THE INDUSTRY OF BEES. 15 



dustry of honey-bees. Fancy a large and prosperous hive 

 full of comhs, hees, and brood ; fancy 20,000 little grubs 

 in this hive requiring constant attention and proper food, 

 and all receiving them in due season ; fancy the care and 

 diligence of the bees in mixing and kneading this food 

 before they give it to their young ; fancy 20,000 of these 

 grubs daily requiring and receiving beautiful lids on their 

 cells ■while they pass into the insect form and chrysalis 

 state ; fancy 800 or 1000 square inches of this brood 

 being built up every three weeks. Try these combs in 

 the scales against a twenty-eight-pound weight and see 

 which conquers. Stand and look at that hive of bees, 

 and remember that all therein goes on with unerring ex- 

 actness and without light : then think of the untiring 

 energy and perseverance of the bees outside the hive — 

 ranging fields and woods from morn till night, gathering 

 up the sweets and the pollen of flowers, storing the one in 

 sacks and the other in baskets, returning to their homes 

 laden as a donkey with panniers, increasini^ ^'tiffl'r hoa^y- 

 store s in weight from 2 lb. to 6 lb. per day ; and after 

 their honey has been twice swallowed and disgorged, and 

 thus made into honey proper, they securely lock it up. 

 Yes ; think of aU these things being done, together with 

 countless and nameless offices performed every hour, and 

 methinks the reader will be dumb with amazement at 

 the industry of these wonderful bees ! ! Bonny wee crea- 

 tures ! your own fanning wings will drive from your 

 hives scores of tons of the sweat of your labours ere the 

 imagination of the poet or the pen of the historian can 

 compass youi industry ! 



Without any pretension to accuracy, and anxious to be 

 within the circle of facts, we may state that the daily 

 consumption and waste of a large and prosperous hive of 

 bees in the summer-time, while honey is being gathered, 

 is about 2 lb. To repair the waste of such a hive, upwards 



