240 
THE UIVE AKD HONEY-BEE. 
Clevehiiul, 6hio, ■\vho is so widely known for his interest 
iE Horticultural and Apiarian pursuits, will be read with 
great interest: 
“ Cle\tjland, Feb. 19th, 1859. 
“Dear Sir: —Until 1805, the honey-bee flourished in 
the Upitcd States. At the coramenoement of the jiresent 
century, a majority of the farmers and mechanics in the 
State of Connecticut cultivated the bee. Few, if any, 
unfavorable contingencies interfered with that pursuit; the 
simplest form of box-hives was usually employed, though, 
occasionally, a hollow gurn, and, in a few instances, the 
conical straw sleep supplied their place. 
“ III Autumn, the weak colonies, and such of the old as 
were depreciating in value, were destroyed by fire and 
brimstone. The honey thus obtained was sufficiently 
abundant to satisfy the demand; hence, in those days, 
caps, drawers, and side-boxes, for robbing bees, were not 
emjiloyed. 
“During the Spring of the year 1806,1 read an article, 
in the Boston Patriot, describing the miller and worm, 
and their depredations, and representing them as of re¬ 
cent a|)pcarancc in the vicinity of that city. A few 
months subsequently', a neighbor informed me that they 
were depred.ating extensively on his colonies ; and within 
two years of that time, four-fifths of all the Apiaries in 
that vicinity were abaudoneil.* 
* Judg<^ Fisbback, of Batavia, Ohio, says that the ravages of the moth, In h'j 
Apiary, were liiuch more destructive the hocond season after iti* appearance, tlmn 
ftt any subsequent period. lean onlyaccnuiit for tins, by supposing that, at first, 
Uio bees wore Ignorant of its nature, and took no siieoial precautions to prevent it 
from entering their hives. In Europe, wlierc it has been well known for more than 
two thousand years, Its ravages huvo never been of such a wholesale character. As 
l)oth worms and moth have a poouliur simdl, tlie bees would soon learn to repel 
from their hives, a moth sincUlng so much like tho worms that were dovouriag 
their combs. 
That bees can Uarn. to defend themselves against new eiiemie.s, is proved by tho 
facts related by Huber, of their narrow Iiig their eulrauces with propolis to keof 
