232 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



it a clean, white cloth, a sheet or table-cloth will answer the 

 purpose well. Place upon this a couj)le of pieces of slit-work, 

 about ten inches apart, upon which to elevate the hive. Now 

 take firmly hold of the limb while an assistant saws it cleanly 

 olf. Place it \^ith gentleness upon the table between the two 

 billets of wood and put the hive over them. Now cover the 

 hive with a second sheet and then leave them ; they will soon 

 go up into the hive. It is well to rub the inside of the hive 

 with salted water or green walnut leaves, before hiving the bees. 

 They take to it sooner, and more kindly. At nightfall place 

 the hive with much gentleness where it is to remain during the 

 summer. The drawers should be closed in the new hive until 

 the lower department is filled. The hives should not stand out 

 of doors during the winter season in these latitudes. They 

 should be removed into a warm, dry, unoccupied out-house or 

 kitchen cellar, away from the wind and winter storms. Wlien 

 the spring opens, and the first flowers begin to appear, or even 

 in sugaring time, when they can have access to the sap of the 

 sugar-maple, place them again in the bee-house. 



Hunting Wild Bees. — I approach a subject upon which I 

 have never seen any thing written. It is well known that our 

 forests are the homes of many swarms of wild bees. They go 

 off from the domesticated colonies, and seek refuge in the hollow 

 of some good old tree, and there deposit their honey. It requires 

 some experience and skill to hunt wild bees with success. Tlie 

 outfit for bee-hunting is a bee-box, properly constructed with 

 comb and honey, slightly scented with oil of thyme or anise. 

 The box should have a glass in the top or side, covered with a 

 sliding panel, through which the comb and bees can be seen, to 

 admit light. The bee-hunter secures from a bunch of flowers a 

 few wild bees in his box. The panel is now removed, and the 

 light admitted. Or, if he can find no bees upon tlie flowers, he 

 burns a piece of honey-comb upon a heated stone, the scent of 

 which draws plenty of bees around him. He places the open 

 box near his " altar of incense," and the bees soon alight upon 

 the honey-comb, and begin to feed. Plaving in one of these two 

 ways secured a few working wild bees, he places the open box 

 upon a high stump, and sits down leisurely to watch them. 

 The bees having supplied themselves with a freight of honey, 

 depart for home. Rising from the box, they fly in circles about 



