BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
"We next come to the long floor, on which the three square bee-boxes which constitute _a set_ stand collaterally. This floor is the strong top of a long, shallow box, made for the express purpose of supporting the three bee-boxes, and must, of course, be superficially of such dimensions as those boxes, when placed collaterally, require; or if the bee-boxes project the eighth part of an inch over the ends and back of this floor box, so much the better, because in that case the rain or wet that may at any time full upon them, will drain off completely. For ornament, as well as for use, this floor is made to project about two inches in front; but this projection must be sloped, or made an inclined plane, so as to carry off the wet from the front of the boxes. To the centre of this projecting front, and on a plane with the edge of the part cut away for the entrance of the bees into the pavilion, is attached the alighting board, which consist of a piece of planed board, six inches by three, having the two outward corners rounded off a little. The passage from this alighting board into the pavilion is cut, not out of the edge of the box, _but out of the floor board_, and should not be less than four inches in length, and about half an inch in depth, so as to make a clear half-inch way under the edge of the box for the bee-passage. I recommend this as preferable to a cut in the edge of the box, because, being upon an inclined plane, if at any time the wet should be driven into the position by a stormy wind, it would soon drain out, and the floor become dry; whereas, if the entrance passage be cut out of the box, the rain that may, and at times will, be drifted in, will be kept in, and the floor be wet for days, and perhaps for weeks, and be very detrimental to the bees. In depth the floor - box, measured from outside to outside, should be four inches, so that, if made of three-fourth inch deal, there may be left for the depth of the box part two inches and a half. Internally it is divided into three equal compartments, being one for each bee-box. Admission to these compartments, or under-boxes, is by the drawer, or drawer fronts, or blocks, which will be described presently.
"The bottom or open edge of each of these boxes, should be well planed; and made so even and square, that they will sit closely and firmly on the aforesaid floor, and be as air-tight as a good workman can make them, or technically expressed, be a _dead fit_ all round. In the floor board are made three small openings, _i. e._, one near the back of each box. These openings are of a semilunar shape (though any other shape would do as well), the straight side of which should not exceed three inches in length, and will be most convenient if made parallel with the back edge of the box, and about an inch from it. They are covered by perforated or by close tin slides, as the circumstances of the apiary may require. The drawer, the front of which appears under the middle box, is of great importance, because it affords one of the greatest accommodations to the bees in the boxes. In this drawer is placed, if necessity requires it, a tin made to fit it, and in that tin another thin frame, covered with book muslin, or other fine strainer, which floats on the liquid deposited for the sustenance of the bees. Here, then, you have a feeder containing the prepared sweets in the immediate vicinity of the mother live, and without admitting the cid or the robbers to annoy the bees. When you close the drawer, thus prepared with bee food, you must draw out the tin placed over the semilunar aperture, which will open to the bees a way to their food in the drawer beneath. The heat of the live follows the bees into the feeding apartment, which soon becomes the temperature of their native hive."
The advantages of this plan are evident--the ventilation principle being the key to its management. The queen-bee will invariably deposit her eggs in the hottest part of the live. This will be the central box, or "a" position of nature," as it is called, in which the sovereign of the live resides, and which is suffered to become as hot as the bees choose to render it, as when the heat becomes too unbearable, they can, as has been before mentioned, ventilate their home with perfect success. Here, then, in the centre box, are the brood combs. To the two side-boxes are affixed ventilators which keep them cool, whether the bees approve of it or not, and in consequence, the queen does not choose to deposit her eggs in such a cold atmosphere, where they would run a chance of perishing for want of that heat which the ventilators render impracticable. In the side-boxes, therefore, will be found the honey and pure wax uncontaminated by the presence of innumerable grubs, which in the old, single straw hive smotheration system, used to be broken up together with the honey combs, and contribute the contents of their semi-liquid persons to the mass of honey collected in the pan below them. The apiarian should always have at least one spare box to substitute in the place of the one taken away.
The apiarian has by these means the most complete command over his bees. He can force a swarm before its time, or extend it, just as he pleases; he can fill his boxes with honey or with brood, as he thinks may prove more advantageous; and all this without harassing the bees by too officious meddling.
