CKES. 97 



formed by placing the jar of honey in hot water, and skimming 

 it carefully. 



The wax, after the honey has been separated, should be 

 placed in ram water, heated over a moderate fire, and con- 

 tinually stirred. It should then be strained throug-h canvas 

 (which requires rather powerful pressure — that of a lever is 

 the easiest), re-melted, and run into moulds. It will then have 

 a yellow tint, but may be bleached by melting- it, and 

 running* it into very thin flakes, which must be placed in 

 the sun. After repeating* this several times, the wax will 

 become perfectly white. It should, when poured into the 

 moulds, be suffered to cool very slowly, Oi it v/ill be full 

 of cracks. 



JFor directions respecting* the drink of the heroes of old, 

 who considered the height of felicity to consist in sitting* in 

 the hunting' grounds drinking mead out of the skulls of their 

 enemies, the reader is referred to various books of cookery, 

 where full directions may be found among those treating* of 

 home-made wines, among which, in our opinion, it fully de- 

 serves to be placed, and may fairly be ranked with sage-tea 

 and many other atrocious compounds. 



The Situation — must be dry and airy ^.nough fierce 

 winds must be completely shii<" out by the natural defences 

 of the place. The hive must be protected by an over- 

 hanging canoiy against rain and drip. Damp is, perhaps, 

 *' greatest of all bee-enemies. As to the others, let your 

 hive stand upon one or more posts or pillars, according* to 

 its size (jnost securely fixedj accidents with hives are very 

 dangerous things), so that " mice and rats, and such small 

 deer," may not be able to annoy the bees. Some efi*ectua^ 

 precautions should be taken to prevent children from in- 

 terfering in any way with the bees, either intentionally, or, 

 which is more likely, by accident. There are cases on 

 record of children suftering* severely by some unlucky in- 

 terference, construed no doubt by the bees into an attack, 

 and resented accordingly. 



Beside the legitimate enemies of bees, above mentioned, 

 there are such things as bee-robbers, &c., men who make 

 a business of robbing every hive that they can move. Their 

 depredations are committed by night, and, armed with a 

 full bee-dress, they quietly empty the hives without re 



H 



