The Experienced Beekeeper

The Experienced Beekeeper

THE | Experienced BEE-K EEPER, . | «CONTAINING AN ESS AY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES: . Wherein is fhewn, FROM LONG PRACTICE, The moft eafy and profitable MET Hop of treating thofe ufeful Inszcrs; particularly interefting to ‘the Keepers of Bzzs, and ufeful to every Family. Together'with An improved MetuHop of making ME A D, and other WINES, with HONEY. | aérii mellis caleftia dona Exequar. — Virg. Geore. By BRYAN JANSON BROMWICH, M.A. THE SECOND EDITION. LONDON, PRINTED FOR CHARLES DILLY, ' M.DCC,LXXXII, 1753 — ~=—4 [»] WHO GND. 10 Ar 24 RTYNE 3797 fe] ; ing re ' THE RIGHT REVEREND | ~The Lorp Bisuop of | DROMOR E * My Lorp, "TBE many obligations conferred on me by your Lordfhip, I fhall ever remember with pleafure and gratitude : they have done me fo much honour in having received them, that for me to enu- merate them here would have the appear- ance of vanity. — The following fhort Treatife, on the Management of Bees, I have been induced to prefent to your Lordfhip’s proteétion, from the approbation you were pleafed to . a3 _” exprefs Tu] exprefs of my method of preferving the _ lives of thefe induftrious little labourers, and well knowing how ready your Lord- fhip is to afford your patronage to any thing that is in the leaft likéfy to be of benefit and advantage to mankind. At . the fame time, I am very fenfible that I _ offer nothing new to your Lordfhip’s pene- | tration, even on this fubje&; but am happy ~ to catch every opportunity to declare, that T am, Your Lordfhip’s moft obliged, and moft obedient, humble fervant, ~ Bayan-I’Anson Bromwicu. A D- [ vi ] ADVERTISEMENT. F T ER fo many ingenious and learned men have furnifhed the world with their obfer- vations on Bees, an additional Treatife may appear unneceflary ; yet as the following pages were the confequence of a feries of real experiments, many ufeful remarks will be found in them unnoticed by others who have written on the fame fubje@t. And as a confiderable increafe of honey and wax, in our own country, Is confeffedly of fome importance, not only in regard to the private emolument of in- dividuals, but alfo to the nation in general (as leffen- ing the importation of thefe articles), whatever ex- periments therefore tend to promote the facility or cheapnefs of ordering this part of hufbandry, I flatter myfelf, will not be thought totally unde- ferving fome attention from the public. And notwitftanding the many ingenious tracts, which have been written on the ceconomy and ordering of Bees (and to which I acknowledge my- felf greatly indebted), wherein the ufual method of deftroying thefe induftrious little mfects is uni- verfally condemned, and many’ have -been- the a4 fchemes [ vii J {chemes fuggefted to prevent it, vet ftill we [ee it, continues the general practice. And thus it will ever continue, till a method is propofed, at leaft equally profitable, eafy, and attended with no more expence to the proprietor. The following little Treatife, therefore, which is founded on actual experience and long obfervation, is meant to obviate this ufelefs, unprofitable, and cruel cuftom, by pointiug out a way, greatly fuperior — in point of profit, fimplicity, and cheapnefs of ma- nagement, than any method ever yet recommended ; and which will clearly fhow, that the common bar- barous mode of deftroying thefe profitable little labourers, is alfo a great lofs to the owners them- felves. What has chiefly deterred people from putting thofe methods in practice, already propofed for this defirable end, is, that however plaufible they may appear, yet they are toocomplicated and expenfive ever to be adopted for general ufe. They may in- deed amufe the rich, and be of fervice to the na- turalift; but are entirely ufelefs to thofe who with to profit by them. Another objection to the many ingenious methods recommended in the Treatifes that have been writ- ten on this fubject, is, that Truth (fo neceffary to be adhered to in writings of this fort) is often., blended with fiction ; and this for want of practical knowledge in thofe who have taken their accounts from others; fo much fo, that, was one to fit down merely to confute all the abfurdities that have been written L «J written in regard to the management of Bees, it would alone compofe a confiderable volume. Moft books therefore on this fubje& (quite contrary to the laudable motive which dictated them) have rather difcouraged than affifted this branch of rura} ceconomy. | On the contrary, thefe obfervations, which I now fubmit to the impartial judgement of the public, though they recommend a procefs greatly fuperior in point of profit, yet neverthelefs it will be found to be attended with much lefs trouble and expence, than even the keeping Bees in common ftraw hives. I may add too, that truth has guided my pen; no- thing is afferted in them but what has been re- peatedly tried, and drawn from actual