in the warmth4 ,let this stand ready by him behind the bee-house1 about twelve o'clock at noon4 ,he must then take a sharp table-knife1 and quietly and fearlessly cut a hole in the top of the hive1 about three inches in diameter1 and having removed the top by taking hold of its straw loop1 he is to place the board with its super over his hive4 ,the smoother he makes the cutting the less trouble will the bees have1 and the sooner they will ascend4 ,if the weather still proves friendly1 he may have five or six pounds of beautiful honey before the middle of ,august1 and there will be abundance for his bees in the stock hive during winter4 ,the way to remove the super is this3--,get a zinc plate1 with sharp edges1 some fourteen inches square1 press it quietly between the super and the board1 laying the left hand on the super and pressing with the right1 taking care not to disturb the board on the hive1 which the bees will have fastened down4 ,carry off the super with its bees and honey1 laying another board over the hole4 ,place your super1 with the zinc plate below it1 at fifty or a hundred yards' distance from your bee-shed2 edge up the super about two inches from the plate after it has stood still an hour4 ,the bees will fly out in succession and make their way straight home1 and not one will turn on you to sting you4 ,it seems then and there1 and in so new circumstances1 to dawn on their minds for various reasons1 that their proprietor is merely taking his portion in consideration of the care he has bestowed2 or1 like a mob without a head1 they lose all sense of order1 self-possession1 and organisation1 but1 unlike a ,belfast mob1 they rush home out of harm's way4 ,illustration3 ,the ,common ,straw ,hive4 ,illustration3 ,the same hive1 with central hole and perforated board1 and small straw super or cap4 ,illustration3 ,a small straw super1 with glass window1 to be placed on the common straw hive4 ,illustration3 ,common straw hive1 with top cut off for board and bell-glass4 ,from ,mr4 ,pettitt's catalogue--a very sensible one--,i take the following models and prices of bell-glasses for supers4 ,illustration3 ,bell-shaped ,glasses1 for working on the top of any of the hives4 ,price1 #aj in4 #ds42 #g in4 #bs4 #f;d42 #f in4 #as4 #f;d42 #d in4 #as4 ,neighbour's are still better4 ,illustration ,i prefer ,taylor's glasses to either4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,a bell-glass nearly filled with honey4 ,but supposing you can afford to buy a straw hive with a hole already worked at the top--and it will not cost above a shilling more--you are to place the board with a corresponding hole on the top of this1 and1 till the middle of ,june1 a small board over1 or bung in the hole of the board4 ,then take it out as before1 and place over it your bell-glass or small straw hive1 and act thenceforth as already described4 ,if1 however1 you can invest a little in apiculture1 as people do in agriculture or market-gardening1 only on a very much smaller scale1 ,i strongly recommend wooden hives or boxes4 ,these1 well made1 are necessarily expensive4 ,the objections commonly urged by those ,i have talked with are1 first1 that they split and twist1 and get out of gear4 ,this may occur in the best in a slight degree1 but it arises generally from having unseasoned wood and bad workmanship4 ,green wood is utterly worthless4 ,bad workmanship is dearest1 when done at the very lowest rate4 ,the best workmanship and the most seasoned wood1 ,i have invariably found in the workshop of ,mr4 ,pettitt1 ,dover4 ,they never cast1 and are beautifully smooth1 and all the fittings play easily4 ,such wood and workmanship1 no doubt1 may be had of any sensible and honest carpenter4 ,my reference to ,pettitt is merely the record of my own experience4 ,in every case the entrance should be cut1 not out of the hive1 but out of the board on which it rests4 ,the second objection is1 that wood is not sufficiently equable in temperature4 ,i answer1 if protected by a bee-shed1 which ,i regard as an essential part of bee-furniture1 this objection1 so far as summer is concerned1 is at once disposed of4 ,neither rain nor the direct rays of the sun can affect it4 ,but in winter1 ,i am persuaded from thorough experience1 that in all hives under sheds additional shelter is required to keep out the searching north and east winds1 and to keep in the vital warmth of the bees4 ,for this purpose1 ,i regard good brown paper1 or a newspaper after you have read it1 as the cleanest1 neatest1 and really warmest protection4 ,vermin gather less about paper than woollen material1 and brown paper is less palatable to insect pests than any other4 ,let the back and ends of your bee-boxes inside the bee-shed be covered over in ,october--the front being left uncovered1 unless by the bee-shed1 and you will find every objection to wooden hives disposed of by facts4 ,the first illustration ,i will present is that of one by ,pettitt1 made of the best seasoned deal1 unpainted1 of course2 for paint1 however necessary to the shed1 must on no account be suffered to pollute the hives4 ,illustration ,on the top of this hive1 of which ,i give a back view1 are four apertures1 each about three inches by two2 zinc dividers1 ,d ,d1 being pushed in before receiving a swarm1 shut off all egress1 and on being withdrawn in ,may1 allow the bees to ascend into the bell-glasses ,e ,e1 of which there are four1 each1 of course1 covered with its nightcap4 ,b is a glass window1 with a thermometer inside4 ,by the window you can examine progress1 taking care when you leave to shut the lid4 ,in very dry1 hot weather1 when the thermometer rises to ninety-five1 draw out the drawer ,a about two inches1 and open the little door ,c1 withdrawing at the same time also the zinc plate ,f1 pushing in its place a perforated zinc plate1 precisely the same in size as ,f1 but perforated4 ,a current of air is thus introduced1 and in a short time the thermometer will fall five degrees4 ,though ,i do not like the square shape as much as the octagonal or hexagonal1 yet ,i regard this as a very valuable hive-box4 ,instead of bell-glasses1 ,pettitt has substituted boxes for supers1 about ten inches in height and seven inches in breadth2 the front having glass instead of deal board1 with a shutter ready to be put on4 ,it is in this way3-- ,illustration3 ,,open ,,shut ,mr4 ,pettitt has provided1 for those who can afford it1 a very elegant and ornamental house1 which he calls ,the ,temple ,bee-hive4 ,it forms a very suitable ornament on a lawn1 and when three guineas can be spared1 nothing can be better4 ,it is1 however1 more adapted to the garden surrounding a gentleman's residence than to circumstances in which it is desirable to obtain large profits from little outlay4 ,but as ,i wish proprietors of estates to take an interest in bee-keeping1 ,i would try to tempt them by specimens of ornamental bee-furniture4 ,i give the drawing of it shut1 with ,mr4 ,pettitt's description4 ,illustration3 ,temple ,bee-hive1 closed4 7,showing the entrance74 ,temple ,bee-hives1 for the humane treatment of honey-bees1 are got up in a tasteful and substantial manner2 and when placed upon a lawn1 in a flower-garden1 or on a balcony1 have a most picturesque appearance4 ,they need no shade or shelter from extreme solar heat in summer1 or from humidity and cold during winter1 but afford of themselves a sufficient protection to the industrious tenants4 ,each hive is furnished with four bell-glasses1 from which the drones are effectually excluded1 and the temperature of the interior can be so regulated by the use of the ventilators and thermometers1 as to prevent the necessity of swarming4 ,i add also a drawing of the same ,temple opened from behind1 with his observations4 ,illustration3 ,temple ,bee-hive1 open4 7,showing the interior47 ,this plate shows the interior of the ,temple ,hive on the preceding page1 with four glass supers upon the top4 ,owing to the difficulty some persons have experienced in getting the bees to work in the glasses1 we have introduced small wooden boxes with glass windows2 and it is quite certain that the bees will collect a larger quantity of honey in these small supers than they will in the glasses1 particularly in uncertain and unsettled seasons4 ,pettitt also constructs a wooden hexagonal hive2 but he uses the top as a mere cover to the glasses1 and of course perforates the top with four holes1 on which he places the glasses4 ,if he will adopt my amendments1 he will give us a hive in all respects perfect4 ,first1 he must use the top half purely as a super for the honey available to the master4 ,secondly1 he must make half-a-dozen parallel slits from front to back1 with corresponding removable slides1 made by a rabbet-plane1 to be withdrawn in ,may1 when it is desirable that the bees should ascend1 and to be reintroduced when the super is full and is to be removed4 ,from this hive ,i would banish glasses entirely4 ,i have introduced six slides into this hive1 the ends of which are shaped as shown in the following drawing4 ,on removing the slides1 very small ones1 about an inch long1 must be substituted1 to prevent bees coming out at the apertures4 ,on removing the super or top half in ,july1 the little slides are removed in succession1 and the long ones introduced1 in order to shut off the connection between the upper hive1 or bee-master's portion1 and the lower1 or the queen's4 ,when you remove your portion1 a zinc plate eighteen inches square is pressed in between the upper and lower boxes1 and the upper carried away on it4 ,but this is not always necessary1 as ,i will subsequently show in describing the ,ayrshire hive4 ,illustration ,i prefer the hexagonal shape1 not from any theory1 but from practical experience2 and if this hive can be constructed at less expense1 it will prove alike popular and profitable4 ,its price maybe reduced by substituting a plain glass window in each section1 with a slide shutter instead of door and hinges1 retaining all its seasoned wood and thorough workmanship1 while lessening its merely decorative features4 ,the hive-box ,i have found unfailing in results is the ,scotch or ,ayrshire hive4 ,it is octagonal in shape2 the lowest box is six inches high1 and rather wider than a large common straw hive4 ,there are three octagonal boxes in all1 the top of each having parallel slits from back to front1 with slides corresponding1 and withdrawn when required4 ,in ,may1 you place your first super box on the top of the lowest or stock hive1 fitting and corresponding in all respects2 you withdraw backward each slide1 introducing as you do so a little slide about an inch in length1 to prevent the egress of the bees behind4 ,there is no possibility of escape in front1 from the end of each slide being filled up by the wood of the box4 ,as soon as this first super is filled1 you place on it another1 or third2 withdraw the slides on the top of the second as you did from the top of the first1 and let the bees ascend still higher4 ,a small glass window in each1 with a sliding shutter1 enables you to report progress4 ,at the honey harvest1 you remove each super as ,i have previously directed2 and it must be a very bad summer that does not end as the bee-master would prefer4 ,illustration ,of all straw hives4 ,neighbours' is the most beautiful and lasting4 ,with the super hive lifted up1 you see three bell-glasses on the flat top of the stock hive1 the zinc slides being withdrawn4 ,the cost is thirty shillings4 ,preferable to three glasses is one flat glass1 about six or eight inches deep4 ,bees prefer united to separate action in treasuring up their stores4 ,but either with three small glasses or one large one1 it is a very elegant and serviceable hive4 ,the collateral system of bee-hives has1 however1 many able and enthusiastic advocates4 ,nutt is the great advocate1 if not the inventor1 of this bee-box4 ,as a system for ventilation and facility of deprivation it is unrivalled4 ,his collateral hive1 suitable to be placed in a bee-shed1 is as below4 ,illustration ,a is the stock hive1 into which the swarm is introduced and the queen resides2 the glass window is open4 ,b ,b are the side boxes1 right and left1 having1 either in the sides nearest the central box or in the floor1 extending right and left1 a subterranean communication4 ,c is the cover of a bell-glass3 so far in deference to the storifying system4 ,d ,d ,d ,d ,d are means of ventilation1--above by perforated zinc cupolas1 and beneath by drawers1 which may be opened or shut as required4 ,but for every excellence and capability of which the collateral hive is susceptible1 ,pettitt's is undeniably the happiest and best4 ,i give his own description and woodcut3-- ,a is a block front to open for ventilation1 also for the egress of the bees from the box ,f when filled4 ,b ,feeding apartment4 ,c ,c ,ventilating slides4 ,d ,d ,d ,dividers4 ,e ',pavilion of ,nature4' ,f ,surplus box4 ,g ,g ,g ,ventilators4 ,h ,h ,h ,h ,glass surplus hives4 ,the finest specimen of glass honey in the ,great ,exhibition was taken from one of these hives4 ,they are of such easy and safe access1 that they can be approached at the back at mid-day1 when the bees are in full work1 without giving them any disturbance whatever4 ,the parent hive is provided with apertures for four glasses upon the top1 through which the drones cannot pass4 ,these hives are intended for the inside of the apiary1 gentleman's library1 or attic4 ,illustration ,the apertures on the top1 which is the retention of the storifying system grafted on the collateral1 are all he describes1 and a real and valuable device4 ,the price1 two guineas1 is1 for so excellent a bee-box1 most reasonable4 ,i can testify from experience that the material is thoroughly seasoned1 and the workmanship perfect4 ,but ,i still retain my conviction that the collateral system is not productive4 ,the objection to the storifying system1 that the bees have more fatigue in climbing than in travelling on the same level1 is not tenable4 ,the bee prefers to ascend2 it traverses the roof as easily as the floor2 it begins its work on the roof1 and evidently ignores the difficulty which ,nutt and others have invented4 ,the side boxes1 also1 are too cold2 the heat of the pavilion1 or stock hive1 ascending more easily than radiating sideways4 ,comb-building requires a certain temperature1 without which it is impracticable4 ,hence1 in storifying and collateral hives both1 when the weather is cold and ungenial1 ,i cover up as much as possible with brown paper1 in order to keep in all the heat generated by the bees4 ,taylor1 the most sensible and practical of apiculturists1 thus describes his experience of collateral hives3-- ,another point on which ,nutt laid much stress may be mentioned1 viz41 the supposed advantage to the bees in working on one level1 without the necessity of climbing1 as in storified hives4 ,i long thought this was indisputable4 ,further consideration led me more minutely to examine the habits of the bee in this respect1 and ,i became convinced that nature had given it equal facilities for moving in every direction4 ,a scientific correspondent thus writes on this subject3--',i once propounded the question to a very eminent mathematician1 and his reply was1 that1 if any1 the difference was too minute to admit of calculation between the horizontal and the perpendicular movement2 it was1 in the language of the present day 'infinitesimal4' ,although few of ,nutt's positions have been found to stand the test of practice1 it ought not to be said that his crude speculations and rash assertions have been altogether without useful results1 as they undoubtedly led to farther investigation1 and several modern improvements had thus their origin4 ,i do not wish to take up space by explaining the nether or nadir system4 ,the simplest description would be3--,the common straw hive placed on a square box1 six inches in depth and twelve inches square1 having a window behind for observation4 ,an aperture is in the floor of the box1 having a movable zinc slide1 to be withdrawn when the bees are required to descend4 ,this they will do when room is denied above4 ,but the nadir-box is apt to be cold1 and the queen is apt to treat it as part of the stock hive when it becomes warm1 and to lay her eggs and rear her young in it1 and so spoil your harvest4 ,illustration ,a is the nadir-box1 on which the hive ,b--the common straw hive--stands2 ,c is a pane of glass1 and ,a is a moveable zinc slide for opening or shutting communication between the nadir and the hive4 ,it is not a wise or useful plan4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,vi4--,,how ,,to ,,get ,,bees4 ,the best and most effective plan is to buy a swarm as early in ,may as possible4 ,the farther off from your bee-garden the swarm is brought the better4 ,i have invariably found that a swarm from a hive a mile or two off is preferable to a swarm from one of your own hives4 ,send your bee-box or hive to some cottager who keeps bees1 about the end of ,april4 ,explain to her or him how the hive is to be adjusted on receiving the swarm1 and request that it be carried by hand1 if possible1 the evening of the day on which the swarm was hived4 ,let a piece of gauze be placed over the entrance of your hive1 in order that the bees while prisoners on the journey may have plenty of air2 and when it arrives place it quietly on your bee-shed1 remove without noise the gauze1 and next morning1 if it be fine1 the bees will make themselves masters of the situation1 and make up their minds and arrange themselves to work in that place in which their bee-master sets them4 ,should the weather1 the day after you have placed the hive containing your swarm in your bee-shed1 turn out wet and cold1 push into the hive through the entrance-hole a couple of sticks of barley-sugar1 or more4 ,half-a-pound only costs sevenpence1 and you will get it all back in due time2 thereby the bees will start with renewed strength1 as soon as the weather clears up1 most grateful for a little help when help is most required4 ,you need not fear lest by so doing you will encourage idleness or mendicancy4 ,bees are not like street beggars4 ,they do not want to be dependent4 ,all they ask is a little help at the beginning1 to be able then to help themselves4 ,as soon as the sun shines the swarm will work hard and without cessation1 and by the middle of ,june you may find it right to open communication with a super1 or at least with a bell-glass1 and find yourself very soon rewarded with honey of exquisite flavour1 in cells of unrivalled whiteness4 ,richardson and ,wildman thus teach how stocks are to be obtained3-- ,a stock of bees is usually to be obtained by purchase1 although it may indeed chance that you get an opportunity of hiving a 'vagabond' swarm which may have settled in your garden or orchard4 ,in the latter instance1 indeed1 ,i think your property in the stragglers somewhat questionable1 and perhaps scarcely more so than it would be in a stray ox or sheep1 which accident had driven into your premises4 ,you may procure stock either in the spring or autumn4 ,i should prefer the former period1 because that is the fitting time for removal of stocks from the old-fashioned awkward hives to the more improved modern receptacles2 but it is more difficult to ascertain the exact condition of the stock you are about purchasing in spring than it is in autumn4 ,i am sorry to say1 that unless you purchase your stock from a friend1 or from some one1 at all events1 that you can confidently depend on1 you are very likely to be taken in1 and must therefore be upon your guard against imposition4 ,as some writer 7,i forget who7 quaintly enough remarks1 ',let it be with the bees as with a wife--never take them on the recommendation of another party' ,if you would purchase a stock in early spring1 just after the bees have been removed from their winter quarters1 you need not attempt it unless from a person on whose honour you can positively depend4 ,during the months of ,may or ,june1 you can form some judgment for yourself1 and1 if you act cautiously1 may perhaps bid defiance to trickery4 ,in this case1 you should visit the garden or other locality in which the hive stands that you intend purchasing1 about mid-day2 stand opposite to it1 and observe attentively the actions of its inhabitants4 ,if they crowd busily in and out of the hive1 giving evidence of their industry by the laden appearance of their legs1 and altogether exhibiting a busy earnestness in their toils1 you may safely buy the hive2 and if you obtain this hive before swarming has taken place1 you may look upon yourself as a fortunate man4 ,if the object of your intentions be an autumnal hive1 you had better ascertain that the massacre of the drones has taken place3 an observation of the stand and of the ground around the hive will tell this4 ,observe the actions of these bees--see that they are lively and industrious2 and if1 on your too near approach1 one or two bees dash at your face1 do not be alarmed1 but rather regard their pugnacity as a sign of vigour1 and buy the hive4 ,some writers speak of the necessity of purchasing only such stocks as are in nice new hives4 ,this is an advice very necessary to be attended to2 but it would not be so1 were you sure that the interior of the hive were filled only with honey-comb1 and with no old worn-out comb1 the accumulation of years4 ,if you are in doubt on the subject1 you should fumigate the hive in the evening1 in the manner hereafter to be described2 then1 turning up the hive1 you can readily ascertain the character of its contents4 ,if the comb be black1 have nothing to do with the stock4 ,the genuine colour of the comb is white1 and1 consequently1 the lighter it is1 the more the stock is to be esteemed4 ,never1 unless you can depend on the party1 send your hive to receive a swarm3 for you may1 if you do1 have a second swarm imposed upon you for a first--a comparatively valueless stock for just the very thing you desire4 ,the first swarm begin the formation of the combs at the middle of the apex of the hive2 the second does so at the side4 ,these are the only criteria ,i can furnish1 for neither weight nor bulk are to be depended upon4 ,it is to the obstinate use of the old-fashioned hive that these difficulties1 and these opportunities for fraud1 are attributable4 ,were the improved system once established1 these cautions would be no longer called for4 ,for old ,wildman ,i entertain a very high respect1 although in some instances ,i am compelled to differ from him2 yet ,i always investigate closely the point at issue between us ere doing so1 and1 if ,i doubt1 ,i suffer the weight of his authority to act as a 'casting vote4' ,wildman has given some good advice as to the purchase of stocks2 and in this advice he speaks like an oracle4 ,attend to him3-- ',the person who intends to erect an apiary should purchase a proper number of hives at the latter end of the year1 when they are cheapest4 ,the hives should be full of combs1 and well stored with bees4 ,the purchaser should examine the combs1 in order to know the age of the hives4 ,the combs of that season are white2 those of a former year are of a darkish yellow2 and when the combs are black1 the hives should be rejected1 because old hives are most liable to vermin and other accidents4 ',if the number of hives wanted have not been purchased in the autumn1 it will be necessary to remedy this neglect1 after the severity of the cold is past1 in the spring4 ,at this season1 bees which are in good condition will get into the fields early in the morning1 return loaded1 enter boldly1 and do not come out of the hive in bad weather1 for when they do1 this indicates that they are in great want of provisions4 ,they are alert on the least disturbance1 and by the loudness of their humming we judge of their strength4 ,they preserve their hives free from all filth1 and are ready to defend it against every enemy that approaches4 ',the summer is an improper time for buying bees1 because the heat of the weather softens the wax1 and thereby renders the comb liable to break1 if they are not very well secured4 ,the honey1 too1 being then thinner than at other times1 is more apt to run out at the cells1 which is attended with a double disadvantage--viz41 the loss of the honey1 and the daubing of the bees--whereby many of them may be destroyed4 ,a first and strong swarm may indeed be purchased3 and1 if leave can be obtained1 permitted to stand in the same garden until the autumn2 but1 if leave is not obtained1 it may be carried away in the night after it has been hived4 ',i suppose that1 in the stocks purchased1 the bees are in the hives of the old construction4 ,the only directions here necessary are1 that the first swami from these stocks should be put into one of my hives2 and that another of my hives should1 in a few days1 be put under the old stock1 in order to prevent its swarming again4' ,but perhaps you have a swarm from one of your own stock-hives1--not so desirable as the purchase of a swarm from a neighbour4 ,a swarm will occasionally emerge from hives and bee-boxes1 in spite of every plan of preventing it4 ,the signs of swarming are some of them appreciable by the most expert bee-master only4 ,a common sign of the emergence of a swarm is inactivity in work1 and about the hive clusters hanging from the bee-board--arising1 probably1 from the old queen finding no princess ready to take her throne--and a high temperature within4 ,if1 in addition1 the weather is moist and warm1 the issue of a swarm may be expected4 ,from ten o'clock to three has been stated as the period within which swarming occurs4 ,every swarm ,i have had for twelve years has issued between twelve and three4 ,a strong swarm will consist of from ten thousand to twenty thousand bees2 a caste1 or second swarm1 of five thousand4 ,two thousand bees fill a pint measure4 ,scouts are generally sent out to select a residence for the young family4 ,house-seeking is an arduous work for human tenants1 and no doubt the pioneer bees find great difficulty in fixing on what seems to them suitable4 ,i have seen them settle under the leaves of a standard rose1 sometimes on the bough of an apple-tree1 and at other times in a sheltered recess in a laurel-hedge4 ,no sight is more exciting than that of a swarm of bees4 ,the air is clouded with the circling bees--vocal with their united music1 while the eyes of the bee-master quietly watch their descent4 ,as soon as the queen settles1 the bees cluster around her and hang from the branch on which she has settled4 ,as soon as the great mass has settled1 take your bee-box or hive1 hold it with one hand1 mouth or bottom upward1 beneath the swarm1 enclosing as many of the pendent bees as the situation will allow4 ,with the other hand shake the bough from which they hang1 and on the great mass tumbling into the hive1 carry it away half-a-dozen yards2 set it upright on the bottom board1 or a white sheet previously spread on the grass2 raise the edge of the hive with a piece of wood or stone a few inches from the ground1 and cover the hive with a branch or two to keep off the direct rays of the sun4 ,illustration ,if the queen be inside the hive1 the bees that are already inside will remain1 and you will find the bees that linger about the branch on which they first settled steadily enter1 and by sunset they will all be within4 ,if the queen has not been caught1 and still remains on the bough or branch on which the swarm first settled1 the bees will leave the hive and re-cluster as they were4 ,you must then repeat the process4 ,you need not be afraid of stings4 ,but if your nerves do not respond to your convictions1 begin by spreading a square of gauze over your hat1 the brim of the hat keeping it from your face2 push the ends and corners under your coat1 buttoning it to the chin4 ,this will protect your face1 ears1 and neck1 and a pair of worsted gloves will protect your hands4 ,but practice will dispel fear1 and save you from the necessity of such defences4 ,if this homely and cheap defence seem to you insufficient1 you can purchase at ,neighbours'1 in ,regent-street1 for five shillings1 a perfect fit4 ,it is thus represented by its inventor in ,messrs4 ,neighbours' list4 ,illustration3 ,is made of light net1 called ,leno1 fits over the hat or cap1 with sleeves tied at the wrists1 and strings at the bottom to draw and fasten round the waist1 the sleeves being made of a stronger material4 ,price #es42 by post1 #fs4 ,if you have more than one bee-shed1 do net place the young colony in the shed in which its mother hive stands4 ,a few straggling bees often hang about the branch next day4 ,lay on it a few nettles1 and they will speedily forsake it1 and return to the hive from which they issued1 where1 of course1 their labours are not lost to the bee-master4 ,sometimes a caste1 or second swarm1 will issue from the same hive4 ,these are occasionally feeble in comparison of the first swarm4 ,are we to preserve it1 and make the most of it8 or are we to unite the weaker and later caste to a stronger one8 ,almost all apiarians recommend the uniting of two weak castes1 in order to make one strong family1 or uniting the feeble swarm to an old stock4 ,mr4 ,cotton1 the most affectionate of bee-masters while he lived1 advocates the use of the usual anesthetic1 fuzz-ball or puff-ball1 or frog's-cheese2 and while the bees are in a state of insensibility pouring the one family into the hive of the other4 ,the instrument employed for this purpose is made of tin plate4 ,illustration ,the ignited puff-ball1 which may be gathered and dried1 or purchased for a trifle from ,neighbours' in ,london1 or ,pettitt in ,dover1 is placed in the box ,a4 ,the part ,b is then fitted into ,a4 ,the orifice ,d is introduced into the hive1 a little rag or clay is packed round it to keep in the smoke4 ,the mouth is to be applied to the end ,c1 and thus the smoke is driven into the hive4 ,the bees will soon become still as death4 ,the queen had better be picked out and removed from the caste4 ,the tube of an ordinary bellows may be introduced for this fumigation1 as perhaps more effective and less troublesome4 ,it will then appear thus3-- ,illustration ,richardson describes another plan3-- ,some persons may conceive it to be a difficult matter to come at the queen4 ,when fumigation is resorted to1 she is1 of course1 easily discovered2 but even when it is dispensed with1 and the practice adopted which ,i have yet to describe1 she is not so very difficult to come at2 for1 on a hive being turned up and tapped1 the queen is among the first1 if not indeed the very first1 who makes her appearance1 as if to discover the occasion of the unwonted disturbance2 and recollect1 that although the dusk of an autumnal evening answers best for this purpose1 ,i say nothing indicative of my disapprobation of the use of a lantern4 ,the queen usually lodges near the crown of the hive1 and is1 when fumigation is resorted to1 one of the last to fall2 she will consequently1 in this case1 be found amongst the uppermost bees4 ,in practising fumigation 7with a view to the union of weak stocks71 two persons should act in concert1 each taking a hive and operating upon it1 in order that both stocks should be simultaneously in a similar condition as to intoxication4 ,i may add1 that in fumigation the hive must be well covered with a cloth1 to prevent the escape of the smoke4 ,when you have united the two stocks in the manner ,i have described1 it is advisable to confine the insects to their hive for that night and the following day4 ,do not1 however1 wholly deprive them of air in doing so1 or you may smother them4 ,taylor1 who is always judicious1 proposes what ,i regard as a preferable plan of uniting weak swarms3-- ,like most other operations on bees1 the mode of uniting swarms admits of variety1 according to choice and circumstance2 and some apiarians prefer to drive them1 in the way for which general directions have already been given2 a plan that may be resorted to almost at any time4 ,another mode of junction can be effected by the aid of a sheet of perforated zinc1 inserted between the two hives about to be united4 ,there is little reason to doubt that the members of each colony of bees are distinguishable amongst themselves by a certain peculiarity of odour1 which1 if assimilated1 appears to have the effect of preventing mutual dissension4 ,when the construction1 therefore1 of the hives admits of their being brought into juxtaposition1 the perforated zinc allows a free circulation of scent between them1 without permitting actual contact of the bees4 ,after leaving matters in this position for two or three days1 ,i have usually found1 on withdrawing the zinc divider1 that no disturbance has ensued4 ,but may it not be preferable still to follow the course indicated by the bees8 ,when pastures fail and turnips perish1 from an extreme dry season1 