74 BEEKEEPING 



With one swift stroke of the ax the 

 board cover, nailed to the top of the 

 "gum," flew off and almost immediately 

 the bees were greeted with a rich puff of 

 acrid smoke which caused them to change 

 their minds about pulling off some re- 

 prisal stunts they had all cooked up. Al- 

 most before they had become quiet after 

 the removal of the cover, George sailed 

 into the log itself and with blow after 

 blow finally succeeded in splitting the 

 tough old tree lengthwise. I, the novice, 

 stood by wondering why on earth we were 

 not both stung to death. 



As a matter of fact the bees behaved 

 themselves with rare self-control consid- 

 ering that" to all appearances the end of 

 the world had arrived for them. I 

 learned, however, that when bees are 

 roughly attacked in this way with their 

 whole communal life threatened, they in- 

 variably make an attempt to save what 

 they can out of the wreck. To this end 

 every bee sets to work to fill itself as full 