Lest, however, the young bee-master should be too sanguine about the success of his collateral sets, it must be mentioned that this system has not always proved so efficacious as Mr. Nutt found it. These failures have probably arisen from too close an adherence to the letter of the directions, without taking into consideration other causes which called for some change in the details. For instance, a considerable amount of heat is required for building combs. The external temperature may be sufficient during the hot days for this purpose, but in this very changeable climate, a succession of cold days is very likely indeed to take place. If, therefore, the bee-master suffers as much of the external air to pass into the hive on the cold days as on the hot, of course the temperature will be too low, and he will find no combs made. With regard to the occasional occurrence of brood in the side-boxes, notwithstanding careful ventilation, Mr. Westwood thinks that probably a swarm, instead of leaving the hive with the queen, has taken possession of the side-box, which doubtless appeared to them to be a very pleasant place, without the trouble of searching. He also supposes that two or more swarms of bees can make use of the same entrance without quarrelling, and supports this view by the instance of those large colonies of bees which take undisturbed possession of roofs of houses, &c., and which increase to a very great extent.
unicomid and leaf hives.
The above-mentioned hives are intended to procure for the bee-master as much honey and as many bees as possible, but are of comparatively little use in the hands of one whose chief object in keeping bees is to observe the habits and proceedings of these interesting insects. For this purpose it is necessary to have a live which shall be so flat as not to permit the bees, by crowding together, to hide the proceedings of the queen, or to hinder their own habits from being observed; and at the same time to give room for the bees, and a firm hold for their combs. The greater part of the live must also be made of some transparent substance, such as glass, or, as some prefer, talc. The usual form now employed, is a modification of that invented and used by Huber, who is said to have obtained the first idea of a flat live from the Candiotes. By joining together several of these hives, lie also procured plenty of honey in addition to the opportunities which they afforded of inspecting the habits of the bees.
The live, or rather box, is oblong, the height about eighteen incles, the width two feet, and the distance between the doors about an inch and a half, or two inches. These doors are of glass, and form the two sides of the hive. In order to give the combs a firm foundation, the hive should be divided into two parts--some recommend four--by a slight bar, to which the bees can hang the combs, and which serve to divide the weight, as a comb of the full size of the hive is apt to fall from its attachment if the weather be hot. This arrangement only permits of one layer of comb, which is just wide enough to permit the bees to pass between the opening of the cells and the glass-door, so that the bees cannot cluster in sufficient numbers to hide themselves or their queen, and the observer can watch the proceedings on each side of the comb. Some lives are made to turn on a pivot in order to bring them more conveniently before the eye, but this precaution is very unnecessary. Of course the hive has an entrance at each side, so that the observer closes that nearest to him, and opens the other every time that he changes his position. The glass-doors must be covered with two very thick wooden shutters, not less than an inch and a half in thickness, partly because the bees dislike the light, and should never be exposed to it except when they are being examined, and partly in order to defend them from the cold, to which they are very sensitive. A very excellent addition may be made to a leaf hive, by placing them upon a small box with very thick sides, in which they may cluster during the winter, as many hives have perished because the leaves are so close as to prevent clustering altogether. Each observer will be sure to make his own additions and improvements, so that nothing more need be said on the subject. Perhaps the doors may be improved by being made of four, six, or eight small panes of glass, each of which is removable without disturbing the others, that if any one comb is wanted, or any bees are to be abstracted, the hive may not be thrown into such confusion as the opening of an entire side always must occasion.
The Best Hive--is that one which, while it best secures the health and prosperity of the inmates, best facilitates the particular modes of operation adopted by the owner; these admit of great variety, especially with regard to the taking of honey, and the increase of the number of communities.
We know of no hive more generally useful than Mr. Grant's, the one here shown, and which we venture to copy, with a few alterations, from the _Gardener's Chronicle_. At all events, a brief description of this will show the kind of thing desiderated, and afford a good point of departure for these who can improve upon it.
The straw live is seen in the centre, with its entrance at the bottom, and a projecting foot-board, or landing-place, under cover of the portico, so that when the bees hurry home in numbers on the approach of rain (and bees are the best of barometers), they may not be drenched while waiting for room to enter. The square compartments at the sides are moveable boxes, about ten inches square, and one inch thick, with a shutter enclosing a glass-window to each. These would have been better placed at the back, so that the observer might have been out of the way of the bees as they made their entrances and exits. Perhaps, too, it would be better to treat these side-boxes as mere cases for hives to be put within them; as it is a great advantage to have all hives exactly of the same size and shape. No division need in that case exist between the different compartments of the case beyond the walls of the hive themselves. Each box has its own separate entrance and footboard. Bell-glasses for receiving honey may be placed on the hive, and on the side-boxes. A moveable roof, light and warm, covers the whole, and is put on and off without difficulty. A tube of communication, which can be opened or closed at pleasure from the outside (and which does not prevent the removal of a side-box), extends from the straw - hive in the centre to each of the boxes, so that the bees can pass freely, when the owner chooses to let them. The view of the live given in the cut is nearly the same - as that of - Mr. Grant's, the principal alteration being that each of the side entrances are furnished with perches to shelter the bees while waiting for admittance. If it could be done, a single leg in the centre of the hive is preferable to the four legs at the angles, as rats and mice might then struggle in vain to get at the honey
## 118 wax, honey, &c.
As the bees yield up the produce of their labours with difficulty, and require the reason of man to be set against their instinct, so are they anxious to regain that property of which they have been deprived. Their sense of smell is so keen that they can discover their stolen property at an almost incredible distance, and have been known completely to empty some combs which had been inadvertently left exposed. When the combs have been placed in the room where they are to be strained, it is strongly recommended to burn rotten hay, or something of that description, at the windows, in order to drive away the bees who will in all probability be hovering about.
