THE HONEY-BEE CAPABLE OP BEING TAMED. 199 



the bees are nearly all full of honey, and the colonies can then 

 be handled without smoke. 



By our methods you can superintend a large apiary, per- 

 forming every operation necessary for pleasure or profit, with- 

 out as much risk of being stung, as must frequently be in- 

 curred in attempting to manage a single hive in the old way. 



392. Let all your motions about your hives be gentle and 

 slow; never crush or injure the bees; acquaint yourself fully 

 with the principles of management detailed in this treatise, 

 and you will find that you have little more reason to dread 

 the sting of a bee, than the horns of a favorite cow, or the 

 heels of your faithful horse. 



Cotton, quoting from Butler, who, in these remarks, fol- 

 lows mainly Columella, says : 



393. "Listen to the words of an old writer: — 'If thou wilt 

 have the favor of thy bees, that they sting thee not, thou must 

 avoid such things as offend them: thou must not be unchaste or 

 uncleanly; for impurity and sluttiuess (themselves being most 

 chaste and neat) they utterly abhor; thou must not come among 

 them smelling of sweat, or having a stinking breath, caused 

 either through eating of leeks, onions, garlick, and the like, or 

 by any other means, the noisomeness whereof is corrected by a 

 cup of beer; thou must not be given to surfeiting or drunken- 

 ness; thou must not come puffing or blowing unto them, neither 

 hastily stir among them, nor resolutely defend thyself when 

 they seem to threaten thee; but softly moving thy hand before 

 thy face, gently put them by; and lastly, thou must be no 

 stranger unto them. In a word, thou must be chaste, cleanly, 

 sweet, sober, quiet, and familiar; so will they love thee, and 

 know thee from all others. When nothing hath angered them, 

 one may safely walk along by them; but if he stand still be- 

 fore them in the heat of the day, it is a marvel but one or 

 other spying him, will have a cast at him.'* 



* Many persons imagine themselves to be quite safe, it they stand at 

 a, considerable distance from tile hives ; wliereas, cross bees delight to 

 attack those whose more distant position makes them a surer mark 

 to their long-sighted vision, than persons who are close to their hives. 



