bee-keeper's manual. 53 



say ' depart" — ^just the time that the massacre is com- 

 menced. On the 6th of July, I discovered the first at- 

 tempt to expel the drones, this season. Thus, nature 

 has ordained this matter ; and blind indeed, must he be, 

 •who can resist the almost self-evident truth, of the legi- 

 timate uses of drones. 



" But," say the cavillers, "why should a thousand or 

 more drones be brought into existence, when one is suf- 

 ficient, according to this theory." — It is a true adage, 

 that " none are so blind as those who won't see." Thus 

 it is, in the present case. Now, the queen cannot pos- 

 sibly become fertile, without meeting a drone on the 

 wing, in the air. This is her nature, and she may be 

 confined with thousands, yet it is utterly impossible for 

 her, to be fructified by their presence. Then, since she 

 must go forth, and that too, in the regions above, far 

 out of the sight of man, to effect her object ; she must 

 nox go in vain. 



The life of a queen is too valuable to be jeopardized 

 in fruitless sallyings, subject to be caught by the fowls 

 of the air, or to mistake her domicil, on her return, and 

 enter another and perish. A young swarm is solely de- 

 pendent on the safety of their queen ; and if she perish, 

 ten thousand subjects die with her. 



The great Creator of animate nature foresaw all this, 

 in his infinite wisdom, and wisely created so many 

 drones, that the queen could not well fail, to come with- 

 in- the circle of their flight, soon after leaving her hive, 

 and thus render her fertility sure, on her first exit 



