24 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



enough to contain about four colonies and was raised about 

 two feet liigh on four legs. On the top was a hole o\'er which 

 the box hive was placed, with tlie expectation that the bees 

 would build down and occupy the entire space. The bottom 

 was made very steep, so that wax-worms falling- upon it would, 

 however unwillingly, be obliged to roll out! When a nice piece 

 of honey was wanted for the table, all that was necessary was 

 to take a plate and knife and cut it out, a door for that pur- 



Fig. 



-Wide Frame. 



pose being in one side of the palace. The plate and knife 

 were never called into requisition, the magnitude of the task 

 of lining tliat ])alaee being so great that the bees concluded to 

 die ratlier than to undertake it. Many years after, I saw at 

 the lioiiic of an intelligent faniiei; near Marengo the exact 

 rouiiteipait oF that bee palace, wliicli an oily-tongued vender 

 liad just induced liim to purchase. 



BEES IN 15AKKEJ,. 



Notwithstanding my utter ignorance of bees, I began to 

 feel some immediate interest in the bees my wife caught. I put 



