108 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For the American Bee Journal, 



The Fox and the Bees ; 



OB, 



An Old Man'^s Reason for Haling Bees. 



More than fourteeu years ago, while engaged 

 in conversation with a friend at tlie table of a 

 public house, upon our favorite topic, "the 

 bees," I noticed an old man, who listened to us 

 with fixed attention. Taking advantage of a 

 break in our conversation, he said, in a very 

 decided manner: "You seem to be great ad- 

 mirers of bees, but I hate them., and if you will 

 hear my bee story, you will sec that I have good 

 reason for such feelings :" 



" Many years ago, when I was a lad in my 

 teens, I had a tame fox which was left chained 

 to a hollow log, in my father's garden. It was 

 an amusing sight to see how fond this fox was 

 of killing bees ; few that came within his 

 reach making good their escape. One Satur- 

 day a number of my playmates came to spend 

 the afternoon with me, and among us the idea 

 was suggested that we might get some rare fun 

 out of Reynard and the bees. No sooner \ 

 thought than done. By our united etforts we 

 moved the log much nearer to a large row of j 

 bee-hives, and with true boyish zest enjoyed j 

 the slaughter of the innocent bees. Fox, for a ; 

 while, seemed to be in all his glory, and the 

 more he killed, the louder we laughed; nor was j 

 our enjoyment at all diminished by his curious \ 

 antics as every now and then a bee made an \ 

 effective lodgement upon his hairy hide; but the ; 

 bees, beginning very soon to resent such liber- 

 ties, attacked in increasing numbers their wan- 

 ton destroyer, and it Avas evident that he was j 

 not only getting the worst of the fight, but that j 

 if 1 did not interfere there would soon be a dead 

 fox on the field of battle. Approaching the log- 

 to unchain and remove him, the bees sallied 

 from their hives as it seemed in countless thou- 

 sands. A scene speedily ensued more easily 

 imagined than described. My companions fled 

 with what speed they coukl to the house for 

 protection, the bees attacking and stinging them 

 not quite to their heart's content before they 

 could make good their retreat. Seizing my fox ; 

 I made for the nearest W"ater, into which I \ 

 dropped him all covered and blackened with j 

 bees. Finding that nothing further could be I 

 done to save my poor pet, I left him in the ago- i 

 nies of death to attend to my own safety, for ' 

 the bees by this time were covering my person ; 

 and stinging me so furiously that I was almost i 

 frantic with fear and pain. By the time I reached I 

 the house the air was filled with them, and as I i 

 opened the door I carried in a new reinforce- | 

 ment, who began to sting more thoroughly my [ 

 companions and all the members of the family. 

 We were noAV compelled to retreat to the cellar 

 and abandon the upper works to the enemy, | 

 who by this time had fairly darkened the Avia- [ 

 dows with black clouds, furiously seeking ud- i 



mission. The poultry and domestic animals 

 were savagely attacked, and some of them died 

 from the effects of their stings, v>^hllc the unfor- 

 tunate owner of the dead fox laj^ upon his bed 

 for more than three months, barely escaping 

 with his life. 



"Now, after hearing my hQe story, can you 

 wonder that I perfectly hate bees; and all the 

 more as from the time of that unfortunate ex- 

 periment I have never been able to approach a 

 hive without being attacked or stung by 

 them." 



When the laughter, caused by both the matter 

 and manner of the old man had somewhat sub- 

 sided, my friend and myself freely acquitted 

 him of any unnecessary uncharitableness for 

 saying '■'■ I hatehees.'''' 



L. L. L. 



[From the Prp.irie Farmer.] 



Bees ! Bees ! Now is the Time. 



Eds. Prairie Farmer : If your readers will go 

 now into the fields and gather the dried tops 

 and seed bulbs of old mullein stalks, they will 

 see that each one of them at a little distance, 

 Avhen inverted, looks almost exactly like a long, 

 round cluster of bees. Now, if they will lay 

 them carefully away in a cool, dry place, and 

 next summer, when their bees are swarming, 

 have ready three or four of the stalks tied to- 

 gether on the top of a long pole, and Avhen the 

 swarm is all out, before they begin to light else- 

 where, run this decoy up among them as they 

 fly, and they Avill all pitch toward it and light 

 on it at once, thinking that it really is a cluster 

 of bees and a part of their SAvarm. If they Avill 

 pop it up among a SAvarm determined to go off 

 or on their flight overhead, it Avill in like man- 

 ner deceive them, and they can in either case 

 then be SAvarmed with all ease. 



This pole or decoy should be usually kept out 

 of sight at all times except Avhen in use, lest it 

 should lose its effect from becoming too Avell 

 kuoAvn. Pieces of the same, however, laid 

 round in the branches of the trees, Avhere it 

 Avould be convenient for them to light, Avill 

 usually determine them to light there rather 

 than on any other part of the same tree, or 

 any one very near to it. Try it. 



J. B. Turner. 



The Queen's Retreat. 



According to the observations of an old and 

 skilful bee-keeper residing near me, the queen 

 bee commonly retreats into the super of a hive, 

 Avhen thcAvorkers begin to disport of an afternoon 

 in front of the hive, seemingly to escape from the 

 tumult in the interior. He states that he re- 

 gularly found her there on such occasions. If 

 this be so, she could readily be caught, even in 

 a cottage hive, by providing it in season Avith 

 a super fitted with combs removable. 



Semlitsch. 



