418 



BEE. 



!>oe. collection of Jioney in their power, and without go- 

 ( v~ * iug to a distance. It is not known how far they 

 fly : some think they traverse several miles ; others, 

 that their flight hardly exceeds half a league : but the 

 accidents to which they are exposed render it import- 

 ant for provisions to be near at hand. In the low 

 country, mignonette is said to afford the finest honey, 

 and may be kept in blossom a large portion of the 

 year. Bromwich, an intelligent writer, relates, that, 

 in 1779, he planted a great quantity of it before two 

 bee hives, at a considerable distance from any othei 

 bees. With such abundant supplies as this afforded 

 them, few ever left his garden. In September he 

 took the honey, and found it exceed, by above a 

 third, what he obtained from any other two of his 

 best hives, where the bees were obliged to fly farther, 

 and equal in fragrance and colour to what is import- 

 ed from the warmer climates. It is a favourite flower 

 among bees ; for we have observed patches of it, in 

 the very centre of the city of Edinburgh, resorted to 

 from hives beyond the suburbs. Bonner affirms, that 

 he has often " seen a hive, by being placed nigh 

 heath, become ten, twelve, or fifteen pounds heavier 

 in the month of August ; whereas, if it had remained 

 in its original early situation, it would probably have 

 become every day lighter after Lammas." 

 Transport- This circumstance leads us to another point which 

 ing bees for the cultivator has to observe, namely, changing the 

 pasturage, situation of his apiary as the flowers surrounding it 

 decrease. Those in one district, as. we well know, 

 have entirely faded, while those of another are in full 

 blow. Though the practice of transporting hives 

 to fresh pasturage is not so general as it ought to be, 

 probably because they are seldom numerous in the 

 possession of individuals, it is not unknown in Scot- 

 land ; and persons in the vicinity of Edinburgh year- 

 ly send their whole stock to the Highlands, for the 

 purpose of gathering honey. In France it is done 

 either by land or water. M. Reaumur mentions the 

 custom of a M. Protaut, who cultivated bees on an 

 extensive scale, and seems to have kept between 500 

 and 600 hives for a manufactory of wax. These he 

 sent twenty miles from their ordinary station, and, if 

 the place appropriated for them was not productive 

 of food, they were transported still farther. Each 

 hive was put on a coarse cloth, the corners and edges 

 of which were turned up, and secured by binding 

 them round with packthread. Those containing 

 small quantities of comb were kept in the usual posi- 

 tion ; but those full of comb were reversed, in order 

 to secure the comb. They were then disposed in 

 tiers, two and two, throughout the whole length of 

 carts made on purpose, from 30 to 48 being carried 

 in each cart. The carts travelled slowly over the 

 smoothest road when the journey was long : if the 

 hives were slenderly stored, they sometimes halted 

 near fertile fields, and the bees were allowed to go 

 abroad to feed ; having returned at night to their 

 dwelling, the journey was resumed. The Egyptians 

 also transport their bees on a large scale on the river 

 Nile. The inhabitants of Lower Egypt collect the 

 hives belonging to different villages, and pile them 

 up in pyramids in boats prepared to receive them. 

 These boats slowly ascend the river, as in Higher 

 Egypt the flowers are earlier in bloom ; and they 

 8 



stop on the way, to allow the bees to fly about and Bee. 

 make ample collections on the banks. Three months """ -v" 

 are occupied in the voyage and return, when each 

 hive is delivered to its proprietor, whose name, mark, 

 or number, has been affixed to it. The modern 

 Greeks, inhabiting the coast of Asia Minor, convey 

 their hives also in boats from shore to shore, in order 

 to reach newer and more abundant pasturages than 

 what they leave. In one of these voyages we are 

 told, that a hive being accidentally overturned, the 

 enraged bees so keenly attacked the seamen, that 

 they were glad to leap overboard and swim to the 

 shore, which fortunately was not distant. The ex- 

 tent of this practice justifies our recommending it as 

 one effectual method of increasing the quantities of 

 honey. The hives must be transported on a spring 

 cart, which, if well hung, an essential quality, ought 

 to travel expeditiously through the night : and they 

 should also be kept cool. Small holes, for the admis- 

 sion of fresh air, should be made in the bottom and 

 sides of the hive ; but the operator need not dread the 

 consequences of keeping his bees one or two days in 

 total confinement. In changing the situation of the 

 apiary, certain conveniences must be sacrificed ; but 

 when it remains stationary, its proper position is in a 

 field or garden, where it is sheltered from the winds, 

 and protected from the access of cattle and the 

 curiosity of mankind, by a railing. Flowers and 

 shrubs ought to be in the immediate vicinity, and 

 trees at a distance. It should not be encompassed 

 by high walls, for the bees, from either being heavily 

 laden, or fatigued with their labours, or affected by 

 the sudden chill of evening, predominant in our own 

 climates, are unable to surmount it : and there are 

 the same reasons against its being encircledby a thick- 

 et. A southern exposure is not indispensible, as Berg- 

 man properly observes ; but hives should seldom stand 

 in the shade. The apiary should be freed of weeds and 

 tufts of grass close to the hive, as they harbour ver- 

 min : and spreading sand or gravel around the hives, 

 is beneficial both in obstructing the growth of weeds, 

 and in absorbing moisture. To save the trouble of 

 attendance, it is convenient to have the apiary in the 

 vicinity of a dwelling-house. 



After the site of the apiary is chosen, it ts neces- Diseases 

 sary for the cultivator frequently to inspect his hives, and enc- 

 to ascertain whether they are in a flourishing state, or mics ot 

 suffer from disease and the inroads of enemies. Bees, " ces " 

 in common with other animals, are liable to various 

 diseases. The Abbe della Rocca informs us, that 

 almost the whole hives in the isle of Syra, in the Ar- 

 chipelago, were destroyed by an epidemic disease 

 which prevailed from 1777 to 1780. In this case, 

 some vice or corruption seemed to originate among 

 the young brood, which, infecting the bees, produ- 

 ced their death. A kind of dysentery or diarrhuea 

 attacks bees at certain seasons, which is extremely 

 injurious : the commencement is seen by the foul- 

 ness of the combs, which must be pared, and the 

 tainted portion taken away. Some cultivators pre- 

 tend to cure this disease, which, they assert, arises 

 from the nature of the honey collected, by sup- 

 plying the bees with rosemary and honey diluted 

 with water : others recommend a syrup, prepared 

 with equal quantities of sugar and wine and a little 



