The Hive and the Honey Bee

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 Excerpt: ...diameter, fitted with a cork or bung. Take another hive of ordinary dimensions, and place it over this, as in the annexed cut. This is called capping. When, during the proper season, the bees have filled the lower part of the hive, and show symptoms of requiring more room, you have only to draw out the cork, and place the cap over the hoard. This acts as a bell-glass; and the honey you will collect in it will not he inferior to that procured from the most costly set of beeboxes. A coating of Roman cement on the exterior surface of these hives, will render them almost everlasting. De Gelieu states that he took 721bs. weight of fine, pure honey from a straw hive thus capped, in one season. Glass, or, as they are called by some, "observatory hives," are not such as I approve of, unless purely for the purpose of observation. Bees love darkness, and hate light or observation. In a state of nature they are in a habit of seeking some hollow, vacant spot beneath a bank or rock, the cleft of a tree, or some similarly dark and secluded situation. The observatory hive is, then, foreign to the natural habits of the insects, and as such, of course, it is not to be recommended. "The Bee Preserver." (Translated from the French.) CHAPTER VII. HOW TOUR STOCK IS TO BE OBTAINED. A Stock of bees is usually to be obtained by purchase, although it may, indeed, chance that you get an opportunity of hiving a "vagabond" swarm which may have settled in your garden or orchard. In the latter instance, however, I think your property in the stragglers somewhat questionable, and, perhaps, scarcely more so than it would be in a stray ox or sheep, which accident had driven into your premises. You may procure stock either in the spring or autumn. I should prefe...