® l)c larmcr's jlloutljlij Visitor. 



13 



mechanical ingenuity, nideil liy experiiiiirLiiil 

 tesis, piodticed' the "urtificiii! \vj: «n<l font for 

 whiih lit" liMSohl!iiiieii ii imttiil. '!"<• give iiii iilcu 

 or its iierfi'clion, 1 woiikl itnuiik lliiil Mr. rjiliHiT 

 vL-ileil Wii.-liington, liming the bitting of the 

 gic.a " Nationiil Fail" luM spring, wem ing niie of 

 his own artificial N'g!^, »n(l that liO one hail the 

 Itast .suspicion of his heing i-upported and walk- 

 ing on iniy other than natuial and haiKlt^oinely 

 piopoitioncd liinhs. The ailiiiiialion of the 

 joints is ."-o perfect, iind he inaiiiiges his aililioiaj 

 limli with snih iVeedoni, that onlv a slight liinp 

 can he detected in his gait. The joints pieseive 

 a smooth and iialnial conlonr in all po.>^llion,<, — 

 not straining or injuring a silk storking at the toe 

 or ankle juinl. 'I'hey make no noise in their 

 movements, and can he used for jcars « itiiont 

 retiuiring repairs. A loot and leg, to he applied 

 ahove the knee, is composed of only seven pic-ces: 

 it will thereli)re he perceived that its mechanical 

 construction is reinarkahly simple. 



The 



Small Farms. 



[greatest ohstaele to the iinpiovement of 



future. He reminds mc of Mood's lon<-hing 

 "Song of the Shirt," and ll may be well said or 

 sung iiy hitn: — 



Work — unik — work ! 

 Kroin wcnrv ritinie to clnmc, 



Work — work — work ! 

 As prisoners wdik lor criair — 



I'loupli, niul Iinrrow, ;iml hue! 



Hoc. ;ilu) h.Trlow. ami plou^^h '. 

 Till the hr-;irt it- tick, sind the arm benunrd 



And aobcry htaniped on his brow. 



f?uch a man has little reason to pride himself 

 on his extensive possessions, and paradoxical as 

 it woulil appear. In; would in nine cases out of 

 ten,ad<l to his riches as well as his enjoyment, hy 

 giving way one half at least. He is, in the triu^ 

 sense of the word, miserahly poor, in iiict a slave; 

 and when his eyes are opeiietl to his real conili- 

 tion, it is no wonder that lu' is glad to emanci- 

 pate himseli; hy selling I. is liuin for what he can 

 get, atid egca|ie, post haste, to Texas or Iowa. 



Agricnlune in New l-^ugland, is the propensity ot 

 the farmer, the mama 1 might well call it, to 

 own more land than he can till to advantage. — 

 Ami it is thus that we see siMltered over the 

 country, large tracts of sterile, un|)ro(luclive 

 land, which under good cultivation woidd j ield 

 houiililid ;iim1 v.-duahle crojis. 



iNot oidy the dictates of sound philosophy, hut 

 nnuicrous liicis, dr.-iwn (rmn experience, are eon- 

 stanlly atid loudly c.dling upon the Ijirmer, lioin 

 every <piart(!r to occupy a small larin and culti- 

 vate It v\ell. 1 ulsJi that this adinonitioti could 

 he thundeied into the ears of the agriculluial 

 population of New Englatid, until a couiphle 

 revolution should he produced in tlie farming sys- 

 tem. 



