226 [Senate 



give an elaborate and full treatise on the nature, instincts and habits 

 of the honey bee in this case, cannot be expected, on account of its 

 length and labor, and any essay short of this, will appear imperfect. 

 Nevertheless, if I can be the humble instrument of doing any good 

 in the advancement of the apiary, a portion of my time and strength 

 will be devoted to its objects with pleasure. 



The wonderful economy of the honey bees, early attracted the at- 

 tention of mankind; their history cannot be traced to its origin, nei- 

 ther is the precise time of the commencement of their cultivation 

 known; many of their habits were known to the ancients, but their 

 knowledge was combined with many fanciful and superstitious no- 

 tions, which have been handed down by our forefathers, even to the 

 present time. Modern writers have contributed much to our stock 

 of knowledge on this subject, and it is believed that the superstitions 

 concerning them gradually subside, as their owners become more ac- 

 quainted with their true nature and interests. 



If I am not mistaken, in the year 1830, one thousand eight hundred 

 and twenty-three writers on bees, had been enumerated; since which 

 time, it is believed that more than fifty writers may be added to the 

 list. More has been done for the apiary in the United States since 

 1828, than had been previously done since the settlement of New- 

 England. James Thacher, M. D., whose seat is on or near the fore- 

 father's rock, applied the mighty lever in such a manner, about the 

 year 1829, that the whole apiarian, community through the country 

 felt his wake. But after all that Thacher and other modern natu- 

 ralists have done in adding to our stock of information on this subject, 

 many things are now assumed without sufficient proof by observation, 

 and the great mass of persons who keep bees, still adhere to some 

 superstitious notions taught by ancient writers and traditions of our 

 forefathers. It is the delicious luxur}', the comforts of life, that the 

 honey bee produces, that has rendered this tribe of insects the peculiar 

 care of man from the early ages of the world; not because the honey 

 bee excites our admiration more than some other tribes of insects; for 

 instance, the hornet or ant; but the honey bee contributes to our 

 wants and necessities, both food and medicine. It has long been a 

 settled fact, among well informed apiarians, that there are three classes 

 or sorts of bees in a family, swarm, colony, hive, skip, &c. all 

 meaning a community of bees that cluster and lodge together, to wit: 

 a queen, drones and workers; in other words, these classes may, per- 

 haps, with greater propriety, be called one female, males and imper- 

 fect females or neuters. When these classes are well known to the bee 

 manager, the next thing to be understood by him is the peculiar office 

 of each; these offices are distinguished with more difficulty than the 

 classes or sorts, on account of their labors being performed princi- 

 pally in the hive, by the sense of touch, and in darkness; never- 

 theless experiments have proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, the 

 principal offices and duties of each class of bees. When the bee 

 manager understands the nature of the bees, thus far he is able to 

 enter upon his duties in an intelligible manner, and feel sure of suc- 

 cess. It is indeed true that there are yet a great many persons who 



