A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees/First Treatise/Chapter 16

by Thomas Hill

Which are the beſt and fitteſt Hiues for the Honny Bees. Cap. xvj.

PAlladivs writeth, that the beſt Hiues be thoſe, which be made of the barkes and light corke of trees, bicauſe they be neither too colde in the Winter time, nor too hote in the Sommer. And of this, thoſe Hiues whiche be wroughte and made of the ſmall Oſier or Willow tree, or of the Uine ſtickes knit togither, or Canes cleft in the middes (whiche be of like condition to the barke) wroughte cloſe togither, and ſtopped cloſe aboute wyth flockes and clay, tempered togither with water and ſalte, may aptly ſerue, if you will. But if neither of thoſe faſhioned Hiues like you, then may you make the Hiues of the woodde of a hollowe tree, or of light bourdes made ſquare, and ſtowpyng ſomewhat afore. The worſte Hiues be thoſe, which be made of turfes of earth, bycauſe they be ouer hote in the Sommer, and ouer colde in the Winter. There be other two kinds of hiues, as the one made of drie hard Cow dung, and the other of tiles. Of whiche the one doth Celſus {{bl|rightly condemne, bycauſe the ſame is ſo lightly burned, and the other he alloweth, althoughe he diſſembleth the ſpeciall commoditie of it, bycause the ſame, if neede requireth, cannot eaſily be remoued and carried into an other place. And among theſe, I ſuppoſe oure forme of Hiues here in Englande, are not altogither to be diſallowed, although they be in like daunger, to be eaſily burned, as the other Hiues aboue taughte, in that they be made with ſtrawe. But to be briefe, for a greate ſwarme you ought to haue in a readineſſe a greate hiue, and for a ſmall ſwarme a little Hiue. And the Hiue alſo oughte to be a foote and a halfe, or ſomewhat larger. Hauing beſides two very ſmall and narrowe holes, ſomewhat aſunder, and ſo little ought the mouths to be, that neyther Beetle, Butterflie, gret Moth, Humble Bees, Euet nor Mouſe may enter in, to ſpoile the Honny combes. Some ſuppoſe, or rather affyrme of experience, that the Bees are delighted with this cloſeneſſe, in that they more ioy to do their works and buſineſſe in the darke, than otherwiſe.}}