experiment. In the directions given for the making of Mead, ' Ihave endeavoured to afcertain the exact quantity of honey, with the degree of fermentation, nece{- fary to give it the greateft ftrength, with the moit agreeable flavor poffible. In refpect to the other -wines to be made with honey, I have only to add, that although they may readily be diftinguifhed by a nice tafte from thofe wines they are faid to imitate, yet they may be equally as pleafing to many people ; and as they afford an agreeable va- riety, each one may choofe what fuits his fancy. And perhaps the few experiments I have made may be the means of further difcoveries and improve- ments in this neceffary and ufeful article. In regard to the language of the following pages, ‘the author is fenfible he ftands in need of much in- 4 _ dulgence Et And muft ye kill >—Miftaken thought—ah, fhame ! No more involve them in fulphureous flame. ‘The tender race, whom works of peace employ; Bufy’d in public cares, and fall of joy! Was it for this they fought the rofeate bowers, With ceafelefs labour toil’d on fpangled flowers? For this they bore the fummer’s fultry ray, And autumn’s funny gleam ; nor loft a day? Ah ! cruel man! the fulphur’d matches fpare, And be content the ne¢tar’d fweets to fhare ! _ In juft return, the happy race reward ; - From chilling winds the peaceful manfion guard : Regale them too, upon fome fmiling day 5 Thy tender cares they amply will repay. C O N- [ xii J Cc O N T E N T 6S. Of the Queen, or Female Bee. I Of the Drone, or Male Bee. 6 Of the working Bee. a) Of the wax and combs. | 2a - Of the honey. 7 13 Of the fituation of Bees. 15 Of their fwarming. | 17 Defcription of a new invented Bee-houfe, with boxes. 2 Of ordering Bees in colonies, with an eafy method of taking the wax and honey, with- © out deftroying them. 27 ‘Of the advantages of keeping Bees in colonies, or boxes, compared with the common method of keeping them in fingle hives. 33 Of uniting {warms. . 36 Of purchafing and removing Bees. 39 Of feeding Bees, and ordering them in {pring © and autumn. | “4AI Of enemies to Bees. 43 Of feparating the honey and wax. 46 . Of [ xv J Page Of Mead and Wines to be made with honey. 49 ‘To make common Mead. ibid. The way to promote, or check fermentation. 51 The method of fcenting cafks with a prepared Match. 52 To give Mead the flavor of Rhenifh Wine. 53 To give Mead the flavor of Frontiniac. 54 To give Mead an agreeable roughnefs. ibid, To give Mead the flavor of Rafberries, Cur- rants, &c. bid. To tin@ture Mead of a fine red colour. 55 ‘To cure Mead when it is foul and ropy. 56 To recover Mead when it is flat, or fretting. sid. Further remarks on the making of Mead, &c. 57 The method of collecting Herbs, Fiowers, and Fruits, to be ufed in Mead. . 59° How to be fupplied with frefh or new honey all the fummer. 61 To give honey fome particular flavors. 62 A way to whiten honey. ibid, A method to increafe colonies, without letting the Bees {warm. ibid. To caufe Bees to attach themfelves to any perfon, place, &e.! 64 An effectual method of curing the ftings of Bees and Wafps. © ibid. To whiten wax. 66 The beft way to keep honey. . ibid. DESCRIP- ADVERTISEMENT. "THE Candid Reader, it is hoped, will. excufe fome Inaccuracies: of Expreffion, as well as Typographical Errors in the follow- ing Treatife, when he is informed that the Author, (who refided in the Country) after committing his Obfervations and Direétious . to paper, was fuddenly called away to attend a fick Friend to Italy,. before he had :time: to revife the Style, much lefs to correct the Prefs; and that the Publifher was unwilling, for the Sake of meer Literary Compofition, to detain thefe ufeful and curious Precepts from the Public: Who are therefore refpectfully defired, in the Author’s Abfence, to make the following Correétions of fome of the. ERRATA, &. Page viii. line 11. for than, read to, . ix. 10. dele: it 12.. 18, far-admirable, read admirably, 28. note. + read nearly half the expence. 26, kine. 15. read thefe Alighting-Boards, 34 17. for entrails, read excrements. . 44e 28. read, this Infect. 476 29. read taken off. It mu BI. 21. for requires, read require 526 10. for ufed, read attended to - 60. 21. for not being, read is not 65. 