24 
THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
CHAPTER II. 
THE HONEY-BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 
If the bee had not such a formidable weapon both of 
offence and defence, multitudes who now fear it might 
easily be induced to enter upon its cultivation. As my 
system of management takes the greatest possible liberties 
with this irascible insect, I deem it important to show hi 
the very outset how all necessary operations may be per- 
formed without incurring any serious risk of exciting its 
anger. 
Many persons have been unable to suppress their aston- 
ishment, as they have seen me opening hive after hive, 
removing the combs covered with bees, and shaking them 
off in front of the hives ; forming new swarms, exhibiting 
the queen, transferring the bees with all their stores to 
another hive ; and in short, dealing with them as if they 
were as harmless as flies. I have sometimes been asked, if 
the hives I was opening had not been subjected to a long 
course of training ; when they contained swarms which 
had been brought only the day before to my Apiary. 
1 shall, in this chapter, anticipate some principles in the 
natural history of the bee, to convince my readers that any 
one favorably situated may enjoy the pleasure and profit 
of a pursuit which has been appropriately styled, “the 
poetry of rural economy,” without being made too famil- 
iar with a sharp little weapon which can speedily convert 
all the poetry into very sorry prose. 
It must be manifest to every reflecting mind, that the 
Creator intended the bee, as truly as the horse or the cow 
for the comfort of man. In the early ages of the world, 
