HISTORY OF 7HE HIVE. 47 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE HISTORY OF THE HIVE. 



The colony of bees, described in the previous chapter, 

 is one that is in a prosperous condition. There are 

 plenty of bees, and the hive is full of comb ; and there 

 is abundance of brood and plenty of honey, and pollen 

 stores, and all things in order. In the next place let 

 us see how all this has come about. What has been 

 the history of the hive .■' This, to some extent, de- 

 pends on its age ; but as, after a colony is well 

 established in the hive, its history is much the same 

 every year, we will think of it especially in its early 

 days — the first year of its history. 



And very possibly, although we see it now so full 

 and prosperous, it is not more than a few months old. 

 It is now, let us say, the month of August, and very 

 possibly it was only last May that the bees first took 

 possession of the hive. 



To trace its history let us go back in thought to 

 that merry month of May, and I will suppose that 

 you and I are together, amongst the hives, on some 

 bright morning of that beautiful month, when all 

 nature seems to be putting forth its freshest vigour ; 

 and we stand and admire the lovely sight of the 

 orchard trees, — the apple, pear, cherry, and others, — 

 full of blossom ; while the bees from all the hives 

 fill the air with their pleasant hum. 



