•240 
THE HIVE AND HONICY-BEE. 
Cleveland, Ohio, who is so widely known for his interest 
m Horticultural and Apiarian pursuits, will ho read with 
great interest: 
“Cleveland, Feb. 19th, 1859. 
“Dear Sir: —Until 1805, the honey-bee flourished in 
the United States. At the commencement of the present 
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 gum , and, in a few instances, the 
conical straw sleep supplied their place. 
“ In 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 
employed. 
“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 appearance in the vicinity of that city. A few 
months subsequently, a neighbor informed me that they 
wens depredating extensively on his colonics ; and within 
two years of that time, four-fifths of all the Apiaries in 
that vicinity were abandoned.* 
* Judge Fishback, of Batavia, Ohio, says that the ravages of the moth, In his 
Apiary, were much more destructive the second season after It* appearance, than 
at any subsequent period. I can only account for this, by supposing that, at first, 
the bees were Ignorant of its nature, and took no special precautions to prevent it 
from entering their hives. In Europe, where it has been well known for more than 
two thousand years, Its ravages have never been of such a wholesale character. As 
both worms and moth have a peculiar smell, the bees would soon learn to repel 
from their hives, a moth smelling so much like the worms that were devouring 
their combs. 
That bees can learn to defend themselves against new enemies, is proved by the 
tacts related by Iluber, of their narrowing their entrances with propolis to keep 
