Bee-Keeping

BEE-KEEPING.
THE TIMES BEE-MASTER.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
LONDON:
SAMPSON LOW. SON, & MARSTON.
14, LUDGATE HILL.
1864.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY EDMUND EVANS,
RAQUET COURT, FLEET STREET.
MY apology for writing a Bee-Book is as follows:—I sent The Times an account of a very successful honey harvest about the end of July, containing some observations on the treatment of bees, and the profits that might accrue to the cottager were he to take the right and humane way of taking honey from his hives. This communication appears to have interested many, for in consequence of it, persons desirous of information wrote to the Editor of The Times , requesting in confidence the name of the Bee-master, in order that they might correspond with him. The Editor declined to give it up without my consent, which I felt it expedient to withhold. But to satisfy those who took so warm an interest in the subject, I addressed a series of letters to The Times , explanatory of some of the simplest elements of apiculture. These excited so great interest, that I received multitudes of letters addressed to The Times Bee-master, which it was physically impossible to answer. But most of my correspondents complained of the obscurity and complexity of bee-books in general, and earnestly begged me to prepare a work they could understand and translate into practice. I have attempted to do so, strengthening my own observations by valuable extracts from the works of others. I am not, however, insensible to the great value, wide research, and real usefulness of the works I have carefully and long read. The first and most useful, as well as most beautiful modern work on bees, is My Bee-Book, by the Rev. William Charles Cotton, M.A., student of Christ Church, Oxon. It is profusely illustrated, and is the most genial and instructive work on bees it has been my lot to read. I have felt so great an interest in this good clergyman, that it often occurred to me to try to ascertain where he was and what he was doing. My own communications to The Times , among many interesting letters, brought me one signed An Australian, which, though long, contains amid much interesting matter some notice of the author of My Bee-Book. The reader will not, I am sure, complain of its length.