22, for imaginary, read groundlefs... HACT.ENUS, *a-a DESCRIPTION. Of the Queen Bee *. HER E are three forts of Bees diftinguithed in every Hive: viz. The Queen, or Female Bee; the Drone, or Male; and the common | working Bee. The Queen is very different from the reft both in fhape and colour ; her body is longer-than the Drone, neater made, and tapers toa point. She has very fhort wings in proportion to her fize, and her belly and legs are of a brighter yellow, than the other Bees. Like the common working Bee, fhe is armed with a fting, but never makes ufe of it unlefs greatly irritated. Without a Queen the # See the Plate, Fig. I. B Bees Bees can never profper, as fhe alone 1s the Bree- der * ; and there is feldom more than one of thefe in a hive, at the fame time, except in the breeding feafon. If two fwarms are purpofely united, one Queen is always facrificed to the peace of the hive. But this is not always the confequence, as hath generally been believed when ftocks accidentally unite themfelves ; or when they are kept in Co- lonies, that is, raifed boxes. ‘In proof of this affer- tion, I will relate a circumftance that happened in my own apiary. In the winter of 1777, I had three fingle Straw- hives of Bees, ftanding feparately, in an inclofed fhed; thefe happened to be blown down by a violent wind; the weather being frofty, and very cold, prevented the Bees from flying much abroad, but from the pofition in which they fell, they all aceidentally united themfelves into one hive, with- out even the lofs of one Bee that I could perceive. * Some writers, on this fubje&t, affirm to the contrary; and fancy — the working Bees equally breeders, But thefe affertions are mani- feftly abfurd, and contradi€tory to the obfervations of the beft Na- turalifts. When the Queen Bees are diffected, there is always found in them an Ovaria replete with a multitude of eggs, fomewhat. for _ number like roe of a fith; but never any thing fimilar to an Ovarie was ever found in any other fort of the Bees which compofe the hive. If the common working Bees bred equally with the Queen, what ufe then can we fuppofe the Queen to be of, or why fhould they not be able to exilt without one ? It is notorious that if the Queen dies, unlefs replaced with another, the hive, or colony, is foon an- nihilated; the Bees being fenfible, by an uncommon Inflingt they pof- fe(z, that without her their generation ceafes. Wa/ps, Horscts, Humble-Becs, are alfo bred from one Mother, or Queen ; and they alone, amongft thefe laft, furvive the winter; and if one of them is killed in April or May, a whole. neit is deftroyed. I had ad 7b f had the curiofity to examine this hive afterwards, and {aw the three Queens living, to.appearance, very amicably together. I immediately raifed them on a large flat-topped hive, in order to give them toom, thinking that the moft likely method to pro- mote their friendfhip. This proceeding has an« {wered beyond my moft fanguine expectation ; hav- ing continued to take from them, every fummer fince, one or two hives, well filled; in fhort, it has more than doubled the profits, had, they conti- nued as they were. Had I not raifed this hive, I make no doubt but that two of the Queens would have been killed, as foon as the weather became milder, and the breeding feafon commenced; but that not one of them was killed is evident from their great increafe afterwards, and which one Queen could not fupport, or any thing equal to their numbers *. It appears evident to me, that it is only for want of room, that the Bees difpatch their fu- pernumerary Queens. In fupport of this opinion, I obferve it often happens, that two Queens, when theylead fwarms from a hive, at the fame time, generally fettle together without the leaft commo- tion. Now it is well known that Bees always provide themfelves an habitation before. they. leave * Since the above was written, I have proved it beyond a doubt, that more than one Queen Bee will live in the fame colony, or raifed boxes, by the many experiments I have made, of dividing cullateral boxes to increafe their number; for which dire€tions are given in the latter part of this treatife, . B 2 their ra their old hive, and that it 1s only from the Queen’s being unable to fly far at a time, that they fo often alight on the branches of thofe trees that grow near them. It may reafonably be fuppofed, there- fore, that as they fwarm together, without the leaft difturbance, and both of them very amicably alight on the fame branch, that they are both likewife deftined to the fame place, and that the place they have provided is fufficiently large. It is only then after they are hived, ‘that, finding the habitation too {mall for the offspring of both veens, hoftilities commence, and one is facri- ficed to the welfare of the Colony. The attachment of Bees to their Queen is very wonderful ; be but.poffeffed of her, and you may lead them where you pleafe. If by any accident fhe dies; the others immediately ceafe to work, and only confume what ftores they have, and perifh. However, this attachment is by no means conftant to any one particular Queen ; for if a hive, which has. loft its own, can by any means be provided with another, the fame attachment to her will be obferved as to the former: Order and regularity will be immediately eftablifhed, and they will refume their labors with all their former activity and diligence. It is remarkable that when you are pofleffed of the Queen from any hive, the reft become mare gentle, and feldom make ufe of their ftings. - The Queen ‘Bee fcarce ever leaves a hive, un- lefs when fhe leads a fwarm. The | The ovaria of a Queen Bee contains fome Thou- fands of