we feed cattle with artificial food4 ,why not try an analogous system with bees8 ,barley-sugar1 ,i admit1 is expensive4 ,but ,i venture to assert1 that if the caste issue not later than ,june1 four pounds of barley-sugar1 costing about five shillings1 will supplement its own industrious gatherings sufficiently to carry it over the winter into spring1 and a pound in spring will start it into vigorous work4 ,if you take from it a super next ,june or ,july1 weighing ten or twelve pounds1 you receive good interest1 and your outlay for barley-sugar is returned1 and you escape the troublesome and disagreeable process of fumigation4 ,barley-sugar1 ,i admit1 is more costly than cottagers prefer4 ,if you have no arrangement in your hives for feeding1 you may boil a pound of common brown sugar--which may be had for fourpence a pound--in a pint of ale2 pour it when cool into a soup-plate4 ,take a circular thin board1 the size of the inner bottom of the soup-plate1 pierce it with a good-sized gimlet in every direction till it is covered with holes1 each through and through4 ,let it float on the plate4 ,set the plate opposite your weak swarm day after day for a week4 ,the other bees1 strong and busy in ,june1 will rarely touch it1 and your destitute family will gladly visit it4 ,the weight of the float will make the sugared ale ascend by the holes1 and the bees will sip ad libitum1 without the risk of clogging their wings or being drowned4 ,but if1 what is more to be desired1 you have one of ,pettitt's single-box hives1 you have only to fill one of his wood feeders1 in which there are grooves and parallel edges of wood for the bees to walk on2 place it in the drawer beneath the stock1 draw out the zinc slide1 and the bees will descend and feed with profit and pleasure4 ,illustration ,illustration ,if you have one of ,neighbours' hives1 already referred to1 fill the following zinc pan with the ale and sugar4 ,put over it the plate of glass1 and fix it on the top of the hive4 ,the bees will ascend by the orifice ,a1 the plate-glass cover on the top preventing their escape1 while it is so constructed that without moving it you can replenish it by the entrance ,b4 ,illustration ,illustration ,taylor thus describes one of his feeding-pans3-- ,when there is a hole in the centre of the top of the hive1 a trough may be used1 made of tin or zinc1 seven or eight inches square1 and one inch and a quarter deep2 having a circular two-inch hole in the middle of the bottom1 with a rim round it1 standing up half an inch1 through which the bees enter the pan from below4 ,another circular rim or partition1 as large in diameter as the square of the pan will admit1 is soldered down within it at the four points where it touches the sides4 ,it must not go down to the bottom1 but a space should there be left of nearly an eighth of an inch1 as a passage for the food1 which is poured in at the four angles4 ,a perforated thin wooden bottom or float is fitted loosely into the pan1 between the circles1 removing an objection sometimes made against the chilling effects of metal upon bees4 ,the float should be a little raised by means of two thin strips of wood1 appended below1 to allow the liquid to flow beneath4 ,a cover is made by a piece of glass1 resting on the larger circle1 but cut nearly octagonal in form1 so as to leave the corners open4 ,the circle on which the glass rests should be an eighth of an inch lower than the outer rim4 ,ingenious bee-masters1 who estimate the excellence of their treatment by its tortuous ingenuity1 are sure to deride every such homely and easy treatment4 ,but you must disregard their learned and1 as they phrase it1 scientific talk4 ,in fact1 the sulphur-and-match treatment is scarcely worse than the protracted torture of apiarian inquisitors1 inflicted on bees by means of their ingenious hives4 ,experimental investigations are1 of course1 legitimate4 ,but keeping up queer and twisted and zigzag bee-houses1 as monuments of their talent and nothing else1 is nothing less than vivisection of bees4 ,should the weather prove fine1 and the stock hive1 as inspected by the glass window1 show the honey-comb reaching downward to the floor1 place a super on the top4 ,a glass is by far the most elegant1 and1 of the shape recommended by ,taylor1 it is the most useful4 ,it is about ten inches wide1 six inches high1 and straight on the sides1 with or without a zinc circular perforated tube4 ,illustration ,but it is essential to cover it with a fitting woollen nightcap1 the neglect of which is the cause of the unpopularity of bee-glasses4 ,no additional room ought to be given after the middle of ,july1 even in heath counties2 but that supplied in the beginning of ,june1 or toward the end of ,may1 should be large4 ,this is the safe side to err on4 ,either one good large glass1 or1 what is less useful1 two or three middle-sized1 should be used4 ,in the case of the ,ayrshire hive1 the rabbet-slides should be drawn out from the top of the bottom box1 the super box being previously placed on the top4 ,during ,june and ,july frequently visit your bees4 ,stand in front of the bee-shed4 ,study them through your observatory windows4 ,they are too busy to be annoyed4 ,they love company4 ,they are essentially social and friendly1 and fond of visitors4 ,their music will charm your ear1 and their industry delight your eye2 and their wonderful work will give you many an illustration for sermon1 essay1 or speech4 ,the longest summer ends in autumn4 ,the honey harvest comes on4 ,pass your zinc plate under the full glass4 ,detach it1 and lift it off the stock hive1 of which close up the hole1 or place on it a very small bell-glass1 just sufficient to cover the aperture1 not forgetting the nightcap4 ,take your glass to a little distance1 let it rest for half an hour1 then edge up one side1 and the bees will rush home to their hive in the bee-shed4 ,cover the bottom of the glass1 when the bees have left1 with parchment or thick writing-paper4 ,mr4 ,taylor's directions are as follow3-- ,if the queen is not in the super 7and she seldom is there after it is filled71 the silence that at first prevailed will be exchanged for a murmuring hum1 attended by a commotion among the bees2 and they shortly after begin to quit the super1 without attempting any attack4 ,should the queen be present1 however1 a very different scene would ensue1 and a hubbub would then commence in the stock hive2 though the loss of their queen is sometimes not discovered by the bees for a considerable time4 ,in such a case1 the box must be reinstated in its former position1 and the communication reopened till some other day4 ,the process might happen to be complicated by the presence of brood1 for this the bees leave very reluctantly1 and often not at all4 ,in an emergency of this kind1 it is best to restore matters to their previous state1 and let the super remain till the brood is perfected4 ,a little patience is sometimes necessary2 but all attempts at ejection of the bees by tapping1 smoking1 or driving1 usually do more harm than good4 ,so long as they continue to leave the super1 it may remain where it is1 for on these occasions young bees are sometimes numerous2 and if the super is removed1 though only to a short distance1 these are in part lost1 not having become sufficiently acquainted with the position of their home2 or1 if they enter a wrong hive1 they pay the penalty with their lives4 ,this freedom from disturbance has the further good effect of preventing in a great degree the intrusion of robber bees1 readily distinguishable from the others by their hovering about the box1 instead of flying from it4 ,these are strangers from various quarters1 immediately attracted by the scent attending the removal of a full box or glass4 ,should a few of these plunderers once obtain a taste or sample of the honey1 they speedily convey the good news to their associates1 when large reinforcements from every hive in the neighbourhood will be at once on the alert1 and quickly leave nothing behind but empty combs4 ,let the separated super1 therefore1 not be left or lost sight of1 but if scented out by robbers1 be conveyed into some room or outbuilding1 to prevent a general battle1 and which might extend itself to all the neighbouring hives4 ,the remaining bees may here be brushed out1 escaping by the window or door4 ,mr4 ,golding has sometimes found the advantage of using for the purpose a darkened room1 with the exception of a very small aperture1 to which the bees will fly and make their exit4 ,others like to remove a super at once to a short distance from the stock hive1 leaving it shut up in perfect darkness for an hour or two4 ,its edge is then raised up1 when the bees will evacuate it4 ,a good plan is1 to take the detached super into a room with a window that closes and opens on hinges4 ,on edging up the glass1 the bees will fly to the window4 ,open it for a minute1 and they will escape4 ,shut it again1 and repeat the opening4 ,the advantage of this is that wasps and strange bees are excluded1 such corsairs careering everywhere in autumn4 ,honey is always best preserved in its own sealed and air-tight cells4 ,it will keep throughout the winter4 ,if you separate the honey from the wax1 cut the combs into inch-wide pieces1 and lay these in sieves over glazed earthenware vessels1 and they will yield the choicest honey4 ,it drops from the comb spontaneously4 ,take the combs and squeeze them through a cloth4 ,this will yield a second-class honey1 admirable for feeding your bees4 ,carry the remainder1 or refuse1 in a dish1 and place it before your bee-shed1 and thousands of your bees will make a good meal from it4 ,if you prefer to save the wax1 bring back what the bees have licked clean4 ,put it into a vessel in which there is as much water as floats it4 ,place the vessel on a clear fire1 stirring till the combs are thoroughly melted4 ,strain the whole through a fine canvas bag into cold water4 ,mr4 ,nutt says3-- ,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 by1 your breast4 ,upon this inclined plane lay your dripping1 reeking strainer1 and keeping it from slipping into the cold water by bringing its upper part over the top of the board1 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 board2 then1 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 water1 to keep the wax from being burned to the bottom2 melt it carefully2 for should it be neglected1 and suffered to boil over1 serious mischief might ensue1 liquid wax being of a very inflammable nature2 therefore1 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 them1 without breaking either the moulds or the wax2 place them1 covered over with cloths or with pieces of board1 where the wax will cool slowly2 because the more slowly it cools1 the more solid if will be1 and free from flaws and cracks4 ,to those who have a taste for very ancient drinks1 ,richardson's instructions will prove valuable3-- ,mead4--,some persons may feel desirous of making for themselves this once-famous drink1 and ,i shall accordingly furnish them with simple directions for so doing4 ,common mead is formed by mixing two parts of water with one of honey1 boiling them together1 and taking off the scum4 ,fermented mead is formed of three parts of water to one of honey1 boiled as before1 skimmed1 and casked4 ,the cask is to be left unbunged and exposed to the sun1 or in a warm room1 until it ceases to work4 ,it is then bunged1 and in about three months it is fit for use4 ,the addition of a ferment is of course necessary1 taking care that it be sound1 sweet1 and good4 ,hops are an improvement to mead1 taking from its extreme sweetness2 and so is the addition of chopped raisins boiled with it1 at the rate of six pounds of honey to each half-pound of raisins2 also some lemon peel1 a few glasses of brandy1 c4 ,metheglin is only another name for mead1 altered by the addition of various ingredients1 according to the taste of its preparers4 ,these liquors may be racked1 fined1 c41 like other wines1 and will1 if properly managed1 keep for years4 ,i have never tasted these celebrated wines4 ,i have no doubt they are pleasant and wholesome4 ,but ,i prefer the honey in the honey-comb at breakfast1 and mean to recommend it to others also4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,vii4--,,the ,,inmates ,,of ,,the ,,hive4 ,in every hive there are three distinct inmates1 very easily recognised--the ,queen-,bee1 the ,working-,bee1 and the ,drone2 each essential to the other1 and all to the very existence and prosperity of the hive4 ,illustration3 ,the ,queen4 ,illustration3 ,the ,working-,bee4 ,illustration3 ,the ,drone4 ,,the ,,queen4 ,the ,queen is very elegant4 ,her symmetry of person1 and relative proportions1 and greater length of figure1 distinguish her from the rest of the community4 ,her death is followed by a cessation of all labour till a princess ascends the throne4 ,she is the creature of treatment4 ,the egg from which she emerges seems in all respects identical with those from which her subjects issue4 ,on the sides of the tier of comb from which drones and working-bees are developed1 large vertical combs1 from two to five1 are constructed4 ,woodcuts representing these are found in every bee-book4 ,taylor gives the following accurate picture3-- ,illustration ,the upper portion of the comb contains honey1 with the exception of the dark cells1 which contain pollen4 ,the lower are drone cells2 and the large cells1 three in number on each side1 are royal palaces4 ,her majesty is fed with royal jelly till she is ready to show herself2 and everything that love and reverence and hope can supply1 the bees delight to offer4 ,but it is a curious entomological fact1 first discovered by ,schirach1 an eminent apiarian of the last century1 that the bees can supply the loss of their queen by an artificial process--a process confirmatory of the position that every working-bee egg has in it the component elements of royalty1 and that development according to a definite treatment is all that is requisite to constitute a queen4 ,on being deprived of their queen by death1 the bees select a common grub1 not above three days old1 break down the wax partitions between it and at least three contiguous cells1 forming a vertical pear-shaped chamber4 ,they feed her with the daintiest food1 called royal jelly4 ,in five days the grub becomes a nymph1 and in fifteen she emerges a royal princess1 ascends the vacant throne1 and receives the homage1 loyalty1 and love of fifteen or twenty thousand subjects4 ,kirby exclaims3-- ,what6 you will ask1 can a larger and warmer house1 a different and more pungent food1 and a vertical instead of an horizontal posture1 give a bee a different-shaped tongue and mandibles2 render the surface of its under-legs flat instead of concave2 deprive them of the fringe of hairs that forms the basket for carrying the masses of pollen1--of the auricle and pecten which enable the workers to use these legs or feet as pincers1--of the brush that lines the insides of the feet8 ,can they lengthen its abdomen2 alter its colour and clothing2 give a curvature to its sting2 deprive it of its wax-pockets1 and of the vessels for secreting that substance2 and render its ovaries more conspicuous and capable of yielding worker and drone eggs8 ,in spring1 she moves among the combs laying her eggs4 ,ladies-in-waiting accompany her1 who always turn their faces toward her majesty1 clear the royal route1 and clean out the cells in which she deposits her eggs4 ,of this ,lardner gives the following representation3-- ,illustration ,the ,reverend ,charles ,cotton1 while he lived the prince of bee-masters1 thus represents the queen and her attendant ladies3-- ,illustration ,the queen is the central bee2 the surrounding bees are her ladies-in-waiting1 and the white specks the eggs she has deposited4 ,the queen-bee is a model keeper at home1 rarely leaving the hive4 ,most apiarians are interested at present in the habits and acclimatisation of the ,ligurian bee--the ,apis ,ligustica1 or ,italian bee4 ,it is found easy to substitute an ,italian for a ,british queen1 in a ,british hive which has been deprived of its native sovereign4 ,the bees refuse to constitute themselves into a republic1 and therefore they will accept even a foreign queen1 who1 no doubt1 takes the oaths and obligations of the realm over which she is to reign4 ,there is a red tinge in the rings that surround the abdomen of this foreigner2 and1 contrary to what we should expect in an ,italian temperament1 the ,ligurian bee is more gentle and conciliatory than our native queen4 ,i speak from report1 not from personal knowledge4 ,but ,i hope one day to be present at a leve1 and become better acquainted with the royal foreigner4 ,lardner gives the following account of two queens1 from ,huber4 ,huber placed a piece of comb having three royal cells in a hive in which the queen was laying eggs4 ,the moment she saw them she attacked them1 laid them open1 and commanded her attendants to destroy them4 ,these instantly tore out the royal nymphs1 and devoured the food destined for their use4 ,he then introduced a stranger queen1 pregnant with eggs1 marking her so as to be able to identify her4 ,immediately on her appearance the workers collected in a crowd around her1 and formed as usual a circle of which she was the centre1 the heads of all the remaining crowd being directed towards her4 ,this very soon became so dense that she became an absolute prisoner within it4 ,while this was going on1 a similar ring was formed by another group of workers round the queen-regnant1 so that she was likewise for the moment a prisoner4 ,the two queens being thus in view of each other1 if either evinced a disposition to approach and attack the other1 the two rings were immediately opened1 so as to give a free passage to the combatants2 but the moment they showed a disposition to fly from each other1 the rings were again closed1 so as to retain them on the spot they occupied4 ,at length the queen-regnant resolved on the conflict1 and the surrounding crowd1 seeming to be conscious of her decision1 immediately cleared a passage for her to the place where the stranger stood perched on the comb4 ,she threw herself with fury on the latter1 seized her by the root of the wing1 and fixed her against the comb so as to deprive her of all power of movement or resistance1 and then bending her abdomen1 inflicted a mortal stab with her sting1 and put an end to the intruder4 ,a fruitful queen full of eggs was next placed upon one of the combs of a hive over which a virgin queen already reigned4 ,she immediately began to drop her eggs1 but not in the cells2 nor did the workers1 by a circle of whom she was closely surrounded1 take charge of them2 but1 since no trace of them could be discovered1 it is probable that they were devoured4 ,the group1 by which this intruding queen was surrounded1 having opened a way for her1 she moved towards the edge of the comb1 where she found herself close to the place occupied by the legitimate virgin queen4 ,the moment they perceived each other1 they rushed together with ungovernable fury4 ,the virgin1 mounting on the back of the intruder1 stabbed her several times in the abdomen1 but failed to penetrate the scaly covering of the segments4 ,the combatants then1 exhausted for the moment1 disengaged themselves and retired4 ,after an interval of some minutes they returned to the charge1 and this time the intruder succeeded in mounting on the back of the virgin and giving her several stabs with her sting1 which1 however1 failed to penetrate the flesh4 ,the virgin queen1 succeeding in disengaging herself1 again retired4 ,another round succeeded1 with the like results1 the virgin still coming undermost1 and1 after disengaging herself1 again retiring4 ,the combat appeared for some time doubtful1 the rival queens being so nearly equal in strength and power2 when at last1 by a lucky chance1 the virgin sovereign inflicted a mortal wound upon the intruder1 who fell dead on the spot4 ,in this case1 the sting of the virgin was buried so deep in the flesh of her opponent1 that she found it impossible to withdraw it1 and any attempt to do so by direct force would have been fatal to her4 ,after many fruitless efforts1 she at length adopted the following ingenious expedient with complete success4 ,instead of exerting her force on the sting by a direct pull1 she turned herself round1 giving herself a rotatory motion on the extremity of her abdomen where the sting had its insertion1 as a pivot4 ,in this way she gradually unscrewed the sting4 ,another very interesting incident is related by ,huber4 ,it is described by ,lardner3-- ,the first work which the population undertakes1 after being assured of the loss of its queen1 is directed to obtain a successor to her4 ,if there be not royal cells prepared1 they set about their construction4 ,while this work was in progress1 and in twenty-four hours after their queen had been taken from them1 ,huber introduced into the hive a fruitful queen in the prime of life1 being eleven months old4 ,not less than twelve royal cells had been already commenced and were in a forward state4 ,the moment the strange queen was placed on one of the combs1 one of the most curious scenes commenced which was probably ever witnessed in the animal world1 and which has been described by ,huber4 ,the bees who happened to be near the stranger approached her1 touched her with their antenn1 passed their probosces over all parts of her body1 and presented her with honey4 ,then they retired1 giving place to others1 who approached in their turn and went through the same ceremony4 ,all the bees who proceeded thus clapped their wings in retiring1 and ranged themselves in a circle round her1 each1 as it completed the ceremony1 taking a position behind those who had previously offered their respects4 ,a general agitation was soon spread on those sides of the combs corresponding with that of the scene here described4 ,from all quarters the bees crowded to the spot1 and each group of fresh arrivals broke their way through the circle1 approached the new aspirant to the throne1 touched her with their antenn and probosces1 offered her honey1 and1 in fine1 took their rank outside the circle previously formed4 ,the bees forming this sort of court circle clapped their wings from time to time1 and fluttered apparently with self-gratification1 but without the least sign of disorder or tumult4 ,at the end of fifteen or twenty minutes from the commencement of these proceedings the queen1 who had hitherto remained stationary1 began to move4 ,far from opposing her progress or hemming her in1 as in the cases formerly described1 the bees opened the circle on the side to which she directed her steps1 followed her1 and1 ranging themselves on either side of her path1 lined the road in the same manner as is done by military bodies in state processions4 ,she soon began to lay drone eggs1 for which she sought and found the proper cells in the combs which had been already constructed4 ,while these things were passing on the side of the comb where the new queen had been placed1 all remained perfectly tranquil on the opposite side4 ,it seemed as though the bees on that side were profoundly ignorant of the arrival of a new queen on the opposite side4 ,they continued to work assiduously at the royal cells1 the construction of which had been commenced on that side of the comb1 just as if they were ignorant that they had no longer need of them2 they tended the grubs in those cells where the eggs had been already hatched1 supplying them as usual1 from time to time1 with royal jelly4 ,but at length the new queen in her progress arriving at that side of the comb1 she was received by those bees with the same homage and devotion of which she had been already the object at the other side4 ,they approached her1 coaxed her with their antenn and probosces1 offered her honey1 formed a court circle round her when she was stationary1 and a hedge at either side of her path when she moved1 and proved how entirely they acknowledged her sovereignty by discontinuing their labour at the royal cells1 which they had commenced before her arrival1 and from which they now removed the eggs and grubs1 and ate the provisions which they had collected in them4 ,from this moment the queen reigned supreme over the hive1 and was treated in all respects as if she had ascended the throne in right of inheritance4 ,,the ,,worker-,,bee4 ,the ,worker-,bee is an imperfectly developed queen or female4 ,the worker-bees vary in number in a prosperous hive from ten to twenty thousand4 ,they are divided into orders or sections4 ,some produce wax2 others build combs2 others feed the young2 others ventilate the hive2 others1 as sentinels1 guard the entrance2 while the great body traverses gardens and commons1 gathering honey for themselves and the bee-master4 ,there are various estimates of the age of the worker-bee4 ,dr4 ,bevan thinks the limit of their life is six or eight months4 ,probably this is the average1 from taking into account the accidents of a laborious life1 the battles they must wage with enemies1 and the wear and tear of ceaseless toil4 ,about the end of ,august they appear exhausted2 their wings become ragged1 and the stroke of the sting feebler4 ,,the ,,drone4 ,the ,drone is a male bee1 fat1 round1 and lazy1 like an old abbot in medival times1 who preferred the cellar to his cell4 ,huber remarks3-- ,naturalists have been extremely embarrassed to account for the number of males in most hives1 and which seem only a burden on the community1 since they appear to fulfil no function4 ,but we now begin to discern the object of nature in multiplying them to such an extent4 ,as fecundation cannot be accomplished within the hive1 and as the queen is obliged to traverse the expanse of the atmosphere1 it is requisite that the males should be numerous1 that she may have the chance of meeting some one of them4 ,were only two or three in each hive1 there would be little probability of their departure at the same instant with the queen1 or that they would meet in their excursions2 and most of the females might thus remain sterile4 ,the queen selects a drone for her husband1 who dies invariably at the end of the honeymoon or wedding-trip in the air4 ,but the widowed queen does not marry a second husband4 ,her whole mind from that day to her death1 though surrounded by two thousand suitors1 is devoted to the interests and order and government of her realm4 ,during ,may1 and not later than ,june1 the massacre of the drones takes place4 ,they have become at this date encumbrances only4 ,their mission is ended1 and their extermination becomes the duty of the industrious bees4 ,i stated1 in my letters to ,the ,times1 that ,i believed the drones had a value additional to that usually assigned to them--viz41 that they sustained the temperature of the hive during the chief breeding season4 ,mr4 ,cotton--no mean authority--states what substantially confirms all ,i said3-- ,i have watched the drones for many years very attentively1 and ,i will freely give you the result4 ,i will tell you1 in the first instance1 the facts ,i have seen1 and what ,i have drawn from them4 ,the drones are hatched just before the new swarms rise2 very few go off with them4 ,i for a long time thought that none did2 but ,i am free to confess that ,i was wrong4 ,they do not fly out early in the day1 but about two o'clock they go out to take the air1 and make a fine buzzing1 which joins very prettily with the milder hum of the bees4 ,many people kill the drones directly they see them2 but they are quite wrong1 as the bees know best when they have done their duty1 and so we may leave to them the unpleasant task of killing them1 though they do not do it in the most merciful way4 ,why do the drones stay in the hive all the morning8 ,most of the bees are then out gathering honey1 so the drones have to stay at home to keep up the heat of the hive by their great fat bodies1 just as a gadding wife leaves her husband to look after the children1 while she is out taking her pleasure4 ,it does seem a too great excess of provision to furnish two thousand drones out of whom the queen may select her consort4 ,it looks like unusual waste4 ,it leads to a massacre on a larger scale than is necessary4 ,the average number of excursions made by each bee is probably ten or twelve1 over an area of half a mile2 but fewer1 of course1 in proportion to the greater distance of suitable pasture4 ,kirby calculates that during a good season a hundred pounds of ponderable material is carried by these tiny workers into their hive4 ,he justly observes3-- ,what a wonderful idea does this give of the industry and activity of those useful little creatures6 and what a lesson do they read to the members of societies that have both reason and religion to guide their exertions for the common good6 ,adorable is that ,great ,being who has gifted them with instincts which render them as instructive to us1 if we will condescend to listen to them1 as they are profitable4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,viii4--,,bee ,,enemies4 ,the toad is a lazy1 ugly-looking enemy of the bee4 ,his capabilities1 however1 are not equal to his will and wants4 ,he squats under the bee landing-board1 and seizes every too heavily laden or wing-weary labourer that accidentally drops4 ,this is really very cruel4 ,the bee that has finished the longest journey1 and gone through the hardest work1 and borne the heat and brunt of the hot1 long summer day1 takes a rest on a leaf just before entering the hive1 or comes short of the door of his home by an inch1 and is seized by the unclean monster and devoured4 ,the only way of getting rid of this unfeeling destroyer1 who sits seeking whom he may devour1 is to pay a visit to your hives soon after sunrise and an hour before sunset2 and on finding him on his wicked watch1 seize him by the hind leg and throw him to as great a distance across your hedge as you well can4 ,but if the bee-master be a lady--if ,i may use the phrase--let her empty on him a snuff-box full of strong snuff1 and he will reflect a few days before he returns to his old quarters4 ,i give this prescription to ladies1 because they do not like to seize the cold-blooded creature and fling him to a respectable distance4 ,how favoured our ,irish bee-masters must be in this matter6--they have no toads4 ,i also wish they had no riots4 ,but troubles must come in some shape4 ,still1 ,i would rather have toads than ,belfast navvies and ship-carpenters1 and any day ,i would prefer being ,the ,times ,bee-master to be ,mayor of ,belfast4 ,we are also exempt in this island of ours from the bear1 unless one should break loose from the strolling menageries that occasionally infest ,tunbridge ,wells ,common4 ,the bear1 remarks a ,yankee1 is the knowingest varmint for finding out a bee-tree in the world4 ,they'll gnaw for days together at the trunk1 till they make a hole big enough to get in their paws1 and then they'll haul out the honey1 bees and all4 ,the moth is a dangerous enemy4 ,during the day there is no risk of his attacks4 ,but during the night he is1 like other thieves and burglars1 alive and active4 ,he loves the darkness rather than the light1 because his deeds are evil4 ,as no bee-master can do without sleep1 ,i cannot expect of the most enthusiastic and devoted that he will watch his hives the whole night4 ,the only preventive measure of a mechanical sort ,i can recommend is that of lessening the entrance door4 ,for this purpose he must apply a zinc slide1 such as ,mr4 ,neighbour1 in ,holborn1 will supply1 which will keep out the moth and yet let out the bees4 ,besides1 the narrower the door1 the more closed up the rank of the bee-sentinels becomes1 and the more able they are to repel the death's-head moth1 or any similar intruder4 ,but the most vigorous prophylactic measure you can take is to keep your bees in full strength2 and as the time selected by these depredators is the early autumn1 you cannot do better than give your bees a cup of good strong ale1 boiled up with sugar1 which will cheer up your whole family1 and enable them to put forth their whole strength in grappling with their enemies4 ,don't mind teetotal objections4 ,these are all very good for drunkards2 but for sober1 industrious bees1 determined to defend their property1 a cup of good ale is as kind as it is useful4 ,the ,acherontia ,atropos1 or death's-head hawk-moth1 not only robs the hive of its honey1 but frightens and all but paralyses the bees4 ,huber gives an account of the exertions of his bees to guard against this formidable foe4 ,it is here quoted from ,lardner3-- ,when he found his hives attacked and their store of honey pillaged by these depredators1 he contracted the opening left for the exit and entrance of the bees to such an extent as1 while it allowed them free ingress and egress1 it was