CG liBES. 



Bees are so fond of this their veg-etable mortar, that they 

 will never commence the work of a hive until every crevice 

 lias been carefully filled up. It is, therefore, a considerable 

 saving- of time to the bee-keeper, to take care that his hives 

 are closely made, and particularly that they fit quite accurately 

 to the surface of the footboard, as the bees will waste very 

 much of their valuable time in stopping- gaps. Wooden hives, 

 in particular, should be carefully examined, as either the 

 footboard itself, or the bottom of the hive, is apt to shrink, 

 if it has been made of ill-seasoned wood, or has not been 

 clamped. The mansion thus in process of erection, the 

 storehouses thus bein^ rapidly filled, the great mysteries 

 of life and reproduction beg-in to evolve their wondrous 

 phenomena. 



In our respect for the wisdom of some of our ancestors, 

 we cannot but transcribe their theory of the propagation of 

 bees. We have said " theory," but that is hardly the 

 right word ; for the following " experiment of the gene- 

 ration of bees," was, it appears, 'practised by '^ that great 

 husbandman of Cornwall; old Mr, Carew, of Anthony." 

 Thus run the directions : — ^^ Take a calf, or rather a sturk 

 (steer), of a year old, about the latter end of April, bury it 

 eight or ten days till it begin to putrify and corrupt ; then 

 take it forth of the earth, and opening* it, lay it under some 

 hedge or wall where it may be most subject to the sun ; 

 by the heat whereof it will (a great part of it) turn into 

 mnggots, which (without any other care) will live upon the 

 remainder of the corruption. After a while, when they 

 begin to have wings, the whole putrified carcase should be 

 carried to a place prepared where the hives stand ready, 

 to which, being- perfumed with honey and sweet herbs, 

 the maggots, after they have received their wings, will 

 resort." This, it appears, was a practical man's method of 

 proceeding to stock his hives. Need we, then^ wonder 

 at the ancient poet, whose guidance he was (perhaps 

 unwittingly) following, Virgil, who has given similar 

 directions, only more poetically expressed, in his fourth 

 Goorgic : — 



