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Manual of the Apiary

by Albert John Cook

By Albert John Cook · Science · Public domain

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Manual of the Apiary is a public-domain classic of science by Albert John Cook.

The complete text is on this page and the chapter pages below — all 37 chapters, about 96,303 words (~8 hours of reading), free to read online with no signup. Chapters include “CHAPTER I.. The Bee's Place in the Animal Kingdom 27”, “CHAPTER II.. Anatomy and Physiology 48”, “CHAPTER III.. Swarming, or Natural Method of Increase 101”, and more.

Manual of the Apiary at a glance

Author
Albert John Cook
Length
96,303 words · about 8 hours to read
Chapters
37
Price
Free — public domain

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CHAPTER I.. The Bee's Place in the Animal Kingdom 27

The Bee's Place in the Animal Kingdom 27 The Branch of the Honey-Bee 27 The Class of the Honey-Bee 28 The Order of the Honey-Bee 30 The Sub-Order of the Honey-Bee 31 The Family of the Honey-Bee 34 The Genus of the Honey-Bee 38 The Species of the Honey-Bee 41 The Varieties of the Honey-Bee 41 German, or Black Bee 41 Italian, or Ligurian 41 Fasciata, or Egyptian 42 Other Varieties 43 Bibliography 44 Valuable Books on Entomology 47

CHAPTER II.. Anatomy and Physiology 48

Anatomy and Physiology 48 Anatomy of Insects 48 Organs of the Head 48 Appendages of the Thorax 55 Internal Anatomy 56 Secretory Organs 61 Sex Organs 62 Transformations 66 The Egg 67 The Larva 68 The Pupa 68 The Imago Stage 70 Incomplete Transformations 70 Anatomy and Physiology of the Honey Bee 71 Three Kinds of Bees in Each Colony 71 The Queen 71 The Drone 86 The Neuters or Workers 90

CHAPTER III.. Swarming, or Natural Method of Increase 101

Swarming, or Natural Method of increase 101

CHAPTER IV.

Products of Bees, their Origin and Function 104 Honey 104 Wax 106 Pollen, or Bee-Bread 111 Propolis 112 Bibliography 113

Part II.

The apiary, its Care and Management 115

INTRODUCTION.

Preparation 117 Read a Good Manual 117 Visit some Apiarist 117 Take a College Course 118 Decide on a Plan 118 How to Procure our Bees 118 Kind of Bees to Purchase 119 In What Kind of Hives 119 When to Purchase 119 How Much to Pay 120 Where to Locate 120

CHAPTER V.. Hives and Boxes 122

Hives and Boxes 122 Box Hives 122 Movable Comb Hives 123 The Langstroth Hive 123 Character of the Hive 124 The Bottom Board 127 The Cover 129 The Frames 132 How to Construct the Frames 133 A Block for making Frames 134 Cover for Frames 136 Division Board 137 The Huber Hive 138 Apparatus for Securing Comb Honey 141 Boxes 142 Small Frames or Sections 144 Requisites of Good Sections 144 Description 144 How to Place Sections in Position 147 Sections in Frames 147 Sections in Racks 149

CHAPTER VI.. Position and Arrangement of the Apiary 152

Position and Arrangement of the Apiary 152 Position 152 Arrangement of Ground 152 Preparation for each Colony 153

CHAPTER VII.

To Transfer Bees 156

CHAPTER VIII.

Feeding and Feeders 159 How Much to Feed 159 How to Feed 160

CHAPTER IX.

Queen Rearing 163 How to Rear Queens 163 Nuclei 165 Shall we Clip the Queen's Wing? 168

CHAPTER X.

Increase of Colonies 171 Swarming 171 Hiving Swarms 173 To Prevent Second Swarms 175 To Prevent Swarming 176 How Best to Increase 177 Dividing 177 How to Divide 177

CHAPTER XI.. Italians and Italianizing 180

Italians and Italianizing 180 All Should Keep Only Italians 183 How to Italianize 183 How to Introduce a Queen 183 To Get Italian Queens 185 Rearing and Shipping Queens 186 To Ship Queens 186 To Move Colonies 187

CHAPTER XII.. Extracting and the Extractors 188

Extracting and the Extractors 188 Honey Extractor 188 What Style to Buy 189 Use of the Extractor 191 When to use the Extractor 192 How to Extract 194

CHAPTER XIII.. Handling Bees 195

Handling Bees 195 The Best Bee Veil 196 To Quiet Bees 197 Bellows Smoker 198 The Quinby Smoker 198 The Bingham Smoker 199 How to Smoke Bees 201 To Cure Stings 201 The Sweat Theory 201

CHAPTER XIV.. Comb Foundation 203

Comb Foundation 203 History 203 American Foundation 204 How Foundation is Made 206 To Secure the Wax Sheets 206 Use of Foundation 207 To Fasten the Foundation 209 Save the Wax 211 Methods 211

CHAPTER XV.. Marketing Honey 213

Marketing Honey 213 How to Invigorate the Market 213 Extracted Honey 214 How to Tempt the Consumer 214 Comb Honey 215 Rules to be Observed 215

CHAPTER XVI.. Honey Plants 218

Honey Plants 218 What are the Valuable Honey Plants? 220 Description with Practical Remarks 222 April Plants 223 May Plants 225 June Plants 228 July Plants 237 August and September Plants 242 Books on Botany 244 Practical Conclusions 244

CHAPTER XVII.. Wintering Bees 246

Wintering Bees 246 The Cause of Disastrous Wintering 246 Requisite to Safe Wintering--Good Food 248 Secure Late Breeding 249 To Secure and Maintain Proper Temperature 249 Box for Packing 250 Chaff Hives 251 Wintering in Cellar or House 252 Burying Bees 254 Spring Dwindling 254

CHAPTER XVIII.. The House Apiary 255

The House Apiary 255 Description 255 Are they Desirable 256 The Case as it Now Stands 256

CHAPTER XIX.