A pair of foreps, such - as watchmakers use, will be found very useful in removing the stray grubs or other matters which are very likely to get mixed with the combs. When these substances are entirely removed, the combs should be broken into small pieces and placed on a strainer, through which the honey passes into a vessel beneath, and is nearly equal to that of the bell glasses. When no more honey will run of its own accord, the comb should be squeezed in a clean cloth, when a large quantity of second-rate honey will be procured. The honey must be carefully kept from the air, and if clarified will be better. This operation is per formed by placing the jar of honey in hot water, and skimming it carefully.
The wax, after the honey has been separated, should be placed in ran water, heated over a moderate fire, and continually stirred. It should then be strained through canvas (which requires rather powerful pressure--that of a lever is the easiest), re-melted, and run into moulds. It will then have a yellow tint, but may be bleached by melting it, and running it into very thin flakes, which must be placed in the sun. After repeating this several times, the wax will become perfectly white. It should, when poured into the moulds, be suffered to cool very slowly, o: it will be full of cracks.
For directions respecting the drink of the heroes of old, who considered the height of fidelity to consist in sitting in the hunting grounds drinking mead out of the skulls of their enemies, the reader is referred to various books of cookery, where full directions may be found among those treating of home-made wines, among which, in our opinion, it fully deserves to be placed, and may fairly be ranked with sage-tea and many other atrocious compounds.
The Situation--must be dry and airy enough fierce winds must be completely shut out by the natural defences of the place. The hive must be protected by an overhanging canopy against rain and drip. Damp is, perhaps, " greatest of all bee-enemies. As to the others, let your live stand upon one or more posts or pillars, according to its size (_most securely fixed_, accidents with hives are very dangerous things), so that " mice and rats, and such small deer," may not be able to annoy the bees. Some effectual precautions should be taken to prevent children from interfering in any way with the bees, either intentionally, or, which is more likely, by accident. There are cases on record of children suffering severely by some unlucky interference, construed no doubt by the bees into an attack, and resented accordingly.
Beside the legitimate enemies of bees, above mentioned, there are such things as bee-robbers, &c., men who make a business of robbing every hive that they can move. Their depredations are committed by night, and, armed with a full bee-dress, they quietly empty the hives without re
## 98 Bees.
quiring the use of a lantern or smoke. But a good wooden livic, firmly screwed to its foot-board, and that firmly attached to its supporting post, will generally baffle the efforts of the skulking bee-robber. If the hives are placed in a shed, as should always be the case if it is possible, the roof should not be thatched, as the straw affords a resting-place for marunding rats and mice. With regard to the children's misdemeanours, the writer of these lines, when a boy of eight or nine years' old, went to see a newly-established bee-garden near Oxford, and after wandering among the hives for some time with perfect impunity, began examining their structure. Being greatly scandalized at not being able to see the 'proceedings of the bees through their entrance-hole, he blew violently in at the door, and then applied his eye to the aperture. The consequences to him were not unlike those recorded of the philosophical monkey, who put his head into the mouth of a loaded cannon while he applied a match to the touch-hole. At all events the results of the experiment, although not quite so violent, were certainly felt for a longer period.
Ventilation.--Do not attempt to teach bees the art of ventilation. We have seen that they know how to do what we do not--keep the air as sweet within their home as it is without. Open any creviec in the hive, and they will immediately stop it up with propolis. Your experiments may worry, but will never-teach or improve them. We do not here speak of ventilating any side-hives for special purposes, but of the chief one, where the bees live and are rearing their brood. Mr. Grant once tried an experiment in the way of making the bees more comfortable, by simply covering the ordinary entrance at the commencement of frost with a piece of perforated zinc; " but in a few minutes afterwards the bees became unsettled, and crowded to the entrance, evidently oppressed by the alteration I had made, and appearing to absorb the condensed air on the zinc, which induced me to remove it altogether. Shortly afterwards I attempted to contract the entrance by inserting a piece of wood one inch longer by half-an-inch thick, leaving about one and a half-inch open. The wood had not been applied many minutes, when two of the bees came and examined it, with the object of removing it, as they fixedBees.
their hind-legs to it, and pulled with all their strength; but failing in their endeavours, they, with several others which subsequently joined them, ran about the entrance, and appeared to be very uneasy. As I could not bear to see them uncomfortable, I withdrew the piece of wood, upon which two of them immediately occupied the position where it had been placed, and continued fanning for nearly ten minutes as if it had been the warmest day in June." If one then left them to ventiate themselves ever after, with the most perfect success. And here let us observe, that Mr. Grant has shown that zinc should never be used in hives; a white powder forms upon it, which is presumed to be poisonous, and which the bees evidently made great exertions to be rid of.
