Beekeeping and Honey Production. 1580-1660

Historical rabbit holes, for those who are inclined. These slender booklets from Historical Management Associates are the work of an organization dedicated to historical re-enactment in the UK. They are written with a stickler’s attention to historical precision and a conviction that nothing is too arcane to investigate. Some of the books are simple transcriptions of period manuscripts; others represent significant original research, as in Cattle Farming and Grazing Management, which is 52 pages long but cites 36 sources, many of them published in the 17th century. From the introduction: “A number of experts wrote treatise on beekeeping during this period and disagreed on many points. Part of the variation may be due to regional differences probably partially climatic and partially historic in origin. Butler describing comb supports inside the hive specifically says that every county has its own fashion. “Three short treatise are reproduced at the end of this book, those of William La