758 lieimi of the Ste^vard of Farm Produce at Windsor. 
Report of the Juthjes of Hives, Honey, and Bee Appliances. [Classes 
77 to 98.] 
The Lee season of 1889, from its very marked contrast to that of last 
year, has afforded to beekeepers a favourable opportunity for proving the 
superiority of t}ie modern system of beekeeping over that followed in years 
gone by. 
Had so disastrous a season as tliat of 1888 occurred prior to the estab- 
lishment of the British Beekeepers' Association and its kindred offshoots 
throughout the country, we are probably within the mark in asserting that 
not more than 20 per cent, of the bees in the United Kingdom would have 
survived. As it is, the loss since last year has been enormous ; but, in the 
great majority of cases, it has arisen from causes quite plain to, and easily 
guarded against by, those who have made themselves acquainted with the 
principles of bee management on the modern system. 
Nothing could have more clearly demonstrated the progress made in the 
method of managing bees than the hue display of honey shown at Windsor. 
Owing to the early date — so far as honey is concerned — on which the Show 
was held, the quantity of honey staged was as remarkable for its extent 
and completeness as for the rapidity with which it was gathered by the 
bees and prepared for exhibition. The number of honey exhibits more than 
quadrupled those of last year, and the quality was very good, especially in 
the Class for extracted honey. The Class for one lb. sections of comb honey 
was also fairly well filled, but the general appearance was not quite so attrac- 
tive as we could have wished, owing to the fact that the larger portion of 
the exhibits was from sainfoin districts. Comb honey from this source, 
though excellent in flavour, has a yellow look not altogether pleasing com- 
pared with the delicate, creamy white of clover sections. 
The occasion was made memorable by the visit of Her Majesty the 
Queen to the bee department, accompanied by the Prince of Wales and 
several other members of the Ro)'al Family. Her Majesty was received by the 
Baroness Burdett-Coutts, President of the British Beekeepers' Association, 
and several members of the committee of that body, and it must have been 
very gratifying to these gentlemen when their chairman was enabled to 
offer, on behalf of the Association, for Her Majesty's acceptance, a fine 
sample of this seasons honey in the form of a device from the prize collec- 
tion, containing the initials of the Royal Agricultural Society, together with 
the words " Jubilee, '89 " worked by the bees in honeycomb, and filled with 
beautiful sainfoin honey. The novel present was graciously accepted by 
Her Majesty, who seemed much interested and pleased with what she saw 
in the bee department. 
Turning to the Bee Appliances, there was a falling off in the number of 
entries compared with Nottingham, only 96 exhibits being staged, against 
123 at the latter place. Last year there were no less than ten entries in the 
Class for Collection of Hives and Appliances, and these in themselves made 
quite an imposing and effective display. At Windsor, however, only four col- 
lections were staged ; the difierence leading us to suppose there must be some 
objection on the part of exhibitors to the strict lines laid down in the 
schedule for their guidance. If this be so it is worth considering whether 
something cannot be done in future to encourage a larger entry in this im- 
portant Class. 
We were pleased to note a welcome change in the quality of the goods 
shown in Classes 80 and 81, for hives not to exceed in price 15s. and 10*. 6c?. 
respectively. Last year hives wei'e staged in these Classes worth far more 
than the value placed upon them, and the Judges did not fail to take note 
of the fact. This year we had no fault to find in this respect, and it gives 