eggs, fomewhat fimilar to the roe of a fifh. The great naturalift, Swammerdam, relates that he difcovered in the ovaria of one Queen, ready to lay, five thoufand one hundred viible eggs . It is commonly fuppofed that fhe lays nearly two hundred eggs every day, in the height of the breeding feafon *. She fometimes begins laying fo early as the latter end of January, but this depends entirely.on the forwardnefs of the feafon. The moft certain rule to know this is, that whenever the Bees are obferved to collect from the early flowers, it is then a fure indication of the Queen’s breeding, and beginning to lay her eggs. * I have been affured by the moft refpectable authority, that the firft Mr. Wildman, who fhewed experiments on Bees (for his namefake, who now keeps a fhop in Holbourn, was not the original Difcoverer . of the method of handling Bees, or that publifhed the quarto vo- lume concerning them by fubfcription), having doubted whether all the young ones bred in a hive proceeded from the Queen Bee, made the following experiment. He caught a Queen, and tied her by a thread fo:that fhe could cnet, wander bur a few inches; he found notwith- ftanding eggs foon afterwards depofited in cells to which the could not reach: this feemed decifive againft the one mother Bee. But a day or two after more narrowly obferving what pafled in the hive, he faw the working Bees carrying the eggs from the faid mother, or Queen Bee, and depofiting them for her in the diftant cells, * This curious fact is recommended to the notice of fuch Bee-mazters, as have a facility in catching the Queen at pleafure. B3 of Of the Drone or Male Bee *. The Drone or Male beé is very unlike any of the others, from which he may eafily be diftin- guifhed: he is fomewhat fhorter in general, than the Queen ; though of a thicker and clumfier make He is covered with 2 fort of down at the nether end, and is confiderably larger than the common working Bee; and whenever he flies, he makes a rougher and deeper found. The Drones, however, are not all of one fize, for fome of them are much fmaller than others; they are not like the others, armed with a fting, therefore may be handled without fear. Five or fix hundred, or more, are often bred in one hive; they are not formed to collect either honey, or wax, but feaft on the la- bors of the reft; leading a luxurious life of idle- nefs and love. But their pleafures with their lives are very fhort; for as they feldom appear before the middle of May, fo they are generally deftroyed, or expelled the hive, by the other Bees, before the month of Augufl, if the hive is ftrong. At this time, the breeding feafon being partly over, ‘a moft cruel war is commenced againft them; ‘for as they contribute nothing to the winter ftores, by their induftry, therefore, when they * See the Plate. arg: L./ J CO are no longer of any ufe, they are all deftroyed: Even the young brood are dragged from their cells, and every veftige of Drone is totally annihilated. In weak hives they are fuffered to live longer, and the reafon is, not that the other Bees are not able to drive them out, but that they find them. neceflary in hatching the young brood, to which their additional warmth greatly eontributes, being themfelves but few in number. Therefore the cuftom of killing Drones, when they are obferved to remain later than common, and which fome practife, thinking the other Bees are not able to do it, is highly prejudicial to the profperity of a hive. A moft fingulat circumftance attending the gene= ration of Bees, is, that although there are fo many males to one female, and they have been obferved to couple like other infeéts*; yet that this fhould be to impregnate the ovaria for a future, not that prefent feafon, is exceedingly remarkable. In erder to prove this, we need only obferve that Bees kegin to breed fo early as the month of Pedruary, fometimes fooner, and the Drones are feldom {een before the beginning of May, and are always det- troyed before the following winter commences. In fhort, there is no Drone hatched before the latter) end of April or the beginning of May. %* See M.de Réaumur on Bees, B 4 Vhe >>| t.°%. J- When the Drones firft appear, in the {pring, fwarms, from the fingle hives, may then foon be expected, if the weather be favourable. They fel- dom appear before e/even in the morning, and very few are ever feen after fix in the evening. An ex ception to this rule is, when the bees are going to fwarm, which they fometimes do, in very hot,. fultry weather, fo early as eight o’clock in the morning, though very feldom; and part of the Drones always attend the {warms. Thofe hives that have the greateft number of Drones generally turn out the moft {warms: it fhows they are poffefled of the moft prolific Queens. Thofe in which are found no Drones at all fhould. either bé immediately taken, or elfe united with fome other ftocks; for this circumftance fhows that the Bees have loft their Queen, or elfe fhe is a