520 
The Warunck Meeting. 
Hives and Honey, 
In this section there were 154 entries arranged in 16 classes. 
The following are the salient points in the J udges’ report : — 
The interest in Apiculture — as evinced by the eagerness of the manufac- 
turers of appliances to gain the coveted awards, the spirit of inventiveness 
displayed in the production of numerous fresh objects as well as the further 
development of others already in use, and the long list of entries in the 
honey classes from all parts, as well as the technical knowledge shown by 
numerous visitors — appears to have taken a strong hold upon a rapidly 
increasing class throughout the United Kingdom. 
Referring to what was expressed in last year's report as to the favour 
with which the work of the bee was regarded, it may be safely inferred that 
the intervening period has more than sustained that interest, and that bee- 
keeping is becoming firmly established as a national industry. 
With the disadvantage of the earlier period at which the Show is now 
held, the display of honey was highly creditable ; many of the exhibits 
being in excellent condition and of fine flavour. But, owing to the cause 
just stated, the beekeepers of the district in which the Show was held were 
conspicuous by their absence from the competition. 
The task of discriminating and awarding the prizes in the hive classes 
was one calling for great care. The excellence of material and workman- 
ship, combined with close attention to details, marked generally the whole 
of the exhibits. The principles of construction were observed ; and where 
defects did exist they were attributable apparently to oversight. In the 
class for the best and most complete hive for general use, a combined hive 
and hiver was e.xhibited, the purpose of which is to supersede the prevalent 
practice of allowing the bees to swarm and choose their own course of 
action by intercepting the flight of the queen bee, and giving her and the 
bees access to a hive placed above the one from which they have issued. 
As the practice is as yet almost untried in this country, experiment is needed 
to demonstrate its practical usefulness. A noticeable feature in this class 
was the increasing favour with which hives having a loose and separate 
outer casing or covering .appear to be regarded by makers of bee-appliances, 
a majority of those staged being constructed on these lines. As a general 
rule, it may be said that the tendency is towards lightness and simplicity in 
hive construction while relying on the ‘ box within a box ’ principle for 
protection to bees from winter cold and summer heat, instead of the heav'y 
and cumbersome hive of an older date. 
In the class for cottagers’ hives some exceedingly good and useful articles 
were shown, though we deem it preferable that tbe price be kept as near as 
10s. 6<Z. as possible rather than as high as 15s., the latter being alto- 
gether too much to expect a cottager to pay for a hive, however good value 
it might be for the money. 
Of new inventions nothing very striking was shown, the chief interest 
being drawn to the various devices for self-hiving swarms of bees as already 
referred to. That this would confer a general benefit upon, and be a perfect 
boon to, a large class of beekeepers, who are perforce compelled to be absent 
from their bees at swarming time, is certain, and if eventually we should 
evolve from the various devices at present untried a really efficient appliance 
for the purpose, it is sure to be in great demand. But we must await reports 
of the success or failure of those at present devised, when they shall have 
been submitted to a practical test, before pronouncing definitely on their 
merits. 
