THE APIARY. 131 



at the time, may be found towards spring by the dead bees on 

 the snow. "When a tree is found, cut upon the bark, (in the 

 least conspicuous place,) your initials, with date of finding, and 

 let it stand until drones appear in May, when, if the queen 

 should be killed in falling the tree, there will be eggs in the 

 combs from which to rear another, and drones for her fertiliza- 

 tion. "When \,2fo bees are at work upon the flowers a line may 

 be started by taking a plate or a piece of board, upon which is 

 a small piece of comb filled with diluted honey. You will also 

 need a glass tumbler and a piece of brown paper or dark colored 

 cloth. Having found a bee upon a flower, place over it the 

 tumbler and leave it inverted upon the cloth till the bee rises to 

 the top. "Wait till it quits buzzing, (that it may not get be- 

 smeared with the honey,) then carefully raise the tumbler and 

 place it over the honey on the plate, wrapping the cloth around 

 the upper part of the tumbler to darken it. The bee will de- 

 scend toward the light, when, coming in contact with the honey 

 it will commence loading up. Gently remove the tumbler while 

 the bee is at work, and stepping back a few feet, place your eye 

 near the ground. "With the clear sky for a background it is 

 easy to keep sight of the bee as it rises, describing several cir 

 cles at first, then striking a "bee-line," for home. It soon re 

 turns with many others. "When a strong line has got to work, 

 cover the bees with the tumbler, and moving them along the linf 

 towards the tree again liberate them. Care must be taken nol 

 to go beyond the tree, else the bees may not return. If the tree 

 is now supposed to be near, mark the line of bees by I Ming an 

 assistant sti ?.k, in range, a few stakes. Again cove' he bees 