barren one: in either cafe the Bees can ne- ver profper. . Whatever may have been faid, that, pees have been known to profper without any: rohes appearing ; this for certain may be de-. pended on, that thofe hives which breed no Drones, breed no other fort of Bees. . Of [9] _ Of the Working Bee *. The Working Bees are much lefs in fize than the Queen, or Drone ; they are armed with a fting, and are foon’ irritated to make ufe of it. They may, with fome propriety, be called Mules, being of neither fex. Thefe are the only labourers, and of this fort the hive or colony chiefly confifts. The working Bees collec all the wax and honey, build the combs, guard the hive, &c. and are ever ready to facrifice their lives for the general good. And from all the obfervations I could ever make, there appears, alfoof Thefe, a variety of {pecies in every _ | hive. Some feem to bé formed to colle€& the honey, whilft others fearch the flowers for wax only ; others again, I obferve, never leave the hive, but feem as if conftantly employed ‘in the various works within ; fuch as. building the comb, difbur- dening thofe that return from the fields, feeding the young brood, and guarding their treafures, &c. In hort, they | feem to be endued with a peculiar inftin@, dire@ing each one its different tafk ; and that without a fufficient number of thefe, in each department, no colony will profper. _ It has been thought that Bees, all the winter months, are in a ftate of fleep, and inattivity ; but this is very erroneous: They are then equally alive and aétive within the hive; and confume nearly ™ See Plate. as | as much provifion as they do in fummer ; except in very cold and fevere weather. Confequently the more fevere the winter proves, the greater quantity of ftores remain with the Bees in fpring. If any accident deftroys the Mother, or Queen, the reft immediately geafe to labour, and only live whilft their ftores remain ; unlefs there is a profpect of a young one’s being foon hatched, or another can be given them from fome other hive. But as the giving them one from another hive will be_ attended with great trouble and difficulty, I would advife, when fuch accident happens, always to unite them with fome weak hive. The method of doing which will be found in the direéHons given Sor uniting fwarms. . Although every good fwarm is compofed of many thoufands of Bees, commonly between forty and fifty-thoufand, yet fuch is their peculiar in- ftin&, that a fingle Bee of any other hive fhall not obtrude himfelf, but he is inftantly known, and feized on as a robber. Bees have, if I may be allowed the expreffion, a fort of language amongft themfelves, whereby they know each other’s wants. This will be eafily known to the moft fuperficial obferver, by giving the leaft attention to them, in building their combs, un- loading the labourers, feeding each other, &c. They alfo foreknow ftorms; and will found an alarm, when any thing injurious approaches their habitation; and fuch founds will be inftantly un- derftood, and anfwered by the whole hive. But not t 7! not one of the leaft inftances of their fagacity is, a day or two before they fwarm the fecond o third time, when it fhould feem as if a fort o Council were held, night and morning, debatin whether it will be for the general good’ that an more fhould emigrate. If there are Bees fufficien in the hive, to fpare fo many as will compofe thd _caft, leave then is given to the young Queen by, the old one to lead a fecond or third fwarm. This may readily be known by her defcending to the bottom of the hive, and fummoning her new fub- jects by repeated calls, in a louder and more a tone than what was ufed before. The next da the caft or fecond fwarm, &c. may be expected, if the weather be favourable. If leave isnot obtained by the young Queen, fhe is then facrificed to the peace of the commonwealth. | Of the Wax, and Combs, It is believed that the Combs are formed from powder, collected from the Stamina of Flowers} which alfo ferves them for a part of their foo _The Bees collect it into little balls, with ea .they load their legs. Before this crude wax, o farina, is ufed for building combs, it is digefted iy _the body of the Bee, and this brings it to a prope confiftency for their purpofe. | This Farina is alfo called Bee-Breads; and tha the Bees feed upon it, we need only obferve - lar. { { 1 J large quantities are collected and laid up, in every hive, where wax is not wanted. The fubftance is digefted in the body of the Bee, before it becomes wax; and in proof of this affertion, we know that new combs, before they are filled with honey, or young brood, are of 2 clear white colour, whereas the farina, or crude wax, is of various colours, according to the flowers from whence it is brought. - The manner in which thefe little infects con- ftru& their combs, is worthy obfervation. By the hexagonal form of the cells, they lofe no room, as he circumference of one makes a part of the