CARE AGAINST WASPS,

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and where there are but a few Bees, which you can judge of easily from the comparison of the sound, feed them with a match made of brimstone, as by far the shortest and the best way. Not that in such Hives we have any room to expect much honey, unless in very old Hives, which have swarmed themselves out; they, indeed, will sometimes die, and leave large quantities of honey behind them.

Of these a more particular observation should be made, and if there is a sufficient number of Bees let them not be taken barely because of their old age, for there is not a Bee in the whole Hive which is a year old, although the Hive may have stood more than ten; and such Hives seldom fail swarming twice or three times every year. I had a Hive of Bees which I kept near seven years, and then spared them to Mr. Isaac Budgett, in 1783, and this Hive was one of the best in his garden in the summer, 1790, and I do not recollect that ever they missed swarming once a year, and in general twice, and often three times.

Bees, which are designed to be taken, should stand until all the young are come forth, and if any remain they should be separated from the sealed comb, otherwise the honey will be but of little value. In the mean time, care must be taken to prevent their being robbed by the wasps, by making the T hole very small; but if the wasps have begun robbing them, the sooner they are taken the better, for they will never leave them more; and Hives that have been once broken up, as above-mentioned, will be greatly pestered with them.

If the Bee-master shall have been so imprudent as to break them from the stool, the wasp will follow his example, and break the sealed combs. Strange Bees will follow the wasps, and, unless they have cleared away all before the cold prevent them, they will return again in the spring, and take away what was left.

A Bee-garden which has been pestered with robbers once, will be followed with them for many years after; and if such Bees are not burned in the fall, they will, it is ten

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AND OTHER ENEMIES.

to one, leave their combs in the spring, as we have before treated.

But many persons, who have but one Hive, are determined to save them, cost what it will; and to these I would recommend this method: Take a hollow trough, with knots at each end, fitted to the T hole, and fill it with honey or coarse sugar clarified with sweet ale, to prevent its getting thick; let it be put into them in the evening, so close that a Bee may not pass out or in, and taken out again in the morning. And let this be done every night, so long as they continue to carry it up. This should be done in September and October, and let the trough remain in, close stopped, until two hours after sun-rising. All the day after the T hole should be stopped so close, that not more than two Bees can pass at once.

In the months of March or February, if the weather be very fine, all Hives, rich and poor, should be broke from the stools, and cleaned well out; and all the moth-eaten comb cut off. The Bees after that will work with more vigour; for if not done, they will have to bury their dead, and to clean themselves, which will be great hinderance to their work.

When the Bees are thus taken up, you may easily see if they stand in need of more help; and if they do, feed them as before, but with more care; for instead of letting the trough remain two hours after sun-rising, it should be taken out one hour before sun-rising. The Bees, at this season of the year, cannot help telling what they have at home; and as they will invite all the Bees in the country to take part with them, every prudent measure should be taken to prevent the evil consequences of such intelligence.

ON THE PROFIT OF BEES.

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CHAP. XI.

ON THE PROBABLE PROFIT OF BEES, AND OF THEIR INCREASE, WITH SOME OF THEIR MEDICINAL PROPERTIES.

NOTHING will tend to greater profit than Bees, considering the little expence which attends them, as shewn by the following estimate :

:

Suppose, for instance, a swarm of Bees at the first to cost 10s. 6d. to be well hackled, and neither them nor the swarms to be taken, but to do well, and swarm once every year, viz. for the time which those I sold to Mr. J. Budgett have stood, as above-mentioned, what will be the product for fourteen years, and what the profits, if each Hive is sold at 10s. 6d. ?

N.B. Deduct 10s. 6d. what the first Hive cost, and the remainder will be clear profit; supposing the second swarms to pay for Hives, hackles, labour, &c.

My readers must not conclude from this estimate, that I mean to affirm, that every Hive of Bees will produce so

many, or pay so much; but I will confidently assert what I have known and do know, that many have thus paid in proportion, according to the time they have stood. Most men, however, are of such a covetous disposition, that they want their profit every day, and therefore cannot be prevailed on not to burn their Bees every year, and thereby suffer their stocks to increase.

In the autumn of 1790, I had great reason to blame a woman for thus murdering her Bees, and expostulated with her, how much she was mistaken. “What!" says the woman, "would you desire me to let my Bees stand, and pay nothing?" whereas, if she would have patience but for a few years, in all probability she might get a guinea, where she now gets a shilling.

Others have said to me, "I burn them, that I may be sure of them; for should a bad season come, they may die." But suppose the farmers through the country should reason in this wise manner, and should kill all their cows to be sure of them, for fear a bad distemper may break out among the horned cattle, and they may die. I need not point out the absurdity, or enlarge upon its evil effects.

I knew a woman some years ago that always kept thirty good Hives every winter, and at the end of every summer did always burn them down to thirty, making it a rule constantly to leave the very best; and she very seldom lost one in the winter. By the help of these Bees, and the little endeavours this old woman could otherwise make, she was enabled to maintain herself and family comfortably.

But many Bees are lost for want of care. If the hackles are bad in the winter, and the wet comes to the Hive, they will dry no more until the return of summer. The Bees which thus lie in the wet die, though the Hive is full of honey. But the Bee-master may thank himself for this; because, if they are kept dry, and preserved from the enemies already described, no weather will harm them, and they will pay in proportion as before-mentioned, whether many or few.

INCREASE OF HIVES.

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As a proof of my assertion, I will relate the first rise of Mr. John Parrett's Bees, at Downhead, before-mentioned. A swarm of Bees flew in between the tiles, and settled in the ceiling of the Rev. Mr. Watkin's house, at Leigh, which I took out with my hand, and put into a Hive, and then placed them in his garden, in 1786.

In the next year, 1787, they swarmed, and I bought the swarm, but spared it again to Mr. William Ashman, at Mells. In 1788 he had two Hives, and in 1789 he had four Hives, and the last year, 1790, he had nine Hives.

I should have observed, that Mr. Parrett had an old Hive of Mr. Watkins, in 1787; in 1788 he had two Hives, and in 1789 he had four Hives; but these were stolen altogether, otherwise, there is no doubt, but he would have had as many, if not more, than Mr. Ashman.

There are instances of more than double the number abovementioned, in four years; and I have known some that have paid more than these. Many years ago, Mr. Joseph Tite, sen. of Stalbridge, applied to my father to get him a swarm of Bees, who bought one of J. Ford, at Road's-House, for 10s. 6d. which, in about four years, were increased abundantly more.

He then burned them down to six, and made a large barrel of mead, besides preserving a quantity of honey; and this he did every year, so that he could enjoy himself and treat his friends with mead and metheglem, preferable to the best of wines, at a less expense than he could purchase small beer.

Burning of Bees pays more in general than those that are sold. If a Hive be ever so good, it is seldom valued at more than 10s. 6d. while alive, although it may have in it near fifty pounds of honey, for no man will buy one to keep, unless he knows it to be heavy and good; and if heavy, the honey and wax of one Hive will pay near as much as three live ones.

But this is not considered by all Bee-masters at all times; neither will every one leave a certainty for an uncertainty; and, according to the old proverb, prefers one half guinea in hand, to two in the Hive. Neither are the Bees every year

M