Evils that Confront the Apiarist 258 Robbing 258 Disease 259 Foul Brood 259 Remedies 260 Enemies of Bees 262 The Bee Moth 262 History 266 Remedies 266 Bee Killer 267 Bee Louse 268 Important Suggestion 269 Bee Hawk 269 Tachina Fly 270 Spiders 271 Ants 271 Wasps 271 The King Bird 272 Toads 272 Mice 272

CHAPTER XX.. Calendar and Axioms 274

Calendar and Axioms 274 Work for Different Months 274 January 274 February 274 March 274 April 275 May 275 June 275 July 275 August 275 September 276 October 276 November 276 December 276 Axioms 277

ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. Trachea 28 2. Respiratory Apparatus of a Bee 29 3. Bee's Wings 38 4. Head of Drone 39 5. Head of Worker 39 6. Head of Bee 49 7. Thorax of Bee 55 8. Nervous System of Drone 58 9. Alimentary Canal 60 10. Male Organs of Bee 63 11. Queen Organs 64 12. Larva of Bee 68 13. Pupa of Bee 69 14. Queen Bee 72 15. Labium of Queen 73 16. Part of Queen's Leg 74 17. Drone 86 18. Part of Drone's Leg 87 19. Worker Bee 90 20. Tongue of Worker Bee 91 21. Jaw of Queen, Drone and Worker 92 22. Part of Posterior Leg of Worker--outside 93 23. Part of Posterior Leg of Worker--inside 94 24. Anterior Leg of Worker 94 25. Sting of Worker 95 26. Egg and Brood 97 27. Wax Scales 106 28. Honey-Comb 109 29. Langstroth Hive 124 30. Body of Hive 125 31. Bevel Gauge 126 32. Bottom-Board 128 33. Two-Story Hive 130 34. Cover to Hive 131 35. Frame 133 36. Frame, with Cross-Section of Top-Bar 134 37. Block for making Frames 135 38. Division-Board 137 39. Part of Quinby Hive 139 40. Part of Bingham Hive 140 41. Glass Honey Box 142 42. Isham Honey Box 143 43. Harbison Section Frame 143 44. Chisel 144 45. Block for Section Making 145 46. Hetherington Separator 146 47. Dove-tailed Section 146 48. Phelps Section 147 49. Section Frame 148 50. Sections in Frame 149 51. Southard's Section Back 150 52. Wheeler's Section Back 150 53. Hive in Shade of Ever-green 155 54. Feeder 160 55. Simplicity Feeder 161 56. Queen-cell Inserted in Comb 167 57. Shipping Queen Cage 187 58. Everett's Extractor 189 59. Comb Basket for Extractor 190 60. Knife for Uncapping 191 61. Knife with Curved Point 191 62. Bee-Veil 196 63. Quinby Smokers 199 64. Bingham Smoker 199 65. Comb Foundation 203 66. Comb Foundation Machine 205 67. Comb Foundation Cutter 206 68. Block for Fastening Foundation 210 69. Presser for Block 211 70. Wax Extractor 212 71. Prize Crate 216 72. Heddon Crate 217 73. Maple 222 74. Willow 223 75. Judas Tree 224 76. American Wistaria 225 77. Chinese Wistaria 226 78. Barberry 226 79. White Sage 227 80. White or Dutch Clover 228 81. Alsike Clover 229 82. Melilot Clover 230 83. Borage 230 84. Mignonette 231 85. Okra 231 86. Mint 232 87. Pollen of Milk-Weed 233 88. Black Mustard 233 89. Rape 234 90. Tulip 235 91. Teasel 236 92. Cotton 236 93. Basswood 237 94. Figwort 238 95. Button-Bush 240 96. Rocky Mountain Bee Plant 239 97. Boneset 241 98. Buckwheat 242 99. Golden Rod 243 100. Sun Flower 243 101. Packing-Box for Winter 250 102. Gallery of Moth Larva 262 103. Moth Larva in Comb 263 104. Moth Larvæ 264 105. Moth Cocoons 264 106. Moth with Wings Spread 264 107. Male and Female Moths 265 108. Bee-Killer 268 109. Bee Louse 268 110. Tachina Fly 270 111. Munn Hive 279 112. Munn's Triangular Hive 280 113. Lecanium Tulipiferas 288 114. Stem of Motherwort 289 115. Fruit and Leaf of Motherwort 290 116. Motherwort Bloom 291 117. Sour-Wood 292 118. Stinging-Bug--natural size 294 119. Magnified twice 294 120. Beak, magnified 294 121. Antenna, magnified 295 122. Anterior leg, exterior view 295 123. " " interior view 295 124. Claw, extended 296 125. Middle leg, magnified 296 126. Southern Bee-Killer 297 127. Wings extended 297 128. Head of 298 129. Wing of 299 131. Foot of 298 130. Wing of Asilus Missouriensis 300 132. Honey-Comb Coral 301 133. Wasp-stone Coral 302

INTRODUCTION.

WHO MAY KEEP BEES.

SPECIALISTS.

Any person who is cautious, observing, and prompt to do whatever the needs of his business require, with no thought of delay, may make apiculture a specialty, with almost certain prospects of success. He must also be willing to work with Spartan energy during the busy season, and must persist, though sore discouragement, and even dire misfortune, essay to thwart his plans and rob him of his coveted gains. As in all other vocations, such are the men who succeed in apiculture. I make no mention of capital to begin with, or territory on which to locate; for men of true metal--men whose energy of mind and body bespeak success in advance--will solve these questions long before their experience and knowledge warrant their assuming the charge of large apiaries.

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Contents — all 37 chapters

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