cire umference of another ; which was it contrived in lany other fhape, there could not be fo many cells, jof equal capacioufnefs,-in the fame given fpace. hefe cells, which are very thin, are ftrengthened t the entrance by a fillet of wax, and alfo at the he middle of its oppofite. There are different forts of combs in every hive, hmade according to the fpecies of Bees which are to be bred in them. In thofe combs conftruéted for breeding the Drones, the cells are confiderably larger than thofe which are intended ‘for the work- ng Bees ; and thofe cells which are made for breed- ‘ the Females or Queens, are of avery peculiar orm, and fafhioned with a deal of labour *. It is very remarkable, the wonderful inftin® pe- mi to the Mother Bee, in being able to diftin- guith the fort of egg (out of the great number the ! * See the Plate. . 7 . ovaria ottom by the angle of one admirable falling in anirnbhy ovaria is compofed of) fhe is going to depofit, -and to chufe one of thefe cells accordingly. There is another kind of wax, which Bees col- leGt, called propolis. This is'a fort of refiny not gathered as wax is, from the ftamina of flowers, but from the rind, and the Jeaves of trees, forubs,. &c. Its colour is of a reddifh brown, and becomes harder than wax. ‘The Bees ufe it to clofe every crevice in their hives, and to faften the hives, or boxes, to the board they reft on. In re- gard to this particular, f{mooth boxes, or hives made of wood, are greatly to be preferred to ftraw-hives ; the boxes fave the Bees an immenfe deal of labour which the ftraw-hives require ; as they {mooth the whole infide of them with propolis. And was the infide of the boxes themfelves rubbed over with wax, in order to ftop every crevice, befote the Bee were put in, it would greatly forward their works. Of the Honey. Bees collect moft of their honey, as well as wax, from flowers; a part is: al{q got from what is commonly called honey-dews. This Honey-dew, that is found on thie leaves of trees, -is- nothing: more than a {weet juice which exudes from the leaves, If this juice fell, as it is vulgarly, fuppofed, from the open air, it would then gover: the leaves of any tree in its way, promifcu- _oufly, which never happens; we fee it only or part of the leaves of fome particular trees, and i ; neve, never but on one fide *. As Honey-dews never happen but in very hot fultry weather, Seat there- fore in all probability is the caufe of them. The goodnefs of honey entirely depends on the fituation in which the Bees are placed; great quan- tities may be collected from Commons of Heath, or Fields of Buck-wheat ; but what is got in thefe fituations is always of a very deep colour, and not well flavoured. The beft and fineft coloured honey is colleéted from flowers. The mignonettes produce the moft fragrant of any I am. acquainted with in this country, and in the greateft quantity; their flowers continuing in bloom all the fummer and autumn. In the year 1779, I made the following experi- ment: obferving Bees to be particularly fond of the flowers of mignonette, 1 therefore planted a large quantity of it before two hives, at a confiderable diftance from any other Bees. _ Having plenty of this provifion fo near them, very few ever left the arden; and thefe probably for water, which Bees ften have recourfe to, in dry weather. In Sep- tember, the fame year, I took the honey, and found fa greater produce, by one-third and upwards, than Ifrom any two of my beft hives, where the Bees [were obliged to fly abroad; and this equal, both in fragrance and colour, to any imported from the fwarmer Climates. * The Oak -is the principal tree which produces the Honey-dew in ny quantity ; it is often found on the Maple, Sycamore, Hazel, and ramble, and alfo on Hop-plants. There There are two forts of mignonette plants, the one is annual and {weet-{cented, the other perennial ; both equally beneficial to Bees, They continue in bloom till deftroyed by frofts, and afford both honey and farina the whole feafon. Honey is not, like the wax, made by the Bees, but only collected by them: they colleé& it by {uction, and afterwards convey it to the cells, which when filled are clofed with a very thin covering of wax. ‘There are indeed two forts of honey, which the Bees make ufe of: that which they live upon in fummer is of a more fluid, watery fubftance, than that which is collected for their winter pro- vifion.. The cells which contain the former of. thefe are always left: open; their winter ftores, on the contrary, are fecured with great care, and are never touched till the honey-gathering feafon is over, and the cold weather commences. Of the Situation of Bees. The beft fituation for Bees is facing the fourth, rather- inclining to the wef; it being better for them to have the evening, than the morning fun. Full eaf or north fhould always be avoided. Bees are not able to fee but in a clear light; when there- fore they return late in an evening, and are