ON BEES AND HONEY. 61 



Each being accompanied by a statement of the mode of 

 management of the bees, the comparative vahie 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 flavoured. 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, cr otherwise the early commencement of 

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

 ever, by Dr. Kelley, (who was originally appointed chairman 

 of this committee, — it is regretted that his late arrival at the 

 exhibition required the Society to make a different arrange- 

 ment of the committee.) that too much management of bees 

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

 naciously attached to their natural instinctive movements. 



Your committee would have desired opportunity to have 

 commented more at large on this subject, as it should be well 

 understood by the poor, who stand in need of the industrious- 

 ly earned products of the bee as well as their own. The anec- 

 dote of the Curate who applied to the Bishop for help, as his 

 salary was insufficient, and inquired 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 amus- 

 ing 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, practise 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 



