THE PASTORAL BEES 5 



Among your stores of honey gathered before mid- 

 summer you may chance upon a card, or mayhap only 

 a square inch or two of comb, in which the liquid is 

 as transparent as water, of a delicious quality, with 

 a slight flavor of mint. This is the product of the 

 linden or basswood,.of all the trees in our forest the 

 one most beloved by the bees. Melissa, the goddess 

 of honey, has placed her seal upon this tree. The 

 wild swarms in the woods frequently reap a choice 

 harvest from it. I have seen a mountain-side thickly 

 studded with it, its straight, tall, smooth, light gray 

 shaft carrying its deep green crown far aloft, like the 

 tulip or maple. 



In some of the Northwestern States there are large 

 forests of it, and the amount of honey reported stored 

 by strong swarms in this section during the time the 

 tree is in bloom is quite incredible. As a shade and 

 ornamental tree the linden is fully equal to the 

 maple, and, if it was as extensively planted and cared 

 for, our supplies of virgin honey would be greatly 

 increased. The famous honey of Lithuania in Rus- 

 sia is the product of the linden. 



It is a homely old stanza current among bee folk 

 that 



"A swarm of bees in May 



Is worth a load of hay; 



A swarm of bees in June 



Is worth a silver spoon; 



But a swarm in July 



Is not worth a fly." 



A swarm in May is indeed a treasure; it is, like 

 an April baby, sure to thrive, and will very likely 



