296 



FARMERS' REGISTER—MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 



tottiers,^ — the exporter would enlarge his com- 

 merce, and require more ships; but the chief, the 

 greatest, the most lasting benefit would accrue to 

 the land-owner. Instead of ten acres with poor 

 rates, he would have, a.s it were, fifteen without. 

 The country gentlemen are tho.se on whom it is 

 rnast incumbent to put this scheme into execution; 

 and it could a])peal to no fitter patrons. There 

 never was a time in which there existed among 

 them so much intelligence and public spirit as at 

 this day; but hitherto those qualities have wanted 

 direction and concert. 



It lia? already been hinted, that the instaiction 

 here proposed could be given only at schools. 

 Grown men scarcely ever have resolution enough 

 to cany them through the fatigue of studying 

 freeh scienceSi Either distinct schools might be 

 established, or the existing schools might be mo- 

 dified. An intelligent farmer, who is already in 

 the habit of taking pupils, might be provided with 

 a scientific tutor. In the morning, the boj^s might 

 employ themselves, as they do now, in personally 

 observing and assisting in the affairs of the farm; 

 and in the evening they would receive from their 

 tutor instruction in chemistry,botany, the structure 

 and diseases of cattle, the knowledge of insects 

 and of the weather, natural ])hilosophy and book- 

 keeping. I suppose a couple of years well em- 

 ployed would be sufficient to give a young man a 

 competent knowledge of these matters. A diffi- 

 culty might present itself in the first instance, in 

 finding tutors properly qualified; but that would be 

 at the beginning only, for the pupils of this year 

 would be the tutors of the next, and so a perpet- 

 ual succession would be provided. People are shy 

 of new things; but a father in choosing a school 

 for his son would naturally say, (if the charge was 

 not increased,) whether these things be of any use 

 or not, we shall get them for nothing; the boys 

 will receive the usual instruction and this besides, 

 be it worth little or much; and, therefore, by all 

 means let us have it. 



The only means by which there is any hope of 

 accomplishing these purposes is, the formation of 

 a comprehensive Agricultural Society; and it is a 

 little surprising, that amongst the innumerable so- 

 cieties now existing in London, there is none spe- 

 cially dedicated to tlae improvement of agriculture. 

 There are many provincial farming societies, pro- 

 bably all useful more or less; but there are impor- 

 tant purposes which they are not qualified to ef- 

 fect. Therefore, I propose the formation of a 

 central society, to be established in London, for 

 the improvement of the agriculture of the king- 

 dom, which might be called the "British Society 

 of Agriculture," with the following objects: — 



To provide a suitable building, or rooms, for 

 holding a library, museum, &c. 



To hold meetings once a fortnight, at certain 

 seasons of the year. 



To procure from the most eminent scientific men 

 of the day, lectures on the application of the vari- 

 ous sciences to agriculture, Avhich might afterwards 

 be printed. 



To correspond with foreign societies, and to 

 form a centre of communication for those establish- 

 ed in this country. 



To take in all the periodical and other scientific 

 works applicable to agriculture, published in any 

 part of the world, and to print and circulate, in a 



cheap form, monthly digests of whatever useful 

 matter they might contain. 



But, principally, to establish throughout the 

 kingdom schools for the instruction of farmers' 

 sons in the elements of (he Physical Sciences. 



IMPIiOVED SYSTEM OF BEE BIAIVAGEMEIVT. 



From the Penny Magazine. 



There is no branch of rural economy connected 

 with more agreeable associations than that of bee 

 management. The proverbially industrious habits 

 of the insect, and its extreme ingenuity in the 

 construction of its domicil, and the deposition of 

 its treasures, are such as to excite the admiralion 

 of the most unobservant. The common necessity 

 of destroying the stock, in order to obtain the pro- 

 duce of their labors, has been always matter of 

 regret. Many ])lans have been hitherto devised 

 for the purpose of obtaining the honey without the 

 destruction of the bees, but they have only been 

 attended with partial success. The object has, 

 however, been latterly and more perfectly attained 

 by Mr. Nutt. a practical apiarian of Lincolnshire, 

 whose system of management has given this 

 branch of rural economy an inportftnce and value 

 of which it was not before considered susceptible, 

 both in the greater productiveness of the bees, 

 and the much superior quality of the honey. 



The first pa'rt of Mr. Nutt's plan of operation 

 is to leave the hive, into Avhich the stock is intro- 

 duced, untouched. When it is filled with honey 

 (the contents of which are to be reserved for the 

 use of the bees,) the capacity of the hive is in- 

 creased, by the addition of another box to the side, 

 communicating with the hive by apertures, which 

 give free admission to the bees m all parts of 

 the box. 



The next important object in Mr. Nutt's system 

 is to ensure a regulated and uniform temperature 

 in this portion of the hive!, wifhorut diminishing 

 the temperature of that which contains the stocfc. 

 The ventilation necessary for tjiis purpose is ef- 

 fected by the means of a perforated tin tube, ex- 

 tending down to a considerable distance from the 

 top into the hive, and connected with an aperture 

 at the bottom, which may be partly or wholly 

 closed by a tin &lide, thus modifying the circula- 

 tion of the air and consequent degree of tempera- 

 ture. The temperature of this side box, which is 

 indicated by a thermometer introduced into the 

 tube, ought to be 70°, which is the natural 

 temperature of the Avorlcing hive; but, in that 

 which contains the stock, a temperature of C^° is 

 necessaty, as well for the incubation of the queen 

 bee, as the maturity of the young. The parent 

 hive is, then, as well the res^idence of the queen 

 bee as the nursery of the young, whilst the side 

 boxes are but additional storehouses for the recep- 

 tion of the superfluous honey, which may be taken 

 away without impoverishing the stock, or robbing' 

 them of their winter sustenance. 



When the thermometer placed in the side box 

 rapidly rises to 90° or 100°, the necessity of again 

 providing the bees with fresh room is indicated; 

 and this is eflfected by establi&'hing another box on 

 the opposite side of the hive. The bees, finding 

 an increase of room, will readily recommence their 

 labors in this new apartment. 



Then follows, in Mr. Nutt's system, the oper- 

 ation of" separating the bees from this second hive. 



