Viewing page 14 of 21

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

466 The Royal AMERICAN MAGAZINE;

7. A comb in which the working bees are bred. The cells are the smallest of any. Two of them have the young bees inclosed. A royal cell is suspended on one side.
8. A comb in which the drones are bred, being larger than the former; the young drones being included in several of them; with two royal cells, suspended on the side.
9. A similar comb, in which the royal cell is fixed in the middle of the comb; and several common cells are sacrificed to serve as a basis and support to it. In general the royal cells are suspended on the side of a comb, as in fig. 7,8. To the side of fig. 9, two royal cells are begun, when they resemble pretty much the cup in which an acorn lies. The other cells have the young queens included in them.

The apiary should face between the south and west, in a place neither too hot; nor too much exposed to cold ; it should be so situate as that the bees returning home from their labours may descend to their hives; it should be near the mansion house, on account of the conveniency of watching them. I have ever found it best to place the mouth of the hives to the west in spring, care being taken that they enjoy the afternoon sun ; the morning sun is extremely dangerous during the colder months, when its glare often tempts these industrious insects out to their ruin: whereas the mouth of the hive being then in the shade, the bees remain at home, and, as clouds generally obscure the afternoon's sun at that season, the bees escape the temptation of going out. When food is to be obtained, the warmth of the air round the hive continues in the afternoon, which strengthens the bees, and enables them to pursue their labours.
The hives should not be placed where the water from the eves of houses, from trees or hedges, drop on them. A small stream of clear water running near them is thought to be of advantage, especially in hot countries, or in dry seasons, with gently declining banks, in order that the bees may have safe access to it.  It appears from Columella, that they found it necessary in Italy, when there was no stream near, to have the water brought near them in troughs, with pebbles or small stones in the water, or rather pieces of wood, for the bees to rest on, whilst they drink ; for water is so necessary for insects, that if flies are confined in a close room during a very few days in the summer, in which they have no access to moisture, they will all die : Water may, besides, be of particular use to bees in working up their materials, such as combs, honey, &c. However much these precautions are necessary in other countries, the natural moisture of our atmosphere, and of all our vegetable productions, on which our bees feed, renders them very little necessary here. 
The near neighbourhood of large rivers or basons of water, with high banks, should be avoided because wind may whirl the bees into them ; and they cannot

   For DECEMBER, 1774 467
not easily get on shore from thence to dry themselves. 
  The garden in which the apiary stands should be furnished with such plants as afford the bees plenty of good pasture ; and the trees in it should be of the dwarf kind, with bushy heads, in order that the swarms which settle on them may be more easily hived. 
   The proprietor should be particularly attentive that the bees have also in their neighbourhood such plants as yield them plenty of food.  Columella enumerates many of these fitted to a warm climate ; among them he mentions thyme, the oak, the pine, the sweet-smelling cedar, and all fruit-trees. Experience has taught us, that broom, mustard, clover, heath, etc. are excellent for this purpose. Pliny recommends broom, in particular, as a plant exceedingly grateful and very profitable to bees ; and Mr. Bradley speaks highly of the advantages which arise from the planting of it for the food of these useful insects.
  "Of the broom, says he, we have two sorts which will grow freely in England, viz the common sort of the fields, and the Spanish broom, which, till very late, has been propagated and cultivated only in the gardens ; but, at present, some gentlemen have raised it in their fields, by my advice ; and, though they could never before have any profit by bees, they are now masters of weighty stocks ; and also have begun to find the good effects for these plants for binding and working of baskets, for they produce long and tough withs, not to be worn or broken like withs of willows or osiers. The bloom or flower of this sort is also very beautiful and sweet, perfuming the air like orange flowers in May, which invite the bees and inrich them very greatly, so that their hives are full betimes in the summer. And, considering the profit of honey and wax, when bees prosper, I think that, whatever ground happens to be planted with such flowering plants as give them a large share of nourishment, and afford them plenty of wax and honey, may be said to be valuable ; for. from the observations I have made of bees, and the manner of gathering their honey, one may reasonably conjecture, that an acre of ground, which is cultivated with so rich a flower shrub, will bring such a return as will pay the rent ; provided the neighbouring parts do not keep many bees, to rob our own stocks ; for, by a calculation which one may justly enough make on the bees account, one may conclude, that an acre of Spanish broom will afford wax and honey enough for ten good stocks of bees ; for this broom brings a vast quantity of flowers fertile both in honey and wax, and continues blowing a long time. And, when a stock of bees have flowers to their liking of which this is one of the chief,and have a large quantity of them, they will fill their hive, both with wax and honey, in five or six weeks time, if the weather will permit them to go abroad : but this hazard is no more than other crops are subject to, the weather having the management of all crops, either for their well or ill fare. The common broom is no way comparably to the Spanish broom, wither for its flowers, or its withs.

The

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 10:22:49 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 13:14:57