The Pearce New Method of Bee Keeping by Joseph A. Pearce presents a distinctive approach to hive space and management. This copy is the revised third edition, published in 1918 by Joseph A. Pearce Co. of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Pearce’s preface describes an attempt to condense what he had learned through forty years of keeping bees. The resulting book combines explanations of his system, photographs of working arrangements, seasonal advice and an argument for combining bees with other small agricultural enterprises.
The reasoning behind the method
The first chapter recounts the author’s experience with bees in buildings and the observations that led to his preferred arrangement. He contrasts what he saw in such colonies with problems encountered in smaller conventional hives.
The hive chapter explains his choice of a large brood space and the equipment used with it. Photographs show tall hive arrangements and other examples of the system.
This is the organizing idea of the book. Later directions about dividing colonies, controlling swarms and taking honey are intended to be read in relation to the space and arrangement already described.
Changing hives and making increase
A chapter explains changing from a single to a double hive. The text considers when and how the additional space is introduced and how combs and bees are arranged.
The account of making new swarms follows with a specific sequence for dividing material between hives. Photographs show demonstrations and people working with the equipment.
Swarm control then receives a separate discussion. Pearce connects the tendency to swarm with the accommodation provided to the colony and argues for the advantages of his approach.
These are the author’s claims about his own method. For historical comparison, the useful material is the relationship he draws between hive design, colony population and the work required from the keeper.
Bees inside buildings
Several chapters consider housing colonies in buildings, including attics and barn lofts. The book describes the advantages Pearce associated with shelter and working access.
A model bee-house for twenty swarms receives a construction discussion. Exterior and interior photographs show the arrangement of hives, entrances and the space available to the person caring for them.
Installation and care follow the building discussion. This organization is particularly useful for readers studying adaptable farm structures: the building is presented as part of the management system, rather than simply a roof over ordinary outdoor hives.
Present-day construction and use would require an assessment of the building, access and local conditions. The book documents the original arrangement and its rationale.
Honey, food and the seasons
Pearce includes a chapter on obtaining household honey supplies with only two visits a year. The heading states his ambition for reduced handling; it should be read as part of his proposed system rather than a guarantee for every colony.
Taking surplus honey leads into feeding, feeders and wintering. The author considers reserves and seasonal care in relation to the large hive.
Later chapters address the far north and weak colonies in spring. These extend the discussion to climate and differences in colony strength, rather than assuming identical conditions throughout an apiary.
Queens, disease and related farm work
A chapter describes queen-rearing methods, while other sections consider robbing and foulbrood. The disease explanations and proposed control belong to historical bee keeping and require current specialist guidance before use.
The book’s agricultural scope broadens in chapters on bees, poultry and fruit. Pearce discusses their combination and illustrates a combined poultry and bee house from both outside and inside.
The following discussion examines how bees behave when kept in a chicken house. A chapter on the mission of bees turns to their relationship with flowers and fruit production.
These sections make the volume relevant to readers interested in the planning of several enterprises within a small holding, as well as to those comparing hive systems.
Audience and digital copy
This free ebook suits agricultural historians, experienced beekeepers investigating older management systems and readers studying bee-house construction. It is best approached as a named practitioner’s account of his method.
The concluding pages include facts and comments, portraits, a summary, testimonials and advertisements. Commercial claims and reported results retain their original historical context.
The PDF contains 76 digital pages, including preliminary material and blank end pages. Some photographs and passages are faint; enlargement helps with captions and details. The title page identifies the revised third edition and carries copyright dates of 1910, 1915 and 1918.
Book details
- Author: Joseph A. Pearce
- Publisher: Joseph A. Pearce Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Year: 1918
- Edition: Revised third edition, 1918
- Digital length: 76 PDF pages
- Language: English
- File size: 4.56 MB
