Introduction. 



day systems, or suffer the only alternative — that of total 

 extinction at no very distant date. 



Luckily for English bee-keeping, there is a third class 

 upon which the hopes of all who love the ancient ways and 

 days, and yet recognise the absorbing interest and value of 

 modern research in apiarian science, may legitimately rely. 

 Born and bred amongst the hives, and steeped from their 

 earliest years in the lore of their skeppist forefathers, 

 these interesting folk seem, nevertheless, imbued to the 

 core with the very spirit of progress. While retaining an 

 unlimited affection for all the quaint old methods in bee- 

 keeping, they maintain themselves, unostentatiously, but 

 very thoroughly, abreast of the times. Nothing new is 

 talked of in the world of bees that these people do not 

 make trial of, and quietly adopt into their daily practice, if 

 really serviceable ; or as quietly discard, if the contrivance 

 prove to have little else than novelty to recommend it. 



As a rule, they are reserved, silent men, difficult of 

 approach ; and yet, when once on terms of familiarity, 

 they make the most charming of companions. Then they 

 are ever ready to talk about their bees, or discuss the 

 latest improvements in apiculture ; to explain the intrica- 

 cies of bee-life, as revealed by the foremost modern obser- 

 vers, or to dilate by the hour on the astounding delusions 

 of mediffival times. But they all seem to possess one 

 invariable characteristic — that of whole-hearted reverence 

 for the customs of their immediate ancestors, their own 

 fathers and grandfathers. In a long acquaintance with 

 bee-men of this class, I have never yet met with one who 

 could be trapped into any decided admission of defect in 

 the old methods, which — to say truth — were often as sense- 

 less as they were futile, even when not directly contrary 

 to the interest of the bee-owner, or the plain, obvious dic- 

 tates of humanity. In this they form a refreshing con- 

 trast to the ultra-modern, pushing young apicuiturist 

 of to-day ; and it is as a type of this class that the Bee- 

 Master of Warrilow is presented to the reader. 

 6 



