ESSEX SOCIETY. 97 



too long a door, nor too high. If too long, the bees cannot 

 easily guard it, and if too high, the moth will get in over the 

 heads of the guards. If the guards catch one of them his life is 

 not worth insuring. But if the moths, in any numbers, effect 

 a lodgment in the hive, then the hive is not worth insuring. 

 They immediately commence laying their eggs, from which 

 comes, in a few days, a brownish white caterpillar, which en- 

 closes itself, all but its head, in a silken cocoon. This head, 

 covered with an impenetrable coat of scaly mail, which bids 

 defiance to the bees, is thrust forward, just outside of the silk- 

 en inclosure, and the gluttonous pest eats all before it, wax, 

 pollen, and exuviae, until ruin to the stock is inevitable. As 

 says the Prophet Joel, " the land is as the garden of Eden be- 

 fore them, and behind them a desolate wilderness." Look out, 

 brethren bee lovers, and have your hives of the best unshaky, 

 unknotty stock, with close fitting joints, and well covered 

 with three or four coats of paint. He who shall be successful 

 in devising the means of ridding the bee world of this des- 

 tructive and merciless pest, will richly deserve to be crowned 

 " King Bee," in perpetuity, to be entitled to a never-fading 

 wreath of budding honey flowers, from sweetly breathing fields, 

 all murmuring with bees, to be privileged to use, during his 

 natural life, "night tapers from their waxen thighs," best wax 

 candles, (two to the pound !) to have an annual offering from 

 every bee master, of ten pounds each, of very best virgin 

 honey, and to a body guard, for protection against all foes, of 

 thrice ten thousand workers, all armed and equipped, as Na- 

 ture's law directs. Who shall have these high honors ? 



HENRY K. OLIVER, Chairman. 



Moody Ordway^s Statement. 



The hive of bees which I present for inspection, is a spe- 

 cimen of fifteen hives in my apiary. The construction and 

 dimension of this hive, I consider superior to any that I have 

 ever seen, and are as follows : Length on the back side two 

 feet, front two feet three inches. This slant on the bottom 

 enables the bee to drag out all dead bees, and filth, easily. 

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