The annexed figure represents our stand in the Agricultural Department of the International Exhibition of 1862. The space granted us in the World's Great Fair was somewhat limited; but we were able to exhibit a tolerably complete stock of apiarian apparatus, and all the more important beehives. Amongst these was a unicomb hive stocked with Italian bees. This was an object of great attention, and daily hundreds of visitors flocked round our stand in order to watch the movements of the Italian queen with her gay and busy subjects. The entrance-way for the bees being in the "Open Court," to which all visitors had access, it was necessary to place the hive in an elevated position, so that it should be beyond the reach of incautious passers-by, and to obviate any chance of annoyance to the vast crowds of people continually around.
Among others who took a deep interest in the exhibition just described was Mr. Edward Wilson, President of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. This gentleman requested us to pack four stocks of the Italian bees for conveyance to Melbourne. With the assistance of Mr. Woodbury—whose aid was, indeed, essential--these stocks were sent off on the 25th of September, 1862, by the steamship "Alhambra," so as to arrive at the colony during the Austral summer. The hives were Woodbury frame-hives, having ample space and ventilation, as well as the means of supplying water to their inmates during the voyage; there was also a sufficient store of honey to last until the following March. The bees arrived at Melbourne, where they were released after an imprisonment of seventy-nine days, and have since rapidly multiplied, the climate and pasturage of Australia greatly favouring the increase of this superior variety of the bee.
Mr. Wilson was so well pleased with the careful manner in which these stocks were fitted out for their voyage across the seas, that he subsequently instructed us to prepare him three more hives, which were sent out in a sailing vessel. Owing to the mismanagement of the water supply during the voyage, only one stock survived in this instance. Mr. Wilson informs us that one of these hives contained 136lb. of honey on the 25th of December, 1864 (Midsummer in Australia).
Upwards of twenty years ago we sent a Nutt's hive stocked with bees to New Zealand. We then adopted the plan of fixing the hive in a meat safe, so that the bees could fly about a little, and also cleanse the hive of their dead, they being always very attentive to sanitary arrangements.
Several more recent exportations of Italian bees have been made by us. We have sent two stocks to Madras, which arrived safely, and we hear are doing well, also a stock to South Africa under the care of the lady who ordered them, and who was herself going out. We had the satisfaction of receiving the following note:—
"Grahamstown, Nov. 3, 1875.
"Mrs. Mullens is very pleased to inform Messrs. Neighbour and Sons that the stock of Ligurian bees supplied to her on board the 'Nyanza' at Southampton on July 23rd have arrived quite safely. Mrs. Mullens thinks they were exceedingly well packed; they had a trying journey by bullock waggon two days after leaving the sea. They were released from the hive on September 3rd, and appeared weak at first, but began to work in less than an hour. A large number of dead bees were found at the bottom of the hive on opening—most likely caused by the boat in which the bees were having water in it."
This report we consider very favourable. There would naturally be a great mortality during such long confinement, and for the reasons also which Mrs. Mullens mentions.
Dated Dec. 12th.
Award of Prize Medal to G. Neighbour and Sons,
For a large and varied collection of economical beehives so arranged that the honey can be taken without the destruction of the bees. Special attention is directed to the Unicomb Hives with Venetian blinds to allow the bees to be exposed to light, whilst the sun's rays are excluded. Also to a Honey Extractor by centrifugal force, which removes the honey from the combs without injuring the latter, which can be returned to the hives.
(Signed,) John Coleman,
On behalf of the Judges.
Approved of group of Judges.
[5 names.]
The head-quarters of this Society are at Glasgow; and, taking example from the British Bee Keepers' Association, shows are held and prizes given for beehives and their produce; also living bees at work in glass hives are exhibited. In addition to which, manipulations connected with bee economy, such as transferring, handling bees in bar-frame and other hives, are demonstrated to beholders.
The exhibition of this year (1877) was held at Edinburgh, in connection with the annual gathering of the Highland and Agricultural Society, and which was very successful.
There was a separate charge for admission to the bee and honey department, which was visited by great numbers of people. In consequence of the poor honey harvest, but a small quantity of honeycomb was sent for competition.
With other beehive makers, we exhibited a large collection of our hives, also living bees, with all the appliances needed in bee-culture. The first prize was awarded us for the best and largest display. This prize consists of a handsome silver cup and 40s.
Amongst our interesting collection were a dozen or so of Italian Alp queens in small boxes, each within a separate box, with a few worker bees. These had been sent over expressly for this show, and would therefore take no harm by being kept a few days, until purchased by some of the enterprising Scotch bee-keepers, and substituted for ordinary queens in the manner explained in the body of this work.
One of the transparent single-comb hives brought from the neighbourhood of Glasgow and exhibit ed by the indefatigable honorary secretary of the Society, Mr. Bennett, was thought to possess no queen, as no brood was to be seen, and there were so many drones present in the hive. In order to supply what we considered the deficiency, we appropriated one of the boxes containing a foreign queen, and in the evening allowed her majesty quietly to pass into the hive through an opening on top, taking the precaution to cover up the hive.
On making an inspection next morning we were surprised to find a very dark Italian queen, as we thought. A few hours later we witnessed an interesting scene, no less than a single combat between the real Italian queen and the queen of the hive; for although we had judged the hive to be queenless there was one in the hive all the time, but she was a virgin. At the moment of our observation the two queens were engaged in mortal conflict, and we were able to summon our worthy secretary and a few apiarian friends to witness the battle. After some few minutes (each being curled round against the other) the English or rather the Scotch queen dropped dead to the bottom of the hive and was seen no more. It would have been interesting to have gained possession of the dead queen for examination under the microscope, but the construction of the hive and the position it was in did not allow of searching for her. The Italian mother, who was for some time after greatly excited and evidently much discomposed, reigned supreme, the monarch of the hive; and being already fertilised, the worker bees paid her due attention, but began worrying and tormenting the drones, because they were now not wanted.
These assaults of the little active working bees on the burley drones very much interested the spectators. The queen proceeded with her duties of egg-laying, and the bees having exit through the hording, the usual work of the hives was carried on fully exposed to view. Not the least gratifying feature was the sight of these little labourers travelling in and out under the glazed covered way.
More active manipulation, such as driving bees from one hive to another, gaining possession of the queen, and exhibiting her in the hand, was carried on in another portion of the shed, and became a source of wonderment to spectators.
Many of the local newspapers had paragraphs descriptive of this new exhibition in connection with a Scotch agricultural show.