336 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. [Ch. vi. 



An apiary in the garden of every village clergyman 



would afford the means of economising this unclaimed 



bounty of Providence. 



An Old Anecdote. 



An amusing instance of the fondness of bears for 



honey is related by a Muscovite ambassador to Rome, 



in the " Feminine Monarchie ; written out of Experience 



by Charles Butler. Printed in the Year 1609 " — a 



quaint, but sensible work : — 



" A neighbour of mine (saith he), in searching in the woods for 

 honey, slipped down into a great hollow tree, and there sunk into a 

 lake of honey up to the breast ; where — when he had stuck fast two 

 days, calling and crying out in vain for help, because nobody in the 

 meanwhile came nigh that solitary place — at length, when he was 

 out of all hope of life, he was strangely delivered by the means of a 

 great bear, which, coming thither about the same business that he 

 did, and smelling the honey, stirred with his striving, clambered up 

 to the top of the tree, and then began to lower himself down back- 

 wards into it. The man bethinking himself, and knowing that the' 

 worst was but death — which in that place he was sure of — beclipt 

 the bear fast with both his hands about the loins, and withal made 

 an outcry as loud as he could. The bear being thus suddenly 

 affrighted, what with the handling and what with the noise, made 

 up again with all speed possible. The man held, and the bear 

 pulled, until, with main force, he had drawn him out of the mire ; 

 and then being let go, away he trots, more afeared than hurt, leaving 

 the smeared swain in joyful fear.'' 



Instructions for New Bee-Keepers. 



Bees may be very inexpensively and profitably kept 



in the cottager's hive (see page no), which will be found 



a very productive one. It is true that it has not the 



apphances of windows and bell glasses ; for the cottager 



