METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION. 413 



thirty or forty hives. They travel only during the night, 

 and at a foot-pace, and as much as possible on sandy roads. 

 The hives are covered with linen, and are arranged in stories; 

 those of the upper being reversed between those of the lower 

 story. They remain about two months in the place of their 

 pasturage. The peasants take care of them for a very trifling 

 salary. In this season nearly three thousand strong hives 

 are seen as a little village. 



When the hives are to be transported, they are placed in 

 the evening on a linen cloth, in which they are wrapped, 

 and tied round with bands of straw, osier, or pack-thread. 

 Two men can carry several hives by passing a long stick 

 through the knot of the cloth which covers them. They 

 are thus often packed on horses or mules. If they be placed 

 in the common way, that is, on their bottom, they must be 

 raised and sustained at the height of some inches, especially 

 if the journey be of some length; for it is necessary that the 

 bees should be able to imbibe a renovated air. The swarms 

 which have been newly hived may remain in this state two 

 or three days. In cold weather, the hives full of wax, honey 

 and bees, may be transported to any distance, by taking care 

 only that the combs do not break one against the other ; for 

 this purpose they are supported with little sticks. 



To these details of M. l'Abbe Tessier, we will add some 

 not less interesting, extracted from the Dictionary of M. 

 Bomare. " The skilful economists in the Gatinois, after the 

 crop of sainfoin, transport their hives into the plains of La 

 Beauce, where the melitot abounds ; afterwards into Sologne, 

 where the country is covered with buck-wheat, which is 

 in flower until the end of September. This practice is 

 universal in the country, and even the humble peasant 

 imitates the opulent proprietor in the transportation of his 

 hives." 



M. Bomare adds — " We are informed, by a memoir of M. 

 Duhamel,that the profit which is extracted from the bees under 



