1861. 



NEAV ENGLAND FARMER. 



493 



Soothe him with praise, and make him understand 

 The load applauses ol his m aster's hand : 

 This from his weaning, let him well be taught ; 

 And then betimes in a soft snaffle wrought, 

 Before his tender joints with nerves are knit, 

 Untried in arms, and trembling at the bit. 



***** 

 The calf, by nature and by geniuc made 

 To turn the glebe, breed to the rural trade 

 Set him betimes to school ; and let him be 

 Instructed there in rules of husbandry, 

 While yet his youth is flexible and green, 

 Nor bad examples of the world has seen. 

 Early begin the stubborn child to break ; 

 For his soft neck, a supple collar make 

 Of bending osiers ; and, (with time and care 

 Inured that easy servitude to bear,) 

 Thy flattering method on the youth pursue ; 

 joined with his school-fellows by two and two, 

 Persuade them first to lead an empty wheel. 

 That scarce the dust can raise, or they can feel : 

 In length of time produce the laboring yoke, 

 And shining shares, that make the furrow smoke. 



His rules for the management of sheep and 

 goats are quite lengthy and minute ; and are 

 worthy the attention of those who are engaged in 

 sheep-raising. 



First, with assiduous care, from winter keep. 



Well foddered in the stalls, thy tender sheep ; 



Then spread with straw tie bedding of thy fold, 



With fern beneath, to 'fend the bitter cold ; 



That free from gouts thou mayest preserve thy care, 



And clear from scabs, produced by freezing air. 



Next let thy goats ofHciously be nursed. 



And led to living streams, to quench their thirst. 



Feed them with winter-browse; and for their lair, 



A cote, that opens to the south, prepare ; 



Where basking in the sunshine they may lie. 



And the short remnants of his heat enjoy. 



This daring winter's drizzly reign be done. 



Till the new Ram receives the exalted sun: 



For hairy goats of equal profit are 



With wooly sheep, and ask an equal care. 



* * « « ♦ 



But, when the western winds with vital power 

 Call forth the tender grass and budding flower, 

 Then, at the last, produce in open air 

 Both flocks, and send them to their summer fare. 



He does not disdain to notice the dog — that 

 distinguished member of the canine race, — whose 

 merits and demerits have been so freely discussed 

 in the Farmer for a few months past. It would 

 be really interesting to know his opinion of the 

 dog law, and of its present effect upon the length 

 of a sheep's life ; if he was of my mind, he would 

 consider it to be infinitely small. 



Nor, last, forget thy faithful dogs ; but feed 

 With fattening whey the mastiff's generous breed, 

 And Spartan race, xcho,for the fold's relief, 

 Will prosecute with cries the nishtli/ thief, 

 Repulse the prowling wolf, and hold at bay 

 The mountain robbers rushing to the prey. 

 With cries of hounds, thou mayest pursue the fear 

 Of flying hares, and chase the fallow deer, 

 Rouse from their desert dens the bristled rage 

 Of boars, and beamy stags in tolls engage. 



For the subject of his fourth and last Georgic, 

 Virgil has chosen the honey bee. He shows us 

 what station is most proper for the bees, and when 

 they begin to gather honey ; how to call them 

 home when they swarm ; and how to part them 

 when they are engaged in battle. From hence 

 he takes occasion to mention their different kinds ; 

 and after an excursion, relates their prudent and 

 politic administration of affairs, and the several 

 diseases that often rage in their hives, with the 

 proper symptoms and remedies of each disease. 

 He closes the poem by giving the history of an 

 invention to restore them to existence again, sup- 

 posing their whole breed were lost. This, of 

 course, is a superstition of the ancients, but is 

 worthy of a perusal. 



First for thy bees a quiet station find. 

 And lodge them under covert of the wind, 

 (For winds, when homeward they return, will drive 

 The loaded carriers from their evening hive.) 

 Far from the cows' and goats' insulting crew. 

 That trample down the flowers, and brush the dew. 

 The painted lizard, and the birds of prey. 

 Foes of the frugal kind, bo far away — 

 The titmouse, and the pecker's hungry brood. 

 And Procne, with her bosom stained in blood ; 

 These rob the trading citizens, and bear 

 The trembling captives through the liquid air. 

 And for their callow young a cruel feast prepare. 

 But near a living stream their mansion place. 

 Edged round with moss, and tufcs of matted grass: 

 And plant (the wind's impetuous rage to stop) 

 Wild olive trees, or palms, before the busy shop. 

 ***** 

 Whether thou build the palace of thy bees 

 With twisted osiers or with barks of trees. 

 Make but a narrow mouth : for as the cold 

 Congeals into a lump the liquid gold. 

 So 'tis again dissolved by summer's heat ; 

 And the sweet labors both extremes defeat. 

 And therefore, not in vain, the industrious kind 

 With dauby wax and flowers the chinks have lined. 



As Virgil does not mention it, I presume they 

 were not troubled, in those days, with patent 

 hives, and the quarrels of rival inventors. 



To keep bees from flying away to the woods, or 

 elsewhere, when swarming, he says : 



Then melfoil beat, and honeysuckles pound ; 

 With these alluring savors strew the ground ; 

 And mix with tinkling brass the cymbal's droning sound. 



***** 

 But when the swarms are eager of their play, 

 And loath their empty hives, and idly stray, 

 Restrain the wanton fugitives, and take 

 A timely care to bring the truants back. 

 The task is easy — but to clip the wings 

 Of their high-flying arbitary kings. 

 At their command, the people swarm away: 

 Confine the tyrant, and the slaves will stay. 



Although modern inquisitiveness has made 

 some important discoveries in the habits of bees, 

 yet, with a few exceptions, his account of them is 

 in accordance with nature, and our present 

 knowledge. 



Describe we next the nature of the bees. 



Bestowed by Jove for secret services. 



When by the tinkling sound of timbrels led. 



The king of heaven in Cretan caves they fed. 



Of all the race of animals, alone 



The bees have common cities of their own. 



And common sons ; beneath one law they live. 



And with one common stock their traffic drive, 



Each has a certain home, a several stall : 



All is the state's ; the State provides for all. 



Mindful of coming cold, they share the pain, 



And hoard, for winter's use, the summer's gain. 



Some o'er the public magazines preside ; 



And some are sent new forage to provide. 



These drudge in fields abroad ; and those at home 



Lay deep foundations for the labored comb. 



With dew, narcissus leaves, and clammy gum. 



To pitch the waxen flooring some contrive ; 



Fome nurse the future nation of the hive ; 



Sweet honey some condense ; some purge the grout ; 



The rest, in cells apart, the liquid nectar shut : 



All with united force, combine to drive 



The lazy drones from the laborious hive : 



With envy stung, they view each other's deeds: 



With diligence the fragrant work proceeds. 



***** 

 Plains, meads, and orchards, all the day he plies ; 

 The gleans of yellow thyme distend his thighs: 

 He spoils the saffron flowers ; he sips the blues 

 Of violets' wilding blooms, and willow dcTvs. 

 Their toil is common, common is their sleep ; 

 They shake their wings when morn begins to peep ; 

 Rush through the city-gates without delay ; 

 Nor ends their work, but with declining day. 



Thus Virgil nobly sings 



Of fields, and flocks, and trees. 



And of the waxen work of laboring bees ; 



and, although the subject which he chose is a 

 very old one, yet he makes it interesting ; and 



