VENTILATION.
To ascertain the degree of heat in a colony of Bees, and to regulate it
by means of ventilation, as circumstances may require, recourse must be
had to the use of the thermometer, as will be explained presently. But
here I would ask my worthy Bee-keepers, whether, in the course of their
experience, they have at any time beheld a honey-comb suspended beneath
the pedestal of any of their hives--a circumstance that not unfrequently
occurs under old stools? The beautiful appearance of a comb suspended
in such a situation is, as it were, the very finger of Providence,
pointing out the effects of ventilation, and teaching us by an example
the necessity there is for it in a crowded, busy hive. Behold the purity
of such a comb; examine the cause of that purity, and you will find that
it is owing--solely and undoubtedly owing--to the powerful influence of
VENTILATION.
An occurrence of this description, I mean--the discovery of a beautiful
comb suspended, as just described, having excited my curiosity and my
admiration, led me to inquire into the cause of it, and to study to
discover, if by any means I could, why my skilful, little Bees should
have constructed their combs in such a situation. My observations soon
satisfied me that one of these two causes, viz. either a want of room
in the hive,--or a disagreeable and oppressive heat in it,--or most
probably, a combination of these two causes, had rendered it necessary
for them, if they continued working at all, to carry on their work in
that singular manner. My next step was to endeavour to prove the truth
of my reasonings and conclusions, in which, I flatter myself, I have
fully succeeded, after no inconsiderable labour, and many contrivances
to accommodate the Bees with additional room, as they have had occasion
for it, and after repeated experiments to keep such room, when added,
at a temperature agreeable to them by means of ventilation. In short,
my COLLATERAL-BOXES and VENTILATION are the results of my studies and
experiments on this point of apiarian science.
There are few persons, who are managers of Honey-Bees under the old hive
system, who, if they have not seen a comb constructed and suspended
in the manner just described, have not, however, beheld these little
creatures, when oppressed with the internal heat of their crowded
domicil, and straitened for want of room in it, unhappily clustering and
hanging at the door, or from and under the floor-board of their hive, in
a ball frequently as large as a man's head, and sometimes covering all
the front part of it, for sixteen or twenty days together; and this, be
it remarked, at the season of the year which is the most profitable for
their labours in the fields and among the flowers. During this distress
of the Bees in, or belonging to, such a hive, their labours are of
necessity suspended,--their gathering of honey ceases,--ceases too at the
very time that that saccharine substance is most plentifully secreted by
the vegetable world. And---why? Because they want an enlargement of their
domicil,--an extension of the dominion, or (if it may be so termed) of
the territory of the Queen; by which enlargement swarming is superseded,
and the Royal Insect relieved from the necessity of abdicating her
throne, retains it, continues and extends the propagation of her species,
and of course increases the busy labours of her innumerable subjects.
_This accommodation is provided for Bees in my collateral-boxes._
Ancient as well as modern Bee-keepers have frequently adopted the plan
of eking, that is--placing three or four rounds of a straw-hive (called
an eke) under their hives. This method of enlarging a hive does in many
instances prevent swarming during that one season. Notwithstanding,
from all that I can see in it, it tends only to put off the evil day,
and to accumulate greater numbers of Bees for destruction the following
year. This is certain, because on minute examination of the pavilion of
nature, we find an increase of wealth, as well as an increase of numbers
in the state; but there is no provision or contrivance in the common
hive for dividing the wealthy produce of the labours of those numbers:
eking will not do it,--eking enlarges the hive, and that is all it does;
consequently to get at their honey, the necessity for destroying the
Bees follows, and the suffocating fumes of brimstone at length bring
these worthies to the ground--to the deadly pit in which they are first
suffocated, then buried, and are, alas, no more! a few minutes close the
existence of thousands that had laboured for their ungrateful masters;
and their once happy domicil becomes a scene of murder, of plunder, and
of devastation, which is a disgrace to Bee-masters, and ought by all
means to be discountenanced and discontinued. Assuredly Bees are given
to us by the gracious Giver of all good things for a better purpose
than that of being destroyed by thousands and by millions. Are we not
instructed by the sacred writings to go to the Bee and to the ant,
and learn wisdom? We are not told, neither are we warranted, by this
language, to go and destroy them and their works,---to disobey the
commands of their, no less than of our Maker, who has given Bees to us
for our edification and comfort, and not wantonly to commit a species of
murder, in order to procure their delicious treasure. Nor is there the
slightest necessity for destroying Bees in this cruel manner, when an act
of humanity will obtain for us their purest honey, and secure to us their
lives for future and profitable labour. Surely, then, an act of humanity
to Bees cannot be displeasing to any one, especially when we are taught
by the beneficial results of our experience, that their lives _may be
preserved_, and their labours for us thereby continued.