This great truth is aheaily hogiiu)ing to he un- 

 derstood in other countries, and is attended with 

 corresponding advantages. The densest popnla- 

 lion ill Euro|)« may he found in I'"hiiiders and 

 Lriml ardy, where the land is divided into small 

 liirms, and, ln'ing thoroughly tilled, produces 

 ahuiiilant food foi the inhahltaiii.^. Ami the ex- 

 )iericnce of a cpiarter of a century in France, 

 proves, that, hy the occupation of the country 

 tinder small working liirmeis, the land is produ- 

 cing one-third more Uiod, and supporting a pop- 

 ulation one-third greater, than wNen it was pos- 

 sessed ill large masse.*. The law is universal — 

 it applies to every country — that the success in 

 Agricnllnre consisls in the thorough culiivaiion 

 of a small piece of ground, which, vvell-riianuied, 

 and weli-wrirked, \ields up its treasures in prod- 

 igal pioiiision. In ahiiosi every part of New 

 England, one capital error runs ihrongh the 

 wIiciIk systeiii of liirniing. A great deal of iiio- 

 iiey is invested in land, and a very little iiioney 

 employed in its cullivatioii. And it is sad to see 

 the owner nf a large farm pride himself on ihe 

 nundier of acres which he possesses, and niidir- 

 taketo cultivate the soil without snfiic-ieut iiica'is. 

 Such a man has been happily cem])aied to ji 

 merchant, w ho expends all his capitid in hiiild- 

 ing hir his own use a large roomy store, and is 

 .•dierwards seen gazing' with complacency on his 

 hare wall and empty shelves. 



He has chalked out to himself a hard lot, and 

 involuntarily i-nters into a state of servimde worse 

 than Ei'vi'tian hondage. His Wdik is never ac- 

 comidisled. He toils at all hours anil yet is nev- 

 er ahead of hi^ work, and his work is never hall 

 done. He has not lime to accomplish any thing 

 thoroughly. His house is out of repair — his cat- 

 tle poor — his harn dilapidated — his fences in ru- 

 ins — his pastures overrun with hushes, and acres 

 of land, which, under proper eiilli\alion, might 

 he made to yiehl a rich harvest, are hut little re- 

 moved from liarrennes.", perhaps dotted with 

 ninllen, burdocks, thistles, or filled with sorrel, 

 white weed,;ii!d oilier noxious plants, which root 

 out the grass, and eat up the life of the soil, with- 

 out afTording nourishment to man or beast. 



What a harrassed, iinhappy being must he the 

 owner of such ,i (arm! He has no time for rec- 

 reation or mental improvemenl. He is doomed 

 to the tread-mill forliii;; with his spiritsdepress- 

 ed — despondency .stamped on his bnggard linea- 

 nments, ami the worm of discoment gtiawing at 

 his heart; with him there is no plea.sant associa- 

 tions with the past — the present is full of an.xiety, 

 care, and hard labor — and b cloud reslsupon the 



roni tilt-' rtiins}lv;uii:i Kry-tone. 

 The Honey-llee. 



BY. OR. DRAPER. 



Sdcnd wrilina:s. — <lrislolle. — Viri^U. — Swammcr- 

 dam. — Heivci/. — .hlJiion.—^Miss .-/juie C. Li/ucli. 



— Sonnet. — )( oikiiifi- liecs. — Ihoiua.-Tht (^uetn. 



— Hungary.— GitUicid.—Triinsiili'dniii. — Di Imn- 

 tin. — .Veto Snulk H'alcK. — linvortiiiice of bees 

 in tvorkiiig clwises. 



In the whole variety of the organic «oi Id, there 

 is perhap'S no dep.irlmeiit which is more inviting, 

 instructing, and interesling, than the economy of 

 bees. 



The wondeiful nature of their mechanisin .'ind 

 structure, the (degalit and uiatheuiatlcal construc- 

 tion of their cells, their pron-ibial industry and 

 more than instinctive Inlelligence, together with 

 the sweets which they ollect, Itundng so large a 

 portion of our domestic luxuries, have in all ages 

 snpplieil themes (in- Ihe poet and the moralist, on 

 which to expatiate, and deservedly render them 

 objects v\oriliy of admiraiion and attention from 

 lliiid<lni; and Intelhctnal mimls. The subj-ct is 

 extensive and Interesting. The s.-icrerl urliings, 

 the most aiii-ient of which we have any know- 

 ledge, show in many places how strongly the fa- 

 thers ot' the .lev\isli people had been Impressed 

 bv the peculiarities In the natural history of the 

 bee; iiiid we know that Aristotle .iiid many other 

 philosophers of old (ireece dctmeil the subject 

 worthy of years of patient investigation. Virgil, 

 also, .-md m.-iny other Uoman wrilers, ihveh on it 

 with enlbusiasm in their wriiiiigs : while in mnidi 

 l.-iter times, Swammerdam and other distinguish- 

 ed cultivators of science have pursued the same 

 track with undiminished ar<lor. 



