18 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



Bees and Honey. 



Two specimens only of honey were entered for premiums, 

 and laid before the committee. The first premium of three 

 dollars is awarded to Abraham Lord, of Ipswich, and the sec- 

 ond premium of two dollars, to John F. Kimball, of Boxford. 



Each being accompanied by a statement of the mode of 

 management of the bees, the comparative value of each will be 

 thereby shown. The quality of the honey, the committee con- 

 ceive, is not affected by the particular management of the bees, 

 but by the kind of pasture in which they feed, and especially 

 by the part of the season in which it is made ; the earliest 

 made honey is supposed to be always the best flavored. It 

 may therefore be suggested, that if any mode of management 

 could or would be adopted, to expedite the early swarming of 

 the young colonies, or otherwise, the early commencement of 

 their work, it would be important. It was well suggested, how- 

 ever, by one of the committee, that too much management of 

 bees was not good, that they are a kind of insect peculiarly and 

 tenaciously attached to their natural instinctive movements. 



This subject should be well understood by the poor, who 

 stand in need of the industriously earned products of the bee, 

 as well as their own. The anecdote of the curate, who applied 

 to the bishop for help, as his salary was insuflicient, and in- 

 quired what he should do, was answered, " O, keep bees," may 

 not be here out of place. And for the rich it is a branch of 

 natural history both amusing and interesting, while it supplies 

 for the table, food delicate and delicious. 



If the peculiar movements of these interesting insects were 

 to be better understood, it might eradicate from the minds of 

 the rising generation, many superstitious notions in regard to 

 their habits. Many of our older inhabitants at this day, and 

 in this enlightened age, practice dressing the bee-house in 

 mourning, covering it with black cloth, when one of the fam- 

 ily, particularly the head of it, dies ; they really believe if this 

 is not done at the time of such events, the bees will all die, 

 or forsake their home. 



The committee unanimously concur in the opinion, that the 

 keeping of bees ought to be further encouraged, under the 



