THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



145 



find the queen and either see her or satisfy yourself that she is among the 

 driven bees, after which, place the driven swarm on the old stand, and the old 

 hive at some yards from it. The reason is that the bees left in the old hive 

 will be young, and the old hive containing a large quantity of mature brood, 

 the hatching of which so speedily recuperates the strength of the hive that in 

 a few days it becomes as populous as ever. Knowing no other locality the 

 bees stay in the old hive, hatch the brood, and raise a new queen by the pro- 

 cess already described. There is an old adage that — 



" A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay, 

 A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon, 

 A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly." 



BEEKEEPERS. 



Those who should keep bees as a hobby, are close observers, who have a 

 garden where they can spend an hour or so morning or evening, who are 

 calm and courageous and have endurance to bear the first sting or two, but 

 beginners until they get used to stings should provide themselves with a veil 

 to protect the face. Many bees are very quiet and with gentle handling 

 almost any operation can be performed, and a little experience and enthusiasm 

 will easily accomplish the rest. Those who should not attempt to keep bees 

 are persons with offensive smells or bad breaths, workers in tanneries or 

 chemical works, dark complexioned people or those wearing dark clothes, 

 such being all, more or less, liable to attack. 



COMB AND FOUNDATION. 



It has been estimated that the bees have to digest 201bs. of honey to pro- 

 duce lib. of comb, so the necessity is obvious to save this precious commodity. 

 Since the introduction of what is termed "Comb foundation" many difficult 

 problems have been solved, such as, keeping the combs straight, enabling the 

 bees with greater ease to build worker or drone cells at pleasure, and saving 

 the time and honey formerly required in the making of comb. This invention 

 has been claimed by Germans, English, Scotch, and Americans. During the 

 last 20 years many minds were at work upon it, but the palm has at last 

 been giving to Mr. A. Washburn, of Medina, Ohio, the inventor of the roller 

 machine, which enables us to manufacture this material by the ton, and has 

 put it within reach of all, as it is now a marketable commodity, and can be 

 had from all dealers at very little over the cost of the wax. 



PROFITABLE BEEKEEPING. 



I now come to the class who might, if they would only try, keep bees with 

 profit. Every cottager in suitable districts could pay a portion of his rent 