Apiarian reader, take this subject into thy serious consideration: in
the busy hive behold the curious works of God's creatures--the Bees;
misuse riot, then, the works of his hands; but improve upon this lesson
from nature: and for a moment pause before thou lightest the deadly
match,--before thou appliest it with murderous intent to the congregated
thousands in thy hive.
It's he who feels no rev'rence for God's sacred name,
That lights the sulphur up to cause the dreadful flame:
Alas! I think, viewing the monster's busy hand
Taking the dreadful match, I see a murderer stand.
These insects' indefatigable labours alone should humanize our feelings
for them, and induce us to spare their lives, for the rich treasures
which they first collect, and then unresistingly yield up to us when
operated upon by the healthy influence of ventilation.
Why should we lay the axe to the root of the tree that produces such good
fruit? Rather let us gather from its pure branches, and let the root
live. Examine the nature and effects of my Bee-machinery, and you will
discover its utility and its value in the management of Bees. By the
proper application of that machinery you may instantaneously divide the
treasures of the Bees, even in the most vigorous part of their gathering
season, without the least danger to the operator, and frequently without
the destruction of a single Bee. Is not this, then, a rational and humane
practice? I trust it wants only to be properly understood in order to be
universally adopted.
Again: Does not she that is a kind mother know the wants and desires
of her children? Take the lovely offspring from its mother's care and
protection, and imprison it before her eyes, and will she not impatiently
cry aloud for its release and restoration to liberty? and will not the
child's screams show its affection for its fond parent? and when its
liberty is restored, does not consolation quickly follow? The lost child
being once more under its mother's care, both mother and child are happy.
Similar facts are exemplified by the mother of the hive, who loves her
multitudinous offspring, and lives in harmony and affection with them.
She evidently dislikes a separation from her subjects, who seem to be,
and doubtless are, most devotedly attached to her. And when, on taking
off a glass or a box, they are divided only for a few minutes, we witness
their sorrow, and hear their lamentations in the hive,--the Queen-mother
calling for her children, anxious on their part to be released; and
as soon as an opportunity is afforded them of effecting their escape,
they embrace it,--the moment they feel their liberty, they gladly take
advantage of it, and return to the pavilion in multitudes, so that in a
short time tranquillity is restored, and peace and happiness are again
enjoyed by the previously unhappy mother of the hive,--her subjects crowd
round her, and the place that had lately been their prison soon becomes
their palace, and a magazine for future treasure, which the humane
apiarian will again be entitled to.
Much has been said on the piling or storifying mode of managing Bees;
and I admit that there are advantages in it which we do not meet with
in the cottage-hive system. It is, notwithstanding, imperfect in the
design,--it is founded in error,--in practice it is liable to many
difficulties,--and it is particularly disadvantageous to the labours of
these valuable insects, as will be more fully shown when I come to state
my objections to it.
We have only to study the nature and habits of Bees, and to watch
particularly the desires of these indefatigable creatures. They alone
will teach us the lesson. But follow them through their movements
during a summer's day, and you will behold them, as it were, pitifully
asking for the assistance of man, according to the varying state of the
thermometer.