THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



31 



It is difficult to describe the bewilderment 

 and confusion of the bees of the bankrupt hive 

 who had been absent at the time of the catas- 

 trophe, and who arrived from time to time, with 

 full cargoes from abroad. At first they wheeled 

 about in the air, in the place where the fallen 

 tree had once reared its head, astonished at find- 

 ing it all a vacuum. At length, as if compre- 

 hending their disaster, they settled down in 

 clusters on a dry branch of a neighboring tree, 

 whence they seemed to contemplate the pros- 

 trate ruin, and to buzz forth doleful lamenta- 

 tions over the downfall of their republic. It 

 was a scene on which the "melancholy Jac- 

 ques" might have moralized by the hour. 



We now abandoned the place, leaving much 

 honey in the hollow of the tree. "It will all 

 be cleared off by the varmint," said one of the 

 rangers. "What vermin?" asked I. "Oh, 

 bears, and skunks, and racoons, and 'possums. 

 The bears is the knowiu'est varmint for findin' 

 out a bee-tree in the world. They '11 gnaw for 

 days together at the trunk till they make a hole 

 big enough to get in their paws, and then they'll 

 haul out honey, bees and all." 



E^^The following article, which we copy 

 from the Loudon Morning Star, is a good illus- 

 tration of the singular blunders which those are 

 apt to commit who write about matters which 

 they do not understand: 



A Bee Invasion. — A good deal of amuse- 

 ment has been afforded to the people of Oban 

 during the last eight days by an extraordinary 

 exhibition of the thievish propensities of the 

 bees of the neighborhood. It appears that on 

 Thursday week a newly hived flock of Dr. 

 Cumming's friends, headed by their quecii^ en- 

 tered the shop of Mr. Black, fruiterer, where 

 they proceeded to regale themselves on the 

 dainties lying so temptingly exposed. With a 

 total disregard to the laws of vieum et futim, 

 th-'v sucked the sweets of all that was suckable, 

 and spoiled a good deal more than they sucked. 

 Mr. Black, hoAvever, anxious to have a select 

 and numerous custom, had not bargained for a 

 queen and a few thousands of subjects, and did 

 not appreciate the free-and-easy Avay in which 

 his goods were handled, more especially as "no 

 returns" was an axiom upon which his custom- 

 ers faithfully acted. The art of coaxing was 

 brought into requisition, but without producing 

 any effect. Ready-made honey was lying be- 

 fore them, and the bees appreciated to the full 

 the delightful delicacy. The boxes were cov- 

 ered, hidden, removed to the most secret re- 

 cesses of the shop, but in vain. The bees found 

 them out, and sucked in with the most extraor- 

 dinary avidity. They defied all efforts to eject 

 them, and at the same time prevented more 

 honest customers from entering the shop. At 

 length, when it was seen that there was no 

 probability of the flock leaving of their own 

 accord, stringent measures were adopted. The 

 services of two men were called in, who com- 

 menced removing the goods out of the shop. 

 jSTotwithstanding this tJie queen and 7icr foUow- 

 era continued to cling to the spot hallowed by 



such sweet recollections; and it was only v/hen 

 that fatal enemy of the bee tribe, the dreaded 

 brimstone, mingled with chloroform, was intro- 

 duced, that the marauders succumbed, the queen 

 bravely dying amid her devoted folloicers. The 

 bees, however, had held possession for thirty- 

 six hours, and had shown an example which 

 others were not slow to follow. The forenoon 

 after the suffocation a fresh relay of bees paid 

 Mr. Black a visit during the warm hours of the 

 day, leaving in the eve ing, or Avhenever they 

 had filled their honey bags. Others succeeded 

 as soon as the first visitors left, rendering it im- 

 possible for people to enter the shop during sev- 

 eral hours each day. All the bees in the neigh- 

 borhood seemed to have received the hint, and 

 particular directions as to the locality of Mr. 

 Black's premises, Avhich still continue to be the 

 favorite resort of all the bees about Oban. The 

 wasps have even discovered the scent, and have 

 put in a most respectable appearance, mingling 

 with their more valuable sisters as though they 

 were bees of the most unimpeachable charac- 

 ter. It is due to the thieves, however, to state 

 that they kept their stings faithfully sheathed, 

 and have never lost their amiable temper. — 

 Glasgow Morning Journal. 



Primitive Beehive — The following mode 

 of keeping bees has been practiced in India for 

 a long period, and is said to be very success- 

 ful: 



"As honey forms a favorite article of food 

 among the Himalaya highlanders, they have a 

 very extensive sale for it; it is therefore with 

 them a great article of internal commerce, in 

 fact, the staple of their bazaars, where it always 

 finds a ready vent. They obtain the honey 

 without destroj-ing the bees, by means of a hol- 

 low cylinder of wood inclosed in the wall of 

 their huts, on the side most sheltered from the 

 weather, and in which there is an opening 

 without for the bees to enter. In the centre of 

 this hive there is a movable division which is 

 kept open while the bees are making their ho- 

 ney; but as soon as the combs are full, the busy 

 family is driven out by a noise made through 

 the inward extremity. As soon as they have 

 retreated, the central partition is closed and the 

 combs are drawn out of the cylinder from the 

 opening on the inner wall. The honey being 

 secured, the hive is again opened and the bees 

 commence their interminable labors of repro- 

 duction." 



It has been judiciously observed, that "no 

 one who pays a fair amount of attention to the 

 management of those very interesting insects, 

 the bees, will ever willingly relinquish the keep- 

 ing of them." Carelessness and indifference 

 alone find the incidental difficulties insurmount- 

 able, and they descroe to do no. 



To be successful in bee-keeping, there must 

 be a sufficient experience in bee management, 

 whether derived from a practical acquaintance 

 with the subject, or from a diligent study of the 

 best treatises and manuals^ of instruction in the 

 matter. 