so small that their plunderers could not pass through it4 ,this was found to be perfectly effectual1 and all pillage was thenceforward discontinued in the hives thus protected4 ,but it happened that in some of the hives this precaution was not adopted1 and here the most wonderful proceeding on the part of the bees took place4 ,human contrivance was brought into immediate juxtaposition with apiarian ingenuity4 ,the bees of the undefended hives raised a wall across the gate of their city1 consisting of a stiff cement made of wax and propolis mixed in a certain proportion4 ,this wall1 sometimes carried directly across and sometimes a little behind the door1 first completely closed up the entrance2 but they pierced in it some openings just large enough to allow two bees to pass each other in their exits and entrances4 ,the little engineers did not follow one invariable plan in these defensive works1 but modified them according to circumstances4 ,in some cases a single wall1 having small wickets worked through it at certain points1 was constructed4 ,in others several walls were erected one within the other1 placed parallel to each other1 with trenches between them wide enough to allow two bees to pass each other4 ,in each of these parallel walls several openings or wickets were pierced1 but so placed as not to correspond in position1 so that in entering a bee would have to follow a zigzag course in passing from wicket to wicket4 ,in some cases these walls or curtains were wrought into a series of arcades1 but so that the intervening columns of one corresponded to the arcades of the other4 ,the bees never constructed these works of defence without urgent necessity4 ,thus1 in seasons or in localities where the death's-head moth did not prevail1 no such expedients were resorted to4 ,nor were they used against enemies which were open to attack by their sting4 ,the bee1 therefore1 understands not merely the art of offensive war1 and can play the part of the common soldier1 but is also a consummate military engineer2 and it is not against the death's-head moth alone that it shows itself capable of erecting such defences4 ,a correspondent of ,the ,times1 writing on naval guns1 who signs himself ,z1 alluded to my letters1 and drew a happy illustration from them4 ,let me here inform the ,admiralty of a new arm which in extremity--for otherwise it would be the sacrifice of too many bee combatants--may be used in naval warfare4 ,but perhaps ,lord ,clarence ,paget may find some difficulty in securing its adoption4 ,it is related in ,the ,naturalist's ,library3-- ,a small privateer with forty or fifty men1 having on board some hives made of earthenware full of bees1 was pursued by a ,turkish galley manned by five hundred seamen and soldiers4 ,as soon as the latter came alongside1 the crew of the privateer mounted the rigging with their hives1 and hurled them down on the deck of the galley4 ,the ,turks1 astonished at this novel mode of warfare1 and unable to defend themselves from the stings of the enraged bees1 became so terrified that they thought of nothing but how to escape their fury2 while the crew of the small vessel1 defended by masks and gloves1 flew upon their enemies sword in hand1 and captured the vessel almost without resistance4 ,but as many of my recent correspondents in ,the ,times were clergymen1 ,i can recommend to the ministers of ,belfast an admirable prescription for the extreme case of a ,belfast mob sacking their rectories and manses4 ,the ,mayor of ,belfast also might take it into his grave consideration1 should the citizens1 instead of trying to convert each other by arguments or ,scripture1 have recourse to those fashionable weapons which they lately wielded with so much effect3-- ,during the confusion occasioned by a time of war in #aebe1 a mob of peasants assembling in ,hohnstein1 in ,thuringia1 attempted to pillage the house of the parish minister1 who1 having in vain employed all his eloquence to dissuade them from their design1 ordered his domestics to fetch his bee-hives and throw them in the middle of this furious mob4 ,the effect was what might be expected2 they were immediately put to flight1 and happy to escape unstung4 ,is not this worthy of the consideration of every peaceful vicar in ,belfast8 ,the spider is also a very mischievous pest in bee-houses4 ,he builds his web in nooks and corners1 under the eaves and about the landing-boards1 and in the track of the outgoing and incoming bees4 ,when a bee is inveigled1 its efforts to extricate its captive limbs serve only to involve it in the toils more hopelessly4 ,i have seen half-a-dozen working-bees thus caught and scooped out by the ravenous jaws of the spider4 ,these webs are constructed so rapidly1 that nothing short of daily attention will get rid of them4 ,the best thing is1 to have the bee-house as smooth inside as it can be made1 with as few projecting edges and points as possible2 and in the next place1 the daily use of a hard1 dry painter's brush will sweep them away as fast as they are made1 and probably their weavers with them4 ,finally1 the worst enemy of bees is man4 ,there is the barbarous1 cruel1 and ungrateful treatment of the brimstone match4 ,the little innocents have toiled all the summer4 ,they have thrown off a swarm--after the example of the ,church of ,scotland1 which1 by way of showing its internal strength1 threw off a capital swarm in #ahdc--they have recovered all the effects of their secession1 and amassed abundance for future days4 ,the bee-cide felon1 called man1 digs a pit1 lights four ounces of brimstone inside of it1 and deliberately sets fifteen thousand bees1 queen and all1 above its really and truly infernal fumes--suffocates and burns the unhappy martyrs1 and then subscribes to various charities in winter1 and calls himself a philanthropist6 ,he ought to be sent to the treadmill4 ,why does the ,society for ,preventing ,cruelty to ,animals take up the case of cab-horses1 and overlook the murdered bees8 ,but there are regular inquisitors who do not use sulphur4 ,those scientific crinkum-crankum hives1 from which bees with difficulty get out1 and with more difficulty get in1 are little purgatories1 over which the inquisitors preside4 ,vivisection is no worse4 ,yet these men complain that all who advocate simple1 easily accessible1 and comfortable homes for bees are behind the age1 and ignorant of apiarian progress6 ,there are not more than three sorts of hives that are humane4 ,all the others bewilder the brains1 weary the legs1 and spoil the tempers of the best bees that ever dwelt in a hive4 ,i have no objection whatever to ornamental bee-sheds2 but the hives which are the dwelling-places of my bees should be as plain as possible1 comfortable1 warm1 and easy of exit and entrance4 ,a very gifted preacher said it took all his learning to make his sermons plain3 it ought to take all a bee-master's to make his hives simple4 ,when ,i hear a fine preacher expressing himself in grand words and glittering figures1 ,i always feel--,i hope not uncharitably--that he cares more about displaying himself than serving his ,master or feeding his flock4 ,even so ,i am tempted to think of the ingenious inventors of intricate labyrinths they intend for hives1--that their own fame as apiarians is their chief thought1 and the comfort of their bees their last and least consideration4 ,a careless1 inattentive bee-master is criminal4 ,he ought to see that his bees have a sufficiency of food at the close of the year4 ,in fine ,october weather he may place several soup-plates filled with ale and sugar well boiled together1 and covered with perforated wooden floats1 which sink as the bees sip the contents1 opposite his hives4 ,i never find any quarrel ensue1 though ,i have seen thousands of bees from different hives feed together for hours4 ,after ,october till ,march no liquid food should be offered2 but a stick of barley-sugar may be thrust in now and then4 ,the bees will not descend to taste it in too cold weather1 and during a warm day they will enjoy such a dessert4 ,in case of damp within the hive1 which1 when a glass is retained1 may be seen inside of it1 select a warm day1 remove the glass1 and close the aperture in the hive4 ,wipe the interior of the glass with a linen cloth till perfectly dry1 and replace it as before4 ,but a little artificial ventilation on a dry1 warm day is still better4 ,do not let your bees find by painful experience that their bee-master is their worst enemy4 ,for an account of wasps1 see my letter to ,the ,times1 page #aeg4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,the ,,bee-,,master',s ,,letters ,,to ,,the ,,times4 ,so many and so urgent have been the requests of my correspondents to reprint these letters1 that ,i have carefully gone over them1 corrected clerical errors1 and reproduced them4 ,they may amuse as well as teach4 ,i append them in the order of their appearance4 ,they were unfortunate enough to provoke the wrath of two or three hive-inventors or patentees1 the merits of whose crooked and uncomfortable productions the writer could not appreciate2 but they have received the warmest eulogies of great numbers to whom they conveyed new and interesting information4 ,it is a pity that petty jealousies should distill their poison on so pleasant a theme1 and that bees should in this case turn wasps4 ,a very curious coincidence occurred in the course of the correspondence on bees which appeared in ,the ,times4 ,a succession of letters appeared in various more or less obscure newspapers1 beginning at ,exeter and moving northward to the ,orkneys1 each1 mutatis mutandis1 the repetition of the first4 ,they invariably began by a laborious attempt to prove that the writer knows nothing of apiculture or prophecy1 but in no one instance disproving a single position or showing the author's ignorance of apiculture1 but in more than one instance deploring the writer's oversight of this or that hive4 ,every one of these writers--plainly under the inspiration of one--assumes that because the writer did not allude to his mode of treatment1 he was ignorant of bee-management4 ,the ,bee-master had no idea there was such concert among bee-keepers1 or that1 in giving an account of his intercourse with his bees1 he was putting his hands into hornets' nests4 ,but wasps have been a terrible plague this autumn4 ,one writer in a ,scotch paper1 who gives bees no credit for any ordinary virtue1 and regards them purely as mechanical toys1 writes thus3-- ,this ,bee-master says that 'the bee leaves her house1 traverses a mile or two distant1 and returns to her home--one amid twenty contiguous ones--with unerring certainty4' ,this was the general opinion up till lately--that the bee always returned to its own hive--in fact1 there was no means of proving the contrary until the introduction of the ,ligurian variety of bee4 ,for the information of ',a ,bee-master1' ,i must tell him that they do not at all times go back to their own home1 but make a mistake and enter their neighbour's4 ,this fact ,i soon ascertained after ,i got the ,ligurians1 as in a short time ,i saw them going into all my other common hives1 more or less1 and a neighbour nearly a mile away from this found the ,ligurians had joined one of his swarms when in the act of swarming4 ,these are facts which cannot be controverted1 and prove that ',a ,bee-master' ought to make himself master of his subject before he attempts to teach others4 ,queens1 too1 are frequently killed by entering into other hives when placed near each other1 through their mistaking the one for the other2 but these facts were not known to the generality of bee-keepers until they used the bar hives1 when all the economy of the interior could be examined at pleasure4 ,this foolish logician introduces foreigners to an ,english hive4 ,they do not act like ,english bees--in short1 they are not acquainted with a country in which they are not acclimatised2 and from the blunders of the ,ligurian foreigners he infers the ignorance of the ,british bee4 ,this is a specimen of the rubbish printed from ,devon to ,haddington4 ,another position of this ,scotchman with a bee in his bonnet is as follows3-- ,in removing a super--that is1 a top or bonnet--he says they should be taken one hundred yards away from the hive1 and the bees will fly back to the hive in about an hour4 ,this ,i think a very bad plan4 ,in the first place1 if taken off in a fine day the bees would not leave it in an hour1 and if there were any bees near1 they would find it out in that time1 their scent or sense of smell being so strong1 and he would never get them away2 and1 besides1 he would be very apt to take the queen away also1 she being often found in the top1 and she might not be able to fly back4 ,it is certainly a bad plan in this part of the country1 especially when the weather is cold in the autumn4 ,when removing the heather honey1 blow a few puffs of smoke from a burning rag into a super1 and take it off1 turning it upside down1 putting on it another empty super of the same size1 with cloth wrapped round where they meet1 to keep out light4 ,next give the super containing the honey and the bees a few taps with a piece of stick at intervals4 ,the bees1 when filled with honey1 which they will do as soon as disturbed1 will ascend into the empty super1 and if the queen should be there she will lead them at once1 and they can all be put back into the hive4 ,any top can be emptied of bees in fifteen minutes by doing it in this way1 and without running risk of losing the queen4 ,now1 in ninety-nine cases in a hundred the queen is not in the super1 and an intelligent bee-master can take care she is not there before he removes the super2 and1 in the next place1 ,the ,times ,bee-master expressly stated his entire aversion to smoking bees for such a purpose2 and earlier than ,august there is no risk of corsair bees4 ,besides1 preference of one plan to another is not necessarily proof of ignorance4 ,this mere copyist of ,devon remarks3-- ,what can be the necessity for subjecting sugar to the temperature of #cjj degrees1 and rendering it so hard that weak hives are not able to take as much as keep them alive1 when the same amount of sugar made to the consistency of their natural food would enable them to live8 ,common sense would indicate to anyone that in artificial feeding the nearer we approach their natural food the better2 but it may be that it is hard honey which this wiseacre's bees gather for him1 and that the flowers in ,kent give different food than those in ,scotland6 ,let anyone observe the time a bee takes to fill itself on barley-sugar and the time from sugar ,syrup1 and the labour spent on the former to that of the latter1 and he will soon see the difference between the two4 ,and the only reason the writer gave1 in answer to a correspondent1 for giving the barley-sugar is1 'that the other clogged the feet and smeared the wings of the bees4' ,now1 everyone must be aware that a few straws in the dish prevents this4 ,again1 he says that 'the only vice among bees is their passionate liking for rum and strong ale2 but the tee-totallers would fairly reply that they never care about either unless it is pressed upon them4' ,and ,i say they would reply truly1 for ,i maintain that the bees will not touch either rum or ale unless they are saturated with sugar or honey4 ,but why be at the expense of the one or the other1 when they will take it made with pure water before either8 99 99 99 99 99 ,he must be in the habit of bolting his oatmeal pottage1 or he never would have inferred that sipping its food in ten minutes is more conducive to the health and digestion of the bee than sipping it in half an hour4 ,his remarks on ale and rum are merely a translation of the nonsense spoken by his original4 ,but1 in common with his co-partners in criticism1 he thinks the ,bee-master's sole design in writing the letters in ,the ,times was to puff his forthcoming work on bees4 ,this mean and contemptible charge is best met by the simple and truthful answer1 that the ,bee-master had no more idea of writing a book on bees than of describing ,mount ,radnor or ,yester ,gardens4 ,his purpose to do so arose from the urgent request of literally hundreds of correspondents4 ,on my suggestion as to the purpose and object of two thousand drones or male bees being produced1 when there is only one perfect female--the queen--the writer observes3-- ,in one of his letters in answer to correspondents1 ',why there are so many drones in a hive1 and only one princess8' he confesses it a hard problem4 ,but one part seems to him very clear--',when the queen's countless eggs come to be hatched1 the temperature of the hive must be raised to #he or #ie4 ,the fat1 round1 and lazy drones are really the fuel4 ,they accordingly give out great heat4' ,had the writer really known anything about bees1 he could never have made such a statement4 ,if the drones are the fuel to keep up the heat1 why is it that they are never found in the hives till ,may or ,june--in this part of the country1 at least--after thousands of bees have been hatched8 ,if they were the fuel1 surely one would expect them to be the first eggs which were laid by the queen1 according to his theory2 but a queen will begin laying workers' eggs in ,january1 and yet lay no drone eggs till ,may1 just when the warm weather commences4 ,now1 if they were required for heat1 naturally ,ave would expect them to be found before ,may1 and they commence killing them in ,august1 when the cold weather begins4 ,now1 the fact is1 it is in ,may and ,june that drones are wanted to keep up the heat4 ,half the bees are out at work1 the means of maintaining the temperature are therefore diminished4 ,the drones remain at home1 unless during the noonday heat1 when they take an airing1 and can best be spared4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my first letter to ,the ,times was a report of the prospects of the honey harvest1 as follows3-- ,i have ten stock-hives4 ,i never destroy or kill my bees4 ,i look on the system of the sulphur match as barbarous and unprofitable4 ,i leave each family on an average not less than twenty-five pounds of honey for their winter stores1 and the surplus only ,i take away4 ,should any hive swarm1 which ,i can generally prevent1 and the remaining stock be therefore deficient in provision for the winter1 ,i feed them in the course of the early spring with barley-sugar4 ,this and other little attentions endear the bee-master to his bees1 as they are very susceptible of gratitude and have long memories4 ,a hive is very like a church3 when1 in ,may1 it increases rapidly in numbers and the temperature rises inside1 you either increase their accommodation in area or in height1 or you will have a secession4 ,should a secession take place1 bees set an example ecclesiastics might copy4 ,the new church never falls out with the old one4 ,side by side they work in perfect harmony1 believing there is plenty of food for both4 ,the only incidental mischief-maker is the wasp2 whether he be prelate or presbyter ,i cannot say1 but ,i know well he is a thief and intruder1 and after a fight1 the bees1 who in this matter are rigid non-intrusionists1 eject1 maim1 or kill him--and he deserves it4 ,queen ,victoria's ,court is modelled on the apiarian queen's4 ,you may see the queen-bee1 by means of my glass windows1 going her rounds and giving orders1 with her royal ladies1 who never turn their backs on her majesty4 ,the exceptional instance occurred on one occasion when it became necessary to give a rather sickly establishment rum and sugar1 of which they drank to excess and got drunk4 ,as long as the stimulus lasted1 the monarchy became a fierce democracy1 and queen and subjects were confounded in the mle4 ,the only vice among bees is their passionate liking for rum and strong ale4 ,but the teetotaller would fairly reply1 that they never care about either unless it is pressed upon them4 ,my bees at present have begun the massacre of the drones4 ,these are a sort of ,benedictine monks1 who1 like ,brother ,ignatius1 prefer enjoyment to hard work4 ,they are round1 fat1 and lazy1 making much noise1 and eating of stores to which they do not contribute4444 ,but you want to hear about the harvest8 ,in one square box there are forty pounds of honey1 and in a corresponding super rapidly filling up1 there is likely to be for me as much more4 ,in three ,scotch or ,ayrshire octagonal hives1 which ,i have found to answer best of any1 the three supers are in two almost full2 and in one there is at least forty pounds weight in the super1 and over the super is a bell-glass with seven or eight pounds additional4 ,in one of ,neighbours' very beautiful straw hives ,i have two bell-glasses almost full1 and a month ago ,i removed from this hive a very beautiful glass of honey4 ,in one of ,pettitt's lateral hives1 the bees passed through the subterranean archway a month ago1 and have nearly filled this compartment4 ,on this1 also1 ,i have placed a super bell-glass1 which is beautifully stored4 ,from a common cottage straw hive ,i removed a bell-glass super three weeks ago weighing eighteen pounds4 ,this season ,i shall have nearly two hundred pounds weight of surplus honey1 and yet leave in each hive more than enough to last the producers till ,april1 #ahfe4 ,why should not cottagers cultivate bees8 ,there is nothing to pay for pasture1 very little labour is required1 and that labour amusing1 in taking care of them1 and for very early virgin honey there may be had one shilling and sixpence or two shillings and sixpence a pound4 ,the poor cottager might thus easily pay his rent4 ,if landlords could only convince them that the old system of burning the bees in order to get the stock honey--which is at best inferior--is not only cruel but unprofitable1 they would do an essential service4 ,the poor peasant would have an interesting amusement after his day's work1 and a contribution towards his rent on the year's end4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bees and ,bee-hives4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,times4 ,sir1--,since my letter appeared in your columns on the ,honey ,harvest1 ,i have received from yourself various communications from rectors1 vicars1 curates1 c41 who feel a very great interest in bee-keeping as a social and commercial question4 ,i have also received letters addressed to me as ,the ,times ,bee-master1 which the postman1 guided by some remarkable instinct1 has placed in my hands4 ,most of these letters invite confidential and personal communication on this subject1 and record a variety of questions1 difficulties1 and perplexities which have injured or arrested the apiarian enterprises of the writers4 ,i prefer to answer some of their inquiries through your columns1 believing that the interest and importance of all that tends to benefit the cottager will ever find a place or a defence in ,the ,times4 ,the most urgent questions in the letters of my correspondents refer to the hives ,i employ1 and which ,i briefly described in my letter4 ,the first ,i mentioned is the ,scotch or ,ayrshire octagonal hive4 ,it is made of thoroughly seasoned deal1 in the form of a hexagon1 about eight inches in height1 and sixteen inches diameter4 ,on the top is a series of parallel slits1 extending from front to back1 which ,i open or shut by a series of corresponding deal slides4 ,on receiving a swarm in ,april or ,may1 ,i introduce the slides1 and thereby close up the top of the box4 ,on finding--as in fine weather ,i am sure to find in three or four weeks--that the box is full1 ,i place on the top another hexagonal box1 in all respects the same in size and shape1 and draw out the slides1 and thereby introduce the bees to the vacant upper chamber4 ,as each box has a window1 ,i am thus able to ascertain progress4 ,when this upper box is filled with honey1 ,i may place on the top of it another precisely the same1 drawing out the slides on the top of the second box1 and introducing the bees to a third story ,but usually ,i prefer1 for the sake of the beauty of it1 a bell-glass1 greater or less as the season may suggest4 ,i have found this hive by far the most successful4 ,it seems the bees1 who construct their cells in the form of hexagons1 prefer the house in which they work to be very much of the same shape4 ,a cottager may very easily make these boxes in the long winter evenings4 ,the second kind of hive ,i alluded to is made of straw1 and may be purchased at ,neighbours'1 in ,holborn4 ,the greatest disadvantage is its expense1 costing1 as it does1 thirty shillings4 ,but it is so well made that it will last very long4 ,i have had one in constant use during ten years1 and it is still as good as when it was bought4 ,its top is flat1 with three longitudinal apertures1 closed till full with zinc slides4 ,about the end of ,may1 in a good year1 ,i draw out the slides1 after placing over each a good-sized bell-glass2 and in ,july ,i have often had in each glass seven or eight pounds of honey4 ,the reason of the failure of this hive is the coldness of the glass1 which ,neighbours' additional super straw hive or cover does not mend4 ,but if my correspondents will get a piece of thick ,scotch plaid made like a nightcap1 and case each glass with this1 they will find the bees use it as readily as a wood or straw hive1 and there will be no moisture from condensation of the bees' breath inside4 ,the third sort of hive is ,pettitt's1 of ,snargate1 ,dover4 ,it is worked on the lateral system1 and of its kind is a perfect gem4 ,two boxes are placed on one floor1 with a subterranean communication between them4 ,on stocking the box on the right1 a zinc slide is introduced1 which shuts off the communication4 ,as soon as the box is full1 the slide is withdrawn and the communication laid open4 ,the bees take possession of the other box on the left1 and fill it with pure honey4 ,when my harvest comes1 ,i shut off the communication1 and remove the left-hand box full of honey4 ,you will perceive that my principle of action proceeds on the notion that the bottom box of the ,ayrshire or ,scotch hive1 the straw box of ,neighbours'1 and the right-hand box of ,pettitt's1 are each the sacred property of my bees1 which ,i feel it larceny to lessen or disturb1 and that the surplus is the tithe or portion of the bee-master4 ,the ruinous blunder of country bee-keepers is their taking honey from the former--honey1 too1 mixed with brood and bees' bread and the films of the young grubs4 ,in this1 the department ,i never touch1 the queen presides with her ladies-in-waiting2 and in any one of these1 if the bees have filled the additional supers or laterals1 there is abundance for all her subjects during the winter4 ,in some of the letters you have been good enough to send me1 the expense of these hives is urged as a fatal objection as far as the cottager is concerned4 ,let me therefore explain my last and cheapest plan--not best1 but cheapest4 ,place the swarm in a common shilling straw hive4 ,when you ascertain1 either by its weight or the busy working of the bees1 that it is full1 take a square board1 about a foot square2 cut in the centre of it a round hole three or four inches in diameter2 place on it a bell-glass1 or what is cheaper1 a smaller straw hive4 ,take a sharp table-knife1 and go to the hive about twelve o'clock at noon1 when most of the bees are out working2 cut out the top of the straw hive1 making a round aperture of four or five inches in diameter1 and place on it the board with the bell-glass1 or lesser straw super1 covering the glass with its nightcap1 and you have everything you can desire4 ,if1 in cutting the hole on the top of the stock hive1 you hesitate or lose your self-possession1 the watcher bees will attack you4 ,decision invariably paralyses them for the moment1 and secures your safety4 ,these glasses or supers are removed by cutting through between the board and the lower edge of the super with a zinc plate1 on which you carry off the super full of surplus honey1 placing over the hole at the top of the stock a flat board or an empty super4 ,from one straw hive treated in this way ,i carried off eighteen pounds of honey at the beginning of ,july this year4 ,i ought to add1 that ,i keep my hives of every sort under cover of wooden sheds1 accessible from behind by means of doors that let down4 ,during the winter1 ,i cover up the hives in the sheds each with paper1 and thereby ,i keep them warm4 ,as the spring approaches1 ,i give the lightest an occasional half-pound of barley-sugar4 ,this barley-sugar ,i get at ,kilner's1 in ,hanway-street1 ,oxford-street1 before it is mixed with scent or lemon-acid4 ,common sugar is of no use4 ,to be available to the bee1 to suit a lambent insect1 it must have been exposed to a heat of #cjj ,fahrenheit1 in order to reduce crystallisable to uncrystallisable sugar4 ,as ,i am answering your and my correspondents1 ,i had better add a few useful hints4 ,get acquainted with your bees2 they are naturally very affectionate4 ,i have frequently hived swarms1 filling each hand with clusters of bees1 and rarely have ,i received a sting4 ,i have sat in the midst of them for hours1 and weary bees have rested on me1 and have entered their homes singing a song of thanks4 ,they have several bitter enemies besides the wasp4 ,i used to see toads frequently sitting under the landing-board1 and only recently discovered they were there seeking whom they could devour4 ,on one of these ugly visitors being laid open1 his maw was found filled with bees which he had sucked into his ugly jaws4 ,the tom-tit1 also1 is a dangerous little enemy4 ,he perches on the landing-place of the bees on a wet day1 taps with his bill1 apparently inquiring after the health of the inmates2 a watcher bee comes out to reconnoitre1 and is instantly snapped up by the wicked hypocrite4 ,the spider1 also1 catches weary bees in his web2 but the occasional use of a brush disposes of this peril4 ,the snail1 attracted by the warmth1 occasionally creeps in4 ,the bees successively attack him1 but find their stings blunted and broken by the shell1 as shot is by our iron-sides4 ,failing to injure or remove the intruder1 they have recourse to a plan which indicates more than instinct ,they cover him up with propolis1 a kind of gum which they use for stopping up crevices2 and not only does he die from want of air1 but he is prevented from giving forth offensive odour by the air-tight case or shroud4 ,the most attentive bee-master occasionally gets stung4 ,i have discovered a cure not found in the pharmacopia4 ,press a watch-key hard on the place after removing the sting--this prevents the poison from spreading2 then apply moist snuff or tobacco1 rubbing it well in1 and in five minutes all pain is gone4 ,this is a never-failing remedy4 ,i have entered into these details1 because from the correspondence you have sent me1 and from letters that have reached me1 it is evident that a great interest has been excited by my communication1 and because it is of great social importance4 ,many a poor curate and ill-paid vicar1 and many a cottager with time to spare and his rent to pay1 may thus add to their income4 ,my bees feed over an area of six miles1 improving every flower they touch1 and robbing nobody4 ,tunbridge ,wells is one of the best bee-districts in ,england1 and this alone is evidence of its being a healthy district4 ,bees never get on in unhealthy places4 ,apologising for this long communication1 ,i am1 c41 ,a ,bee-master4 ,tunbridge ,wells1 ,july #bg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bees and ,bee-hives1 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,times6 ,sir1--,the letters that reach me addressed to ,the ,times ,bee-master are legion4 ,i can now form some idea of the weight of the load that must press on your shoulders every day2 but ,i confess ,i had no notion of the extent of the interest that these letters prove to exist in apiarian culture4 ,i select such difficulties from the letters before me as ,i have not disposed of1 and these ,i would endeavour to overcome4 ,a very often repeated question is--,what is the best way of hiving bees or securing a swarm8 ,let me at once state that the old and inveterate habit in ,kent of beating a kettle1 striking the tongs with the poker1 and raising similar discordant sounds1 is utterly absurd4 ,they do not affect the bees4 ,in swarming1 the old queen abdicates and heads the swarm1 and a young queen mounts the throne in the hive4 ,the outgoing queen1 followed by five thousand or six thousand bees1 either ex proprio motu1 or guided by pioneer scouts1 selects a rose-bush1 or a cozy opening in a laurel-hedge1 and all her subjects hang on1 forming a cluster of bees as large as the largest bunch of grapes4 ,as soon as they have nearly all settled1 take your empty hive or bee-box1 which must be thoroughly dean1 as bees hate dirt and slovenliness2 turn the