The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1865]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarianNeighbor, Alfred
Science
The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1865]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarian
Neighbour, G. & Sons, 149, Regent Street, and 127, Holborn,
No. 2157, have a very handsome and complete stall, on ascending the
steps of which we found a flourishing stock of Ligurians, apparently
not at all ashamed of the public position which they occupied, and
working vigorously in the full light of day. The queen, one of the
largest and finest-coloured we have met with, was perambulating the
combs and receiving the homage of her subjects, stopping frequently to
deposit an egg in every empty cell. The hive itself was a "Woodbury
Unicomb," handsomely got up in mahogany, invented as its name implies,
by our valued correspondent. "A Devonshire Bee-keeper,"
the construction of which will be most readily understood by an
inspection of the engraving at page 46. Its distinctive features are,
the adaptation of the moveable-bar system to unicomb-hives, by which
any colony in an apiary of "Woodbury-hives" can be placed in the
unicomb-hive in a few minutes, and the use of "outside Venetians,"
or "sun blinds." as they are called, instead of the usual impervious
shutters. By this contrivance light is never excluded, so that when the
hive is open for inspection, all its inmates continue their avocation
with their accustomed regularity, and a quiet and orderly scene is
presented to the spectator, instead of the hubbub and confusion
which ensues in ordinary unicomb-hives. On the left-hand side of the
unicomb hangs a beautifully executed drawing of a Ligurian queen
bee magnified, together with the queen worker and drone of _Apis
Ligustica_, of the natural size. Immediately under the drawing is
placed a square glass super containing nearly 40 lbs. of the finest
honey-comb. On the right of the unicomb-hive is another super of the
same description, containing nearly 30 lbs. of the purest honey.
These supers are, undoubtedly, by far the finest in the Exhibition,
and are the first worked in England by Ligurian bees, being from the
apiary of "A Devonshire Bee-keeper." In addition to these the
most striking objects, are shown Neighbour's Improved Single Box and
Cottage Hives, Taylor's Bar-Hives, Woodbury Frame and Bar-hives, the
new Bottle-feeder, and bee apparatus of every description. It will be
apparent from the foregoing, that Messrs. Neighbour's stall is well
worth inspection, although the various novelties it contains appear to
have met with but scant appreciation by the Jury, who merely awarded
to them that "honourable mention" so lavishly accorded to the far less
deserving objects.
_From the "Illustrated News of the World" September 6, 1862._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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