194 THE APIARY. 



tute for the farina of flowers. He had observed that, in 

 early spring, before the flowers were open, his bees had 

 entered a neighbouring com mill, from whence they 

 returned laden with rye flour. Since his discovery, 

 some keepers, in early spring, place either rye or wheat 

 meal near the apiaries ; to this artificial store- the bees 

 repair by thousands, and seem to rollick in the enjoy- 

 ment of such plenty, many of them returning to the hive 

 as dusty as millers. The object in thus supplying them 

 is, that the brood may be rapidly brought forward, and 

 early swarming induced. In this Way, a few pounds of 

 rye meal, at one penny per pound, may tend to the 

 production of very many pounds of honey of twelve times 

 the price. 



In gathering pollen from flowers, bees are doing more 

 than merely providing for their own community. Whilst 

 hupiming through our gardens they are assisting to 

 propagate our flowers, and their merry buzz in our 

 orchards indicates that the blossoms of spring will in 

 autumn fulfil their promise by abundance of fruit. In 

 Mr. Darwin's remarkable work, "The Fertilization 

 of Orchids," the mystery of the fructification of flowers 

 is scientifically explained ; but before the subject was so 

 fully understood, it was quite believed that bees, in 

 passing from flower to flower, performed some important 

 service. Owners of fruit-trees have noticed, in a season 

 generally unfavourable for the orchard, that if during 

 .only one fine forenoon the bees had spread freely 



