KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



165 



Th' excessive rise of temperature alone, 

 That drives the royal insect from her throne, 

 To some more genial region of the state, 

 Where snow-white cells accommodate. 

 But, as the heat declines, there may be seen 

 Vast numbers congregated round their queen, 

 And clinging round the combs as if half dead ; 

 Hence we infer — how honey bees are bred. 



" Encourage your bees," says Thomas 

 Nutt, " accomodate them, support them, and, 

 by all means, preserve them ; and, when 

 seasons are favorable, they will richly re- 

 ward you for your attention to them." The 

 hive should never be fixed to the floor-board 

 with mortar or anything of the kind ; the 

 bees have a much better way of doing it 

 themselves ; but watch and destroy the wax 

 moth, which may be seen hovering about 

 the entrance on a fine summer's evening. 

 Whatever kiud of hive is used, it should be 

 well protected from the weather, but not 

 painted — paint stops the pores in the hives 

 and renders them unfit for the purpose. 



The expense of the Temple Bee -hives 

 being a bar to their coming into general use 

 amongst cottagers, we would advise those of 

 this class who make their own straw hives, 

 to make the top of the pavilion with wood. 

 Bore two or three holes in it,with a " centre- 

 bit," one inch in diameter, for the purpose of 

 working glass or other surplus hives, which 

 can be protected by another straw hive 

 being used as a cover to the surplus hives 

 thus placed upon the top. There is no 

 doubt of the preference to be given to 

 wooden boxes, both in point of durability 

 and in affording greater convenience for the 

 bees ; for a square shape is much better 

 adapted for the economical placing of the 

 combs than any other. 



Our own experience teaches us, that a first 

 swarm build their combs in a right line from 

 front to back ; so that when all is completed, 

 the apiarian, on looking in at the window at 

 the back of the pavilion, may see through, 

 between the combs, to the entrance. Second 

 swarms, which are called " casts," work their 

 combs irregular, and should never be pur- 

 chased to stock a hive ; but two casts united 

 will often make a good stock. We have 

 often been asked how we manage to preserve 

 such a large family of bees in one hive, when 

 we do not allow them to swarm, and never 

 destroy them ? To this we reply, that their 

 numbers are reduced so much in the autumn 

 by the destruction of the drones, and the 

 unavoidable deaths they meet with by the 

 thousands of accidents while in search of 

 honey, that a much less space is required for 

 them in winter than in summer. 



A colony of bees may be comppred to a 

 town which is always well peopled, though 

 during the life of man many changes take 

 place ; some are removed by old age, others 

 from other natural causes, whose places are 



filled by the young progeny who are daily 

 coming forth. If we examine the wings of 

 the working bee, we find them of a very 

 delicate nature, and not calculated to " wea- 

 ther the storm " through a long life of 

 years ; for the bee (unlike the bird) never 

 has new wings ; and when the wings of the 

 bee are worn out, it is cast from the hive by 

 the other bees as a useless " member of 

 society." When a stock is destroyed, it 

 invariably contains some young brood in the 

 combs ; and though the life of the working 

 bee has been considered by some to be from 

 seven to ten years, I fully concur with Dr. 

 Bevan, when he says, M it is more than pro- 

 bable that the life of the working bee does 

 not exceed six or seven months." 



It is important that the front of the hive 

 should be shaded from the sun during winter; 

 the entrance so contracted as to allow only 

 one or two bees to come out at one time ; 

 and when snow is on the ground, the entrance 

 must be entirely closed with a piece of wire- 

 gauze or perforated zinc, so that no bees 

 can escape, but fresh air freely admitted into 

 the hive. — W. J. Pettitt, East Cliff, Dover. 



JOY ALL THE YEAE ROUND. 



THE LEAF. 



I saw one leaf upon a tree remaining, 



Which by a feeble trembling tenure hung ; 

 The cold chill winds of winter were complaining, 

 And heaps of dead leaves, wet with constantraining, 

 Were here and there in fitful eddies flung. 



Still, in the piercing blast, this lone leaf quivered, 

 As though each gust would force it from its hold ; 

 Or, as it dying were, and feebly shivered 

 Ere to the dull cold grasp of Earth delivered, 

 And with its dead and rotting brethren rolled. 



From the bleak North a fiercer blast came sweeping, 

 And from its tottering hold the leaf was hurled 



Down to the ground ; the bitter rain seemed 

 weeping — 



In its sad icy tears the dead leaves steeping — 

 While in the rushing wind they madly whirled. 



And then it seemed the only hope had parted, 

 While desolation did supremely reign ; 



'Twas like the last trust of the broken-hearted ; 



Yet was a consolation then imparted 



Which eased my spirit of a weight of pain : — 



For, as my heart was thus so sadly viewing 

 The dying leaf, and seeing but its tomb, 



I thought upon the coming spring, renewing 



All that seemed desolate, and for dead leaves 

 strewing 



The laughing Earth with flowers of gayest bloom. 



i 



Tis thus we should for ever look at sorrow — 

 But as a casting our dead leaves away 



To give place to a brighter bloom to-morrow : 



And from the fresh'ning face of Nature borrow, 

 All joyous emblems — a perpetual May. 



From Household Words. 



