BEE 



BEE 



27 



dwelling house, which you may do 

 in a cool morning without any 

 danger from their stings. Lay 

 the hive upon its side, and have a 

 window of the room open. As 

 the sun gets up, and the air grows 

 warmer, they will quit the hive, 

 and go into the hive next to the 

 place whence they were taken. 

 When you take out the honey, 

 which should be done speedily, 

 the bees that are found among the 

 honey, stiff and unable to fly, 

 should be thrown into a tub of 

 water. They will soon recover 

 their activity, and go after their 

 companions. 



Some practice feeding bees. 

 But, says one, " There is but little 

 use in it, because those which have 

 not a gpod stock of honey to serve 

 them through the winter, are not 

 fit to keep.' — He adds, " There 

 are some stocks of bees in the 

 spring time, that may seem worthy 

 of our care to preserve ; such as 

 have but little honey, and a good 

 number of bees, by means of a 

 cold and dry spring, yet in all 

 probability may prove an excellent 

 stock, and may be worth con- 

 sideration.'' 



" The best method of supplying 

 bees with food, is by small canes, 

 or troughs conveyed into their 

 hives and beginning in March, 

 when they begin to breed and sit 

 on their young, it must be daily 

 continued, till the season affords 

 them ease and provision abroad. 



" Honey is not only the best, 

 but the most natural of all food, 

 and will go much farther mixed 

 well with a moderate quantity of 

 good sweet wort. Some prescribe 



toasts of bread sopped in strong 

 ale, and put into the hive, where- 

 of they will not leave one crumb 

 remaining.'' 



Mr. Thorley advises when stocks 

 of bees are weak, to double them, 

 which he thinks the most effectual 

 way of preserving them in com- 

 mon hives. He does it by the 

 help of a fume, or opiate, which 

 will so stupify them for a time 

 that they may be handled at 

 pleasure. Having done this, the 

 queen must be searched for and 

 killed. And examine whether 

 the stock to which you intend to 

 join the bees of another, have 

 honey enough to maintain the 

 bees of both : It should weigh 

 20 pounds. 



"The narcotic, or stupifying 

 fume, is made with the large mush- 

 room, commonly known by the 

 name bunt, pucktist, orfrog cheese. 

 It is of a brown colour, turns to 

 powder, and is exceeding light. — 

 Put one of these pucks into a large 

 paper; press it therein to two thirds, 

 or half its former bulk, and tie it 

 up very close : Then put it into an 

 oven, after the bread has been 

 drawn, and let it remain there all 

 night : When it is dry enough to 

 hold fire, it is fit for use. The 

 manner of using it is thus : 



"Cut off a piece of the puck, as 

 large as a hen's egg, and fix it in 

 the end of a small stick slit for that 

 purpose, and sharpened at the oth- 

 er end, which place so that the 

 puck may hang near the middle of 

 an empty hive. This hive must 

 be set with tlie mouth upwards, 

 near the stock you intend to take. 

 This being done, set fire to the 



