91 
ssed the distance, which separates them from the Boris= 
enes, that famed river, which was formerly the boundary 
‘the bold Sarmatians. They will not again behold the © 
thick cloud, which was spread over their heads, by the too 
much expected sack, burning, and wild devastation of the __ 
 eradle of the Czars, in their last campaign.* tale 
_ In this month the bees begin to beat the field, but still 
with the greatest precaution and prudence. The proprie- 
tors have terminated the visits which were necessary in win- 
ter. They have scoured every thing clean, and renewed the © 
necessary refreshments, &c. The air is perfectly purified - 
in the hives, the passages are enlarged for the egress and 
regress of the bees, but in such a manner as to prevent the 
attacks of moles and mice, the possibility of whose entry into 
_ the hive must not be admitted. The saffron is already decay- 
ing from which the bees made a great booty. But generous 
Nature has spread for them thousands on thousands of other — 
treasures. The furze, wild turnips, stone fruits, pears, and 
apples, in all their variety, offer them incalculable wealth, 
and in proportion as the weather becomes mild, they rise 
above, and can dispense with, the care of man. BY 
The spring is come, followed by Flora, who here esta- 
blishes a most brilliant court. The bees enjoy all the gifts 
of the goddess, without tarnishing their splendour. They 
collect an immense harvest from all the flowers which she 
displays to them, but they, notwithstanding, retain all the - 
richness of their perfumes and brilliancy of their colours. 
It is in this principally, that the bee is inimitable. It plun- 
ders every where, and no where is any trace of its larceny 
erceivable. If the culture of these insects was a little more 
avoured, in the French empire, it would be found that their 
annual booty would exceed three hundred millions of 
ounds, without any one complaining of their excursions. 
This is a fact, accurately true, founded in nature. And. 
this prodigious amount well applied, to essential wants, 
would spare us foods of sweat. But the difficulty in this 
branch of improvement is, that the means are not used, as 
ointed out by practical and experienced cultivators. 
This is the season to change simple hives into Scottish, 
and Scottish into pyramidal, as before directed. (Chapters 6. 
and 9.) 
* This, may be a very pretty rench episode, but it has very little 
‘to do with the history or the management of bees.— Translator. 
