A Profitable Instruction of the Perfite Ordering of Bees: With the Maruellous Nature, Propertie, and Gouernemente of Them: and the Necessarie Vses Both of Their Honie and Waxe, Seruing Diuersly, as Well in Inward as Outward Causes: Gathered Out of the Best WritersHill, Thomas
Science
A Profitable Instruction of the Perfite Ordering of Bees: With the Maruellous Nature, Propertie, and Gouernemente of Them: and the Necessarie Vses Both of Their Honie and Waxe, Seruing Diuersly, as Well in Inward as Outward Causes: Gathered Out of the Best Writers
Hill, Thomas
Bee culture -- Early works to 1800; Bees -- Early works to 1800
The kéeper of Bées which mindeth to handle and looke into hiues, ought
the day before to refraine the veneriall acte, not a person fearefull,
nor comming to the hiue with vnwashed handes and face. And one that
oughte to refraine in a manner from all smelling meates, poudered
meates, fryed meates, and all other meats that doe stinke, like as the
Léekes, the Onions, the Garlike, and suche like, whiche the Bées
greatlye abhorre. Besides, to be then swéete of body, and clenly in
apparell, minding to come to their hiues, for in all clenlinesse and
swéetnesse the Bées are muche delighted. Nowe thus prepared & in a
readinesse, open the hiues first of the Bées, about the .viij. or .x.
day of Aprill, being then a cleare & warme day, & purge the hiues of
all such filth which be gathered in them all the winter before, like as
Spiders webs, which oughte especially to be wiped awaye, bicause they
corrupt the combes, not with hands, but with a goose wing, the same
ought to be done. After that, the Hiue oughte to be smoaked with Oxe or
Cowe dung, for in that (as it were, by an affinitie of the kinde) do
the Bées greatly delight. The little wormes also, whiche some name
Maggots, that bréede in the combes, throughe the blowing of the
Butterflies, and also the Butter-flyes ought to be killed and purged
oute of the hiue. If the combes happen to fall throughe infection or
corruption in them, then make a smoake with the drie dung and marowe of
an Oxe or Cowe mixed togither, that the sauour may go vppe to them,
whiche for that time will cure the weake combes, strengthen the Bées, &
cause them to worke the lustier afterward. And from the beginning of
May, vnto the last of Iune, the hiues ought then to be diligently
looked vnto, that the yong swarmes flye not away. Also from the tenth
of Iune, vnto the tenth of August, the hiues ought to be opened now &
then, & to be smoked with such like as afore is taught. Whiche
althoughe it be grieuous for the time to Bées, yet the same is very
profitable, and strengthneth them. And from the beginyng of the Dog
dayes, vnto the eightéenth of September, ought the Bées to be carefully
looked vnto and defended, from the violence of the Hornet Bées, which
often awaite before the mouthes of the Hiues, to set vppon and eate the
Honny Bées. Nowe the kéeper in a fayre sunny daye, ought to clense the
Hiues of al maner annoyances as before is taught, and diligently to
stop the chincks, or clefts about, sauing the mouthes of the Hiues,
with Oxe dung & clay mixed togither. And this ought to be done, for two
or thrée daies before the change of the Moone, the better to defend the
Butter flye and others, from créeping in. The Hyues besides ought to
haue two bigge stickes cleane scraped, and running a crosse from side
to side, and sprinckled rounde about within, and swéete and pleasant
wine, or else the stickes to be harde rubbed ouer, with the gréene
braunches of the Fennell or other swéete smelling herbs, or with a
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