CHAPTER XXX 
THE BEE-BURNERS 
Co wanderings towards the end of 
summer, even now when the twentieth century 
is two decades old, still bring to light many ancient 
and curious things. Within an hour of London, 
and side by side with the latest agricultural 
improvements, you can still see corn coming down 
to the old reaping-hook, still watch the plough- 
team of bullocks toiling over the hillside, still get 
that unholy whiff of sulphur in the bee-gardens 
where the old-fashioned skeppists are ‘‘ taking up ”’ 
their bees. 
Burning-time came round usually towards the end 
of August, sooner or later according to the turn of 
the season. The bee-keeper went the round of his 
hives, choosing out the heaviest and the lightest 
stocks. The heaviest hives were taken because they 
contained most honey; the lightest because, being 
short of stores, they were unlikely to survive the 
winter, and had best be put to profit at once for what 
they were worth. Thus a complete reversal of the 
doctrine of the survival of the fittest was artificially 
brought about by the old bee-masters. The most 
vigorous strains of bees were carefully weeded out 
QO 209 
