BEES. '97 



and at last was refreshed with the soft summer breeze 

 sweeping- across the purple and golden bloom of the heath. 

 After a few minutes' rest on the green sward, he began his 

 search, and before long was delighted to find there, among 

 thousands of other busy bees, his own little fellows in the 

 dusty red coats, which he had given them in the morning." 

 Many of the bees made the journey more than twice in each 

 day, thus piloting themselves through sixteen miles of smoke 

 and dust within the twelve hours. 



If the hives are taken by water, they should always be 

 placed on the shore at some distance from the bank, before 

 opening the doors, as they will very probably when return- 

 ing home wearied and laden with their burdens fall into the 

 water, before they can reach the hive. If the hives nre 

 placed for the season, they should be kept at some little 

 distance from other hives, as if they are weak, their more 

 powerful neighbours will inevitably plunder them. 



COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS. 



And now, gentle reader, we will venture to suppose you, 

 as an admirer of bees, or of the profit that may be derived 

 from them, are determined to commence operations in a 

 quiet careful way, that shall give you an opportunity of 

 learning, by the management of a few, how to deal success- 

 fully with any number. 



The first thing to be done in commencing operations, is 

 of course to procure your bees. This can generally only 

 be managed by purchase, and, in that case, follow the re- 

 commendation of Boswell : — " It is with a beehive as with 

 a wife, never take one on the recommendation of another 

 person." In order to enable the intending bee-keeper to 

 effect this important point in a satisfactory manner, a few 

 simple observations are here given. The best time for 

 purchasing is in the spring*, when the purchaser should 

 carefully watch the proceedings of the bees belonging to 

 the hives which he intends to purchase. He may be 

 assured that things are going well, if the bees pass i-apidly 

 to and from the hive, many of them bearing their baskets 

 of yellow pollen upon their legs. If the examination is 

 made before swarming, particular attention should be paid 



