"Aprils Husbandrie" - Tusser

Quote from "Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry", by Thomas Tusser:

              "Great troubles and losses the champion sees,
                     and euer in brauling, as wasps among bees:
                As charitie that waie appeereth but small,
                     so lesse be their winnings, or nothing at all."

        Book Footnote: "Our author liv'd in the Reigns of King Henry the Eighth, King Edward the Sixth,      
        Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth: during which time there were several commotions about the taking in of Common Field Land. .... The greatest part of the privileges of Common Fields, etc., are but so   many privileges to wrong and quarrel with their neighbours." - T.R."

This is the only mention of bees in the April husbandry. It appears to be more of a political statement rather than a directive to his (Tusser) wife. Other husbandry entries in Tusser's manual regard running of the hive or bee caretaking.