placed either north or ea, they would often, in that fitu- ation, not be able eafily to find their way into the hive ; and when they return home heavily loaded, and and mifs the entrance of their habitation, they generally fall upon the ground, which, if either wet or cold, chills them fo much, that they- are {eldom ever able to rife again ; which confequently muft occafion a daily lofs. For the fame reafon, the nearer Bees are placed to the ground the better; five or fix inches from it is quite fufficient to fecure them from the eafy accefs of vermin ; they fhould by no means ever be placed in a higher fituation, which, however in- judicious, has often been recommended. No weeds, &c. fhould ever be permitted to grow near them, as they not only harbour vermin, but alfo occafion the lofs of many Bees, when they happen to fall among them in wet weather. If loofe fand is {pread pretty thick before them, it will be found very convenient, both in obftructing the growth of weeds, and alfo a drain’ for the wet. It is very proper that the Bee Garden fhould be furnifhed with thofe plants, herbs, &c. that yield the Bees plenty of food ; fuch as Gooféberry and all kinds of fruit trees; Spanifb Broom, Mignonetie, Thyme, Borage, and Tobacco-plants: alfo fields of Turnips, Buck-wheat, or Dutch-clover, in bloom, are what they collect from in great quantities. Thofe fhrubs and flowers which bloom early in the year, will be found particularly ufeful in or hear the Bee-garden; fuch as the yellow winter Aconite, the Crocus and Snow-drop; but more efpecially hedges of the Salows. On the Farina of the Seilows (which comes early and in great abun- : 7 ~ . “. t [ww] abundance), the’ oes nour the yowag brood, and nothing will produce forward fwarms fo much -as plenty of this food. Raferry and Blackberry Bioffams alfo afford confiderable quantities of this nutriment, though later in the year. , The Apiary being fituated near Oak, or Horfe- Chefnut Trees, is alfo very beneficial to’ the Beas ; The Oak moft frequently producing the honey- dews, and the Chefnut Trees afford great quantities of bloom. Bees colle& too a confiderable thare of honey and farina from the blofloms of Zvy; and this, { be- lieve, excepting the mignonette, and what is com- monly called the Bee Flower *, is the lateft bloom they gather from. ‘The Apiary fhould be fheltered as much as pof- fible from the north and eafern winds; and if placed shear the dwelling-houfe, will fave. much at- tendance i in fwarming-time. The floors for the hives fhould always ibe made of fmooth light board, and never of ftone ; this . daft becoming fo intenfely cold in winter, that it 4s almoft certain deflruction to every Bee that hap- _ pens to alight on it. Of their fuarming. "In the fpsing, when a hive becomes crouded by the young brood, if it is not foon raifed on an * This flower is not very common; and the author i is probably unac- quainted with its true name. empty SM [ 8 } empty one, part of them will feek for a new habitation. As foon therefore as a young Queen is hatched, and becomes fit to fly, fhe then only waits for the firft fine morning to lead the young colony to its new abode. They thould therefore -be watched from the beginning of f Mey to ‘the middle of Fuly. Sometimes it happens that two or three Queens fead a {warm, and this is generally thé cafe when the Bees fettle in fo many feparate clufters; but ‘as foon as they are put into a hive, only one is * fuffered to remain there; the others are always deftroyed, with many of their attendants, which never forfake them. When Bees fwarm, they generally alight on fome branch of a tree or hedge near the place they came from: for this reafon it will be very conve- nient to have a few trees planted about the apiary, or they may be induced to fly fo far before they can find a convenient place to alight as to be loft to the proprietor. When the {warm is to be putinto a/fraw bive, be careful that all the loofe ftraws in the infide are finged off; and this will alfo deftroy any young brood of moths which may have harboured there : let it be afterwards rubbed with a coarfe cloth, and it will fave the Bees a deal of labour in clearing it themfelves. Let the hive alfo be rubbed with a bunch of Beaum, dipped in a mixture. of brown fugar diffolved in beer; this being agreeable to their tafte, will induce them not to forfake the . . ~~ habita~ [ 9 J habitation you have provided ; which often hap- pens when they take any diflike to it. _ The fwarm when hived muft not be carried immediately where it is to remain, but muft be placed on a cloth on the ground, firft laying a ftick or two on the cloth, for the hive to reft on, and in order to give the Bees free entrance. In the evening when the Bees are all in the hive, and not before, it may be carried where it is to remain. The hive containing the fwarm fhould be well fhaded whilft it remains on the ground, with the boughs of trees, &c. left the too powerful heat