THE HONEY-BEE. 21 7 



full bloom. In corn-districts, especially, this change 

 is indispensable. After the middle of August, wide 

 tracts of the richest arable lands, unless in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of heath, present to the bees but a 

 barren desert ; the wild flowers are almost all gone, 

 and in those that still remain, the secretion of honey 

 proceeds very slowly and scantily. And what is of 

 still more importance, the white or Dutch clover, 

 which, in a highly-cultivated country, forms the great 

 dependence of the apiary, has disappeared ; and 

 hardly any thing remains but the small patches of 

 mignonette in the gardens, and the coarse rag- weed 

 or mug-wort in the fields. 



From this period, accordingly, the hives, generally 

 speaking, become every day lighter ; and the Bee- 

 master, especially after deprivation, must exert his 

 skill in checking the evil, otherwise his stocks will 

 be unfit to stand the winter. The only remedy, at 

 least the best, is to transport his hives to a district 

 where the bees will find those supplies that are 

 wanting at home. 



The practice of removing bees towards the close 

 of autumn to fresh pastures prevailed in ancient times> 

 as we learn from Columella and others, and is con- 

 tinued at the present day, with great advantage to 

 the owners. In China, Egypt, the Grecian Islands, 

 and over almost the whole European continent, we 

 find the transporting system highly approved of. In 

 England we know not that its advantages are ap- 

 preciated as they deserve to be; but in Scotland, 