hive or box bottom upwards1 hold it in your left hand under the cluster of bees1 lay hold of the branch on which the bees hang with your right hand1 and shake down the swarm into your empty hive4 ,place the hive bottom downward on a bee-board laid on the grass close by1 raise up the edge by inserting a wedge or stone about two inches in size1 and cover the top of the hive with a cloth or a few branches to keep off the sun heat4 ,if the queen is inside1 which is usually the case1 the bees will steadily enter and remain4 ,if by your awkwardness you have left her in the hedge with her ladies-in-waiting1 the bees will return to the hedge1 and you will have all to begin anew4 ,as soon as they are comfortably housed1 carry the hive to the shed under which it is to stand1 and do not look at it or touch it for three days4 ,you need not be afraid of stings unless you rudely and violently meddle with the queen4 ,if you thus interfere with her1 the watcher bees will sound the alarm1 and a thousand stings1 like swords1 will be unsheathed2 but1 otherwise1 they are so absorbed with her majesty that they do not fly at a prudent and fearless bee-master4 ,a very important inquiry1 repeated in several letters1 is1 on removing the super1 whether of glass or straw1 how are the bees to be expelled1 that the honey alone may thus be secured8 ,all the plans of tapping1 beating1 and smoking are bad4 ,tobacco-smoke1 and smokers generally1 bees have a mortal hatred to4 ,bees have other personal antipathies1 but the horrid scent of a tobacco-pipe in a visitor's pocket either induces them disdainfully to shun all acquaintance1 or provokes them to make an attack4 ,your best way of removing a super full of honey1 with bees1 of course1 in the spaces not full of comb1 is to carry it about one hundred yards away from the hive4 ,wedge up the glass on one side from the zinc plate on which you have carried it1 and the bees will leave in the course of an hour or two1 and fly home4 ,they very soon discover their separation from their queen1 and under this feeling they lose all courage1 and give up defending the very property they would have died fighting for when connected with the parent hive4 ,the exceptional case is where there may be1 what is very rare in a super1 a portion of young brood--always in such cases drone-brood4 ,this they refuse to desert4 ,they do not attack1 but1 as if placed sentries by their queen1 they insist on continuing at their post4 ,the only course in such a case is to cut out the brood cells and put them away1 as they are not likely to be wanted1 and the bees will then return to the stock hive1 report1 ,i suppose1 and receive future orders4 ,in removing a super in ,august1 when the bee ceases to accumulate in ,kent1 you must take care not to do so on the windward side of your hives1 as the scent of honey will bring your visitors from every hive1 who will rob you of all4 ,if in this month you find it difficult to escape the robbers1 carry your super into your cottage1 near a window1 and expose one side of the super to the window--the side having egress for the bees4 ,very soon great numbers will fly to the window-panes1 and by opening it for a few minutes they will rush out1 and robber bees will have no time to enter4 ,i have been asked--,who and what is the queen1 and who are those lazy abbots ,i referred to as drones8 ,the queen is nearly twice the length of the common bee1 of elegant proportions and shape4 ,on seeing her1 you would at once pronounce her a duchess or a queen4 ,but it is a singular fact1 and well worthy the consideration of sanitary students1 that she rises originally from the ranks1 and that treatment makes all the difference4 ,the egg deposited seems the same as that of the ordinary bee1 but we find it always laid in a cell three times the size of common cells4 ,as soon as the young queen comes from the egg1 numbers of nurse bees wait on her2 she receives finer and more delicate food1 more air1 a warmer1 larger1 and nicer house1 and apparently she is the creation of circumstances4 ,she is the only female bee4 ,the working-bees are neuters1 really imperfectly developed females2 the queen's husband is a drone4 ,with queenly prerogative and dignity she selects her consort1 and off they fly on a wedding-trip1 and spend the honeymoon amid sunshine and flowers4 ,but it is asked--,why are there so many drones in a hive1 if there is only one wife8 ,this is a very hard problem4 ,but one part of it seems to me very clear4 ,when the ,queen's countless eggs come to be hatched1 the temperature of the hive must be raised to #he or #ij ,fahrenheit4 ,the bees must go out of doors to work4 ,the fat1 round1 and lazy drones are really the fuel4 ,they accordingly give out heat when most wanted4 ,mr4 ,cotton holds this view also4 ,this year ,i had two stock-hives during breeding that stood1 from #aj to #d o'clock1 at #ie ,fahrenheit4 ,we thus learn that fat old gentlemen are of use1 and that ,mr4 ,banting's system is not always wise or expedient4 ,there are in a good hive three or four royal cells2 consequently1 three or four queens will turn up4 ,what follows8 ,if the heat be great and additional room withheld1 the old queen will abdicate and head a secession--in apiarian language1 a swarm--and the next senior queen will ascend the throne4 ,if there be still no increase of room allowed1 she1 too1 will secede and head a second secession--in apiarian phrase1 a caste--usually feeble1 requiring when hived to be fed1 and rarely a desirable issue4 ,but when increased space is given1 and a drawing-room is added to the dining-room1 and boudoirs to the nursery1 ,i am asked what follows4 ,do the princesses live together in harmony8 ,my answer1 from very careful observation1 reveals a sad fact--a fact ,i cannot suppose to have been instituted in ,paradise4 ,if two queens turn up in a hive with plenty of space1 but related space1 they fight it out till one alone lives4 ,so settled is this law1 that the bees hound on the more timid and cowardly of the two queens1 and insist on victory with supremacy or death4 ,this is to me a very melancholy trait in a favourite study2 but ,i suppose some higher law requires it4 ,it has been urged as a commercial question that honey is not now of the same importance as it was before the sugar-cane was discovered1 and that gas has superseded wax candles4 ,i am satisfied from many considerations1 that if people would eat honey at breakfast instead of rancid ,london butter and nasty greasy bacon1 not only would their health be better1 but their temper would be sweeter4 ,i find invariably that people who like honey are persons of genial and affectionate temper4 ,if ,mr4 ,cobden and ,mr4 ,roebuck had only taken honey at breakfast1 or a very choice fragment of virgin honey at dessert1 they would never have given utterance to those vinegar and acetic-acid speeches which did them no credit4 ,i wish somebody would send ,mr4 ,spurgeon a super of good honey4 ,three months' diet on this celestial food would induce him to give up those shockingly bitter and unchristian tirades he has been lately making against the clergy of the ,church of ,england4 ,the producers of honey never draw their stings unless in defence of their homesteads1 and the eaters and admirers of honey rarely indulge in acrimonious language4 ,i believe a great deal of bad feeling is not moral or mental1 but physical1 in its origin4 ,if you have in a congregation1 or in a school1 or in a convocation1 some one who sets everybody by the ears1 treat him to a little honey at breakfast for six months1 and the thorn will blossom as the rose4 ,people that can't eat honey--hunc tu caveto--they can't ever fit a land overflowing with milk and honey4 ,i have not answered half the letters ,i have received2 but because you have been so good as to take an interest in this very interesting subject1 ,i intend to send you1 as an expression of my thanks1 a small glass super of honey filled from heath during ,july4 ,if you do not eat honey1 which ,i hope and1 indeed1 am sure is not the fact1 you can give a portion to any inmates of your great hive in ,printing-house-square who may be prone to use their stings too freely4 ,i am1 ,sir1 your obedient servant1 ,a ,bee-master4 ,tunbridge ,wells1 ,august #b4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the origin of the following letter was a very foolish letter which a correspondent sent to ,the ,times4 ,his cannot be the deliberate conviction of anyone acquainted with bees4 ,perhaps he was offended that no notice was taken of a very unsatisfactory hive patented by him4 ,but as ,i could not praise1 ,i thought it unnecessary to blame4 ,a ,hornet ,among the ,bees4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,times4 ,sir1--,it is well that bees have not learnt to read ,the ,times4 ,did they see all that your correspondent says about them1 they would send a battalion to his residence1 and ere they returned to ,tunbridge ,wells they would make their calumniator exhaust all his remedies for bee-stings4 ,had this good gentleman eaten more honey and drank less vinegar he would have written a more affectionate letter2 and had he watched the habits of bees as ,i have done1 or studied the results of the investigations of ,huber1 he would not surely have written with ignorance so crass4 ,i am not irritated with him1 but ,i am immensely jealous for the honour and good name of my bees4 ,it is said of some crotchety people1 they have each a bee in his bonnet1 but ,i venture to think of your correspondent1 he has a wasp in his bonnet4 ,the only philosophical way by which ,i can account for the absurdities of this letter is that it was written1 as he observes1 for our continental and transatlantic brethren1 neither of whom have any precedent or encouragement for recent ,austro-,prussian misdeeds1 or ,american democracy and its recent excesses1 in the habits and instincts of bees4 ,first1 says your correspondent1 with regard to remaining at peace with each other1 as soon as honey-gathering is over1 should any stocks betray weakness1 the war of ,germany against ,denmark is enacted1 and the invaders take all4 ,whatever virtues bees possess1 honesty or even the slightest respect for meum et tuum is not among them4 ,a grosser libel on the apiarian race was never perpetrated4 ,their respect for meum is so intense that they will defend their queen and home to the death4 ,their respect for tuum is so entire that they never touch the property of their neighbours1 unless in circumstances which would justify men as well as bees in seizing the property of another4 ,your correspondent perhaps robs one of his stocks of its stores1 or takes away for the market or his table too much of their accumulated wealth4 ,winter threatens its arrival4 ,can this irritable old apiarian expect that #f1jjj or #aj1jjj bees will lie down and die martyr deaths in order to confute his libellous theory of meum et tuum8 ,or he has neglected to feed a caste of #d1jjj bees2 or1 instead of giving them barley-sugar1 he offers them the miserly mess he recommends1 and the unhappy1 famished bees1 like a ,highland clan1 set out to lift the means of existence4 ,he starves his bees1 and when they forage he denounces them as thieves4 ,if a bee-master does his duty by protecting his hives1 feeding the unfortunate and weak1 no such freebooters will be found among his bees4 #b4 ,your correspondent1 for once1 is gracious4 ,he acquits bees of habits of intoxication4 ,he forgets that ,i stated they never get drunk unless the bee-master supplies the intoxicating element4 ,but if he will place a feeding-pan full of good ,scotch ale before the hives1 ,i will eat pan and beer and bees if they do not sip every drop1 and give very unmistakable proofs that they have done so4 #c4 ,your correspondent says3 ,mr4 ,harbeson1 a sturdy citizen of the ,american ,republic1 considers the queen a simple machine for laying eggs1 absolutely under the workers' control4 ,i do not go these lengths1 but ,mr4 ,harbeson is far nearer the truth than your correspondent4 ,there can be no doubt that this is written for our transatlantic brethren4 ,it is a fine illustration for ,abraham ,lincoln4 ,i hope your correspondent will not be offended if ,i suspect in him a machine for speaking nonsense4 ,he has only to extend this free philosophy1 to see in rose-bushes machines for growing roses1 and in birds machines for building nests2 in ,tennyson a machine for spinning poetry1 and in ,lord ,palmerston a machine for turning out speeches4 ,this wretched materialistic philosophy may please the sturdy ,american citizens and transatlantic brethren2 but how a sane ,englishman can dare to ventilate such arrant rubbish1 ,i know not4 ,his exaggerated talk about bees being regicides would electrify ,red ,republicans1 but it is not true4 ,that the queen1 who has precedence of birth1 destroys the princess next to her that might be her rival1 ,i admitted and deplored in my letters as sad4 ,but that bees are regicides is not fact4 ,they never kill their queen2 they love and are loyal to her1 and obey her commands4 ,i said they hate republicanism1 and so they do1 and so do ,i4 ,no doubt your correspondent's discoveries will charm his transatlantic brethren4 ,but if ever a people were in want of a queen1 they are4 ,your correspondent may like ,abraham ,lincoln2 ,i infinitely prefer ,queen ,victoria4 ,he says cottagers cannot make ,ayrshire hives4 ,they do cleverer things4 ,at all events1 they can try4 ,the ,ayrshire hive is octagonal1 ,i admit2 but all ,i said was1 that my success as a bee-master led me to suspect they prefer a box similar to their combs1 and therefore ,i intend this winter to have several hexagonal bee-hives4 ,a suspicion of preference was all ,i ventured to state4 ,your correspondent says3 ,common sugar 7lump-sugar is best7 does not require to be exposed to a heat of #cjj to be available to bees4 ,no wonder his weak stocks plunder his strong ones1 for bees cannot eat and do not eat lump-sugar or brown sugar4 ,their lambent organisation renders it impossible4 ,i spoke of feeding with pure sugar1 and stated that it is available alone in the shape of barley-sugar only4 ,that it can be presented boiled up in beer or water1 ,i taught when ,i alluded to its being dissolved in ale4 ,but whether in water or ale1 it smears their wings1 clogs their feet1 and is vastly inferior in all respects to barley-sugar4 ,your correspondent objects to rubbing the wound of a bee's sting with tobacco-juice4 ,i speak from experience4 ,i have tried every prescription1 and most assuredly ,i will not try his4 ,he says3-- ,if anyone has a swarm consisting of only #e1jjj or #f1jjj bees1 let him not take the trouble of hiving it4 ,a good swarm will weigh #d lbs41 and ,i have known one weigh #h lbs4 ,now1 #e1jjj bees are computed to go to a pound1 and this is not too many1 for a friend of mine counted and weighed #e1jbj freshly-killed bees this spring1 and they only weighed #ab-a_/b ounces4 ,let any one1 therefore1 do a simple sum in mental arithmetic1 and say if #ae1jjj to #cj1jjj are not within the mark1 even allowing for the weight of honey earned off by the swarm4 ,i mentioned #e1jjj or #f1jjj bees as a swarm4 ,it is the lowest1 ,i freely allow4 ,but ,i will add to your correspondent's knowledge4 ,i had a caste thrown off last year1 at the end of ,june4 ,i despaired of its weathering the winter1 but ,i resolved to feed it richly with barley-sugar till ,march4 ,the maximum number of bees was #e1jjj4 ,it had filled the lower box with at least #dj lbs4 of honey by the middle of ,june this year4 ,the bees had increased immensely4 ,i opened the communication with a large super4 ,this super has in it now not less than #bf lbs4 of the whitest cells and honey ,i ever saw4 ,i have shown it to many whose mouths watered for a slice of it4 ,i never join stocks4 ,we feed cattle on oil-cake3 why not feed weakly stocks with barley-sugar8 ,what your correspondent proposes as his explanation of #b1jjj drones in a hive where there is only one queen1 with1 perhaps1 a couple of princesses1 is1 like his whole philosophy1 very absurd1 and unworthy of a serious answer4 ,your correspondent says3-- ,bees are never nursed by other bees4 ,they are strict utilitarians1 and totally devoid of sympathy4 ',those who cannot work shall not eat1' is a law applied with stern impartiality alike to the disabled worker and the useless drone4 ,he1 therefore1 who would teach or learn a lesson in charity must look elsewhere4 ,my reply to this is1 ,i have seen the disabled bee tended with exquisite and unwearied attention1 rolled in the sunshine on the bee-board1 and carried or helped into their homes4 ,his testimony is negative1 mine is positive4 ,he concludes his letter by informing us-- ,as it is1 ,i am very desirous of making it known to our continental and ,american friends that these letters in ,the ,times do not convey an adequate idea of the amount of knowledge of the subject possessed by ,british bee-masters4 ,his letter1 he reiterates1 was written for the ,american market4 ,i only hope they will not suppose that his crotchets are the measure of the amount of knowledge possessed or of the affection felt by ,english bee-masters4 ,if in his next he will mix a little honey with his ink1 and eat a little at breakfast1 he will do greater justice to himself4 ,i am1 c41 ,a ,bee-master4 ,tunbridge ,wells4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bees1 ,bee-hives1 and ,bee-masters4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,times4 ,sir1--,i have been so annoyed at your correspondent's attack on the good name of my bees1 that ,i cannot resist the temptation of saying a word or two of additional defence4 ,that the queen is not a mere egg-laying machine obedient to mere mechanical impulses1 nor her subjects mere mechanical creations obeying similar impulses with no instructive appreciation1 will be evident from the following facts3-- ,reaumur1 the eminent naturalist1 observes that after the queen-regnant has become a mother-- ,the bees are constantly on the watch to make themselves useful to her and to render her every kind office4 ,they are for ever offering her honey4 ,they lick her with the proboscis1 and wherever she goes they form a court to attend her4 ,even the body of a dead queen is the object of tender affection to the bees4 ,i took a queen out of the water seemingly dead4 ,she was also mutilated1 having lost a leg4 ,bringing her home1 ,i placed her amid a number of working-bees recovered from drowning also by means of warmth4 ,no sooner did the revived workers perceive the queen in her miserable plight1 than they appeared to compassionate her1 and continued to lick her with their tongues until she showed signs of returning vitality1 when they set up a general hum as of joy at the event4 ,huber writes3-- ,i have seen the workers lavish the most tender care on such a queen1 and1 after her decease1 surround her inanimate body with the same respect and homage as they had paid to her while living1 and in the presence of these beloved remains refuse all attention to young and fertile queens who were offered to them4 ,these are two facts noticed and recorded by the two most eminent and careful apiarian naturalists4 ,they are1 in the judgment of everyone able to appreciate weight of evidence1 conclusive disproofs of the material and mechanical theory1 and no less decisive confirmations of all ,i ventured to state in your columns4 ,the senses of the bee are no less clear protests against the mechanical theory so acceptable to our transatlantic brethren4 ,the bee leaves her house1 traverses fields a mile or two distant1 and returns to her home--one amid twenty contiguous ones--with unerring certainty4 ,the sense of touch through its antenn is so exquisite1 that in total darkness it carries on its architecture as perfectly as by day4 ,its smell is possessed of unrivalled sensibility4 ,odours from afar are directly scented4 ,huber thinks it is the scent1 not the colour of flowers1 that attracts them4 ,their power of memory is illustrated by ,huber4 ,he placed a supply of honey on the sill of an open window in autumn4 ,the bees feasted on it for weeks4 ,he removed the honey and closed the window during winter4 ,next spring the bees came to the same window1 looking for supplies4 ,here was memory of place and circumstances lasting during half a bee's lifetime4 ,huber mentions a species of moth that attacks and plunders bee-hives2 it is called the death's-head moth4 ,finding out its daring depredations1 he lessened the apertures of some of his hives1 leaving sufficient room for the exit and entrance of the bees1 but not for the entrance of the moth4 ,this succeeded perfectly4 ,but several hives he left undefended4 ,in each of these undefended hives the bees raised a ,avail of wax and propolis right behind their doors of entrance1 making embrasures for exit and entrances through the solid wall4 ,as soon as spring arrived and all danger was at an end1 these ,royal ,engineers threw down their fortifications4 ,i need not refer to the perfect and well-known geometrical construction of the cells of a hive as evidences of design and high instinct2 they combine the maximum of strength with the least expenditure of substance and the largest capacity in a given space4 ,the equilateral triangle1 the square1 and the hexagon1 were the only three forms of tubular cells that would leave no interstices3 in the first there would be lost space in each angle2 a similar disadvantage would be found in the second4 ,the bees1 by an instinct surely ,divine1 or in the exercise of engineering powers demonstrative of mind1 have adopted the last4 ,having thus disposed of your correspondent1 will you allow me to select one or two of the most important practical inquiries which ,i have received in upwards of twenty additional letters addressed to ,the ,times ,bee-master8 ,your universal circulation is the cause of my extraordinary visitation of correspondence1 and this unexpectedly-wide practical interest in bees will justify you to your readers4 ,one asks1 ,how am ,i to begin an apiary8 ,let me tell him4 ,buy a stock this month or next for #bjs41 taking care that it is not old1 and weighs 7inclusive of straw hive7 not less than #cj lbs4 ,erect a shed with sloping roof projecting sufficiently to carry the rain beyond the alighting-board of the bees4 ,the length may be #ab feet1 the height about #f feet1 and width #b-a_/b feet4 ,divide it into six equal sections or chambers4 ,make an exit in each1 three inches long by two inches high4 ,place each hive in the centre of one of them1 with its opening directly opposite the opening in the chamber4 ,fix below each opening in the shed a bees' landing-board sloping at an angle of #be4 ,if you can afford it1 buy six stock-hives4 ,next ,may cut out the top of each1 as ,i directed in a previous letter4 ,place on it a board with circular hole1 and a bell-glass rather narrower at the lower part than at the centre2 cover each with its plaid nightcap1 and you will have plenty of delicious honey in #ahfe4 ,if1 however1 you do not mind loss of time1 build your shed this autumn1 make it smooth inside to discourage spiders1 and next ,april send round the country to cottagers keeping bees1 and engage six good swarms1 which ought not to cost more than #ajs4 each4 ,in carrying them home1 pin over the entrance-hole a piece of gauze1 tie a towel or napkin underneath1 fastening the four corners at the top1 and do not jolt the young family unnecessarily4 ,if the swarms can be had in ,may1 and if it prove a fine summer1 you may place a glass on each about the end of ,june4 ,do not forget the old adage-- ,a swarm in ,may ,is worth a load of hay2 ,a swarm in ,june ,is worth a silver spoon2 ,a swarm in ,july ,is worth a fly4 ,if your swarm is an early ,june one1 you may save it by pushing three or four sticks of barley-sugar into the hive by the exit aperture once a fortnight till next ,march4 ,any little expense in feeding introduces you to your bees and helps them wonderfully1 and is never a loss4 ,if you want to tempt the bees to feed in your own garden1 sow mignonette1 salvia1 and sanfoin2 plant plenty of raspberry1 gooseberry1 and currant bushes4 ,they like lime poplars1 apple-blossoms1 thyme1 and1 above all1 borage4 ,bees never touch double flowers4 ,should the early summer prove very dry1 place near your bee-shed two or three soup-plates half-full of water1 taking care to put in as many pebbles as each will hold4 ,the bees require stepping-stones for their tiny feet1 and otherwise they are necessary to save them from drowning4 ,i am giving directions to those who desire to work economically4 ,but if you can lay out a little as an investment1 and you desire to combine interest and pleasure with profit1 you cannot do better than call on ,neighbour1 either in ,regent-street or ,holborn1 where ,i have seen many varieties of hives of different prices and all of good workmanship4 ,in answer to numerous inquiries about the ,ayrshire hives1 ,i am sorry to be obliged to answer that ,i have to send to ,scotland for them4 ,they may be had of ,air4 ,bruce ,taylor1 ,post-office1 ,mauchlin1 ,ayrshire2 or of ,messrs4 ,craig1 ,stewarton1 ,ayrshire4 ,the three boxes in the lower or stock hive1 with two supers exactly corresponding1 cost me #bjs4 ,but they last for ever4 ,their chief value is their productiveness4 ,neighbours' and ,pettitt's are far more interesting for experimental uses4 ,the collateral system is the most elegant1 but least productive2 its bee-boxes are also expensive4 ,your correspondent's hive 7which ,i ought previously to have referred to7 is no improvement1 and its architect has so bad an opinion of the moral character of bees1 that were they to know it was his1 they would desert it4 ,there are people to whom bees never take1 and there are hives they invariably sicken in4 ,i do not like the nadir system recommended in ,the ,times by ,a ,rector4 ,bees naturally ascend or traverse the same plane1 but mostly preferring ascent4 ,excelsior is their favourite aspiration4 ,in answer to another inquiry1 do ,i approve using stupifying fumes1 as of puff-ball1 c41 in order to expel the bees from supers full of honey8--,i say1 certainly not4 ,it may not injure the bees if judiciously administered4 ,some highly recommend it4 ,but it is not necessary4 ,the bees will leave the super on its being detached from the hive and carried to a little distance1 and will return in an hour or two to their home and their queen4 ,the only case in which ,i have recourse to fumigation is when any portion of the comb1 through accidental admission of wet1 has become mouldy4 ,a few whiffs of puff-ball may be injected1 by means of an instrument sold for this purpose1 during five minutes4 ,as soon as the humming noise ceases1 lift the hive and cut out the mouldy portion of the comb1 replace it1 and in twenty minutes the bees will again be at work4 ,this is the only case in which ,i like to employ either this or tobacco-smoke1 which answers as well if not too long continued4 ,your apiary or bee-shed should be placed as near your dwelling as possible1 sheltered from the north and northeast winds1 and at the greatest possible distance from poultry4 ,frequently1 but quietly and unobtrusively1 visit your bees1 watch them at work in your bee-glasses1 or by windows in your bee-boxes4 ,let your children play beside them4 ,they are fond of children1 and unless violently irritated they will not injure them4 ,i can state this from very ample experience4 ,at the same time1 it is proper to state1 that some few persons are so offensive to bees that they must not approach them4 ,plenty of soap and water and fastidious cleanliness are essential to a bee-master's continued popularity with his apiarian family4 ,i am1 c41 ,a ,bee-master4 ,tunbridge ,wells4 99 99 99 99 99 ,about ,wasps4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,times4 ,sir1--,there is no sweet without a bitter4 ,every bee-master feels the plague of wasps this autumn of #ahfd2 for fifteen years1 the range of my experience as a bee-master1 ,i have not seen so fierce and multitudinous bands of wasps descending on my bees on predatory incursions4 ,i do not mean to insinuate that the wasp has no mission1 ,i believe he has his use4 ,he is the scavenger of our gardens1 and clears off decay1 putrescence1 and filth of every sort4 ,for this ,i give him credit1 but ,i cannot extend to him either the affection or respect ,i feel for my bees4 ,wasps often remind me of a class of critics not found in ,printing-house-square1 but by no means rare in other quarters4 ,like wasps1 they ignore or pass by ripe1 fragrant1 and beautiful fruit1 and select and gloat over incidental decay4 ,the wasp-critic does not touch a beautiful thought in ,tennyson or ,longfellow2 he can neither appreciate nor digest it4 ,but if he can only discover a word misspelt or a word misprinted1 or the word octagon accidentally used for hexagon1 he buzzes about it for hours1 and feeds on it with waspish delight4 ,should the editor of a respectable paper or periodical refuse his contribution1 he flies to a congenial refuge1 and there pours out what wasps have nearly a monopoly of--the venom identified with and peculiar to that insect4 ,there is also the wasp ecclesiastical4 ,he contributes no sweet honey to the ,church1 and takes little interest in its good4 ,but in ,synods1 ,presbyteries1 ,convocations1 he flies about1 driving his sting sometimes into a bishop and sometimes into a presbyter4 ,a sin in another he scents from afar4 ,a virtue in a brother he cannot appreciate4 ,he lives on decay4 ,he sings while he feeds on it4 ,it is his nutriment and his joy4 ,there is also the political wasp4 ,he has no fixed principles1 but1 instead1 he has a furious temper4 ,he makes great noise1 and attacks everybody right and left that comes within scent1 eyesight1 or earshot4 ,his delight is proportionate to the degree in which he can sting4 ,he cares nothing about party1 or side1 or leader4 ,he spurns all organisation4 ,he revels in wrath and fierce words and keen invective1 unsweetened by a grain of genial feeling1 or an expression softened by the humanities and amenities of debate1 and unillumined by wit or humour4 ,there is the wasp social4 ,he is impersonated in the burglar4 ,were you to see the wasps this autumn rushing into my hives1 sometimes by a sudden dash1 at other times by stealth1 you would instantly acknowledge in them the type of the thief and the burglar4 ,but my bees are better prepared for the wasp's reception than ,london house-holders for thieves4 ,he runs the gauntlet every time he enters4 ,through my glass observatory windows ,i watch the conflict4 ,one bee1 half his size1 seizes him by the throat1 another gives him a taste of his sting1 and two or three watchers seize him by the legs and drag him out4 ,i have hit on an admirable plan of keeping him off1 well worth disclosing to every bee-master4 ,i place at the entrance of the hive a stick of barley-sugar a couple of inches long4 ,this brings to the entrance a dozen of bees1 who thankfully feed on it4 ,there is thus secured an additional guard at the gates4 ,the moment the wasp alights1 the whole posse fly at him and drive him away4 ,another plan is to fill half-full a wine-bottle with beer and sugar4 ,incidentally a bee may look in1 but the wasps1 whose scent is perfect1 rush in and are drowned4 ,it is a sacred duty devolving on every bee-master to exterminate these ,arabs1 ,bedouins1 and corsairs4 ,they lay up no stores for themselves--they do nothing for the support or enjoyment of man4 ,they use their stings1 not like bees1 in self-defence1 but in sheer wickedness4 ,they are professional thieves4 ,like the bees of a correspondent of yours1 they have no respect for tuum1 and having no meum1 they care nothing4 ,living at the expense of others1 without consulting the convenience or goodwill of anybody1 they richly deserve what their extermination will pay for--sulphur1 gunpowder1 and boiling water4 ,let every bee-master give sixpence to every boy who destroys a wasps'-nest4 ,the wasp builds its nest generally underground4 ,their cells are hexagonal4 ,the house is built of paper1 fabricated by this insect long before its manufacture was discovered by man4 ,with their powerful jaws they tear off decayed wood1 which they moisten with a sort of gum or glue secreted from themselves4 ,they form this into a kind of pulp and spread it out into thin sheets1 with which they roof in and surround their cells4 ,so far they are good paper manufacturers2 but ,i have not heard of their paper being used in the service of man4 ,they seem also to understand the laws of heat4 ,everybody knows that double windows are warmer than single ones1 the atmospheric air being a good non-conductor4 ,the wasps surround themselves with several walls of paper1 leaving spaces between1 and thus not only keep out the cold1 but render the entrance of