4 !-§ Method of Driving Bees, [Dec. K 
scarcely any co-operation in the official 
labours of tiie classes to which they be- 
long. 
It is round the circle of the moral 
sciences, that the dominion of the mili- 
taty despotism is fully extended; and 
over the votaries of general literature, 
that the sword exercises its most fatal 
spell. The members of the subordinate 
classes of the Institute read, and com¬ 
pile, and write, eubigiums on the Empe¬ 
ror, but they produce no works, which 
can be of any permanent value to the 
world, or that possess any such intrinsic 
or original beauties of style and thought 
«s are fitted to re>cue them from a speedy 
Oblivion. It requires no veiy comprehen¬ 
sive knowledge of French literature, nor 
a very discriminating taste, to discover, 
tiiat tlie writers and scb.olars of the pre¬ 
sent day have greatly degenerated from 
their predecessors even of the reign of 
Louis the Sixteenth. In none of their 
productions can you recognise, that pure 
style of composition, that lofty and ge¬ 
nerous strain of sentiment, and those 
original powers of fancy, vvhich distin- 
guisli such volumes, as the Travels of 
Anacharsis, or the Behsarius of Mar- 
raontel. History, philosophy, and criti¬ 
cisms, are more pro'ihc than ever, but 
their orrspring are but ill qualified to re- 
nne the taste, to exalt the digiiity, or 
promote the happiness, of niankind. I'he 
tragic and the lyric Muses, and even the 
epic, are sufneientiy loquacious, but they 
titter nothing calculated to aaluse beyond 
the present hour, or to recal the memory 
of the poetic language even of the days 
of V oltaire. 
IL' the lidito?' oj the MonihlTj Ma^u^lne, 
sin, 
A CORRESPONDENT, wlio affixes 
D%. W, K.” t(> his letter, in vou ?.la- 
gd'iir.e for September, having requested to 
be informed of tiie best method of rak- 
n.g the honey from tlie common basket- 
hives, wirliout destroying the bees;''' I 
transmit to you the following communi¬ 
cation which recently appeared in ‘ Tiie 
Shrewsburv Chronicle, "a provincial nev.s- 
paper of established credit acm very ex¬ 
tensive circulation,uotvvitnsianding\'Riich, 
};o\'ever, I am glad of the opportufoty to 
Solicit a niche in i!ie hionttiiy hraguzine 
also, as I am conidjenr, irnni mv own 
prc.ccice, that the method iierein reccin- 
rhended, needs only to be known L.-ft w. 
may he adepted - 
'i 
A 
Jo the Editor of the Shrewsbury Ckrtnide. 
SIR, M^stfeltoTty July ^ 4 :, 1811. 
BEES, I am glad to perceive, are becom¬ 
ing more and more an object of general atten¬ 
tion, as affiordinga very rational amusement to 
the rich, and to the poor an easily acquired' 
profit ; as tending, therefore, to the preser¬ 
vation and increase of those valuable insects, 
I hope the following recommendation of the 
common straw hive, in preference to alf 
others, will not be deemed an impertinent 
intrusion on any of your readers. I have at 
present in use (and have had for several years 
past) all the hives I have ever read of, ex¬ 
cept Huber’s leaf hive, and deem it my duty 
to inform all lovers of bees of the superiority 
cf the common straw hive, over those of 
Wildman’s, Isaac’s (or the Moreton hive), or 
even the Rev. Mr. Thorley’s ; unless those 
wishing to observe the secrets of the bees 
with a philosophic eye, should chocse to keep 
in Work one or more of Thorley’s, or perhaps 
Haber’s. But, for the profit cf honey, in¬ 
crease cf bees,, the preserving them all alive 
when the combs are taken, and the extreme 
ease and safety with which the operation is 
performed, I think the common hive prefer¬ 
able to all. My method of driving them is 
this: on the night after a hive has swarmed, 
I prepare a kettle of hot water, the mouth of 
vvhich is large enough for the top of a hive, 
to rest on without sinking into the water j 
this is placed near the bee house; the full 
hive is then brought, having its entrance 
stopped with a bit of moist clay, and placed 
(board and all,) near the kettle, when it is 
loosened all round with a strong knife, so as 
to separate easily from the board; it is then 
inverted (still keeping the board close) wiui 
its head on the .kettle of hot water; whei% 
jl.xed steady, tire board is quickly taken offi,. 
and an empty iilve, of exactly the same diw- 
meter, instantly placed ovei it, mouth i.• 
mouth, and a cloth lapped round iheju ben!,: 
where they join. In about ten mimites, or 
a little rucie, the heat of the steam will 
cause a violent stir among the bees ( which 
all ihe while before were perfectly quiet, 
if carefully haiialed; aa.i very shortly aftci- 
this commotion takes place, they will be 
heard {jinagno cum fremit maic.hing into th;j 
upper hive : when all is quiet,, w’iii^ih will b;* 
in a very few minutes more, the upper hive 
is to be [;!aced on the boajii (being lir-f: 
cleaned) from w'hich the full liive was taken, 
and then replaced bn the bench ; and or-j 
examining the old hive, not a sirigle bee will 
be founri remaining among tire combs. Bui, 
if a hive swarms >c-*Ty early in the season, 
perhaps it would be eligible to wait for ano- 
tii'-v swarm fronr rhe same hive, before d-jiv 
ing : though I would by no means recomm. nd 
driving late in the season, as riiere will tu.t 
be fiowvcrs enough in siiCC".»,sio;j to enahle the 
dr'VHui oees ty rrovide tor the winter. 
\ li bl 
