Virginia Honey: A Sweet History

by Virginia C. Johnson

Overview

Honeybees have been a part of Virginia's history since they arrived with the first European colonists. They were Jamestown's valuable addition and a Civil War soldier's sweet if painful temptation, and they served as homefront heroes when the world wars caused sugar shortages. In recent years, mead has seen a resurgence along with beekeeping and has claimed a place as a craft beverage in the Commonwealth. Join author Virginia Johnson to hunt escaped swarms flying wild in the forests, visit modern-day observation hives and follow the mead path across the Commonwealth for a taste of history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467146890
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/02/2021
Series:	American Palate
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,117,421
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Virginia Johnson is the web content librarian at Central Rappahannock Regional Library. She has a BA in anthropology from the College of William & Mary and earned her Master of Library Science degree from the University of Maryland-College Park. She lives in historic Fredericksburg with her husband, Steve, and son, Benedict. Her previous award-winning books--Virginia Horse Racing: Triumphs of the Turf and Virginia by Stagecoach--are also available from The History Press/Arcadia Publishing.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

The Hive Mind 9

Western Beekeeping Traditions from Ancient Times to the Middle Ages 12

The Renaissance and Enlightened Beekeepers 28

Immigrant Bees 37

The Lure of Wild Honey 50

Bees on Farms-and Plantations 55

Bee Kind-and Wealthy! 67

"Telling the Bees" and More Bee Lore 73

Founding Fathers Were Beekeepers 81

The Civil War and After 93

Sweet Spirits at Meaderies 100

Scientific Americans and Their Bees 110

Read All About It: Getting the Latest Buzz in Local Newspapers 140

Fields (and Hives) of Gold 150

Honeybees' Fortunes Ebb and Flow 162

Hives of Activity (Places to Visit) 169

Honey-Sweet Treats to Drink and Eat 174

So, You Want to Be a Beekeeper… 184

Acknowledgements 191

Bibliography 193

Index 199

About the Author 205