damp all but impossible4 ,the combs of the wasp are built in horizontal tiers1 supported by pillars4 ,in this respect they are builders as well as papermakers4 ,they are also admirable sappers and miners4 ,they tunnel a covered way from their nest to the open air1 and very often1 instead of using a deserted mole or mouse hole1 they excavate a round chamber of really fine proportions4 ,it is truly matter of regret that so much capable talent should be prostituted to so much dishonesty4 ,unhappily1 thieves and pick-pockets are generally very clever4 ,yet reformatories do operate real transformations of thieves2 but no plan that philanthropy has yet devised has turned a wasp into a kind1 honest1 and respectable member of society4 ,he is incapable of transmutation4 ,he is worthy of the special study of ,darwin4 ,the death penalty1 ,i unhesitatingly affirm1 is due to every wasp that enters a bee-garden4 ,the razing of his house1 the desolation of its furniture1 and the dislodgment and destruction of the whole clan1 have become a sacred duty4 ,even the ,quaker1 who objects to the sentence of death on murderers1 would consent to the doom of the wasp4 ,i cannot believe there were wasps in ,paradise of old4 ,though no prophet1 nor prophet's son1 ,i confidently predict there will be no wasps in ,paradise that is to be1 nor will there be waspish tempers1 or passions1 or propensities4 ,of all ugly things on earth1 next to the serpent1 a hornet is the ugliest1 the most thievish1 and the most dishonest ,you can neither tame nor turn the wicked imp4 ,he is a thief from his birth--a bee-cide by habit2 feeding on corruption1 and full of wickedness4 ,if1 instead of killing sparrows and blackbirds and thrushes1 because they take a few currants1 while they destroy slugs and vermin1 and many of them regale springtide with song1 the farmers would set about destroying wasps1 they would find as much amusement1 and do vastly more good4 ,i have a lurking suspicion that some of those apiarians who speak against bees1 and call them thieves and regicides1 must have wasps1 not bees1 in their hives4 ,let me beg of these irritable gentlemen1 who never cease buzzing1 to examine their hives4 ,let me remind them that wasps are bigger and longer than bees2 are surrounded with concentric yellow circles1 emit a subterranean sort of hum1 neither treble1 tenor1 nor bass1 and1 after a little study on their part1 may be easily distinguished from bees4 ,above all1 let me intreat them to give up feeding on wasps' food1 and1 if they have no honey of their own1 let me offer them half a bar1 in order to elevate their taste or improve their temper4 ,let me also beg all that value their lives to examine well every apple1 pear1 and peach they eat2 for these venomous insects may be seen this year ensconced under the skin1 and if admitted within the mouth they will sting the throat1 and1 as in several recent cases1 the sufferers will die4 ,do not conclude ,i am uncharitable2 ,i am not so4 ,it is no charity to connive at theft and murder4 ,i am satisfied that killing wasps is no murder4 ,had ,peter the ,hermit or ,walter the ,penniless lived in my garden1 and witnessed these wicked vagabonds trying every hive1 worrying my bees and stealing my honey1 they would have preached a crusade against wasps4 ,in one respect they are unfortunate2 they have no queen1 no subordination or reverence for law and order4 ,they are genuine ,red ,republicans--,marats and ,robespierres1 and richly deserve the worst they get4 ,i am1 ,sir1 your obedient servant1 ,a ,bee-,master4 ,tunbridge ,wells4 ,the ,bee-master's ,sermon4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,times4 ,sir1--,the object of my letters has been to open up to the cottager a means of revenue very agreeable1 but very much neglected or mismanaged4 ,i have directed your attention to bee-keeping1 not as a fancy pursuit1 or as an interesting entomological investigation1 but as a practical and real work4 ,hence ,i have not discussed a variety of toys used as bee-hives1 very pretty and very tasteful to the eye of a sentimental aparian1 but so bothering to the bees that they wish such houses were at the bottom of the sea4 ,simplicity of structure1 directness of use1 and availableness for deprivation of honey1 and yet preservation of the honey-makers1 ought to be the guiding law4 ,bees don't like to be paid too many1 too obsequious1 or too patronising attentions4 ,i want1 however1 in this closing letter to turn my largest hive into a pulpit1 and to preach a short apiarian homily to ,english cottagers1 which ,i know they will read1 and hope they will mark1 learn1 and inwardly digest4 #a4 ,they may carry from the hive to the cottage-hearth a lesson of industry4 ,during work the bees are so intensely absorbed in their duty1 that they ignore every distracting and diverging object and interest4 ,they have learnt well a text their masters would do well to copy3 ,not slothful in business4 ,there is no getting on in this world of ours without hard work4 ,it is not work and plenty of it that kills people1 but worry4 #b4 ,bees teach a lesson of loyalty4 ,they are monarchical by conviction and in practice4 ,they love a queen1 whose sovereignty is motherhood1 and whose service is perfect freedom4 ,they detest your republics1 and democracies1 and radicalism in all its phases4 #c4 ,bees are immensely attached to their homes4 ,they are keepers at home4 ,no mother of a family gets on by gadding about and gossiping from house to house4 #d4 ,bees are models of cleanliness4 ,the care with which they remove filth of all kinds is something remarkable4 ,they plainly believe what many ,christians say1 cleanliness is nearest to godliness4 ,the cottager cannot in this matter do better than follow the example of these admirable sanitary philosophers4 #e4 ,bees set a beautiful example of ,christian sympathy4 ,i have seen a wounded bee1 accidentally hurt1 carried out from the hive and laid tenderly on the bee-board in the warm sunshine4 ,one bee would lick the sufferer with his tongue from head to foot2 another would roll him over and over in the sunshine2 and at sunset they would carry him in to his sick bed4 ,i do not complain of want of such sympathy among the poor4 ,i have seen much of it in the homes of the most destitute1 and witnessed personal attentions and sacrifices and services in a district surrounding ,brewer's-court ragged schools1 which have never been exceeded1 if equalled1 in the houses of the great4 #f4 ,bees are very fond of fresh air4 ,a hive is one of the best ventilated homes2 and ,i have some doubt about the wisdom or success of the various arrangements made by some bee-masters for increasing the ventilation of their hives4 ,in a hot and sultry day ,i have seen successive lines of bees take up their position at the mouth of the hive1 and1 joining the tips of their wings1 work these fanners for ten minutes1 and then retire and let the second parallel line come to the front and continue the same process4 ,this example is not efficiently followed in city or cottage4 ,people who are most careful about what they eat and drink and put into their stomachs1 are utterly careless what they allow to enter their lungs4 ,now1 the truth is1 it is easier to poison a man through his lungs than through his stomach4 ,my bees would die in a ,london bed-room in twelve hours4 #g4 ,bees are very early risers4 ,the first ray of sunshine is their matin bell1 and by seven o'clock ,p4,m4 they are most of them at home4 ,people that live long and are healthy differ in many of their habits1 but generally agree in being early risers4 ,early light has sanitary as well as photographic influences1 which post-meridian light is a stranger to4 ,early to bed and early up is an admirable maxim--an axiom among bees1 and it should be a habit among rational men4 #h4 ,bees are peaceful and peacemakers4 ,this will appear a hasty statement to all who remember that bees have stings4 ,but a little thought will justify what ,i say4 ,bees never give way to aggressive warfare4 ,they never attack those who do not attack their queen or their homestead4 ,their stings are purely defensive4 ,this is a very curious fact1 and very suggestive also4 ,if they had no stings at all1 they would be an argument for the ,peace ,society4 ,but as it is1 they prove that the best defence of home is a good preparation to repel the aggressor4 ,when1 therefore1 ,mr4 ,bright preaches the duty of breaking up the navy and disbanding the army1 it would be the conduct of a great hornet impressing on bees the duty of extracting their stings4 ,were the bees such simpletons as to listen to his plausible logic1 and give up their stings1 they would be surrounded by swarms of wasps1 who would very soon make them give up their honey4 ,as if to teach the bees that their weapons are to be used only in the last extremity1 every bee knows that the use of his sting is followed by its inevitable loss and his destruction4 ,it sticks where it strikes1 and the violence done to the bee ends always in death4 ,while admiring ,mr4 ,bright's love of peace1 ,i hope every bee-keeper in ,england will prefer the bees' way of maintaining it4 ,so sweet and short is a bee-master's sermon4 ,i think ,i have shown in these letters that morals1 money1 country1 and enjoyment may all be helped a little by keeping bees2 and1 therefore1 that ,i have done some good by directing attention to these great and marvellous works of ,one who still gives his care to a bee-hive and to ,buckingham ,palace4 ,i am1 ,sir1 your obedient servant1 ,a ,bee-,master4 ,tunbridge ,wells4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,ix4--,,bee-,,things ,,in ,,general4 ,as this work does not profess to be an entomological essay but a practical bee-master's directory1 ,i have omitted those erudite questions about which apiarians wrangle1 and unfortunately lose their temper and employ their stings4 ,but there are some interesting bits of instruction scattered over bee-books which it may interest the reader to lay before him4 ,if they contribute nothing to the amount of the honey harvest1 they may increase the pleasure of the bee-master in the long winter evenings4 ,,the ,,instinct ,,or ,,intelligence ,,of ,,bees4 ,huber relates3-- ,he put under a bell-glass about a dozen humble-bees1 without any store of wax1 along with a comb of about ten silken cocoons1 so unequal in height that it was impossible the mass should stand firmly4 ,its unsteadiness disquieted the humble-bees extremely4 ,their affection for their young led them to mount upon the cocoons for the sake of imparting warmth to the inclosed little ones1 but in attempting this the comb tottered so violently that the scheme was almost impracticable4 ,to remedy this inconvenience1 and to make the comb steady1 they had recourse to a most ingenious expedient4 ,two or three bees got upon the comb1 stretched themselves over its edge1 and with their heads downwards fixed their fore-feet on the table upon which it stood1 whilst with their hind-feet they kept it from falling4 ,in this constrained and painful posture1 fresh bees relieving their comrades when weary1 did these affectionate little insects support the comb for nearly three days4 ,at the end of this period they had prepared a sufficiency of wax1 with which they built pillars that kept it in a firm position2 but1 by some accident afterwards1 these got displaced1 when they had again recourse to their former manuvre for supplying their place2 and this operation they perseveringly continued1 until ,m4 ,huber1 pitying their hard task1 relieved them by fixing the object of their attention firmly on the table4 ,lardner quotes from ,kirby the following curious illustration of the habits of the clothier-bee3-- ,kirby mentions the example of nests of this kind found by himself and others1 constructed in the inside of the lock of a garden-gate4 ,a proceeding has been ascertained on the part of these insects in such cases1 which it is extremely difficult to ascribe to mere instinct1 independent of some intelligence4 ,wherever the nest may be constructed1 the due preservation of the young requires that until they attain the perfect state1 their temperature should be maintained at a certain point ,so long as the material surrounding their nest is a very imperfect conductor of heat1 as earth or the pith of wood is1 the heat developed by the insect1 being confined1 is sufficient to maintain its temperature at the requisite point4 ,but if1 perchance1 the mother-bee select for her nest any such locality as that of the lock of the gate1 the metal1 being a good conductor of heat1 would speedily dissipate the animal heat developed by the insect1 and thus reduce its temperature to a point incompatible with the continuance of its existence4 ,how then does the tender mother1 foreseeing this1 and consequently informed by some power of the physical quality peculiar to the metal surrounding the nest1 provide against it8 ,how1 we may ask1 would a scientific human architect prevent such an eventuality8 ,he would seek for a suitable material which is a non-conductor of heat1 and would surround the nest with it4 ,in fact1 the very thing has occurred in a like case in relation to steam-engine boilers4 ,the economy of fuel there rendered it quite as necessary to confine the heat developed in the furnace1 as it is to confine that which is developed in the natural economy of the pupa of the bee4 ,the expedient1 therefore1 resorted to is to invest the boiler in a thick coating of a sort of felt1 made for the purpose1 which is almost a non-conductor of heat4 ,a casing of sawdust is also used in ,cornwall for a like purpose4 ,by these expedients the escape of heat from the external surface of the boiler is prevented4 ,the bee keeps its pupa warm by an expedient so exactly similar1 that we must suppose that she has been guided either by her own knowledge1 or by a power that commands all knowledge1 in her operations4 ,she seeks certain woolly-leaved plants1 such as the stachys lamata or the agrostemma coronaria1 and with her mandibles scrapes off the wool4 ,she rolls this into little balls1 and carrying it to the nest1 sticks it on the external surface by means of a plaster1 composed of honey and pollen1 with which she previously coats it4 ,thus invested1 the cells become impervious to heat1 and consequently all the heat developed by the little animal is confined within them4 ,the name of upholsterers has been given by ,kirby to certain species of bees1 who1 having excavated their nest in the earth1 hang its walls with a splendid coating of flowers and leaves4 ,one of the most interesting of these varieties is the megachile papareris1 which has been described by ,reaumur4 ,it chooses invariably for the hangings of its apartments the most brilliant scarlet1 selecting as its material the petals of the wild poppy1 which the insect dexterously cuts into the proper form4 ,her first process is to excavate in some pathway a burrow cylindrical at the entrance1 but enlarged as it descends1 the depth being about three inches4 ,after having polished the walls1 she next flies to a neighbouring field1 where she cuts out the oval parts of the poppy blossoms1 and seizing them between her hind legs returns with them to her cell4 ,sometimes it happens that the flower from which she cuts these1 being but half-blown1 has a wrinkled petal4 ,in that case she spreads out the folds1 and smoothers away the wrinkles1 and if she finds that the pieces are too large to fit the vacant spaces on the walls of her little room1 she soon reduces them to suitable dimensions1 by cutting off all the superfluous parts with her mandibles4 ,in hanging the walls with this brilliant tapestry she begins at the bottom1 and gradually ascends to the roof4 ,she carpets in the same manner the surface of the ground round the margin of the orifice4 ,the floor is rendered warm sometimes by three or four layers of carpeting1 but never has less than two4 ,our little upholsterer having thus completed the hangings of her apartment1 fills it with a mixture of pollen and honey to the height of about half an inch4 ,she then lays an egg in it1 and wraps over the poppy lining1 so that even the roof may be furnished with this material4 ,having accomplished this1 she closes the mouth of the nest4,a ,footnote ,a3 ,reaumur1 vi4 #aci to #ade4 ,it is not every insect of this class which manifests the same showy taste in the colours of their furniture4 ,the species called leaf-cutters hang their walls in the same way1 not with the blossoms but the leaves of trees1 and more particularly those of the rose-tree4 ,they differ also from the upholsterer described above1 in the external structure of their nests1 which are formed in much longer cylindrical holes1 and consist of a series of thimble-shaped cells1 composed of leaves most curiously convoluted4 ,we are indebted likewise to ,reaumur for a description of the labours of these4 ,the mother first excavates a cylindrical hole in a horizontal direction eight or ten inches long1 either in the ground or in the trunk of a rotten tree1 or any other decaying wood4 ,she fills this hole with six or seven thimble-shaped cells1 composed of cut leaves1 the convex end of each fitting into the open end of the other4 ,her first process is to form the external coating1 which is composed of three or four pieces of larger dimensions than the rest1 and of an oval form4 ,the second coating consists of portions of equal size1 narrow at one end1 but gradually widening towards the other1 where the width equals half the length4 ,one side of these pieces is the serrated edge of the leaf from which it was taken1 which1 as the pieces lap over each other1 is kept on the outside1 the edge which was cut being within4 ,the little animal next forms a third coating of similar material1 the middle of which1 as the most skilful workman would do in a like case1 she places over the margins of those that form the first side1 thus covering and strengthening the junctions by the expedient which mechanics call a break-joint4 ,continuing the same process1 she gives a fourth and sometimes a fifth coating to her nest1 taking care at the closed end1 or narrow extremity of the cell1 to bend the leaves so as to form a convex termination4 ,after thus completing each cell1 she proceeds to fill it to within the twentieth of an inch of the orifice with a rose-coloured sweetmeat made of the pollen collected from thistle-blossoms mixed with honey4 ,upon this she lays her egg1 and then closes the orifice with three pieces of leaf1 one placed upon the other1 concentrical and also so exactly circular in form1 that no compasses could describe that geometrical figure with more precision4 ,in their magnitude also they correspond with the walls of the cell with such a degree of precision1 that they are retained in their situation merely by the nicety of their adaptation4 ,the covering of the cell thus adapted to it being concave1 corresponds exactly with the convex end of the cell which is to succeed it2 and in this manner the little insect prosecutes her maternal labours until she has constructed all the cells1 six or seven in number1 necessary to fill the cylindrical hole4 ,the process which one of these bees employs in cutting the pieces of leaf that compose her nest1 is worthy of attention4 ,nothing can be more expeditious1 and she is not longer about it than one would be in cutting similar pieces with a pair of scissors4 ,after hovering for some moments over a rose-bush1 as it were to reconnoitre the ground1 the bee alights upon the leaf which she has selected1 usually taking her station upon its edge1 so that its margin shall pass between her legs4 ,she then cuts with her mandibles1 without intermission1 in such a direction as to detach from the leaf a triangular piece4 ,when this hangs by the last fibre1 lest its weight should carry her to the ground1 she spreads her little wings for flight1 and the very moment the connection of the part thus cut off with the leaf is broken1 she carries it off in triumph to her nest1 the detached portion remaining bent between her legs in a direction perpendicular to her body4 ,thus1 without rule or compass1 do these little creatures measure out the material of their work into ovals1 or circles1 or other pieces of suitable shapes1 accurately accommodating the dimensions of the several pieces of these figures to each other4 ,what other architect could carry impressed upon the tablet of his memory such details of the edifice which he has to erect1 and1 destitute of square or plumb-line1 cut out his materials in their exact dimensions without making a single mistake or requiring a single subsequent correction8 ,but of all the varieties of this insect1 that of which the architectural and mechanical skill is transcendently the most admirable is the bee-hive4 ,the most profound philosopher1 says ,kirby1 equally with the most incurious of mortals1 is filled with astonishment at the view of the interior of a bee-hive4 ,he beholds there a miniature city4 ,he sees regular streets1 disposed in parallel directions1 and consisting of houses constructed upon the most exact geometrical principles1 and of the most symmetrical forms4 ,these buildings are appropriated to various purposes4 ,some are warehouses in which provisions are stored in enormous quantities2 some are the dwellings of the citizens2 and a few of the most spacious and magnificent are royal palaces4 ,he finds that the material of which this city is built is one which man with all his skill and science cannot fabricate1 and that the edifices which it is employed to form are such that the most consummate engineer could not reproduce1 much less originate2 and yet this wondrous production of art and skill is the result of the labour of a society of insects so minute1 that hundreds of thousands of them do not contain as much ponderable matter as would enter into the composition of the body of a man4 ,quel abime aux yeux du sage qu'une ruche d'abeilles6 ,quelle sagesse profonde se cache dans cet abime6 ,quel philosophe osera le sonder6 ,nor has the problem thus solved by the bee yet been satisfactorily expounded by philosophers4 ,its mysteries have not yet been fathomed4 ,in all ages naturalists and mathematicians have been engrossed by it1 from ,aristomachus of ,soli and ,philiscus the ,thracian1 already mentioned1 to ,swammerdam1 ,reaumur1 ,hunter1 and ,huber of modern times4 ,nevertheless1 the honey-comb is still a miracle which overwhelms our faculties4 ,kirby writes3-- ,besides the saving of wax effected by the form of the cells1 the bees adopt another economical plan suited to the same end4 ,they compose the bottoms and sides of wax of very great tenuity1 not thicker than a sheet of writing-paper2 but as walls of this thickness at the entrance would be perpetually injured by the ingress and egress of the workers1 they prudently make the margin at the opening of each cell three or four times thicker than the walls4 ,dr4 ,barclay discovered1 that though of such excessive tenuity1 the sides and bottom of each cell are actually double1 or in other words1 that each cell is distinct1 separate1 and in some measure an independent structure1 agglutinated only to the neighbouring cells2 and that when the agglutinating substance is destroyed1 each cell may be entirely separated from the rest4 ,this1 however1 has been denied by ,mr4 ,waterhouse1 and seems inconsistent with the account given by ,huber1 hereafter detailed2 but ,mr4 ,g4 ,newport asserts1 that even the virgin-cells are lined with a delicate membrane4 ,dr4 ,bevan relates of ,mr4 ,knight1 an acute and accurate apiarian3-- ,on one occasion he observed from twenty to thirty bees paying daily visits to some decayed trees1 about a mile distant from his garden2 the bees appeared to be busily employed in examining the hollow parts1 and particularly the dead knots around them1 as if apprehensive of the knots admitting moisture4 ,in about fourteen days these seeming surveyors were followed by a large swarm from his apiary1 which was watched the whole way1 till it alighted in one of these cavities4 ,it was observed to journey nearly in a direct line from the apiary to the tree4 ,on several similar occasions the bees selected that cavity which ,mr4 ,knight thought best adapted to their use4 ,insects give proofs without number of the possession of the faculty of memory1 without which it would be impossible to turn to account the results of experience4 ,thus1 for example1 each bee1 on returning from its excursions1 never fails to recognise its own hive1 even though that hive should be surrounded by various others in all respects similar to it4 ,this recognition of home is so much the more marked by traces of intelligence rather than by those of instinct1 inasmuch as it depends not on any character merely connected with the hive itself1 whether external or internal1 but from its relation to surrounding objects2 just as we are guided to our own dwellings by the recollection of the particular features of the locality and neighbourhood4 ,nor is this faculty in the bee inferred from mere analogies2 it has been established by direct experiment and observation4 ,a hive being removed from a locality to which its inhabitants have become familiar1 they are observed1 upon the next day1 before leaving for their usual labours1 to fly around the hive in every direction1 as if to observe the surrounding objects1 and obtain a general acquaintance with their new neighbourhood4 ,the queen in like manner adopts the same precaution before she rises into the air1 attended by her numerous admirers1 for the purpose of fecundation4--,lardner4 ,the attention1 says ,lord ,brougham1,b which has been paid at various times to the structure and habits of the bee1 is one of the most remarkable circumstances in the history of science4 ,the ancients studied it with unusual minuteness1 although being1 generally speaking1 indifferent observers of fact1 they made but little progress in discovering the singular economy of this insect ,of the observations of ,aristomachus1 who spent sixty years1 it is said1 in studying the subject1 we know nothing2 nor of those which were made by ,philissus1 who passed his life in the woods1 for the purpose of examining this insect's habits2 but ,pliny informs us that both of them wrote works upon it4 ,aristotle's three chapters on bees and wasps,c contain little more than the ordinary observations1 mixed up with an unusual portion of vulgar and even gross errors4 ,how much he attended to the subject is1 however1 manifest from the extent of the first of these chapters1 which is of great length4 ,some mathematical writers1 particularly ,pappus1 studied the form of the cells1 and established one or two of the fundamental propositions respecting the economy of labour and wax resulting from the plan of the structure4 ,the application of modern naturalists to the inquiry is to be dated from the beginning of the eighteenth century1 when ,maraldi examined it with his accustomed care2 and ,reaumur afterwards1 as we have seen1 carried his investigations much farther4 ,the interest of the subject seemed to increase with the progress made in their inquiries2 and about the year #agfe a society was formed at ,little ,bautzen in ,upper ,lusatia1 whose sole object was the study of bees4 ,it was formed under the patronage of the ,elector of ,saxony4 ,the celebrated ,schirach was one of its original members2 and soon after its establishment he made his famous discovery of the power which the bees have to supply the loss of their queen1 by forming a large cell out of three common ones1 and feeding the grub of a worker upon royal jelly2 a discovery so startling to naturalists1 that ,bonnet1 in #agfi1 earnestly urged the society not to lower its credit by countenancing such a wild error1 which he regarded as repugnant to all we know of the habits of insects2 admitting1 however1 that he should not be so incredulous of any observations tending to prove the propagation of the race of the queen-bee without any co-operation of a male1,d a notion since shown by ,huber to be wholly chimerical4 ,in #agga a second institution1 with the same limited object1 was founded at ,lauter1 under the ,elector ,palatine's patronage1 and of this ,riem1 scarcely less known in this branch of science than ,schirach1 was a member4 ,footnote ,b3 ,vol4 i4 pp4 #ccc-cf4 ,footnote ,c3 ,hist4 ,an41 lib4 ix41 cap4 #dj1 #da1 #db4 ,footnote ,d3 uvres x41 #aja1 #ajd4 ,the greatest progress1 however1 was afterwards made by ,huber1 whose discoveries1 especially of the queen-bee's mode of impregnation1 the slaughter of the drones or males1 and the mode of working1 have justly gained him a very high place among naturalists4 ,nor are his discoveries of the secretion of wax from saccharine matter1 the nature of propolis1 and the preparation of wax for building1 to be reckoned less important4 ,to these truths the way had been led by ,john ,hunter1 whose vigorous and original genius never was directed to the cultivation of any subject without reaping a harvest of discovery4 ,bee ,industry4 ,the industry of the bee may be estimated by the average number of its daily excursions from the hive to collect provisions4 ,according to ,reaumur1 if the total number of excursions be divided by the total number of bees in a hive1 the average number daily made by each bee would be from five to six4 ,but as one-half of the bees are occupied exclusively with the domestic business of the society1 either in nursing and tending the young1 packing and storing the provisions1 or constructing the combs1 the total number of excursions must be divided1 not between the whole1 but between only half the total number of bees1 which would give ten excursions to each individual of the collecting class2 and if the average length of each excursion be taken at three-quarters of a mile1 this would give the average distance travelled by each collector as fifteen miles6 ,it is estimated by ,kirby that the quantity of ponderable matter thus transported exceeds a hundred pounds4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,wood1 in his little manual--the most sensible of its size that has yet appeared--writes3-- ,no noticeable capital is required to commence2 no noticeable amount of time is necessarily consumed in their management1 and they may be kept almost anywhere1 though not with equal profit4 ,one apiarian1 whose authority may be depended upon1 gives the profits of eight stocks only as averaging about #bjl4 in three successive years4 ,another1 who was regularly engaged from six to six daily in other avocations1 cleared nearly #ajjl4 in one year by his bees4 ,the quantity of honey that may be obtained from a hive is exceedingly variable1 but offering1 therefore1 only the greater assurance of due rewards for able management4 ,fifty or sixty pounds have not unfrequently been obtained from a single hive in a season1 and occasionally as much as #ajj lbs42 whilst from a set of collateral boxes1 #ajj lbs4 is mentioned2 and ,cotton states that as much as #baj lbs4 have really been stored in a single season1 by a single stock similarly situated in a roomy trebled habitation4 ,the prices of honey in ,london are stated to be generally as follows3-- s4 d4 ,minorca1 which is the best per lb4 #b #f ,narbonne #b #j ,pure native honey in the comb #a #j ,other native honey #j #h ,but pure native honey in the comb1 obtained in glasses1 is sought for the table1 and therefore often sells for double the price above-mentioned4 ,we shall only add1 that ,mr4 ,smart1 a well-known apiarian1 considers hundreds of stocks may be kept where only tens are now to be found1 so far as regards the capabilities of support1 the main point to be considered4 ,to that subject1 therefore1 we now turn4 ,a rather exaggerated account of the excellence of honey is given by ,butler3-- ,honey cutteth and casteth up phlegmatic matter1 and therefore sharpeneth the stomachs of them which by reason thereof have little appetite2 it purgeth those things which hurt the clearness of the eyes2 it nourisheth very much2 it breedeth good blood2 it stirreth up and preserveth natural heat1 and prolongeth old age2 it keepeth all things uncorrupt which are put into it2 and therefore physicians do temper therewith such medicines as they mean to keep long4 ,in an article in the ,quarterly ,review it is stated3-- ,in such esteem was it held1 that one of the old ,welsh laws ran thus3--',there are three things in court which must be communicated to the king before they are made known to any other person3--#ast ,every sentence of the ,judge4 #bnd4 ,every new song4 #crd4 ,every cask of ,mead4' ,queen ,bess was so fond of it1 that she had some made for her own especial drinking every year2 and ,butler1 who draws a distinction between ,mead and ,metheglin1 making ,hydromel the generic term1 gives a receipt for the latter and better drink1 the same used by 'our renowned ,queen ,elizabeth of happy memory4' ,a ,,prairie ,,hunt4 ,a bee-hunt in the prairies is thus described by ,washington ,irving3-- ,we had not been long in the camp1 when a party set out in quest of a bee-tree1 and being curious to witness the sport1 ,i gladly accepted an invitation to accompany them4 ,the party was headed by a veteran bee-hunter1 a tall lank fellow in homespun garb1 that hung loosely about his limbs1 and a straw hat1 shaped not unlike a bee-hive2 a comrade1 equally uncouth in garb1 and without a hat1 straddled along at his heels1 with a long rifle on his shoulder4 ,to these succeeded half-a-dozen others1 some with axes1 and some with rifles2 for no one stirs from the camp without fire-arms1 so that he may be ready either for wild deer or wild ,indian4 ,after proceeding some distance1 we came to an open glade on the skirts of the forest4 ,here our leader halted1 and then advanced quietly to a low bush1 on the top of which ,i perceived a piece of honey-comb4 ,this1 ,i found1 was the bait or lure for the wild bees4 ,several were humming about it1 and diving into its cells4 ,when they had laden themselves with honey1 they would rise up in the air1 and dart off in one straight line1 almost with the velocity of a bullet4 ,the hunters watched attentively the course they took1 and then set off in the same direction1 stumbling along over twisted roots and fallen trees1 with their eyes turned up to the sky4 ,in this way they traced the honey-laden bees to their hive1 in the hollow trunk of a blasted oak1 where1 after buzzing about for a moment1 they entered a hole about sixty feet from the ground4 ,two of the bee-hunters now plied their axes vigorously at the foot of the tree1 to level it with the ground4 ,the mere spectators and amateurs1 in the meantime1 drew off to a cautious distance1 to be out of the way of the falling of the tree and the vengeance of its inmates4 ,the jarring blows of the axe seemed to have no effect in alarming or agitating this most industrious community4 ,they continued to ply at their usual occupations--some arriving full-freighted into port1 others sallying forth on new expeditions1 like so many merchantmen in a money-making metropolis1 little suspicious of impending bankruptcy and downfall2 even a loud crack1 which announced the disrupture of the trunk1 failed to divert their attention from the intense pursuit of gain3 at length down came the tree with a tremendous crash1 bursting open from end to end1 and displacing all the hoarded treasures of the commonwealth4 ,one of the hunters immediately ran up with a wisp of lighted hay1 as a defence against the bees4 ,the latter1 however1 made no attack1 and sought no revenge2 they seemed stupified by the catastrophe1 and1 unsuspicious of its cause1 remained crawling and buzzing about the ruins1 without offering us any molestation4 ,every one of the party now fell to1 with spoon and hunting-knife1 to scoop out the flakes of honey-comb with which the hollow trunk was stored4 ,some of them were of old date1 and a deep brown colour2 others were beautifully white1 and the honey in their cells was almost limpid4 ,such of the combs as were entire were placed in camp-kettles1 to be conveyed to the encampment2 those which had been shivered in the fall were devoured upon the spot4 ,every stark bee-hunter was to be seen with a rich morsel in his hand1 dripping about his fingers1 and disappearing as rapidly as a cream-tart before the holiday appetite of a schoolboy4 ,nor was it the bee-hunters alone that profited by the downfall of this industrious community4 ,as if the bees would carry through the similitude of their hahits with those of laborious and gainful man1 ,i beheld numbers from rival hives1 arriving on eager wing1 to enrich themselves with the ruins of their neighbours4 ,these busied themselves as eagerly and cheerily as so many wreckers on an ,indiaman that has been driven on shore--plunging into the cells of the broken honey-combs1 banqueting greedily on the spoil1 and then winging their way full-freighted to their homes4 ,as to the poor proprietors of the ruin1 they seemed to have no heart to do anything1 not even to taste the nectar that flowed around them1 but crawled backwards and forwards1 in vacant desolation1 as ,i have seen a poor fellow1 with his hands in his pockets1 whistling vacantly and despondingly about the ruins of his house that had been burned4 ,it is difficult to describe the bewilderment and confusion of the bees of the bankrupt hive who had been absent at the time of the catastrophe1 and who arrived1 from time to time1 with full cargoes from abroad4 ,at first they wheeled about in the air1 in the place where the fallen tree had once reared its head1 astonished at finding all a vacuum4 ,at length1 as if comprehending their disaster1 they settled down in clusters on a dry branch of a neighbouring tree1 from whence they seemed to contemplate the prostrate ruin1 and to buzz forth doleful lamentations over the downfall of their republic4 ,it was a scene on which the 'melancholy ,jaques' might have moralised by the hour4--,tour in ,prairies1 ch4 ix4 ,,bee ,,tempers4 ,bees1 however1 as we have already observed1 are not usually ill-tempered2 and1 if not molested1 are generally inoffensive4 ,thorley relates1 that a maid-servant who assisted him in hiving a swarm1 being rather afraid1 put a linen cloth as a defence over her head and shoulders4 ,when the bees were shaken from the tree on which they had alighted1 the queen probably settled upon this cloth1 for the whole swarm covered it1 and then getting under it1 spread themselves over her face1 neck1 and bosom1 so that when the cloth was removed1 she was quite a spectacle4 ,she was with great difficulty kept from running off with all the bees upon her4 ,but at length her master quieted her fears1 and began to search for the queen4 ,he succeeded1 and expected that when he put her into the hive the bees would follow4 ,he was1 however1 in the first instance disappointed1 for they did not stir4 ,upon examining the cluster again1 he found a second queen1 or probably the former one1 which had flown back to the swarm4 ,having seized her1 he placed her in the hive1 and kept her there4 ,the bees soon missed her1 and crowded into the hive after her1 so that1 in two or three minutes1 not one remained on the poor frightened girl4 ,after this escape she became quite a heroine1 and would undertake the most hazardous employment about the hives4--,lardner4 ,,bees ,,in ,,their ,,clerical ,,character4 ,but connected with this1 another important purpose of nature is fulfilled1 which must not here pass without special notice4 ,the principle1 so fruitful in important social consequences among animals1 that the offspring owes its parentage jointly to two individuals of different sexes1 or1 in other words1 must always have a father and a mother1 equally prevails in the vegetable kingdom4 ,there also are the gentlemen and ladies1 there also are the loves which unite them1 loves which1 as well as those of superior orders of beings1 have supplied a theme for poets4 ,now1 among the many other interesting offices with which the ,author of nature has invested the little creatures which form the subject of this notice1 not the least singular is that of being the priests who celebrate the nuptials of the flowers4 ,it is the bee literally which joins the hands and consecrates the union of the fair virgin lily and the blushing maiden rose with their respective bridegrooms4 ,the grains of pollen which we have been describing are these bride and bridegrooms1 and are transported on the bee from the male to the female flower2 the happy individuals thus united in the bands of wedlock being the particular grains which the bee lets fall from its body on the flower of the opposite sex1 as it passes through its blossom4 ,and here we find another circumstance to excite our admiration of the wise laws of that ,providence1 which cares for the well-being of a little flower as much as for that of a great lord of the creation4 ,if the bee wandered indifferently from flower to flower without selection1 the gentlemen of one species would be mated with the ladies of another1 hybrid breeds would ensue1 and the confusion of species would be the consequence4 ,but the bee1 as knowing this1 flies from rose to rose1 or from lily to lily1 but never from the lily to the rose1 or from the rose to the lily4--,lardner4 ,,general4 ,a popular acquaintance with the habits of bees is very important4 ,such an accident as the following1 related in the ,scotsman newspaper1 could scarcely have occurred if the victim had learned a little on this subject3-- ,on ,thursday1 while ,dr4 ,bonthron1 of ,west ,linton1 ,peebleshire1 was being driven along the road leading from ,garvald to the railway station at ,dolphinton1 he was attacked by a swarm of bees1 apparently newly 'cast-off1' and so severely stung on the face and head as to be unable to attend to his duties for the present4 ,his face and head became dreadfully swollen and disfigured an hour or two after the occurrence1 the eyes being firmly closed1 and the face and throat greatly swollen and discoloured1 while a considerable amount of fever has set in from the effects of the poison--in fact1 but for the precautions taken1 it is probable that the case would have proved fatal4 ,the driver of the vehicle was also severely stung on several parts of the head and neck1 and only escaped further mischief by a timely use of whip and rein4 ,the queen-bee of the caste must have flown directly on ,dr4 ,bonthron's head1 from the instantaneousness with which he was perfectly covered by the bees3 and it is supposed that the motion of the vehicle must have irritated the insects to use their stings4 ,upwards of thirty bee-stings were taken out of ,dr4 ,bonthron's face1 neck1 and head4 ,had ,dr4 ,bonthron remained perfectly still1 the bees would not have been irritated1 and they would have discovered there was no room for a swarm of bees in his hat2 and if the driver could have distinguished the queen-bee1 and quietly removed and laid her on the hedge-side1 no catastrophe would have occurred4 ,bees are perfectly harmless in swarming4 ,but of course any attempt to drive them off from their queen by violence never can be made with impunity4 ,but in the swarming season it is most expedient that nobody but their bee-master should take any share in hiving a swarm2 for so nervous are most people at the presence of ten thousand stings1 that they will indiscreetly and ignorantly irritate such members of the young family as may accidentally alight on them4 ,a far more delightful incident is recorded by ,thorley3-- ,in or about the year #agag1 one of my swarms settling among the close-twisted branches of some codling-trees1 and not to be got into an hive without more help1 my maid-servant1 hired into the family the ,michaelmas before1 very officiously offered her assistance1 so far as to hold the hive while ,i dislodged the bees1 she being little apprehensive of what followed4 ,having never been acquainted with bees1 and likewise afraid1 she put a linen cloth over her head and shoulders1 concluding that would be a sufficient guard1 and secure her from their swords4 ,a few of the bees fell into the hive2 some upon the ground2 but the main body of them upon the cloth which covered her upper garments4 ,no sooner had ,i taken the hive out of her hands1 but1 in a terrible fright and surprise1 she cried out the bees were got under the covering1 crowding up towards her breast and face1 which immediately put her into a trembling posture4 ,when ,i perceived the veil was of no further service1 she at last gave me leave to remove it4 ,this done1 a most affecting spectacle presented itself to the view of all the company1 filling me with the deepest distress and concern1 as ,i thought myself the unhappy instrument of drawing her into so great and imminent hazard of her life1 which now so manifestly lay at stake4 ,it is not in my power to tell the confusion and distress of mind ,i was in1 from the awful apprehensions it raised2 and her dread and terror in such circumstances may reasonably be supposed to be much more4 ,every moment she was at the point of retiring with all the bees about her4 ,vain thought6 to escape by flight4 ,she might have left the place1 indeed1 but could not the company1 and the remedy would have been much worse than the disease4 ,had she enraged them1 all resistance had been vain1 and nothing less than her life would have atoned for the offence4 ,and now to have had that life 7in so much jeopardy7 insured1 what would ,i not have given6 ,to prevent1 therefore1 a flight which must have been attended with so fatal a consequence1 ,i spared not to urge all the arguments ,i could think of1 and use the most affectionate entreaties1 begging her1 with all the earnestness in my power1 to stand her ground1 and keep her present posture2 in order to which1 ,i gave encouragement to hope1 in a little space1 for a full discharge from her disagreeable companions2 on the other hand1 assuring her she had no other chance for her life4 ,i was1 through necessity1 constantly reasoning with her1 or else beseeching and encouraging her4 ,i began to search among them for the queen1 now got in a great body upon her breast1 about her neck1 and up to her chin4 ,i presently saw her1 and immediately seized her1 taking her from the crowd1 with some of the commons in company with her1 and put them together into the hive4 ,here ,i watched her for some time1 and as ,i did not observe that she came out1 ,i conceived an expectation of seeing the whole body quickly abandon their settlement2 but instead of that1 ,i soon observed them1 to my greater sorrow and surprise1 gathering closer together without the least signal for departing4 ,upon this ,i immediately reflected1 that either there must be another sovereign1 or that the same was returned4 ,i directly commenced a second search1 and in a short time1 with a most agreeable surprise1 found a second or the same2 she strove1 by entering further into the crowd1 to escape me1 which ,i was fully determined against2 and apprehending her without any further ceremony1 or the least apology1 ,i reconducted her1 with a great number of the populace1 into the hive4 ,and now the melancholy scene began to change1 and give way to one infinitely more agreeable and pleasant4 ,the bees1 presently missing their queen1 began to dislodge and repair to the hive1 crowding into it in multitudes1 and in the greatest hurry imaginable4 ,and in the space of two or three minutes the maid had not a single bee about her1 neither had she so much as one sting1 a small number of which would have quickly stopped her breath4 ,how inexpressible the pleasure which succeeded her past fear6 ,what joy appeared in every countenance upon so signal a deliverance6 and what mutual congratulations were heard6 ,i never call to mind the wonderful escape without a secret and very sensible pleasure4 ,i hope never to see such another sight1 though ,i triumph in this most noble and glorious victory4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,letters ,,from ,,correspondents1 ,,addressed ,,to ,,the ,,times ,,bee-,,master4 -------- ,i have selected a few of the countless letters addressed to me by those who read my letters in ,the ,times1 and ,i have appended such replies as seemed to me expedient4 ,i have not printed several anonymous and very acrimonious letters4 ,one writer of two anonymous letters says1 his connection with the press is very great1 and that in the ,saturday ,review and other periodicals he will write scorching critiques2 that he will warn the publishers that they will earn a loss2 and that he will influence ,the ,times to receive no more communications4 ,one letter has the post-mark ,ampthill2 but ,i suppose its real date ought to be ,colney ,hatch or ,hanwell4 ,i cannot otherwise explain the extraordinary language4 ,but ,i am able to add1 that the letters of the ,bee-master in ,the ,times have done good service2 and ,i hope this little work will survive these threats of one or two irritable hornets4 ,i once thought quarrels and angry controversies were confined to ecclesiastical denominations--churches and chapels4 ,but ,i have learned what ,i did not expect1 that not a few apiarians so devoutly believe each his own patent hive to be the only way to a honey harvest1 that if you do not notice it1 you are denounced as ignorant of the progress of science1 and if you disapprove of it1 you must know nothing about bees4 ,i hope they will all improve in temper as they advance in experience1 and agree to differ while they cease to quarrel4 ,i have made up my mind on two or three subjects1 from thought and reading1 and personal observation2 and though open to argument1 evidence1 and facts1 ,i am not in the least to be moved by intemperate criticism or ill-natured ridicule4 99 99 99 99 99 ,august #ast4 ,the ,bee-master is respectfully requested to publish his letters to ,the ,times in a pamphlet by themselves4 ,it is suggested that the paragraph about ,brother ,ignatius be omitted4 ,the ,bee-master must have forgotten to have taken his usual allowance of honey at breakfast when he penned those harsh words4 ,did he know ,brother ,ignatius1 he would soon discover he was ,no ,drone4 ,that he is no honey-bee is plain4 ,if not a drone he must be a spider or earwig1 creeping by stealth into the old ,romish ,benedictine hive1 to which he does not really belong4 99 99 99 99 99 ,stoke-upon-,trent1 ,july #bith4 ,dear ,sir1--,i have long been hoping against hope1 and trying to persuade my friends to interest themselves in that courageous little insect1 the apis mellifica2 but the drawbacks appear to me to be rather disheartening4 ,in the first place1 the ladies dread the stings of my little friends2 and in the next place1 they lose the pleasure of investigation into the habits of the bees by not being enabled to procure hives that will enable one to observe the operations of the industrious little creatures4 ,your letter1 however1 in yesterday's ,times enlightens us somewhat as to where the best-constructed hives may be obtained2 and ,i am sure you have my hearty thanks for the information you have so kindly spread abroad through the medium of ,the ,times4 ,the common straw hive may not be very conveniently tolled without being in mortal fear of an accident2 and to destroy the bees seems very cruel and wasteful1 in order to take the honey from them4 ,for my part1 ,i have never yet had the courage to attempt to interfere with a straw hive1 nor have ,i ever yet destroyed one1 but kept them for my amusement and observation4 ,last year ,i constructed a wooden hive--say a square box1 divided in the middle by a slide--and ,i introduced a young swarm into it1 and they soon filled the bottom half of the box4 ,this year they have had one swarm only1 which ,i have put into a newly-constructed hive with a moveable bottom and front1 with glass to look through and doors to protect the glass3 the size is #ab by #ad and #af inches1 and they have very nearly filled it since they were swarmed1 on the #fth ,june4 ,it contains ten large parallel combs or plates1 which are beautifully full of virgin honey1 carefully covered with fine films of wax1 to prevent it from either running out or becoming damaged1 ,i presume1 from the atmosphere4 ,i have a small box to fit underneath the full one2 but ,i cannot induce the bees to come down by easy means--that is1 by shaking the box or drumming upon it3 the vibrations only cause them to run about1 but they will not descend4 ,pray what means would you adopt to cause them to leave the spaces between the combs1 and go into the lower box1 to enable me to take a portion of the combs and their contents without destroying or injuring the queen or the other bees8 ,with regard to the box-hive first named1 and which is divided in the middle by a wooden slide1 which has a hole cut into its centre about #f by #d inches1 and which was covered by a zinc slide1 which ,i removed in ,june1 after the swarm came from the box4 ,in a few days after ,i could only observe about a dozen which had passed into the top part of the hive4 ,i then tried to frighten them by shaking the box1 in order to induce them to leave the combs in the bottom half1 and pass through the hole into the top1 but without success4 ,i afterwards reversed the box1 thinking that ,i might induce them to descend1 and so shut them out2 but they would not budge an inch4 ,i afterwards placed the box in its proper position1 and closed the entrance-holes for two days1 thinking by that means to cause them to ascend in order to find a way out1 but without any result1 save the destruction of eight hundred drones in those two days1 from the anger of the little workers2 for1 as they could not go abroad to collect food1 the drones cleared every comb that contained any honey1 and now ,i can see them all as empty as when just made2 so you see ,i am really nonplussed4 ,pray what would you do8 for if ,i smoke them1 they will come down1 not go up2 and ,i am afraid that brimstone or tobacco would destroy them4 ,yours very faithfully1 ,t4 ,h4 ,this family of my correspondent has been1 ,i fear1 very ill-used4 ,bees have a will of their own1 and a way too4 ,you may lead and draw1 but you cannot1 and should not1 drive4 ,had ,mr4 ,h4 given them more barley-sugar1 or ale and sugar1 and practised less manipulation1 ,i think they would have behaved as well as he could wish4 ,stamford1 ,july #bith4 ,sir1--,i feel compelled to ask you to answer one or two queries of mine1 for without answers ,i shall be unable to follow out your admirable instructions in the letter of yesterday's ,times4 ,i can only say1 that if you will take the trouble to give me a line ,i shall feel greatly obliged4 ,i am1 ,sir1 yours faithfully1 ,j4 ,b4 ,s4 ,queries4 #a4--,which is the best plan of hiving bees8 #b4--;,how are the bees to be persuaded to descend from the upper hives1 so as to allow of the honey being extracted8 #c4--,should the sheds face any particular aspect8 #d4--;,is it necessary to stop up the entrance-hole to the hive in winter1 when covering them up with paper8 #e4--;,are the hives 7,ayrshire hexagonal7 bottomless8 ,i judge so1 as they are put one on the top of the other1 and the bees rise through the slits8 ,i fear ,i must own myself totally ignorant about bee-keeping1 so ,i trust you will excuse these queries4 ,j4 ,b4 ,s4 ,the writer will find #a1 #b1 #c1 answered in the body of the work4 ,in reply to #d1 ,no4 ,in reply to #e1 ,yes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,cheltenham1 ,july #cjth4 ,sir1--,i have been much interested with your letters in ,the ,times about bees2 and having just commenced keeping them1 am anxious for further information4 ,your kindness in writing so fully induces me to trouble you4 ,i purchased a swarm on ,june #agth1 and have them in a common straw hive4 ,i am told by the cottager from whom ,i bought them 7who1 by the way1 takes his honey by stupifying the bees with a fungus71 that as mine is a late swarm 7though a first71 ,i ought not to take any honey from them this season2 but noticing in your letter of #bgth your mode of obtaining honey from a straw hive by cutting a hole in the top and placing a bell-glass on a board over1 ,i shall be much obliged if you will inform me if you think ,i might now adopt this mode1 or is it too late in the season1 and ought they to be left undisturbed till next season8 ,will you kindly tell where the ,scotch hexagonal hive is to be procured8 ,i like your account of it so much1 that ,i shall certainly try it as soon as ,i can4 ,will you excuse this trouble8 ,i remain1 ,sir1 yours obediently1 ,c4 ,h4 ,h4 ,to the ,gentleman who writes in ,the ,times under the signature of ,a ,bee-master4 ,if a good swarm take place in ,may1 and in a good year1 you may hopefully put on a super4 ,for ,ayrshire hives1 see p4 #bac4 99 99 99 99 99 ,july #cjth4 ,sir1--,we have read your letters in ,the ,times with the greatest interest1 partly because we have been for some years bee-keepers on the more sensible plan of saving the little creatures' lives1 and partly because we are anxious to induce our neighbours 7poor cottage folks7 to follow our example1 and give up the disgusting smothering process4 ,we have taken off a glass of honey weighing full twenty pounds1 and have another equally well filled to remove2 but should be very grateful for your advice as to the means of getting rid of the bees from the super when it is withdrawn1 a part of the process not described in your letters1 and one which we cannot manage without much trouble1 and the murder of many insects4 ,we use1 for stock1 common straw hives1 with flat tops1 and a hole in the centre1 which we cover with a piece of zinc or slate1 easily removed when we wish to put on the super4 ,but the bees always continue the comb up through this hole into the glass2 then1 when the latter is removed1 there is always broken comb and running honey1 to which the bees cling1 and to which they return again and again1 and we find the greatest difficulty in dislodging them4 ,you likewise recommend covering the stock-hives in winter with paper1 for warmth4 ,will you kindly tell us whether you consider it best to close the entrance also8 ,my only apology for thus intruding on you must rest on our ignorance1 and on your benevolent and enlightened zeal for the good of the poor1 and for the lives of the much ill-treated insects4 ,i am1 ,sir1 yours obediently1 ,h4 ,c4 ,i enclose a stamped envelope1 in case you prefer writing to me rather than again to ,the ,times4 ,press a zinc plate between hive and super1 and on removal substitute a very small empty bell bee-glass1 and cover it with woollen cap4 ,on no account close the entrance to the hive4 ,august #ast4 ,my dear ,sir1--,i have read with much interest your letters in ,the ,times respecting our little friends the bees1 and as one of your many readers1 ,i beg to thank you for your valuable hints4 ,will you1 however1 complete the matter by giving us one hint more1 and that is1 as to how you manage with the bees which may remain in the compartment which you remove8 ,i have used the lateral wooden hive1 but have always found a difficulty in getting rid of the bees which remained in the box which ,i have taken away4 ,one year ,i took a lateral box full of honey1 but lost it in consequence of the bees having taken it all away again4 ,i1 by the advice of a neighbouring bee-master1 had it placed in a cool part of the garden4 ,if you will kindly tell us how you manage in this respect1 you will greatly oblige4 ,yours1 faithfully1 ,w4 ,b4 ,j4 ,carry your super1 or side-box1 if yours is the collateral system1 to a little distance from the hive4 ,raise one side of your box1 and they will gradually escape and go home4 ,if it be ,august1 when wasps and corsair-bees are abroad1 remove it about #g ,p4,m4 ,few1 if any1 thieves will arrive1 and your bees will equally go home4 ,or if you take it into a room or closet with a window on hinges1 they will fly to the light and cover the window4 ,open the window smartly1 and all on it will fly away4 ,shut it again till covered with bees1 and repeat opening it4 ,no thieves can thus get in1 and your bees will all get out1 if you have patience4 99 99 99 99 99 ,stokenchurch1 ,august #ast ,sir1--,i hope you will pardon the liberty ,i take in addressing you2 but having read your letter in ,the ,times1 entitled ,bees and ,bee-hives1 and wishing to gain information on those subjects1 ,i venture under the circumstances to write to you4 ,there have been for many years a quantity of bees under some leads that cover a bow added to this house4 ,about eighteen years ago the leads were removed1 the honey taken1 the bees destroyed1 and all the entrances 7as was supposed7 stopped up4 ,notwithstanding this1 fresh swarms arrived in the course of the following year1 forced their entrance1 and again took possession of the leads4 ,since then they have not been disturbed1 but now my father expresses a wish to take the honey and get rid of the bees1 as we suffer some inconvenience in the spring1 on account of the bees entering the bed-room4 ,as ,i think it a pity that all the bees should be destroyed1 and also have a great wish to keep them in common hives1 ,i should feel much obliged could you give me any information as to when and how to take the honey without destroying the bees1 and to place the latter in common straw hives4 ,i regret much that ,i did not see your letter in ,the ,times on the ,honey ,harvest1 nor do ,i know the day it appeared1 therefore ,i cannot refer to it4 ,apologising for troubling you1 ,i remain1 yours faithfully1 ,a4 ,p4 ,i do not think it possible to remove the bees4 ,the only alternative is to lessen1 if possible1 the area and contents of their residence1 and thus force them to swarm4 ,if you can lay open their residence1 you might stupify the bees with fungus smoke1 and abstract a portion of their honey4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bath1 ,august #ast4 ,a lady having read in ,the ,times a ,bee-master's letter of the #bgth ,july1 on ,hives1 would feel greatly obliged if he would inform her where the ,ayrshire hexagonal hive is to be had1 its price1 and likewise the cost of setting up the establishment with one hive to commence with2 where to obtain the best bees1 and how many are necessary2 and the time to commence keeping them4 ,would a book on ,bees be of much use to a beginner6 ,an answer will be esteemed a great favour1 if not entailing too much trouble on the ,bee-master4 ,for ,ayrshire hive1 write to ,mr4 ,bruce ,taylor1 ,post-office1 ,mauchlin1 ,ayrshire1 ,n4,b4 99 99 99 99 99 ,brighton1 ,august #crd4 ,sir1--,i have just been reading your excellent and interesting letter in ,the ,times of this morning1 and am induced to write you a second letter1 having despatched one to you last week1 soliciting you to be kind enough to reply to my queries and inquiries therein contained1 and not having received any reply thereto4 ,i can readily imagine you could not answer all your correspondents1 and that your letters in ,the ,times would contain the information that most of them sought4 ,although ,i have perused them with the greatest pleasure1 ,i do not find they tell me whether you would be kind enough to sell me any of the virgin honey which your bees have made this year1 which was the principal point ,i wished to have solved in my former communication4 ,i am quite sure you are a gentleman of position1 and from your language ,i am inclined to believe are a member of the clerical profession2 and as ,i am unwilling to trespass unreasonably on your valuable time1 ,i do earnestly beg1 if you are unable or unwilling to sell me any of your virgin honey of #ahfd1 you would be so truly obliging as to furnish me with the name and address of some respectable party in your locality or neighbourhood1 on whom ,i could depend to purchase what ,i might require4 ,i never eat rancid ,london1 or indeed any butter for breakfast1 or any other meal1 and am not fond of nasty greasy bacon2 but as ,i cannot find any substitute of which ,i approve but pure virgin honey1 and know not where ,i can procure and purchase the latter from the grower1 ,i am constantly obliged to eat my dry toast and bread without any agreeable addition thereto4 ,i am exceedingly desirous to cultivate a good temper and sweet disposition2 and if you would kindly aid me in this by supplying my honeyed requirements1 or inform me where ,i can purchase what ,i wish for1 ,i shall be most grateful for your reply1 if it contain only the name and address of some respectable person to whom ,i can make application for the pure1 unadulterated1 virgin honey of #ahfd1 and for which purpose ,i enclose you a stamped envelope4 ,hoping you will oblige me1 and apologising for trespassing on your valuable time1 ,i remain1 yours most obediently1 ,e4 ,l4 ,b4 ,pure honey1 taken by deprivation1 and in the most charming white wax cells1 may be had of ,neighbour1 in ,holborn1 ,london4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sundridge1 ,august #crd4 ,to ,the ,times ,bee-,master4 ,sir1--,in reference to your interesting letter on ,bees and ,bee-hives1 in ,the ,times of last ,thursday1 ,i take leave to explain to you how ,i prevent tom-tits and other birds from molesting my industrious little friends1 if so they should feel inclined4 ,i affix before the door of the hive a piece of wire-work1 resembling the half of a round mouse-trap1 and by this very simple means a bee is permitted to return to its house1 or take wing as it pleases1 without let1 stop1 or stay1 from your wicked hypocrite and his companions4 ,this precaution being taken1 ,i endeavour to encourage all mischievous birds to abide with me1 feeding the several tom-tits1 to each of whom our gardens are so largely indebted1 throughout the winter with walnuts1 and even providing them with sleeping-places4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,sir1 ,your very humble servant1 ,g4 ,s4 ,s4 ,this is a very sensible letter1 and well worth the attention of every bee-master4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the ,hon4 and ,rev4 ,orlando ,forrester4 ,dover ridge1 ,derby1 ,august #bfth4 ,sir1--,last autumn ,i saved from a cruel and unnecessary death a very old stock of bees belonging to a neighbour1 the parent one of all his colony1 full of black comb2 ,i gave him seven or eight shillings for it4 ,i fed it1 and it just lived through the winter4 ,i gave it a box on the lateral plan1 which it filled with a quarter of a hundredweight of honey1--so rewarding my interference4 ,at the time ,i took my box from this stock1 a neighbour destroyed two of his hives1 bees1 c41 for the honey 7,i think he will not do so ungrateful a thing another year74 ,happening to go into his garden the morning after1 he told me he had found the queen that morning dead4 ,on showing her to me1 we found she was alive1 but of course none the more lively for the sulphuring of the previous night4 ,i begged her1 took her home1 and put her under a finger-glass with a little honey4 ,i then got down from my store-closet my box of honey-comb untouched1 cut away a good bit of honey1 leaving sixteen or seventeen pounds4 ,i carried it back to its old spot1 opened the communication1 and soon had a good number of the little manufacturers in their old quarters4 ,towards night ,i closed the communication again1 stopped them in1 and carried the old hive away about fifty yards4 ,this done1 ,i opened the ventilator at the top of the box1 and inserted the strange queen1 and put the inverted finger-glass over to see the effect4 ,they seemed in a moment to be in a strange commotion1 apparently receiving her majesty with hurrahs1 as the popular candidate at an election is received4 ,the next morning they seemed quite satisfied1 and ,i noticed pollen taken in1 and a struggle once or twice with a drone which had remained--there may have been seven or eight of these gentlemen in my experimental colony4 ,of course1 the carrying in pollen was soon discontinued1 as there was no brood to feed2 the material1 weighing sixteen pounds1 being all honey and wax4 ,i also saw them active in defence of their homes against the wasps2 and although some wasps contrived to enter1 ,i have seen the bees bring out their corpses now and then since1 showing that they appear right4 ,to-day1 the sun shining very bright and the temperature being warm1 ,i am flabbergasted by seeing crowds of drones going in and out1 and no slaughtering of these now unnecessary mouths4 ,i say1 can all be right8 ,is the queen still alive8 ,my little friends fight the wasps1 and go in and out2 but what meaneth this crowd of drones8 ,will you excuse my putting my case to you8 for ,i am a lover of bees1 but not very learned in the matter4 ,i should like to make my one cast-off stock two for next year by this artificial means1 besides getting my honey2 and so be in a good position to preach to the bee-killers the folly as well as cruelty of bee-murder4 ,i enclose a stamped envelope1 and remain1 ,sir1 ,yours faithfully1 ,orlando ,william ,forrester4 ,this is a very interesting letter4 ,is it possible that the drones arriving from other hives1 and entering when the queen was alone1 were really suitors for her majesty's choice8 ,i do not like artificial swarming4 ,i prefer to follow the instinct of the bees1 not to create new relations3 others think otherwise4 99 99 99 99 99 ,brighton1 ,august #cjth4 ,sir1--,i trust you will excuse the liberty ,i have taken in addressing you on purely personal matters4 ,your kindly1 genial letters in ,the ,times have induced me to do so4 ,we wish greatly to increase a very small income1 and you have so strongly advocated the care of bees1 as both remunerative and agreeable1 that we wish to try on rather a large scale4 ,i should not have troubled you on this subject1 as you have intimated your intention of publishing1 but that ,i feared the season for procuring stock would be over before the book appeared4 ,we wish to commence with not less than fifty hives2 and1 as many of the authorities we have consulted are very conflicting1 ,i have taken the liberty of begging your aid in our dilemma4 ,might ,i trespass upon your kindness so far as to ask your opinion as to the best method of purchasing bees2 also the best description of hives8 ,with regard to their care during winter1 and their general management1 we shall doubtless be fully informed in your book4 ,again apologising for thus troubling you1 ,i am1 ,sir1 yours obediently1 ,a4 ,a4 ,m4 ,if you buy stock-hives this autumn1 you must see to it that-- #a4 ,they are not very old4 #b4 ,that they weigh from twenty to thirty pounds4 #c4 ,they must be transported by water1 or carried one at each end of a pole on a man's shoulder4 #d4 ,let them swarm next summer1 and thus multiply your stock4 #e4 ,if you wait till spring1 buy swarms1 which is the best way4 ,fifty swarms1 gathered from cottagers1 would cost #bel4 ,begin with fewer1 and increase gradually4 ,faringdon1 ,august #aath4 ,sir1--,i have bees in the common cottage hive1 the honey of which ,i wish to take without destroying the bees4 ,i am told ,i can fumigate them with puff-ball4 ,i tried doing so1 but killed my bees4 ,i was afterwards told ,i could fumigate them with chloroform2 this ,i also tried1 but--whether the chloroform was good or bad ,i cannot say--,i failed again4 ,three or four years since ,i heard that a person offered a friend to take his honey for him1 if he would give him the bees4 ,the offer being accepted1 the person fumigated the bees1 took the honey from them for his friend1 and carried the bees to his own home1 where1 in the end of ,october following1 after giving them six pounds of moist sugar in ale1 they contrived to fill the hive with comb and honey1 and the whole weighed nearly twenty-five pounds4 ,some people think it a good plan to drum the bees2 but ,i should fear to rely on it4 ,and if you did not object kindly to advise me1 as you have had so much experience1 what plan you consider best to deprive them without destroying them1 ,i should esteem it a very great favour2 and hoping you will not consider me very impertinent in seeking your advice1 ,i remain yours truly1 ,j4 ,h4 ,you must have depriving hives4 ,you must take from the bees their surplus honey1 only leaving them twenty or twenty-five pounds of honey for the winter4 ,to take the honey out of a common skep1 you must either burn the bees or leave them to perish of hunger--alternatives too barbarous to be thought of4 99 99 99 99 99 ,gravesend4 ,sir1--,having read with interest your letters in ,the ,times about bees1 ,i thought you might like to see the following extract1 which ,i met with the other day4 ,i always think that the cottagers waste much honey1 and my husband and ,i have frequently thought that it might be made quite a productive source of income to them2 but ,i fear that in these parts the plan of supers1 nadirs1 c41 would be above their comprehension4 ,if you think that clay hives are suitable to this climate1 you might give a hint in ,the ,times4 ,obediently yours1 ,f4 ,q4 ,the production of honey is one of the chief sources of wealth to this place1 and the bee-hives deserve a passing notice4 ,each household possesses some sixteen or twenty hives1 arranged with marvellous economy of space4 ,the hive consists of a tube1 of the diameter of a large gas-pipe1 about four feet long1 made of sun-dried clay1 and laid longitudinally on the ground1 four or five abreast4 ,on these are piled1 according to the wealth of the owner1 a cone of twelve or fifteen more1 forming a pyramid1 and the whole plastered over with mud4 ,the apertures at each end of the tubes are likewise closed with mud1 leaving a small opening for the bees1 exactly in the centre4 ,a bush is stuck into the ground at each end1 to shade the hives and to assist the bees in alighting4 ,the produce of these spacious hives must be enormous2 and the bees are never killed1 the hives being simply robbed twice a year by the removal of the plaster at each end1 when the honey is drawn out by an iron hook4 ,all portions of comb containing young bees are carefully replaced2 and on these hills1 with their short winter and abundance of aromatic herbs1 nothing more is required4 ,of course we invested in ,palestine honey1 which has all the aromatic flavour of that of ,hymettus or ,hybla4--,extracted from ,a ,winter ,ride in ,palestine1 by the ,rev4 ,h4 ,b4 ,tristram1 contained in ,vacation ,tourists2 or1 ,notes on ,travel in #ahfb-ahfc4 ,illustration ,,london2 ,,printed ,,by ,,edmund ,,evans1 ,,raquet ,,court1 ,,fleet ,,street4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,list of ,books ,,publishing ,,by ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,son1 and ,,marston4 ,,milton ,,house1 ,,ludgate ,,hill1 ,,london4 ,illustration ,asterism ,when the price is not given1 the work was not ready at the time of issuing this list4 ,may #a1 #ahff4 ,,new ,,illustrated ,,works4 ,,the ,,great ,,schools ,,of ,,england4 ,a ,history of the ,foundation1 ,endowments1 and ,discipline of the chief ,seminaries of ,learning in ,england2 including ,eton1 ,winchester1 ,westminster1 ,st4 ,paul's1 ,charterhouse1 ,merchant ,taylors'1 ,harrow1 ,rugby1 ,shrewsbury1 c42 with notices of distinguished ,scholars4 ,by ,howard ,staunton1 ,esq4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 ,one volume #hvo41 handsomely bound in cloth1 price #abs4 ,the book is as full of solid matter as of gossiping narrative and pleasant anecdote4 ,as a handbook to our great schools ,mr4 ,staunton's volume will have a wide class of readers4--,athenum4 ,cannot fail to be interesting to all fathers and mothers1 and it appeals to the sympathies of everyone who has been a boy1 and has been educated at a public school4 ,good store of anecdote1 amusing and pathetic1 his been provided2 and the exquisite letters written to the famous poet1 soldier1 and gentleman1 ,sir ,philip ,sydney1 by his father and mother1 when the future ',scipio1 ,cicero1 and ,petrarch of his time' was a boy at ,shrewsbury1 are wonderfully moving1 and worthy 'of the attention of every father1 every mother1 and every son4--,illustrated ,london ,news4 ,the work is so full of practical information on the details of school life at these great foundations that it may be regarded as a guide book to all who contemplate sending their sons thither4 ,for all such the volume must have a solid value1 as enabling them to compare the several systems prevailing at different places1 and to determine beforehand which offers the greatest advantages4 ,the subject1 however1 is interesting to all intelligent ,englishmen1 and the book has1 therefore1 a general attraction beyond the circle which it specially addresses4--,london ,review4 ,the ,pleasures of ,memory4 ,by ',samuel ,rogers4 ,illustrated with ,twenty ,designs1 forming a volume of ,cundall's ,choice ,series of ,choice ,books4 ,small #dto4 price #es4 ,the ,divine and ,moral ,songs of ,dr4 ,watts3 a ,new and very choice ,edition4 ,illustrated with ,one ,hundred ,woodcuts in the first style of the ,art1 from ,original ,designs by ,eminent ,artists2 engraved by ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper4 ,small #dto4 cloth extra1 price #gs4 #f;d4 ,pictures of ,society1 ,grave and ,gay2 comprising ,one ,hundred ,engravings on ,wood1 from the ,pictures of ,eminent ,artists3 including ,j4 ,e4 ,millais1 ,a4,r4,a41 ,f4 ,w4 ,pickersgill1 ,r4,a41 ,c4 ,w4 ,cope1 ,r4,a41 ,j4 ,d4 ,watson1 ,george ,thomas4 ,marcus ,stone1 c4 ,illustrated by the ,pens of ,popular ,authors2 including ,mrs4 ,s4 ,c4 ,hall1 ,e4 ,k4 ,harvey1 ,barry ,cornwall1 ,tom ,hood1 ,edward ,levein1 ,noel ,jones4 ,cuthbert ,bede1 ,j4 ,h4 ,friswell1 ,walter ,thornbury1 c4 ,beautifully printed by ,messrs4 ,dalziel ,brothers4 ,handsomely bound in cloth1 with an elaborate and novel ,design1 by ,messrs4 ,leighton and ,co4 ,royal #hvo4 price ,one ,guinea4 ,the ,twenty-,third ,psalm3 with richly-coloured ,emblematic ,borders4 ,small #dto4 bevelled boards1 price #abs4 ,the ,three ,kings of ,orient3 a ,christmas ,carol4 ,illuminated4 ,small #dto4 ,bevelled boards1 price #abs4 ,christ was ,born on ,christmas ,day3 a ,carol4 ,with ,illustrations by ,john ,a4 ,hows4 ,illustrated and illuminated4 ,small #dto4 bevelled boards1 price #abs4 ,an ,entirely ,new ,edition of ,edgar ,a4 ,poe's ,poems4 ,illustrated by ,eminent ,artists4 ,small #dto4 cloth extra1 price #ajs4 #f;d4 ,poems of the ,inner ,life4 ,selected chiefly from ,modern ,authors1 by permission4 ,small #hvo4 #fs4 ,choicely printed4 ,a ,history of ,lace1 from the ,earliest ,period2 with upwards of ,one ,hundred ,illustrations and ,coloured ,designs4 ,by ,mrs4 ,bury ,palliser4 ,one volume1 #hvo4 choicely bound in cloth4 #cas4 #f;d4 ,pictures of ,english ,life2 illustrated by ,ten folio page ,illustrations on wood1 by ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper1 after ,drawings by ,r4 ,barnes and ,e4 ,m4 ,whimperis1 with appropriate descriptive ,poems1 printed in floreated borders4 ,imperial folio1 cloth extra1 #ads4 ,this handsome volume is entirely in the ,english taste4--,spectator4 ,pictures that do you good to look at them4--,illustrated ,times4 ,an elegant volume1 containing speaking pictures that might have owned the parentage of ,gainsborough or ,morland2 thoroughly national in character and detail4--,reader4 ,pictures for the ,people3 the same ,engravings beautifully printed on thick paper4 ,adapted by their price to the adornment of ,cottage walls1 and by their artistic beauty to the ,drawing-room ,portfolio4 ,one ,shilling each4 ,favourite ,english ,poems4 ,complete ,edition4 ,comprising a ,collection of the most celebrated ,poems in the ,english ,language1 with but one or two exceptions unabridged1 from ,chaucer to ,tennyson4 ,with #cjj ,illustrations by the first ,artists4 ,two vols1 royal #hvo4 half bound1 top gilt1 ,roxburgh style1 #al4 #ahs42 antique calf1 #cl4 #cs4 ,asterism ,either ,volume sold separately as distinct works4 #a4 ,early ,english ,poems1 ,chaucer to ,dyer4 #b4 ,favourite ,english ,poems1 ,thomson to ,tennyson4 ,each handsomely bound in cloth1 #al4 #as42 or morocco extra1 #al4 #aes4 ,one of the choicest gift-books of the year4 ',favourite ,english ,poems' is not a toy book1 to be laid for a week on the ,christmas table and then thrown aside with the sparkling trifles of the ,christmas tree1 but an honest book1 to be admired in the season of pleasant remembrances for its artistic beauty2 and1 when the holidays are over1 to be placed for frequent and affectionate consultation on a favourite shelf4--,athenum4 ,schiller's ,lay of the ,bell4 ,sir ,e4 ,bulwer ,lytton's translation2 beautifully illustrated by forty-two wood ,engravings1 drawn by ,thomas ,scott1 and engraved by ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper1 after the ,etchings by ,retszch4 ,oblong #dto4 cloth extra1 #ads4 ,a very elegant and classic ,christmas present4--,guardian4 ,the work is a standard picture-book1 and of its success there can be no doubt4--,examiner4 ,the ,poetry of ,nature4 ,selected and ,illustrated with ,thirty-six ,engravings by ,harrison ,weir4 ,small #dto4 handsomely bound in cloth1 gilt edges1 #abs42 morocco1 #al4 #as4 ,a ,new ,edition of ,choice ,editions of ,choice ,books4 ,illustrated by ,c4 ,w4 ,cope1 ,r4,a41 ,t4 ,creswick4 ,r4,a41 ,edward ,duncan1 ,birket ,foster1 ,j4 ,c4 ,horsley1 ,a4,r4,a41 ,george ,hicks1 ,r4 ,redgrare1 ,r4,a41 ,c4 ,stonehouse1 ,f4 ,tayler1 ,george ,thomas1 ,h4 ,j4 ,townshend1 ,e4 ,h4 ,wehnert1 ,harrison ,weir1 c4 ,crown #hvo4 cloth1 #es4 each2 bevelled boards1 #es4 #f;d42 or1 in morocco1 gilt edges1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,bloomfield's ,farmer's ,boy4 ,campbell's ,pleasures of ,hope4 ,cundall's ,elizabethan ,poetry4 ,coleridge's ,ancient ,mariner4 ,goldsmith's ,deserted ,village4 ,goldsmith's ,vicar of ,wakefield4 ,gray's ,elegy in a ,churchyard4 ,keat's ,eve of ,st4 ,agnes4 ,milton's l',allegro4 ,roger's ,pleasures of ,memory4 ,shakespeare's ,songs and ,sonnets4 ,tennyson's ,may ,queen4 ,wordsworth's ,pastoral ,poems4 ,such works are a glorious beatification for a poet4 ,suck works as these educate townsmen1 who1 surrounded by dead and artificial things1 as country people are by life and nature1 scarcely learn to look at nature till taught by these concentrated specimens of her beauty4--,athenum4 ,,literature1 ,,works ,,of ,,reference1 ,,and ,,education4 ,the ,english ,catalogue of ,books3 giving the date of publication of every book published from #ahce to #ahfc1 in addition to the title1 size1 price1 and publisher1 in one alphabet4 ,an entirely new work1 combining the ,copyrights of the ,london ,catalogue and the ,british ,catalogue4 ,one thick volume of #ijj pages1 half-morocco1 #des4 ,like unto ,christ4 ,a new translation of the ,de ,imitatione ,christi1 usually ascribed to ,thomas ,kempis--forming a volume of ,the ,gentle ,life ,series4 ,small post #hvo4 #fs4 ,the ,gentle ,life3 ,essays in ,aid of the ,formation of ,character of ,gentlemen and ,gentlewomen4 ,small post #hvo4 ,seventh ,edition1 #fs4 ,a ,second ,volume of the ,gentle ,life4 ,uniform with the ,first ,series4 ,second ,edition1 #fs4 ,about in the ,world3 ,essays uniform with1 and by the author of ,the ,gentle ,life4 ,small post #hvo4 #fs4 ,essays by ,montaigne4 ,with ,vignette ,portrait4 ,small post #hvo4 #fs4 ,familiar ,words2 an ,index ,verborum1 or ,dictionary of ,quotation of ,sentences and ,phrases which have become embedded in our ,english tongue4 ,second ,edition1 revised and enlarged4 ,post #hvo4 ,shortly4 ,not only the most extensive dictionary of quotations which ice have yet met with1 but it has1 moreover1 this additional merit1 that in all cases an exact reference is given to every chapter1 act1 scene1 book1 and number of the line4--,notes and ,queries4 ,the ,complete ,poetical ,works of ,john ,milton1 with a ,life of the ,author3 and a ,verbal ,index containing upwards of #bj4jjj references to all the ,poems4 ,by ,charles ,dexter ,cleveland4 ,new ,edition4 #hvo4 #abs42 morocco1 #bas4 ,life ,portraits of ,shakspeare2 with an ,examination of the ,authenticity1 and a ,history of the various ,representations of the ,poet4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,friswell1 ,member of the ,national ,shakspeare ,committee4 ,illustrated by ,photographs of authentic and received ,portraits4 ,square #hvo4 #bas42 or with ,photograph of the ,will1 #bes4 ,memoirs of the ,life of ,william ,shakespeare4 ,with an ,essay toward the ,expression of his ,genius1 and an ,account of the ,rise and ,progress of the ,english ,drama4 ,by ,richard ,grant ,white4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,her ,majesty's ,mails3 a ,history of the ,post ,office1 and an ,industrial ,account of its ,present ,condition4 ,by ,wm4 ,lewins1 of the ,general ,post ,office4 #bnd edition1 revised1 and enlarged1 with a ,photographic ,portrait of ,sir ,rowland ,hill4 ,small post #hvo4 #fs4 ,a book we strongly recommend to those who wish to be fully informed on the subject1 as an interesting and generally accurate account of the history and working of the ,post ,office4--,edinburgh ,review4 ,will take its stand as a really useful book of reference on the history of the ,post4 ,we heartily recommend it as a thoroughly careful performance4--,saturday ,review4 ,a ,history of ,banks for ,savings2 including a full account of the origin and progress of ,mr4 ,gladstone's recent prudential measures4 ,by ,william ,lewins1 ,author of ',her ,majesty's ,mails4' #hvo4 cloth4 ,varia3 ,rare ,readings from ,scarce ,books4 ,reprinted by permission from the ,saturday ,review and ,spectator4 ,beautifully printed by ,whittingham4 ,small post #hvo4 cloth4 ,shortly4 ,the ,origin and ,history of the ,english ,language1 and of the early literature it embodies4 ,by the ,hon4 ,george ,p4 ,marsh1 ,u4 ,s4 ,minister at ,turin1 ,author of ,lectures on the ,english ,language4 #hvo4 cloth extra1 #afs4 ,lectures on the ,english ,language2 forming the ,introductory ,series to the foregoing ,work4 ,by the same ,author4 #hvo4 ,cloth1 #afs4 ,this is the only author's edition4 ,man and ,nature2 or1 ,physical ,geography as ,modified by ,human ,action4 ,by ,george ,p4 ,marsh1 ,author of ,lectures on the ,english ,language1 c4 #hvo4 cloth1 #ads4 ,mr4 ,marsh traces the history of human industry as shown in the extensive modification and extirpation of animal and vegetable life in the woods1 the waters1 and the sands2 and1 in a concluding chapter1 he discusses the probable and possible geographical changes yet to be wrought4 ,the whole of ,mr4 ,marsh's book is an eloquent showing of the duty of care in the establishment of harmony between man's life and the forces of nature1 so as to bring to their highest points the fertility of the soil1 the vigour of the animal life1 and the salubrity of the climate1 on which we have to depend for the physical well-being of mankind4--,examiner4 ,english and ,scotch ,ballads1 c4 ,an extensive ,collection4 ,designed as a ,complement to the ,works of the ,british ,poets1 and embracing nearly all the ,ancient and ,traditionary ,ballads both of ,england and ,scotland1 in all the important varieties of form in which they are extant1 with ,notices of the kindred ,ballads of other ,nations4 ,edited by ,f4 ,j4 ,child1 new ,edition1 revised by the ,editor4 #h vols4 fcap4 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 each ,the ,handy-book of ,patent and ,copyright ,law1 ,english and ,foreign4 ,by ,james ,fraser1 ,esq4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,a ,concise ,summary of the ,law of ,english and ,french ,copyright ,law and ,international ,law1 by ,peter ,burke4 #abmo4 #es4 ,index to the ,subjects of ,books published in the ,united ,kingdom during the last ,twenty ,years--#ahcg-aheg4 ,containing as many as #gd1jjj references1 under subjects1 so as to ensure immediate reference to the books on the subject required1 each giving title1 price1 publisher1 and date4 ,two valuable ,appendices are also given--,a1 containing full lists of all ,libraries1 ,collections1 ,series1 and ,miscellanies--and ,b1 a ,list of ,literary ,societies1 ,printing ,societies1 and their ,issues4 ,one vol4 royal #hvo4 ,morocco1 #al4 #fs4 ,the ,american ,catalogue1 or ,english ,guide to ,american ,literature2 giving the full title of original ,works published in the ,united ,states of ,america since the year #ahjj1 with especial reference to the works of interest to ,great ,britain1 with the size1 price1 place1 date of publication1 and ,london prices4 ,with comprehensive ,index4 #hvo4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,also ,supplement1 #ahcg-fj4 #hvo4 #f;d4 ,dr4 ,worcester's ,new and ,greatly ,enlarged ,dictionary of the ,english ,language4 ,adapted for ,library or ,college ,reference1 comprising #dj4jjj ,words more than ,johnson's ,dictionary1 and #bej pages more than the ,quarto ,edition of ,webster's ,dictionary4 ,in one ,volume1 royal #dto4 cloth1 #a1ccd pp4 price #cas4 #f;d4 ,the ,cheapest ,book ever published4 ,the volumes before us show a vast amount of diligence2 but with ,webster it is diligence in combination with fancifulness1--with ,worcester in combination with good sense and judgment4 ,worcester's is the soberer and safer book1 and may be pronounced the best existing ,english ,lexicon4--,athenum1 ,july #ac1 #ahfa4 ,the ,publishers' ,circular1 and ,general ,record of ,british and ,foreign ,literature3 giving a transcript of the title-page of every work published in ,great ,britain1 and every work of interest published abroad1 with lists of all the publishing houses4 ,published regularly on the #ast and #ajth of every ,month1 and forwarded post tree to all parts of the world on payment of #hs4 per annum4 ,the ,ladies' ,reader3 with some ,plain and ,simple ,rules and ,instructions for a good style of ,reading aloud1 and a variety of ,selections for ,exercise4 ,by ,george ,vandenhoff1 ,m4,a41 ,author of ,the ,art of ,elocution4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 ,cloth1 #es4 ,the ,clerical ,assistant3 an ,elocutionary ,guide to the ,reading of the ,scriptures and the ,liturgy1 several passages being marked for ,pitch and ,emphasis3 with some ,observations on ,clerical ,bronchitus4 ,by ,george ,vandenhoff4 ,m4,a4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 ,cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,the ,art of ,elocution as an essential part of ,rhetoric1 with instructions in ,gesture1 and an ,appendix of ,oratorical4 ,poetical and ,dramatic extracts4 ,by ,george ,vandenhoff1 ,m ,a4 ,third ,edition4 #es4 ,latin-,english ,lexicon1 by ,dr4 ,andrews4 #gth ,edition4 #hvo4 #ahs4 ,the superiority of this justly-famed ,lexicon is retained over all others by the fulness of its quotations1 the including in the vocabulary proper names1 the distinguishing whether the derivative is classical or otherwise1 the exactness of the references to the original authors1 and in the price4 ,every page bears the impress of industry and care4--,athenum4 ,the best ,latin ,dictionary1 whether for the scholar or advanced student4--,spectator4 ,we never saw such a book published at such a price4--,examiner4 ,the ,farm and ,fruit of ,old4 ,from ,virgil4 ,by a ,market ,gardener4 #as4 ,usque ad ,clum2 or1 the ,dwellings of the ,people4 ,by ,thomas ,hare1 ,esq41 ,barrister-at-,law4 ,fcap4 #as4 ,a ,few ,hints on proving ,wills1 c41 without professional assistance4 ,by a ,probate-,court ,official4 ,fcap4 cloth1 #f;d4 ,domestic ,servants1 their ,duties and ,rights4 ,by a ,barrister4 #as4 ,signals of ,distress1 in ,refuges and ,houses of ,charity2 in ,industrial ,schools and ,reformatories3 at ,invalids' ,dinner ,tables1 and in the ,homes of the ,little ,sisters of the ,poor1 c4 c42 among the ,fallen1 the ,vicious1 and the ,criminal2 where ,missionaries travel1 and where ,good ,samaritans clothe the naked4 ,by ,blanchard ,jerrold1 ,author of ,the ,life of ,douglas ,jerrold1 c4 ,crown #hvo4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the ,children of ,lutetia2 or1 ,life amongst the ,poor of ,paris4 ,by ,blanchard ,jerrold4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 cloth4 #afs4 ,the ,charities of ,london3 an ,account of the ,origin1 ,operations1 and general ,condition of the ,charitable1 ,educational1 and ,religious ,institutions of ,london4 ,with copious ,index4 ,also an ,alphabetical ,appendix corrected to ,may #affc4 ,fcap4 cloth1 #es4 ,asterism ,the latter also as a separate publication1 forms ,low's ,shilling ,guide to the ,charities of ,london4 ,prince ,alhert's ,golden ,precepts4 ,second ,edition1 with ,photograph4 ,a ,memorial of the ,prince ,consort3 comprising ,maxims and ,extracts from ,addresses of ,his late ,royal ,highness4 ,many now for the first time collected and carefully arranged4 ,with an ,index4 ,royal #afmo4 beautifully printed on toned paper1 cloth1 gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,our ,little ,ones in ,heaven3 ,thoughts in ,prose and ,verse1 selected from the ,writings of favourite ,authors2 with ,frontispiece after ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4 ,fcap1 #hvo4 cloth extra1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,new ,,books ,,for ,,young ,,people4 ,,the ,,great ,,fun ,,toy ,,books3 a ,series of ,eight ,new ,one ,shilling ,story ,books for ,young ,people4 ,by ,thomas ,hood and ,thomas ,archer4 ,each illustrated by ,six of ,edward ,wehnert's well-known ,great ,fun ,pictures4 ,printed in colours1 with an appropriate ,cover by ,charles ,bennett4 ,the ,cherry-coloured ,cat and her ,three ,friends4 ,the ,live ,rocking-,horse4 ,master ,mischief and ,miss ,meddle4 ,cousin ,nellie's ,stories after ,school4 ,harry ,high-,stepper4 ,grandmamma's ,spectacles4 ,how the ,house was ,built4 ,dog ,toby and ,artistical ,arthur4 ,the ,frog's ,parish ,clerk2 and ,his ,adventures in strange ,lands4 ,a ,tale for young folk4 ,by ,thomas ,archer4 ,numerous ,illustrations4 ,small post #hvo4 #es4 ,choice ,editions of ,children's ,fairy ,tales4 ,each illustrated with highly-finished ,coloured ,pictures in fac-simile of ,water-colour ,drawings4 ,square1 cloth extra1 price #cs4 #f;d4 each4 ,cinderella and the ,glass ,slipper4 ,puss in ,boots4 ,beauty and the ,beast4 ,under the ,waves2 or the ,hermit ,crab in ,society4 ,by ,annie ,e4 ,ridley4 ,impl4 #afmo4 cloth extra1 with coloured illustration ,cloth1 #ds42 gilt edges1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,this is one of the best books we know of to place in the hands of young and intelligent persons during a visit to the seaside4--,reader4 ,also beautifully ,illustrated3-- ,little ,bird ,red and ,little ,bird ,blue4 ,coloured1 #es4 ,snow-,flakes1 and what they told the ,children4 ,coloured1 #es4 ,child's ,book of the ,sagacity of ,animals4 #es42 coloured1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,child's ,picture ,fable ,book4 #es42 or coloured1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,child's ,treasury of ,story ,books4 #es42 or coloured1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the ,nursery ,playmate4 #bjj ,pictures4 #es42 coloured1 #is4 ,the ,boy's ,own ,book of ,boats4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,g4 ,kingston4 ,illustrations by ,e4 ,weedon1 engraved by ,w4 ,j4 ,linton4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 cloth1 #es4 ,this well-written1 well-thought book4--,athenum4 ,how to ,make ,miniature ,pumps and a ,fire-,engine3 a ,book for ,boys4 ,with ,seven ,illustrations4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 #as4 ,the ,cruise of the ,frolic4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,g4 ,kingston4 ,illustrated4 ,large fcap4 #hvo4 cloth1 #es4 ,who does not welcome ,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,g4 ,kingston8 ,here he is again with an admirable boys' book4 ,if boys do not love this book1 there is no truth in boyhood1 and no use in reviewing2 it is just the book for a present4--,illustrated ,times4 ,also by the same ,author1 well illustrated4 ,the ,boy's ,own ,book of ,boats4 ,illustrated by ,weedon4 #es4 ,ernest ,bracebridge2 or1 the ,boy's ,book of ,sports4 #es4 ,jack ,buntline3 the ,life of a ,sailor ,boy4 #bs4 ,the ,fire ,ships4 ,shortly4 ,vermont ,vale2 or1 ,home ,pictures in ,australia4 ,by ,maud ,jeanne ,franc4 ,small post #hvo1 with a frontispiece1 cloth extra1 #es4 ,golden ,hair2 a ,story for ,young ,people4 ,by ,sir ,lascelles ,wraxall1 ,bart4 ,with ,eight full page ,illustrations1 #es4 ,full of incident and adventure1 and sure to please boys home from school quite as much as his ',black ,panther' of last year4--,reader4 ,a thoroughly good boy's book2 the story is full of incident and always moves on4--,spectator4 ,also1 same price1 full of ,illustrations3-- ,black ,panther3 a ,boy's ,adventures among the ,red ,skins4 ,life among the ,indians4 ,by ,george ,catlin4 ,the ,voyage of the ,constance4 ,by ,mary ,gillies4 ,stanton ,grange4 ,by the ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,atkinson4 ,boyhood of ,martin ,luther4 ,by ,henry ,mayhew4 ,stories of the ,woods4 ,from ,cooper's ,tales4 ,the ,story of ,peter ,parley's own ,life4 ,noodle-doo4 ,by the ,author of ,the ,stories that ,little ,breeches told4 ,with #af large ,engravings on ,steel1 ,plain1 #es42 coloured1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,among all the ,christmas bookmen ,mr4 ,charles ,bennett ranks first1 for he who best pleases children has the best right to priority in a notice of ,christmas books1 and to all his productions we venture to prefer ',noodle-doo2' it will make the youngsters crow again with delight4--,standard4 ,also1 now ready1 same size and price1 and full of ,illustrations4 ,great ,fun for our ,little ,friends4 ,by ,harriet ,myrtle4 ,more ,fun for our ,little ,friends4 ,by the same ,author4 ,the ,book of ,blockheads4 ,by ,charles ,bennett4 ,the ,stories that ,little ,breeches told4 ,by the same ,author4 ,mr4 ,wind and ,madame ,rain4 ,illustrated by ,charles ,bennett4 ,paul ,duncan's ,little by ,little2 a ,tale for ,boys4 ,edited by ,frank ,freeman4 ,with an ,illustration by ,charles ,keene4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 cloth #bs42 gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,also1 same price4 ,boy ,missionary2 a ,tale for ,young ,people4 ,by ,mrs4 ,j4 ,m4 ,parker4 ,difficulties ,overcome4 ,by ,miss ,brightwell4 ,the ,babes in the ,basket3 a ,tale in the ,west ,indian ,insurrection4 ,jack ,buntline2 the ,life of a ,sailor ,boy4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,g4 ,kingston4 ,the ,swiss ,family ,robinson2 or1 the ,adventures of a ,father and ,mother and ,four ,sons on a ,desert ,island4 ,with ,explanatory ,notes and ,illustrations4 ,first and ,second ,series4 ,new ,edition1 complete in one volume1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,geography for my ,children4 ,by ,mrs4 ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe4 ,author of ,uncle ,tom's ,cabin1 c4 ,arranged and ,edited by an ,english ,lady1 under the ,direction of the ,authoress4 ,with upwards of ,fifty ,illustrations4 ,cloth extra1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,stories of the ,woods2 or1 the ,adventures of ,leather-,stocking3 ,a ,book for ,boys1 compiled from ,cooper's ,series of ,leather-,stocking ,tales4 fcap4 cloth4 ,illustrated1 #es4 ,i have to own that ,i think the heroes of another writer1 viz4 ',leather-,stocking1' ',uncas1' ',hard ,heart1' ',tom ,coffin1' are quite the equals of ,sir ,walter ,scott's men2--perhaps ',leather-,stocking' is better than any one in ,scott's lot4--,w4 ,m4 ,thackeray4 ,child's ,play4 ,illustrated with ,sixteen ,coloured ,drawings by ,k4 ,v4 ,b41 printed in fac-simile by ,w4 ,dickes' process1 and ornamented with ,initial ,letters4 ,new edition1 with ,india paper tints1 royal #hvo4 cloth extra1 bevelled cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the ,original ,edition of this work was published at ,one ,guinea4 ,child's ,delight4 ,forty-two ,songs for the ,little ,ones1 with forty-two ,pictures4 #as42 coloured1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,goody ,platts1 and her ,two ,cats4 ,by ,thomas ,miller4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 cloth4 #as4 ,little ,blue ,hood3 a ,story for ,little ,people4 ,by ,thomas ,miller1 with coloured frontispiece4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,mark ,willson's ,first ,reader4 ,by the ,author of ,the ,picture ,alphabet and ,the ,picture ,primer4 ,with #abj ,pictures4 #as4 ,the ,picture ,alphabet2 or ,child's ,first ,letter ,book4 ,with new and original ,designs4 #f;d4 ,the ,picture ,primer4 #f;d4 ,,history ,,and ,,biography4 ,the ,conspiracy of ,count ,fieschi3 an ,episode in ,italian ,history4 ,by ,m4 ,de ,celesia4 ,translated by ,david ,hilton1 ,esq41 ,author of a ,history of ,brigandage4 ,with ,portrait4 #hvo4 ,shortly4 ,a ,biography of ,admiral ,sir ,p4 ,b4 ,v4 ,broke1 ,bart1 ,k4,c4,b4 ,by the ,rev ,john ,brighton1 ,rector of ,kentstown4 ,dedicated by express permission to ,his ,royal ,highness ,prince ,alfred4 ,toned medium #hvo1 cloth extra1 #bjs4 ,a ,history of ,brigandage in ,italy2 with ,adventures of the more celebrated ,brigands4 ,by ,david ,hilton1 ,esq4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 cloth1 #afs4 ,a ,history of the ,gipsies1 with ,specimens of the ,gipsy ,language4 ,by ,walter ,simson4 ,post #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,a ,history of ,west ,point1 the ,united ,states ,military ,academy and its ,military ,importance4 ,by ,capt4 ,e4 ,c4 ,boynton1 ,a4,m4 ,with ,plans and ,illustrations4 #hvo4 #bas4 ,the ,twelve ,great ,battles of ,england1 from ,hastings to ,waterloo4 ,with ,plans1 fcap4 #hvo4 cloth extra1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,george ,washington's ,life1 by ,washington ,irving4 #e vols4 royal #hvo4 #abs4 each ,library ,illustrated ,edition4 #e vols4 ,imp4 #hvo4 #al4 #as4 ,plutarch's ,lives4 ,an entirely new ,library ,edition1 carefully revised and corrected1 with some ,original ,translations by the ,editor4 ,edited by ,a4 ,h4 ,clough1 ,esq4 sometime ,fellow of ,oriel ,college1 ,oxford1 and late ,professor of ,english ,language and ,literature at ,university ,college4 #e vols4 #hvo4 cloth4 #bl4 #ajs4 ,mr4 ,clough's work is worthy of all praise1 and we hope that it will tend to revive the study of ,plutarch4--,times4 ,life of ,john ,adams1 #bnd ,president of the ,united ,states1 by ,c ,f4 ,adams4 #hvo4 #ads4 ,life and ,works complete1 #aj vols4 #ads4 each4 ,life and ,administration of ,abraham ,lincoln4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 stiff cover4 #as42 with map1 speeches1 c4 crown #hvo4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,travel ,,and ,,adventure4 ,a ,walk from ,london to the ,land's ,end4 ,by ,elihu ,burritt1 ,author of ,a ,walk from ,london to ,john ,o',groats3 with several ,illustrations4 ,large post #hvo4 ,uniform with the first edition of ,john ,o',groats4 #abs4 ,a walk from ,london to ,john ,o',groats4 ,with ,notes by the ,way4 ,by ,elihu ,burritt4 ,second and cheaper edition4 ,with ,photographic ,portrait of the ,author4 ,small post #hvo4 #fs4 ,social ,life of the ,chinese3 with some account of their religions1 governmental1 educational1 and ,business customs and opinions4 ,by the ,rev4 ,justus ,doolittle4 ,with over #ajj ,illustrations1 in two vols4 ,demy #hvo4 cloth4 #bds4 ,travelling in ,spain in the ,present ,day4 ,by ,henry ,blackburn4 ,with numerous illustrations4 ,square post #hvo4 cloth extra1 #afs4 ,a ,thousand ,miles in the ,rob ,roy ,canoe1 or ,rivers and ,lakes of ,europe4 ,by ,john ,macgregor1 ,m4,a4 ,second edition4 ,with a map1 and numerous illustrations4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #es4 ,captain ,hall's ,life with the ,esquimaux4 ,new and cheaper ,edition1 with ,coloured ,engravings and upwards of #ajj ,woodcuts4 ,with a ,map4 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 cloth extra4 ,forming the cheapest and most popular ,edition of a work on ,arctic ,life and ,exploration ever published4 ,this is a very remarkable book1 and unless we very much misunderstand both him and his book1 the author is one of those men of whom great nations do well to be proud4--,spectator4 ,if ,capt4 ,hall should survive the perils of the journey on which he is now engaged1 we are convinced he will bring home some news1 be it good or bad1 about the ,franklin expedition4 ,he can hardly be expected back before the autumn of #ahff4 ,but if he has gone he has left us his vastly entertaining volumes1 which contain much valuable information1 as we have said1 concerning the ,esquimaux tribes4 ,these volumes are the best that we have ever met with1 concerning the people and things to be found among the thick ribb'd ice4'--,standard4 ,the pen of ,wilkie ,collins would fail to describe in more life-like terms of horror the episode of the cannibal crew escaped from a whaler who boarded the ',george ,henry' on the outward passage of that ship4 ,we are tempted to relate how an ,innuit throws a summersault in the water in his kyack1 boat and all1 and to introduce our readers to our ,author's dogs1 including the famous ,barbekerk2 but we must pause1 and refer to this most interesting work itself1 which will repay perusal4--,press4 ,a ,winter in ,algeria1 #ahfc-d4 ,by ,mrs4 ,george ,albert ,rogers4 ,with illustrations4 #hvo4 cloth1 #abs4 ,ten ,days in a ,french ,parsonage4 ,by ,rev4 ,g4 ,m4 ,musgrave4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 #afs4 ,turkey4 ,by ,j4 ,lewis ,farley1 ,f4,s4,s41 ,author of ,two ,years in ,syria4 ,with ,illustrations in ,chromo-lithography1 and a ,portrait of ,his ,highness ,fuad ,pasha4 #hvo4 #abs4 ,letters on ,england4 ,by ,louis ,blanc4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 #afs4 ,house and ,home in ,belgium4 ,by ,blanchard ,jerrold4 ,author of ,at ,home ,in ,paris4 ,post #hvo4 ,shortly4 ,the ,story of the ,great ,march3 a ,diary of ,general ,sherman's ,campaign through ,georgia and the ,carolinas4 ,by ,brevet-,major ,g4 ,w4 ,nichols1 ,aide-de-,camp to ,general ,sherman4 ,with a coloured ,map and numerous illustrations4 #abmo4 cloth1 price #gs4 #f;d4 ,cape ,cod4 ,by ,henry ,d4 ,thoreau4 #abmo4 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,arabian ,days and ,nights2 or1 ,ray's from the ,east3 a ,narrative4 ,by ,marguerite ,a4 ,power4 #a vol4 ,post #hvo4 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,miss ,power's book is thoroughly interesting and does much credit to her talent for observation and description4--,london ,review4 ,wild ,scenes in ,south ,america2 or1 ,life in the ,llanos of ,venezuela4 ,by ,don ,ramon ,paez4 ,numerous ,illustrations4 ,post #hvo4 cl4 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,after ,icebergs with a ,painter2 a ,summer's ,voyage to ,labrador4 ,by the ,rev4 ,louis ,l4 ,noble4 ,post #hvo4 with coloured plates1 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,the ,prairie and ,overland ,traveller2 a ,companion for ,emigrants1 ,traders1 ,travellers1 ,hunters1 and ,soldiers1 traversing great ,plains and ,prairies4 ,by ,capt4 ,r4 ,b4 ,marcey4 ,illustrated4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,the ,states of ,central ,america1 by ,e4 ,g4 ,squier4 ,cloth4 #ahs4 ,home and ,abroad 7,second ,series74 ,a ,sketch-book of ,life1 ,men1 and ,travel1 by ,bayard ,taylor4 ,with ,illustrations1 post #hvo4 cloth1 #hs4 #f;d4 ,northern ,travel4 ,summer and ,winter ,pictures of ,sweden1 ,lapland1 and ,norway1 by ,bayard ,taylor4 #a vol4 post #hvo41 cloth1 #hs4 #f;d4 ,also by the same ,author1 each complete in #a vol41 with ,illustrations4 ,central ,africa2 ,egypt and the ,white ,nile4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,india1 ,china1 and ,japan4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,palestine1 ,asia ,minor1 ,sicily1 and ,spain4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,travels in ,greece and ,russia4 ,with an ,excursion to ,crete4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,india1 ,,america1 ,,and ,,the ,,colonies4 ,a ,history of the ,discovery and ,exploration of ,australia2 or an ,account of the ,progress of ,geographical ,discovery in that ,continent1 from the ,earliest ,period to the ,present ,day4 ,by the ,rev4 ,julian ,e4 ,tenison ,woods1 ,f4,r4,g4,s41 c41 c4 #b vols1 demy #hvo4 cloth1 #bhs4 ,south ,australia3 its ,progress and ,prosperity4 ,by ,a4 ,forster4 #hvo4 cloth4 ,shortly4 ,the ,confederation of the ,british ,north ,american ,provinces2 their past ,history and future ,prospects2 with a map1 c4 ,by ,thomas ,rawlings4 #hvo4 cloth1 #es4 ,canada in #ahfd2 a ,hand-book for ,settlers4 ,by ,henry ,t4 ,n4 ,chesshyre4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,colony of ,victoria3 its ,history1 ,commerce1 and ,gold ,mining3 its ,social and ,political ,institutions1 down to the ,end of #ahf4c4 ,with ,remarks1 ,incidental and ,comparative1 upon the other ,australian ,colonies4 ,by ,william ,westgarth4 ,author of ,victoria and the ,gold ,mines1 c4 #hvo4 with a ,map1 cloth1 #afs4 ,tracks of ,mc,kinlay and ,party across ,australia4 ,by ,john ,davis1 one of the ,expedition4 ,edited from the ,,ms4 ,journal of ,mr4 ,davis1 with an ,introductory ,view of the recent ,explorations of ,stuart1 ,burke1 ,wills1 ,landsborough and others4 ,by ,wm4 ,westgarth4 ,with numerous ,illustrations in chromo-lithography1 and ,map4 #hvo4 cloth1 #afs4 ,the ,ordeal of ,free ,labour in the ,british ,west ,indies4 ,by ,william ,g4 ,sewell4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the ,progress and ,present ,state of ,british ,india2 a ,manual of ,indian ,history1 ,geography1 and ,finance1 for general use2 based upon ,official ,documents1 furnished under the authority of ,her ,majesty's ,secretary of ,state for ,india4 ,by ,montgomery ,martin1 ,esq41 ,author of a ,history of the ,british ,colonies1 c4 ,in one volume1 post #hvo4 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,colonial ,essays4 ,translated from the ,dutch1 post #hvo4 cloth1 #fs4 ,the ,cotton ,kingdom3 a ,traveller's ,observations on ,cotton and ,slavery in ,america1 based upon three former volumes of ,travels and ,explorations4 ,by ,frederick ,law ,olmsted4 ,with a ,map4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 #al4 #as4 ,mr4 ,olmsted gives his renders a wealth of facts conveyed in a long stream of anecdotes1 the exquisite humour of many of them making parts of his book as pleasant to read as a novel of the first class4--,athenum4 ,a ,history of the ,origin1 ,formation1 and ,adoption of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states of ,america1 with ,notices of its ,principal ,framers4 ,by ,george ,ticknor ,curtis4 ,esq4 #b vols4 #hvo4 ,cloth4 #al4 #as4 ,mr4 ,curtis writes with dignity and vigour1 and his work will be one of permanent interest4--,athenum4 ,the ,principles of ,political ,economy applied to the ,condition1 the ,resources1 and ,institutions of the ,american ,people4 ,by ,francis ,bowen4 #hvo4 ,cloth1 #ads4 ,a ,history of ,new ,south ,wales from the ,discovery of ,new ,holland in #afaf to the present time4 ,by the late ,roderick ,flanagan1 ,esq41 ,member of the ,philosophical ,society of ,new ,south ,wales4 #b vols4 #hvo4 #bds4 ,canada and its ,resources4 ,two ,prize ,essays1 by ,hogan and ,morris4 #gs41 or separately1 #as4 #f;d4 each1 and ,map1 #cs4 ,,science ,,and ,,discovery4 ,a ,dictionary of ,photography1 on the ,basis of ,sutton's ,dictionary4 ,rewritten by ,professor ,dawson1 of ,king's ,college1 ,editor of the ,journal of ,photography2 and ,thomas ,sutton1 ,b4,a41 ,editor of ,photograph ,notes4 #hvo4 with numerous ,illustrations4 ,shortly4 ,the ,physical ,geography of the ,sea and its ,meteorology2 or1 the ,economy of the ,sea and its ,adaptations1 its ,salts1 its ,waters1 its ,climates1 its ,inhabitants1 and whatever there may be of general interest in its ,commercial ,uses or ,industrial ,pursuits4 ,by ,commander ,m4 ,f4 ,maury1 ,,ll4,d4 ,tenth ,edition1 being the ,second ,edition of the ,author's revised and enlarged ,work4 ,post #hvo4 cloth extra1 #hs4 #f;d42 cheap edition1 small post #hvo4 #es4 ,this edition1 as well as its immediate predecessor1 includes all the researches and observations of the last three years1 and is copyright in ,england and on the ,continent4 ,we err greatly if ,lieut4 ,maury's book will not hereafter be classed with the works of the great men who have taken the lead in extending and improving knowledge and art2 his book displays in a remarkable degree1 like the ',advancement of ,learning1' and the ',natural ,history' of ,buffon1 profound research and magnificent imagination4--,illustrated ,london ,news4 ,the ,structure of ,animal ,life4 ,by ,louis ,agassiz4 ,with #df ,diagrams4 #hvo4 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,the ,kedge ,anchor2 or1 ,young ,sailor's ,assistant1 by ,william ,brady4 ,seventy ,illustrations4 #hvo4 #afs4 ,theory of the ,winds1 by ,capt4 ,charles ,wilkes4 #hvo4 cl4 #hs4 #f;d4 ,archaia2 or1 ,studies of the ,cosmogony and ,natural ,history of the ,hebrew ,scriptures4 ,by ,professor ,dawson1 ,principal of ,mc,gill ,college1 ,canada4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 cheaper edition1 #fs4 ,ichnographs1 from the ,sandstone of the ,connecticut ,river1 ,massachusetts4 ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,by ,james ,dean1 ,m4,d4 ,one volume1 #dto4 with ,forty-six ,plates1 cloth1 #bgs4 ,the ,recent ,progress of ,astronomy1 by ,elias ,loomis1 ,,ll4,d4 #crd ,edition4 ,post #hvo4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,an ,introduction to ,practical ,astronomy1 by the ,same4 #hvo4 cloth4 #hs4 ,manual of ,mineralogy1 including ,observations on ,mines1 ,rocks1 ,reduction of ,ores1 and the ,application of the ,science to the ,arts1 with #bfj ,illustrations4 ,designed for the ,use of ,schools and ,colleges4 ,by ,james ,d4 ,dana4 ,a4,m41 ,author of a ,system of ,mineralogy4 ,new ,edition1 revised and enlarged4 #abmo4 ,half bound1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the ,ocean ,telegraph ,cable2 its ,construction1 c4 and ,submersion ,explained4 ,by ,w4 ,rowett4 #hvo4 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,cyclopdia of ,mathematical ,science1 by ,davies and ,peck4 #hvo4 ,sheep4 #ahs4 ,,trade1 ,,agriculture1 ,,domestic ,,economy1 ,,etc4 ,,railway ,,practice1 ,european and ,american2 comprising the economical generation of ,steam1 the adaptation of ,wood and ,coke-burning ,engines to ,coal ,burning1 and in ,permanent ,way1 including ,road-bed1 ,sleepers1 ,rails1 ,joint-fastenings1 ,street ,railways4 c4 ,by ,alexander ,l4 ,holley1 ,joint ,author of ,colburn and ,holley's ,permanent ,way1 c4 ,demy folio1 with #gg ,engravings1 half-morocco4 #cl4 #cs4 ,hunt's ,merchants' ,magazine 7,monthly74 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,book of ,farm ,implements1 and their ,construction2 by ,john ,l4 ,thomas4 ,with #bjj ,illustrations4 #abmo4 #fs4 #f;d4 ,the ,practical ,surveyor's ,guide2 by ,a4 ,duncan4 ,fcp4 #hvo4 #ds4 #f;d4 ,villas and ,cottages2 by ,calvert ,vaux1 ,architect4 #cjj ,illustrations4 #hvo4 cloth4 #abs4 ,bee-,keeping4 ,by ,the ,times ,bee-master4 ,small post #h vo4 numerous ,illustrations1 cloth1 #es4 ,the ,bee-master has done a good work1 which outweighs a cartload of mistakes1 in giving an impetus to bee-keeping throughout the country4 ,here is a simple and graceful amusement1 which is also a profitable one4 ,the keeping of bees needs no great skill and but a small outlay4 ,the result1 however1 besides the amusement which it accords is a store of honey that in the present state of the market may make a considerable addition to the income of a poor cotter1 and may even be worthy the ambition of an underpaid curate or a lieutenant on half-pay4--,times1 ,jan4 #aa1 #ahfe4 ,the ,english and ,australian ,cookery ,book4 ,small post #hvo4 ,coloured ,illustrations1 cloth extra1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,the ,bubbles of ,finance3 the ,revelations of a ,city ,man4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 fancy boards1 price #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,times of ,may #bast in a leading article referring to the above work1 says3--,we advise our young friends to read some amusing chapters on accommodation' and 'borrowing' which have appeared within the last two months in ,mr4 ,charles ,dickens's ,all the ,year ,round4 ,coffee3 ,a ,treatise on its ,nature and ,cultivation4 ,with some remarks on the management and purchase of ,coffee ,estates4 ,by ,arthur ,r4 ,w4 ,lascelles4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,railway ,freighter's ,guide4 ,defining mutual liabilities of ,carriers and ,freighters1 and explaining system of rates1 accounts1 invoices1 checks1 booking1 and permits1 and all other details pertaining to traffic management1 as sanctioned by ,acts of ,parliament1 ,bye-laws1 and ,general ,usage4 ,by ,j4 ,s4 ,martin4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,theology4 ,the ,land and the ,book1 or ,biblical ,illustrations drawn from the ,manners and ,customs1 the ,scenes and the ,scenery of the ,holy ,land1 by ,w4 ,m4 ,thomson1 ,m4,d41 twenty-five years a ,missionary in ,syria and ,palestine4 ,with #c ,maps and several hundred ,illustrations4 #b vols4 ,post #hvo4 cloth4 #al4 #as4 ,missionary ,geography for the use of ,teachers and ,missionary ,collectors4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 with numerous maps and illustrations1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,a ,topographical ,picture of ,ancient ,jerusalem2 beautifully coloured4 ,nine feet by six feet1 on rollers1 varnished4 #cl4 #cs4 ,nature and the ,supernatural4 ,by ,horace ,bushnell ,d4,d4 ,one vol4 ,new ,edition4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,also by the same ,author4 ,dr4 ,bushnell's ,christian ,nurture4 #as4 #f;d4 ,dr4 ,bushnell's ,character of ,jesus4 #f;d4 ,dr4 ,bushnell's ,new ,life4 #as4 #f;d4 ,dr4 ,bushnell's ,work and ,play4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,five ,years' ,prayer1 with the ,answers3 comprising recent ,narratives and ,incidents in ,america1 ,germany1 ,england1 ,ireland1 ,scotland c4 ,by ,d4 ,samuel ,irenus ,prime4 #abmo4 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d42 and a ,cheap ,edition1 price #as4 ,also by the same ,author4 ,the ,power of ,prayer4 #abmo4 cloth4 #as4 #f;d4 ,the ,light of the ,world3 a most ,true ,relation of a ,pilgrimess travelling towards ,eternity4 ,divided into ,three ,parts2 which deserve to be read1 understood1 and considered by all who desire to be saved ,reprinted from the edition of #afif4 ,beautifully printed by ,clay on toned paper4 ,crown #hvo4 pp4 #eic1 bevelled boards1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,a ,short ,method of ,prayer2 an ,analysis of a ,work so entitled by ,madame de la ,mothe-,guyon2 by ,thomas ,c4 ,upham1 ,professor of ,mental and ,moral ,philosophy in ,bowdoin ,college4 ,u4,s4 ,america4 ,printed by ,whittingham4 #abmo4 cloth4 #as4 ,christian ,believing and ,living4 ,by ,f4 ,d4 ,huntington1 ,d4,d4 ,crown #hvo4 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,for freshness of thought1 power of illustration1 and evangelical earnestness1 these writers ,dr4 ,huntington and ,dr4 ,bushnell are not surpassed by the ablest theologians in the palmiest days of the ,church4--,caledonian ,mercury4 ,lite ,thoughts4 ,by the ,rev4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher4 ,two ,series complete in one volume1 well printed and well bound4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,superior edition1 illustrated with ornamented borders4 ,sm4 #dto4 cloth extra1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,dr4 ,beecher's ,life and ,correspondence3 an ,autobiography ,edited by his ,son4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 with ,illustrations1 price #bas4 ,one of the most real1 interesting1 and instructive pieces of religious biography of the present day4--,nonconformist4 ,we have waited for the publication of the second and last volume of this interesting1 we may well say entertaining1 biography1 before introducing ,it to our readers4 ,it is now complete1 and furnishes one of the most various and delightful portraits of a fine1 sturdy1 old representative of ancient theology and earnest piety1 relieved by very sweet and engaging pictures of ,new ,england society in its religious circles1 and the ways and usages of the men and women who lived1 and loved1 and married1 and had families nearly a century since4444 ,and now we must lay down these very delightful volumes4 ,we trust we have sufficiently characterized them while there are1 of course1 reminiscences1 pictures of places and of persons we have been unable even to mention4 ,it was an extraordinary family altogether2 aglow of bright1 affectionate interest suffuses all in charming sunshine4 ,it was a life of singular purpose1 usefulness1 and determination and ice think ministers especially1 and of ministers young students especially1 might read it1 and read it more than once1 to advantage4444 ,without attempting any more words1 we hope we have sufficiently indicated our very high appreciation of1 and gratitude for1 this charming and many-sided biography of a most robust and healthy life4--,the ,eclectic4 ,all that the old man writes is clever and sagacious4--,athenum ,if the reader can imagine the ,vicar of ,wakefield in ,america1 this memoir will give a very good idea of what he would be among ,yankee surroundings4 ,there is the same purity1 sincerity1 and goodness of heart1 the same simplicity of manners and directness of purpose in ,dr4 ,primrose and ,dr4 ,beecher1 though the go-ahead society in which the latter divine lived failed not to impress its character upon him4 ,this is as instructive and charming a book for family reading as can be taken up for that purpose4--,daily ,news4 ,a hundred pleasant things we must pass by2 but readers of these charming volumes will not do so4--,wesleyan ,times4 ,life and ,experience of ,madame de la ,mothe ,guyon4 ,by ,professor ,upham4 ,edited by an ,english ,clergyman4 ,crown #hvo4 cloth1 with ,portrait4 ,third ,edition1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,by the same ,author4 ,life of ,madame ,catherine ,adorna2 #abmo4 cloth4 #ds4 #f;d4 ,the ,life of ,faith1 and ,interior ,life4 #b vols4 #es4 #f;d4 each4 ,the ,divine ,union4 #as4 #f;d4 ,,law ,,and ,,jurisprudence4 ,wheaton's ,elements of ,international ,law2 with a ,new ,supplement to ,may #ahfc3 comprising ,important ,decisions of the ,supreme ,court of the ,united ,states of ,america1 settling authoritatively the character of the hostilities in which they are involved1 and the legal consequences to be deduced from them4 ,royal #hvo4 cloth extra1 #ces4 ,history of the ,law of ,nations2 by ,henry ,wheaton4 ,,ll4,d4 author of the ,elements of ,international ,law4 ,roy4 #hvo4 cloth1 #cas4 #f;d4 ,commentaries on ,american ,law2 by ,chancellor ,kent4 ,ninth and entirely ,new ,edition4 #d vols4 #hvo4 calf4 #el4 #es42 cloth1 #dl4 #ajs4 ,treatise on the ,law of ,evidence2 by ,simon ,greenleaf1 ,,ll4,d4 #c vols4 #hvo4 calf4 #dl4 #ds4 ,a ,treatise on the ,measure of ,damages2 or1 ,an ,enquiry into the ,principles which govern the ,amount of ,compensation in ,courts of ,justice4 ,by ,theodore ,sedgwick4 ,third revised ,edition1 enlarged ,imperial #hvo4 cloth4 #cas4 #f;d4 ,justice ,story's ,commentaries on the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 #b vols4 #cfs4 ,justice ,story's ,commentaries on the ,laws1 viz4 ,bailments--,agency--,bills of ,exchange--,promissory ,notes--,partnership--and ,conflict of ,laws4 #f vols4 #hvo4 cloth1 each #bs4 ,justice ,story's ,equity ,jurisprudence4 #b vols4 #hvo4 #fcs42 and ,equity ,pleadings4 #a vol4 #hvo4 #cas4 #f;d4 ,w4 ,w4 ,story's ,treatise on the ,law of ,contracts4 ,fourth ,edition1 greatly enlarged and revised4 #b vols4 #hvo4 cloth1 #fcs4 ,,medical4 ,human ,physiology1 ,statical and ,dynamical2 by ,dr4 ,draper4 #cjj ,illustrations4 #hvo4 #bes4 ,a ,treatise on the ,practice of ,medicine2 by ,dr4 ,george ,b4 ,wood4 ,fourth ,edition4 #b vols4 #cfs4 ,a ,treatise on ,fractures1 by ,j4 ,f4 ,malgaigne1 ,chirurgien de l',hpital ,saint ,louis1 ,translated1 with ,notes and ,additions1 by ,john ,h4 ,packard1 ,m4,d4 ,with #ajf ,illustrations4 #hvo4 sheep4 #al4 #as4 ,the ,history of ,prostitution2 its ,extent1 ,causes1 and ,effects throughout the ,world3 by ,william ,sanger1 ,m4,d4 #hvo4 cloth4 #afs4 ,elements of ,chemical ,physics2 with numerous ,illustrations4 ,by ,josiah ,p4 ,cooke4 #hvo4 cloth4 #afs4 ,as an introduction to ,chemical ,physics1 this is by far the most comprehensive work in our language4--,athenum1 ,nov4 #ag4 ,a ,history of ,medicine1 from its ,origin to the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,by ,dr4 ,p4 ,v4 ,renouard4 #hvo4 #ahs4 ,letters to a ,young ,physician just entering upon ,practice2 by ,james ,jackson1 ,m4,d4 ,fcp4 #hvo4 #es4 ,lectures on the ,diseases of ,women and ,children4 ,by ,dr4 ,g4 ,s4 ,bedford4 #dth ,edition4 #hvo4 #ahs4 ,the ,principles and ,practice of ,obstetrics4 ,by ,gunning ,s4 ,bedford1 ,a4,m41 ,m4,d4 ,with ,engravings4 #hvo4 ,cloth1 #al4 #as4 ,principles and ,practice of ,dental ,surgery2 by ,c4 ,a4 ,harris4 #fth ,edition4 #hvo4 #bds4 ,chemical and ,pharmaceutical ,manipulations2 by ,c4 and ,c4 ,morfit4 ,royal #hvo4 ,second ,edition enlarged4 #bas4 ,,fiction ,,and ,,miscellaneous4 ,toilers of the ,sea4 ,by ,victor ,hugo4 ,translated by ,w4 ,moy ,thomas4 #c vols1 crown #hvo1 #bds4 ,a ,casual ,acquaintance4 ,by ,mrs4 ,duffus ,hardy4 #b vols1 post #hvo1 #afs4 ,the ,story of ,kennett4 ,by ,bayard ,taylor4 #b vols1 post #hvo1 #afs4 ,mr4 ,charles ,readers celebrated ,romance1 ,hard ,cash4 ,a new and cheap ,standard ,edition4 ,price #fs4 handsomely bound in cloth4 ,passing the ,time4 ,by ,blanchard ,jerrold4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 #afs4 ,marian ,rooke4 ,by ,henry ,sedley4 #c vols4 #bds4 ,the ,gayworthys4 #bnd edition1 #b vols1 crown #hvo4 #afs4 ,sir ,felix ,foy1 ,bart4 ,by ,dutton ,cook4 #c vols1 post #hvo4 #bds4 ,the ,trials of the ,tredgolds4 ,by the same4 #c vols4 #bds4 ,a ,mere ,story4 ,by the ,author of ,twice ,lost4 #c vols4 #bds4 ,selvaggio4 ,by the ,author of ,mary ,powell4 ,one vol4 #hs4 ,miss ,biddy ,frobisher4 ,by the ,author of ,selvaggio4 ,one vol4 #hs4 ,john ,godfrey's ,fortunes4 ,by ,bayard ,taylor4 #c vols4 #bds4 ,hannah ,thurston4 ,by the same ,author4 #c vols4 #bds4 ,a ,splendid ,fortune4 ,by ,j4 ,hain ,friswell4 #c vols1 post #hvo4 #bds4 ,lion-,hearted2 a ,novel4 ,by ,mrs4 ,grey4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 #afs4 ,a ,dangerous ,secret4 ,by ,annie ,thomas4 #b vols4 #afs4 ,lynn of the ,craggs4 ,by ,charlotte ,smith4 #c vols1 post #hvo4 #bds4 ,unconventional4 ,by ,thomas ,sutton4 #c vols1 post #hvo1 #bds4 ,st4 ,agnes ,bay2 or1 ,love at ,first ,sight4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #gs4 ,the ,white ,favour4 ,by ,h4 ,holl4 #c vols4 #bds4 ,the ,old ,house in ,crosby ,square4 ,by ,henry ,holl4 #b vols4 #afs4 ,more ,secrets than ,one4 ,by the same ,author4 #c vols4 #bds4 ,strathcairn4 ,by ,charles ,allston ,collins4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 #afs4 ,a ,good ,fight in the ,battle of ,life3 a ,prize ,story founded on ,facts4 ,reprinted by permission from ,cassell's ,family ,paper4 ,crown #hvo4 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,abel ,drake's ,wife3 a ,novel4 ,by ,john ,saunders4 ,an entirely ,new ,edition4 ,with ,steel ,engraving1 from a ,water-,colour ,drawing by ,john ,tenniel4 #es4 ,new edition1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,female ,life in ,prison4 ,by a ,prison ,matron4 ,fourth and cheaper edition3 with a ,photograph1 by permission1 from the engraving of ,mrs4 ,fry reading to the ,prisoners in #ahaf4 #a vol4 crown #hvo41 #es4 ,myself and ,my ,relatives4 ,second ,thousand4 ,with ,frontispiece on ,steel from a ,drawing by ,john ,e4 ,millais1 ,a4,r4,a4 ,cr4 #hvo4 #es4 ,tales for the ,marines4 ,by ,walter ,thornbury4 #b vols1 post #hvo4 #afs4 ,who would not wish to be a ,marine1 if that would secure a succession of tales like these8--,athenum4 ,helen ,felton's ,question3 a ,book for ,girls ,by ,agnes ,wylde4 ,cheaper ,edition1 with ,frontispiece4 ,crown #hvo4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,faith ,gartney's ,girlhood4 ,by the ,author of ,the ,gayworthys4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 with coloured ,frontispiece1 cloth1 price #cs4 #f;d42 or1 ,railway ,edition1 boards1 #as4 #f;d4 ,the ,professor at the ,breakfast ,table4 ,by ,oliver ,w4 ,holmes1 ,author of the ,autocrat of the ,breakfast ,table4 ,fcap4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,the ,rooks' ,garden1 and other ,papers4 ,by ,cuthbert ,bede4 ,author of ,the ,adventures of ,mr4 ,verdant ,green4 ,choicely printed by ,constable4 ,post #hvo4 #as4 #f;d4 ,the ,white ,wife2 with other stories1 ,supernatural1 ,romantic and ,legendary4 ,collected and ,illustrated by ,cuthbert ,bede4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #fs4 ,wayside ,warbles4 ,by ,edward ,capern1 ,rural ,postman1 ,bideford1 ,devon4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 cloth1 #es4 ,last ,gleanings4 ,by the late ,frank ,fowler4 ,post #hvo4 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,house and ,home ,papers1 ,by ,mrs4 ,h4 ,b4 ,stowe4 #abmo4 boards4 #as42 cloth extra1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,little ,foxes4 ,by ,mrs4 ,h4 ,b4 ,stowe4 ,cloth extra1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,popular ,edition1 fancy boards1 #as4 ,the ,pearl of ,orr's ,island4 ,a ,story of the ,coast of ,maine4 ,by ,mrs4 ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe4 ,author of ,uncle ,tom's ,cabin1 ,minister's ,wooing4 ,in popular form1 ,part ,i4 #as4 #f;d42 ,part ,,ii4 #bs42 or1 complete in one volume1 with engraving on steel from water-colour by ,john ,gilbert4 ,handsomely bound in cloth1 #es4 ,the ,minister's ,wooing3 a ,tale of ,new ,england4 ,by the ,author of ,uncle ,tom's ,cabin4 ,two ,editions3--#a4 ,in post #hvo4 cloth1 with ,thirteen ,illustrations by ,hablot ,k4 ,browne1 #es4--#b4 ,popular ,edition1 crown #hvo cloth1 with a ,design by the same ,artist4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,nothing to ,wear1 and ,two ,millions1 by ,william ,allen ,butler4 #as4 ,railway ,editions of ,popular ,fiction4 ,on good paper1 well-printed and bound1 fancy boards4 ,paul ,foster's ,daughter4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,lost ,sir ,massingberd4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,bubbles of ,finance4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,gayworthys4 #as4 #f;d4 ,the ,autocrat of the ,breakfast ,table4 #as4 ,the ,king's ,mail4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,faith ,gartney's ,girlhood4 #as4 #f;d4 ,my ,lady ,ludlow4 #bs4 #f;d4 ,mrs4 ,stowe's ,little ,foxes4 #as4 ------------ ,house and ,home4 #as4 ,abel ,drake's ,wife1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,footsteps ,behind ,him1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,when the ,snow ,falls1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,london3 ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,son1 ,,and ,,marston4 ,,milton ,,house1 ,,ludgate ,,hill4 ,english1 ,american1 and ,colonial ,booksellers and ,publishers4 ,chiswick ,press3--,whittingham and ,wilkins1 looks ,court1 ,chancery ,lane4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,transcriber ,,notes ,illustrations were relocated to avoid splitting paragraphs4 ,the original printed volume repeated the number ,v at the top of the sixth chapter and subsequent chapters incremented from there4 ,that has been corrected in this version4 ,erratum on ,contents page was applied4