74- AN EASY METHOD 



We are not to be justified in taking the lives of animals or 

 insects, which are but lent blessings, unless some benefit to 

 the owper can be derived from their death, which will out- 

 weigh the evils resulting from such a sacrifice. Duty com- 

 pels us to protest, in the strongest terms and feelings, against 

 the inhuman practice of taking the lives of the most indus- 

 trious and comforting insects to the wants of the human 

 family, by fire and brimstone. 



When bees have occupied one tenement for several years, 

 the comb becomes thiclc and filthy, by being filled up with 

 old bread and cocoons, made by young bees, when trans- 

 formed from the larva to a perfect fly. 



Bees always wind themselves in their cells, in a silken 

 cocoon, or shroud, to pass their torpid and defenceless 

 (chrysalis) state. These cocoons are very thin, and are 

 never removed by the bees. They are always cleaned im- 

 mediately after the escape of the young bees, and others are 

 raised in the same cells. Thus a number of bees are raised, 

 which leaves an additional cocoon as often as the transforma- 

 tion of one succeeds that of another, which oflen occurs in 

 the course of the season. Now, in the course of a few 

 years, the cells become so contracted, in consequence of be- 

 ing thus filled up, that the bees come forth but mere dwarfs, 

 and cease to swarm. Comb is rendered useless by being 

 filled up with old bread, which is never used except for 

 feeding young bees. A greater quantity of this bread is 

 stored up yearly than is used' by them, and in a few years 

 they have but little room to perform their ordinary labors. 

 Hence the necessity of transferring them, or the inhuman 

 sentence of death must be passed upon them, not by bemg 

 hung by the neck until they are dead, but by being tortured 

 to death by fire and brimstone. 



It is obvious to every cultivator that old stocks should be 



