IN A PLACE OF HONEY Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “We watch the bee hasten from flower to flower. Her work, begun in the dazzling sunshine, receives its crown in the darkness, setting an everlasting example of thrift.” Close-up of bee on flower. “They have shaken off the torpor of winter, and in the very first days of February the queen bee starts laying her eggs.” Close-up of swarm of bees on honeycomb. “About 16,000 of these chambers are tenanted by larvae.” Close-up of cells of comb. “Spring beholds the birth of thousands of bees - workers, drones, larvae, nymphs and young princesses have all issued from the flanks of the queen bee.” Cross section of comb showing larvae - bees coming from cells. “The mother of a city.” Close-up of queen bee on man’s thumb. “One day a certain part of the population sets forth, leaving behind a sleeping city of males and a storehouse full to the brim with honey.” Bees swarming. “Then the queen alights and a new home is founded. The swarm pauses for a moment on the threshold of the new abode, describing circles and rejoicing.” Swarm of bees. “No time is lost, immediately a labyrinth of complicated building is begun -- good ventilation, stores, houses, passageways and streets are carefully worked out by Mrs. Bee.” Beekeeper blowing smoke into hive, lifting out frames of honeycomb swarming with bees. “Unoccupied worker cells.” Close-up, unoccupied worker cells . “Unoccupied drone cells.” Close-up, unoccupied drone cells. “Occupied drone and worker cells.” Close-up, occupied drone and worker cells. “This cell in a few days will give birth to a feeble, powdery-looking object, resulting in no less a personage than the queen bee herself.” Bees on comb, large cells. “Indelicate and wasteful, sleek and corpulent, fully contented with their idle life, the drones or male bees live in magnificent luxury.” Close-up of drone bee. “But these idle fellows who gather no honey or do no work are soon to be put to death. So one morning the workers receive the long expected command.” Workers killing drones outside hive. “And the wrathful virgins or worker bees massacre the whole worthless lot of males.” Bees at entrance to hive. “Upon discovering a drop of honey the worker will immediately gorge herself, filling her reservoir full and conveying it to the provision cells.” Close-up of bee near drop of honey. “Each morning the workers sally forth, each to her allotted task, some to the clover fields and others to the snowberry shrubs.” Bees gathering pollen from flowers. “The bee makes daily calculation as to a means for obtaining a still greater wealth of the liquid which they bring home on their hind legs.” Bees with filled sacks on hind legs. “A bee’s provision house glistens with a wealth of delicious nectar. Every good hive has from 80 to 100 pounds of honey.” View of honeycombs. “Then the bee keeper closes the hive for the torpid silence of winter and leaves the bees to their long winter sleep.” Beekeepers packing hives into larger boxes, filling boxes with insulation, putting top on box. [1921]
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