04 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



of the hive. Then are yow to have in readinesse three fower- 

 square pinnes for every liive ; wheareof yow are to putte one 

 just in the midst and full against the twelve a clocke pointe, 

 and the other two almost three inches distant on each side of it ; 

 then are yow to clay the hive rownde aboute att tlie bottome 

 tiU yow come within halfe an inch of the outenno.st pinne on 

 each side ; and by this meanes your bees shaU have roome 

 enough to goe out and in without hindeiinge one another. 

 Yow are likewise to see that the hives, to which yow give 

 underlays, bee well clayed ro\vnde aboute betwixt the hive and 

 the underlay ; for by this meanes yow keepe out raine, which 

 otherwise would runne downe the hive, and into the underlay ; 

 and likewise keepe folkes from lookinge into the hive, molest- 

 inge and hiu'tinge the bees ; for when an hive is both clayed 

 there and aboute the bottome, noe body neither can nor will 

 offer to take it up and looke into it. Yow are to have a care 

 in makinge of pinnes that yow make them not too bigge, but 

 onely soe that the bees may goe easily oute and in betwixt the 

 hive and board ; for if yow doe otherwise it will be but a 

 meanes to lette*in mise and snayles,' which two creatm-es are 

 sayd to doe greate harme to bees. Buy the largest hives that 

 yow can gette, because underlayes seldome doe well ; clay them 

 aboute the edge the first yeare ; but wdien yow make cleane 

 under them, scrape away the clay and doe them noe more. 

 They sette theire hives here-abouts not a fuU halfe yard from 

 the ground, but where there is any beeld that standeth just 

 before tlie mouthes of the hive, bee it but a yard and a quarter 

 in height, there your best way is to sette your hive a yard from 

 the ground. Sette yovu- hives all on severall stooles, and lette 

 them have good space to light and runne on betwixt the edge 

 of the board and mouth of the hive : lette the stooles have 

 fower feete, and not stones, to stande on ; your bees standinge 

 on severall stalls whose feete-toppes are putte in a gootl dis- 

 tance from the edge of the board, neyther can misi' hurte them, 

 nor they hurte one another. Wee had noe swarme in the 

 yeare 1(542 till the .3()th of May. The ma.ster-bee is longer and 

 larger then the other l^ees, and cannot goe into theire holes ; 

 hee is of a colour betwixt a tawny and an haire colour, very 

 shininge, and very sniall and sharpe towards the tayle, not like 

 the other greate bees. Have noe catchers, nor take your bees 



» Tho enemies of the bee arc, the mouse, woodpcekor, sparrow, titmouse, swallow, 

 hornet, wasp, moth and its eaterpillars, snail, ant, spider, slug, liee, woodliee, house- 

 lark, fowl, froR, toad, lizard, beetle, black beetle or clock, eheslock, and earwig; to 

 which list Butler quaintly adds, "thieves, of whicli the two legged is tho woi-st 

 enemy of all." The tom-tit is called billy-biter in Yorksliire, and boc-biter in 

 Harapsliiro. 



