Sec. 10.] BEES, AND THE PROFITABLE PPwODUCTION OF EOXEY. 



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It is true there are some persons with whom the bees never will become 

 friendly, or allow of any familiarity. Such persons should never try to 

 handle bees. Others (the writer is one) can handle them with impunitv. 

 I have often had them light upon my iiice, and head, and hands, and remain 

 as long as they liked, and then go away again. 



When a swarm comes out, go immediately right into the midst of it, and 

 do not be alarmed if it should cluster upon your hat. Such things have been, 

 and no harm come of it. You must show no excitement ; be moderate ami 

 calm in your movements, as if surrounded by a flock of wild birds whicii 

 you were afraid of searing away. An excitable man will be very apt to 

 alarm the bees, and an angry one M'ill be sure to make them angry and 

 drive liini from the field. 



It sometimes happens that bees leave the hive pre-determined to fly away. 

 In sucli cases it is difiicult to stop them. If it is a dusty time, and they are 

 gathering for flight so low that you can throw handful after handful of dust 

 among tliera, you may succeed in confusing them until they will alight. 

 Swarms have been stopped on the wing by firing a musket directly forward 

 of them, so that both noise and smoke would confuse them. It is idle to 

 flre after them, and shot sent into the swarm may kill the queen ; when the 

 bees must be returned to the hive, or put into one witli a piece of brood-comb. 



Some people make a great noise, beating drums, tin kettles, barrels, or 

 blowing horns, when a swarm comes out. The philosophy of this is, that 

 the noise may drown the voice of the queen, and thus confuse the bees, 

 when they may alight ; but, as a general thing, noiso will have no more 

 efiect toward stopping runaway bees than runaway horses. 



The very best thing that we can recommend to a new bee-keeper is : Be 

 gentle, and keej) yourself on familiar terms with j-our bees. Make tliem 

 familiar with your presence and personal appearance, and always go among 

 them, as near as possible, in the same garb ; and never in a filthy garb, 

 right from the manure-yard, perhaps ; and never in your shirt-sleeves, reek- 

 ing witli perspiration. There is nothing more offensive to bees ; for they 

 arc as neat as they are industrious, and never sweat anything out of their 

 little bodies but clean white wax, of which they build their cells. 



Thoroughly domesticated bees seldom oflfer to fly away when they swarm, 

 if you have conveniences for them to cluster ; and such bees are always 

 easily handled, so that they can be hived without difficulty, even by tlie 

 (jwleio'tfii or children, if the gwlcmaii is auxi. 



If you are afraid of stings, put on gloves and tic your sleeves down ; tuck 

 your pants in your boot-tops ; put on a broad-brimmed hat, with a piece of 

 mo^quito-nctting over it, tucked in close aroun<l your neck, and thus jiro- 

 tected, the most timid may go among his own, or strange bees, which always 

 are the most dangerous. 



If you happen to go near bees, and one comes at you, do not fight, nm, 

 nor scream. Walk away gently, and aim to get behind a busii. tree, fence, 

 or buildini?. 



