BEE 
BEE 
tliough ncceflary, piece of policy, takes place. The 
drone Bees (generally about a hundred in each 
hive) are marked for deftru6tion ; and thofe de- 
voted animals, who had hitherto led a life of indo- 
lence and pleafure,'and whofe only employment 
confifted in impregnating the queen, and rioting 
on the labours of the hive, without improving 
the common ftock, now lliare the fate of mere vo- 
luptuaries, and fall a facrifice to the common re- 
fentment of the fociety. The working Bees de- 
clare war againfl: them in a body ; and, in the fpace 
of two or three days, the ground all round the hive 
is ftrewed with the dead. Nor are the labouring 
Bees contented with this facrilice ; they even dif- 
patch fuch drones as are yet remaining in the cells 
in their worm-Hate, and ejedt their bodies from 
the hive. 
When a hive fends out feveral fwarms in a year, 
<he firft is always the beft, as well as the moft nu- 
merous ; for, having the greatefb part of the fum- 
mer before them, they have the more time for 
making wax and honey, and confequently their la- 
bours are the moft valuable to their proprietor. 
Though the fwarm is principally made up of the 
younger Bees, thofe of all ages generally com.pofe 
tlie number of emigrants: and as a fingle hivefome- 
times contains upwards of forty thoufand inha- 
bitants, fuch a vaft body may well be fuppofed to 
work with great expedition. Such, in fa£l, are their 
exertions, that in lefs than twenty-four hours they 
oftenformaferiesof combs twenty inches in length, 
and feven or eight in breadth; and they not^unfre- 
quently fill their hives with wax in lefs than five 
days. Generally, however, the firft fifteen days 
are employed in making wax. 
Columella diredls, that the apiary, or Bee-gar- 
den, be fituated fo as to face the fouth ; that it be 
in a valley, that the loaded Bees may with greater 
eafe defcend to their homes j that it be near the 
habitations of men, on account of the conveniency 
of watching them, yet fo placed as not to be expofed 
cither to noifome fmells or the difturbance of men 
or cattle ; that it be flirrounded with a low wall ; 
and that, if pofllble, a running ftream be near it. 
A farm, however, or even«a countiy, may be over- 
ftocked with thefe induftrious animals ; for a cer- 
tain number of hives always require a proportiona- 
ble quantity of flowers for the fubfiftence of the 
Bees they contain. 
When the flowers in the vicinity of the hives of 
thefe infefts are all rifled, they are of courfe obliged 
to take more extenfive ranges : but their indefati- 
gable abilities may be over-tafked; for diey fre- 
quently either become weary in the purfuit, are 
devoured by birds, or beat down by the wind and 
rain. From this confideration, in fome parts of 
France and Piedmont, the natives have conftrudled 
a kind of barge, capable of containing from three- 
fcore to a hundred Bee-hives, and well defended 
from the inclemency of an accidental ftorm; and 
with thefe the owners fufFer themifelves to float 
gently down the ftream. As the Bees are conti- 
nually chufing their flowery food along the banks, 
they are furniftied with fweets before unrifled ; and 
thus a fingle floating Bee-houfe, during a favoura- 
ble fe^fon, amply repays the care of the proprietors, 
by yielding a confiderable return of honey. Were 
this method adopted in England, as our rivers are 
lefs rapid, and their banks more flowery than thofe 
of mcft other countries, fuch an employment might 
probably yield the aiTiduous fwain an eafy and 
comfortable m.aintenancej while the advantages re- 
fulting from it would be proportionably great. 
Bees colle£t two forts of wax; the one coarfe, 
and the other fine. The coarfer fort is the beft, and 
is generally diftinguifhed by the name of propolis; 
with which, as before obferved, thefe induftrious 
infedls ftop up all the holes and crevices of their 
hives. Being much more refinous than the finer 
wax, it is confequently better adapted to refift the 
moifture of the leafon, as well as to preferve their 
works warm and dry within. The fine wax is as ne- 
celTary to the prefervation of the Bees as the honey 
itfelf; for with it they conftrud: their lodgings, 
and cover the cells of their young; and in it they 
depofit their ftores of honey. 
There are alfo two kinds of honey; the white 
and the yellow : the white is taken from the ho- 
neycombs without the alTiftance of fire ; while the 
yellow is extraded by heat, and fqueezed through 
bags, in a prefs. The beft honey is new, thick, 
and granulated ; of a clear tranfparent colour; of 
an aromatic fmell ; and of a fweet lively tafte. The 
honey of mountainous countries is preferable to 
that of champain ones ; and the honey made during 
the vernal feafon is more highly efteemed than that 
gathered in fummer; while the laft is ftill more va- 
luable than that of autumn, when the flowers begin 
to fade, and confequently to iofe their balmy fra- 
grance. Nothing, however, can be more inhuman 
than the modes ufually adopted in order to the 
poflTcfllon of this valuable treafure. Were we to 
kill the hen for it's egg, the cow for it's milk, or 
the flieep for it's fleece, all would inftantly perceive 
how much we adled contrary to our own interefts ; 
and yet a condud in fome meafure fimilar is prac- 
tifed yearly with refped to the induftrious Bees. 
Would it not be more wife, as well as more humane, 
to content ourfelves with taking away a portion of 
their wax and honey, as is the praftice in feveral 
other countries .? With us, when a hive has been 
doomed to deftruftion, a hole is dug near it, and 
a Hick, at the end of which a rag fmeared with 
meked brimftone is affixed, is drove into it: after 
which the rag is fet on fire; and the hive being 
placed over the flame, the earth is inftantly thrown 
up all around, that none of tfie fmoke may efcape. 
In a few minutes all the Bees appear as if dead; and, 
in a little more time, they would be irrecoverably 
fo: but it has been proved by experiment, that 
thofe Bees which have only been aff^edled by the 
fumes of the brimftone recover again; and hence 
it feems certain, that the fumes of brimftone, with 
fome neceflfary precautions, might be ufed for the 
purpofe of intoxicating Bees. In this inhuman 
manner the heavieft as well as the lighteft hives are 
treated : the former, becaufe they yield the greateft 
profit, with an immediate return ; and the latter, 
becaufe the infefts would not be able to furvive 
the winter. 
Tlie prad'ice of the ancients, however, with re- 
fpe£l; to the treatment of Bees, was very diff'e- 
rent : they were content to fhare with thefe induf- 
trious infers the produce of their labours; and 
fome very laudable attempts have been m.ode in 
this country to attain the defirable end of fecuring 
the wax and the honey without deftroying tlie Bees. 
In 1665, John Geddy, Efq. publiftied his invention 
of boxes for preferving the lives of Bees : thefe were 
impi-oved by Dr. Warder; who embelliftied his ac- 
count of the ftrufture and ufe of thele boxes with 
many curious circumftances refpeding the oeco- 
nomy of Bees. In the fame laudable track followed 
two very ingenious divines ; viz. Mr. JohnThorley, 
of Oxford ; and Mr. Stephen White, of Holton, in 
Suflc)lk i who carried the method ot^ preferving the, 
X Jiv€5 
