THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 155 



try in its little body, apparently contemptible, and so 

 little admired by ignorant and inattentive persons ! 

 As in the greater number of animals, so we observe 

 in the Bee, vessels without number, liquids, motions, 

 often united in an imperceptible point; all the organs 

 of life, the instruments of labour, weapons to com- 

 mand victory when attacked, or the instruments of 

 escape from a superior foe, with a thousand that adorn 

 its exterior form. Every thing in these insects an- 

 nounces that supreme Wisdom, that presided at the 

 formation of a work so perfect, so industrious, so su- 

 perior in structure and sagacity to every thing that 

 art could ever produce. All this, when combined with 

 the rich blessings which they impart to man, call for his 

 homage, gratitude, admiration and love. 



CHAP. V. 



On hives in general. 



The forest is the original and natural dwelling for 

 the Bee, and the recess of some cavern, or hollow 

 trunk of a tree, the ancient and most natural resi- 

 dence, and place of deposit for this sagacious insect. 

 It is the art of the Apiarian, which has taught the Bee 

 to become domesticated, and yield part of his labours 

 and rich treasure, for the comforts and conveniences 

 of man. To assist the Apiarian, the farmer, and 

 even all classes of people, who may possess the ad- 

 vantages and the disposition, in deriving the greatest 

 possible good from this store-house of nature, is the 

 immediate design of !his Treatise, or rather of these 

 extracts. In order to invite the Bee into our domes- 

 tic employment, it became necessary to substitute a 

 new dwelling in place of the hollow tree of the forest 

 hence the reason why hives were first made of a sec- 

 tion of a hollow tree. The difficulty of obtaining this. 



