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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



labor for women, here is an occupation 

 admirably adapted to the strength and 

 acute intelligence of the female sex; and 

 there are many in various portions of our 

 land who are making large incomes from 

 this source alone, and we are confident 

 that there are also ladies in Washington 

 county possessing the proper qualities to 

 become adepts in this pursuit. 



Many are deterred from keeping bees 

 from the fact that within the past few 

 years our unusually long and severe win- 

 ters have become the greatest foe to the 

 apiarian. Whole districts where swarms 

 were formerly kept have become almost 

 depopulated, and now but few bee hives 

 are seen in a day's ride through the 

 country. It has been found, however, 

 that this kind of stock requires to be 

 protected from the inclemencies of the 

 winter as well as our cattle and sheep, by 

 keeping them in a dark, frost-proof 

 repository, and at an equal temperature 

 they winter with as little loss as any other 

 class of domestic animals. 



Others decline to have anything to do 

 with bees, owing to the sharp points they 

 carry in the end of their tails. The pro- 

 pensity to use this sharp point can be in a 

 measure overcome by the use of a little 

 smoke; but suppose we get stung occa- 

 sionally — it is a sovereign remedy for the 

 rheumatism. Therefore let no one become 

 discouraged on this account. 



Before closing, I would say that our 

 agricultural society could do much to- 

 wards developing this industry. Like 

 many other things, it suffers from neg- 

 lect at their hands, while it is worthy of 

 a more prominent position upon their 

 premium lists. Scientific. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 Maury County (Tenn.) Meeting. 



The Maury County (Tenn.) Bee-Keep- 

 er's Society, held their regular meeting in 

 the Circuit Court room, Columbia, Tenn., 

 on Saturday, Jan. 1, 1876. There was a 

 full attendance. 



The minutes of the last meeting were 

 read and adopted. 



Mr. J. J. Jones moved that the Secre- 

 tary be authorized to receive members at 

 any time — adopted. 



Mr. David Staples, being called upon, 

 addressed the Society about as follows : 



Mr. President and Gentlemen: — I 

 feel highly complimented on being called 

 upon to address you on this occasion, 

 upon the history and habits of the Honey 

 Bee. But knowing my inability, it is not 

 strange, nor unnatural that I should feel a 

 degree of embariassment. But as the 

 vast ocean on whose bosom floats the 

 mighty ships of commerce, is made of 

 little drops of water; and this earth on 

 which we tread, is composed of little 



grains of sand, it may not be amiss in me 

 to cast my little drop into the ocean of 

 science, that is now sweeping across our 

 pleasant land. 



A retrospect of the past is noble, and 

 well becomes an enlightened mind. It is 

 not necessary that all communications 

 with our fellow beings, shall be cut off, 

 because they first succeeded to this 

 hereditary globe, and first mingled with . 

 its silent dust. In reviewing the past 

 thick-coming fancies, and stern realities, 

 strangely mingled, crowd upon our 

 minds. 



One moment, we wander among the 

 crumbling epitome of ancient mythology, 

 where we see that the Honey Bee has 

 been the friend and companion of the 

 white man, ever since the most remote 

 ages in history. (I say white man, for 

 there is a tradition among the Indians of 

 the present day.) Whenever they see the 

 Honey Bee among them, it is an omen 

 that the white man is on the trail. I need 

 not trace the chronicles, and show you 

 how she sought the hollows of the trees, 

 the clefts in the rocks, and the carcass of 

 the dead lion, wherein she could bestow 

 her loads of sacred sweets, in order that 

 she might have not only a sufficiency for 

 herself and young, but also an occasional 

 treat for her friend. Let us pass by the 

 inhumane ordeal, when lo, we behold 

 Ifim in the darkness of night with the 

 brimstone match in his hand, in cold 

 blood and unprovoked murder, and rob 

 the little innocent, who feign would have 

 tojled her life away for his good; had it 

 not been for such base inhumanity. 



These we did hope might not directly 

 concern us or our countrymen. But no 

 sooner do we tread on America's soil, no 

 sooner see her Langstroth with his mova- 

 ble comb hive, than we are personally 

 interested in its history, and commence a 

 scientific course in apiculture. Ear off 

 on the shores of Geneva, in the year sev- 

 enteen hundred and ninety-five was seen a 

 Huber ( having no doubt solved the rid- 

 dle, wherein from the strong came forth 

 sweetness.) Observing with what accu- 

 racy the little insect followed the ribs in 

 the carcass of the dead lion, he conceived 

 the idea of placing a bar across his hive, 

 that he might secure straiglit combs, and 

 in whatever direction he pleased. 



After having lain dormont for more 

 than a half a century, those ideas were 

 aroused and wafted across the mountain- 

 ous waves of the Atlantic, and were 

 caught UD by a Langstroth about the 

 year eighteen hundred and fifty-one, 

 which was the first permanent step in 

 apiculture in America. This was the 

 land of the log gum, and the brimstone 

 match: and perchance one half century 

 ago, the rude gum stood on the very 

 ground, where these walls are now erect- 

 ed. The brimstone match was lighted, 