## Honey taking and swarming.
Together with the spring come the chief duties of the apiarian. The object of his labours will now be two-fold. Firstly, to secure as much honey as he can without detriment to the bees, and secondly, to increase the number of his swarms, in order to give him a larger stock against next year's labours. But if he takes honey he will check the increase of the swarms, and if he multiplies his swarms, it will be at the expense of much present honey, for the sake of more hereafter. He will therefore balance the question of profit in his mind, and encourage either one or the other, for from the same live he cannot expect much of both. Bees, like men, desire to increase and multiply, and in consequence all their preparations and filling of their numerous storehouses is with reference solely to that view, after they have collected sufficient nourishment to supply their own necessities, and not with any d.interested view of affording their master a rich harvest. This object they can generally attain, and can furnish amply sufficient stores of food to supply the coming generation, no matter how numerous the fecundity of the queen-mother may cause that generation to be. But it is clearly impossible th it they can rear the greatest possible amount of brood, and at the same time aiford to man the greatest possible weight of honey, which honey was only intended for that brood, and cannot support both the brood and the bee-master. The judicious apiarian must, therefore, constantly distinguish between these two departments of bee-management, and either promote the one in which he most desires to be successful, or strive to hit that golden mean which shall preserve a moderate increase both of honey and brood.
We will now suppose that the apiarian has followed the instructions given respecting the caps to be placed upon lives, and has diligently capped his hives, by always keeping a store of fresh glasses by him, and immediately replacing the filled cap with an empty one charged temptingly with a piece of pure white comb. He will in that case have obtained nearly two pounds per diem of the very purest honey, which if sold, will at this comparatively early season of the year, always fetch a very high price, for the appearance of a glass-cap filled with honeycomb is so elegant as always to secure a sale for it, as an ornament to the breakfast table. If later in the year, say in July or August, the hive is strong enough to bear a further deprivation, the bee-keeper should fumigate the bees, and then cut out some of the combs. Of course this is only to be done if the hive is a single one, as if it is a double or treble hive, the combs can be removed almost without the knowledge of the bees. The best method of fumigating is as follows :--
## VIII Fumigation.
Fumigation implies directing certain smoke of a stupifying character into the hives, so as to render the bees harmless while their combs are being removed, while at the same time no injury is done to the bees themselves. There are several substances which stupify ; tobacco is one, but it is apt to give the wax and honey an unpleasant flavour, and we will, therefore, say nothing about it. The best material that can be used for this purpose, is the lycoperdon, or common puff-ball, which is also known among the peusantry of the various parts of England, by the names of frog-cheese, mully-puff, and punk-fist. A fine specimen of this fungus will grow as large as a child's head It may be found in almost any field where mushrooms grow, but if none grows near the operator, it may be cheaply procured, ready dried and prepared, at the herbalists' in Covent Garden, and other places. It should always be gathered when nearly ripe in dry weather, and either exposed to the heat of the sun or placed in an oven until it turns brown and leathery. Some always squeeze it flat during the drying process, as it then can be packed easier, and appears to take fire sooner than if left to dry in any shape it chooses to take. In order to insure its burning freely when lighted, some recommend that when dried, it should be dipped in a very weak solution of saltpetre, and again dried. There are many ways of applying the smoke, but all are useless unless the fungus is retained outside the hive, and only the smoke permitted to enter, as the bees are sure to fall on the burning mass, and thus many will be killed or maimed. Moreover, the operator ought to be able to regulate the amount of smoke poured into the hive. Mr. Cotton, the author of "My Bee-Book," managed it by having a tin box made to fit the nose of a pair of bellows, in which was placed a piece of lighted fungus about twice the size of a hen's egg. There were two openings in the box, one to admit the nose of the bellows, and the other immediately opposite, from which the smoke poured. The box being fixed on the nose of the bellows, and the end being placed against the entrance of the hive, a few vigorous puffs soon fill the hive with the stupifying smoke, under whose effects, after a brief buzz of indiignantstonishment, the bees are heard falling as thick as hail, and in a few minutes, all is still within.