It is rather surprising that in the works of Vir- 

 gil, who has ii.adi! bees the subject of his foorib 

 and most interesting Georgic, should he contain- 

 ed almost as much iidijrmation as in those of any 

 writer since his time, each being equally deficient 

 in accommodating the Ibriii and arrangements 

 of their hive to the habits of the insect. This 

 dislinguisbed and ceh'nated classical poet ap- 

 pears to have been pailicularly delighted \\beii 

 be got atnongst his bees; tind the elegant Addi- 

 son says that it will not be wonilered at if we 

 consider the various and inlereslins objects wbii h 

 tliev ofTer to our view. While the phlloso|iher 

 examines the laws and government of Ihe hive, 

 the division of their labor, their almost human 

 sagacity in providing lor a season of dearth and 

 necessity, the poet is delighted to observe them 

 in the bright and i.'enial days of spring and sum- 

 mer, roving (rmi) flowi r to flower, ;ind to indulge 

 his fancy in the many pleasing .-issocialions that 

 are suggested by their habits and pursuits. 



Hervey, ill his Meditations, thus discoiiiseth : 

 " Bees, Industrious workmen ! that sweep wllli 

 busy wing the flowery garden ; ifiat search the 

 blooming heath, and sip the mfUiflnou.s (le«s; 

 strangers to idleness! that ply wlih incessant as- 

 siduity your pleasing task, and suller no opening 

 blossom to pass unexplored — no sunny gleam to 

 slip away unimproved. Most ingenious artificers! 

 that cling to the fiagrant buds, liiiiin them of their 

 treasured sweets, and extract even the odorifer- 

 ous souls of herbs and plants and flowers. Yon, 

 when you li.ave completed your work, have col- 

 lected, refined, and securely lodged the ambro- 

 sial stores ; when you might reasomdily expect 

 the peucelul fruition of your acquisitions, you, 

 Jilas I ore barbarously destroyed, and leave your 



hoarded ilelicacies toothers — leave them to be eu- 

 joved by y(jur very murderers!" 



Tbank.s, however, to modern lnventi<ins, the la- 

 ment of Hervey will not apply at the present day, 

 fijr hy the adoption of IMarilii's beohive, the bee 

 can live to enjoy tin: fruits of his labors, and also 

 fiirnish an ample supply Ihr those who manage 

 fi>r him. 



That the honey bee has at all times been con- 

 sidered an olject of particular interest, I will re- 

 peat what was said in a lijrmer epistle, that there 

 have been sevenij-seven anchnt, and (imr hun- 

 dred anil liirty-fonr modirn autl ois, comprising 

 philosophers, poets and natuialists, who liave 

 written on the habits, manners, Inslinclive (iicul- 

 lles, and proilucllon of this wonderful Utile ani- 

 mal, the bee. The last poetic efrusion on tbla 

 subject is fiom the pen of .Anne C. l^yncb, and 

 It breathes the true spirit ot heart poetry. 1 sub- 

 join it, as 1 know that ll will be acceptable to all 

 the liiir readers of the People's Journal : 

 SO.NNET. 



BY ANNE C. LYNCH. 