of the fun fhould offend them, and caufe them to rife a fecond time. If the weather is not likely to be favourable, put under the new {warm a plate or thallow dith of honey, covered over with bits of {traw, or witha piece of paper pricked full of holes: or ftrew under the hive fome brown fugar moift- ‘ened with beer ; this will ferve them to feed upon till they can get abroad to work. Previous to hiving ‘the fwarm, a fmall ftick or two fhould be run acrofs, in a contrary direction to the mouth or entrance of the hive, to fecure the combs from falling. | - . Jt is a common practice with country people to ‘ring a bell, or pan, when their Bees fwarm ; fancy- .ing the noife hinders them from flying far, and _caufes them to fettle fooner. I cannot fay I ever found that this makes thé leaft d‘fference; for if the Queen who leads them is ftrong and able to fly far, it is not any noife that. will retard her C2 flight. Es j flight. In’ one refpéct the ringing té Bees may be. of ufe; it afcertains your property, in claiming your fwarms, when ‘they ‘happen to alight in your neighbour’ s premifes. ; It is neceflary allthe {warming feafon, that Bees fhould be continually watched, from eight o'clock in the morning till after four ih the evening : for although it is feldom they rife fo early as eight, yet in very hot weather I have had {warms rife ‘even before that hour; and cafts, or fecond fwarms, ‘often come out of the hive fo late as four or five in the evening. 1f Bees are not continually watch+ ed all the feafon, in a large apiary, many {warms muft tnavoidably be loft; for if the branch they happen to alight on be much expofed to the fun, it will caufe them to leave their fituation in a few ‘minutes ; it is very neceflary therefore always to -be provided with hives, boxes, &c. ready prepared, ‘according to the above direétions, all the {warming feafon. It is unneceflary to give dire&tions for the hiving “of Bees, or fhaking them ‘from the bough into the -hive, it being aa operation fo univerfally known in every village throughout the kingdom. 1 fhall only obferve, that the perfon who performs it ‘fhould:fecure himfelf as much as poffible againtt the ftings. . The beft‘drefs I can recommend is, a ‘carter’s round frock, with a ‘pair of ftout gloves, , and. two pair of ftockings. The face fhould be fortified with a fmall mefhed net, to be thrown over the ‘hat, or fome ‘ther ‘thin cloth that can be. 4 feen ' ——_ [T 21 J feen through. Many ‘people ufe no precautions whatfoever, and indeed Bees at this time are fel- dom apt:to fing. No faoner is the fwarm fettled in the hive, but the Bees fall to wérk in making combs, and in a few hours time will have finifhed one or two of confiderable magnitude. ‘This is a clear proof that they digeft the farina, or crude wax, in their ftomachs, before they ufe it to form their cells ; for commonly a large comb is conf{truéted before a fingle Bee, in the new {warm, will offer to fly abroad. A few of them, indeed, that are juft re- turned from the fields, previous to the {warmis iffuing forth, may be feen to have fome faina at- tached to their legs, but inconfiderable in pro- portion to the combs they make, before they col- Ie&t any, after they are hived’ The new {warms ufually build more comb, in “the firtt fortnight after they are hived, than they do the whole fucceeding fummer; and this in- duftry is excited not fo much for cells to place their ‘ftores in, as for their Queen to depofite her eggs. It often happens that Bees, in fwarming-time, hang out of the hive in large clufters ; either the “hive being too fmall to contain their numbers, or elfe the extreme heat of the weather makes it too warm for them to ftay within. In either cafe it is a fure indication of their being crouded, and of their wanting to fwarm ; and that they only wait for a leader to conduct them. I would always advife, when this happens, if they fhould not rite C 3 within’ [ 22 ] within a day or two, to raife them immediately on a flat-topped hive; by this means the fuper- numerary Bees will have room to work, wlio other- wife only wafte their time, and live on the labours ~ of the reft; and if it fhould be late in the fummer before a'young Queen is produced, and fit to lead them, they then lofe the beft part of the year, and will fcarce have time to fill their own hive fuffi- ciently to fubfift on through the winter, befides greatly impoverifhing the old ftock. Whereas, by the method 1 have now fuggefted, they will be hindered from {warming at all, unlefs they fhould rifea few days after they are raifed *. You will by this means, inftead of two weak ftocks, often get a double hive, well filled with wax and honey, and which I have frequently experienced. A great deal has Been written on the fubject of making Bees {warm artificially, when they are ob- ferved thus to hang from the mouth or entrance ; but I can affure my readers, from repeated trials, that they are all of them very uncertain an