HOLLYHOCK. 335 



distant spots abounding with such plants as afforded 

 the most honey * ; and surely it is easier to plant 

 flowers for the bees than to take the bees to the 

 flowers. These industrious insects have peculiar 

 claims on the care of the peasantry, since they stray 

 into the grounds of the wealthy, where, without 

 committing devastation or fraud, they obtain trea- 

 sure for their master ; and are therefore a kind of 

 licenced flock, which feed at freedom, without the 

 fear of giving offence or receiving imprisonment, 

 for they neither break down fences nor transgress 

 against the laws. 



It may be stated that the demand for honey is 

 much less than in ancient times ; but we would ask 

 if both the honey and the wax do not bring as 

 good a price as formerly ; and bees, therefore, as 

 well deserving the attention of the poor now, as 

 they w^ere at any former period ? We have fre- 

 quently remarked that where the hive has been 

 seen ^in the cottage -garden, the inhabitants seem 

 possessed of more domestic comforts than those 

 who neglect to secure a swarm of bees ; and we have 

 known several industrious families entirely clothed 

 by the profits which they obtained from the sale of 

 their honey and wax. 



The Hollyhock is also likely to hold a higher 



* See Sylva Florifcra, vol. i. p. 157; and Cultivated Vege- 

 tables, vol. ii. p. 330. 



