242 SEE s. i^ 



It is well known, that flowers are tenaci- 

 ous of their parts of generation in a rainy fea- 

 fon ; expofing them with caution. Nor is it 

 mere expofure that fits the ftamina for the 

 purpofe of the bee. The anthers mufl be 

 burft by the fun, before the bee can load 

 its thighs with the contained farina ; which 

 being expofed, is liable to be wafhed 

 away, or Ihook down, by the firfl heavy 

 fhower. Hence the collection of BEE-BREAD, 

 in a moid fhowery feafon, muft be very pre- 

 carious and inconfiderable. 



. But the collecting of WAX and HONEY de- 

 pnds lefs on the weather. For the flower 

 once open, the bee has free accefs to the nec- 

 tary and piftil, whofe productions are lefs 

 liable to a fhower than is the farina. Be- 

 fides, it is, I believe, a fact which is not 

 doubted, that bees collect honey from what 

 are, perhaps, improperly called honey-*fcj ? 

 as well as from flowers. 



From thefe prerniffes may we not fairly 

 draw the following conclusion ? 



The fpring and fummer of 1782 being ex- 



reraely wet, (fee NORF. ECON.) a dearth of 



BREAD 