TUc honry hee ihnl w.nndt'rs all day long, 

 'J'lie IIl-UI, till' woodland, and ihr (■arden o'er, 

 'I'o i!;ttht-r III Ins frafanl \vint(;r future, 

 Ilniiniiiiiiz ill I'alni roiiUril his quiet liOliK, 

 Sei'ks nut ali'iji llii- rcist-'s {;l,,win2 lirt;ast, 

 'I'hf^ Iil> 's ilinnly ctij,, Ih'- viidt^l^ti lips, 

 Ijiil lioiii all tank anil iioisoinir wt-t-ilt' he f>tpa 

 Thfj single dropot' sufeunss ever phii:td 

 Within llie pi.isoii-ihalin-. 'PInis IT we 

 S<-t', oril> It, liriiw li'rUi Iht; liidihii i-wt.,;t 

 111 all Mil' varifd hiinian tlou, is wr iiieL't 



to Ihr wiik- catdt-n of IJninanily : 

 And, like Ihf hei-, if lioine tin- spoil we bear, 

 tliVL'd 111 onr IieHTts, it lurn:^ lo iieit.ir there. 



From the poetic regions of animating fiicy, 

 and Imaginary enjoyments, let us turn lo grave 

 and useful liicts. 



A hive of honey or garden l>ees contains three 

 orders fif inhaliitaiits, the exieriial characters of 

 which difi'er considerably, while their uses anil 

 fiinciions in ilie eommiinlty are most markedly 

 distinct. 'I'lie most imporlanl, and hy far the 

 most numeriins order, is that of the workers or 

 working-bees, formerly regarded as neuters, but 

 now more properly eiiiisiileiid sis undeveloped 

 female.*. 'The second order Is composed of the 

 mobs of the hive, and are called drones. There 

 is usually hut one perfect member of the third 

 order present ai a time in a hive, and this is the 

 ipieen bee, the sole and only female of the cotii- 

 miiolty. 



1 shall not enter into a full account oflbe struc- 

 ture of the bee, but will li.eiely slate that the 

 chest is traversed by the o'sophagus or gullet on 

 its way to Ihe digestive and oiher organs siiiiated 

 in the ahilomen. These organs consist of' the 

 honey-bag, ihe slomach, the wax-pockils, and the 

 intestines, w lib the venom-bag and the sting. — 

 'ihe cotistrnctlo;i of the head of the bee is very 

 curious, as it Is provided with a double visual ap- 

 paratus. In front are placed two eyes, eonsistiiij 

 each of numerous hexaeonal or six sided plates, 

 stiidiled will hairs lo ward off the dust or pollen 

 of riov\ers; and three small eyes are also to be 

 liiiind on the very top of the head, designed, 

 duiibl'ess, both to helgbten the genera! sense of 

 seeing', which the crealnre so peeiilinrly requires, 

 and to give a defensive vision upwards from the 

 cups of flowers. It «'ould be Impossible for me 

 within the limits ot an epistle to leconnt the ma- 

 ny strange things which are recorded about hee*. 

 1 will, howi ver, mention one. It Is known to bee 

 ciilthatois that they gather a substance called 

 propolis, (from llie (ii''"ek words /ro !\i\ii jjolis) he- 

 lore ihe city, as indicating lis use before the hive. 

 This is a resinous subsiance of a grayish brown 

 color, of an aromatic odor, and is better fit!eil for 

 ceiiicnilng and stopping np holes and crevices in 

 the hive than wax, for which purpose the bees 

 principally use it. 



If a fly Intrudes into a hive, the bees kill it and 

 carry it out— but if a sntiil or mouse, wliich is too 

 heavy fiir them to carry, what think you ihey do? 

 In this dilemma, when the ottensive object be- 

 gins to pulrily and fill the hive with u disagreea- 

 ble smell, they set to work and cover it all over, 

 and every part of it with propolis, which hardens 

 over ihe mass, and thus they have a plea.sant aro- 

 ma dlfliised over their Imiiitaiion, instead of a 

 fceiid odor ! 



Honey and wax are two imporlaiit articles, and 

 in a couimeicial point of view ii:igl',t be renderGi! 

 verv profitable. In one _\ear there was ioqiorled 

 into Fiance, bees wax amoiiiiting to more than 

 five millions of dollars, and was principally used 



