"^'"fcl'zs^''"'}  Honey-bee  and  its  Products.  489 
off.  In  alighting,  they  select  the  limb  of  a  tree,  the  side  of  a  house, 
and,  occasionally,  the  body  of  a  man.  The  limb  of  a  tree,  however, 
is  generally  their  choice.  Before  so  doing,  they  fly  around  in  utmost 
confusion,  and,  after  deciding  upon  which  tree  to  rest,  they  arrange 
themselves  in  layers,  one  above  the  other,  on  the  under  side  of  the 
limb,  until  they  present  the  appearance  of  a  cone,  which  might  meas- 
ure from  \\  to  2  feet  long,  and  from  2  to  4  feet  in  circumference. 
They  are  sometimes  of  such  great  weight  that,  unless  the  limb  is  a 
very  large  one,  it  bends  under  the  load,  and,  not  unfrequently,  breaks. 
At  such  times  they  prove  very  troublesome,  and  ofttimes  refuse  to  light 
again,  but  fly  away,  and  are  not  easily  recaptured. 
But,  in  case  their  alighting  gives  satisfaction,  the  next  step  is  to  hive 
them.  This  is  done  by  placing  a  hive,  previously  rubbed  on  the  inside 
with  peach  leaves,  on  a  sheet,  spread  either  on  the  ground  or  a  table 
near  the  bees.  The  limb  is  then  very  carefully  sawed  off  and  carried 
to  the  hive.  By  a  sudden  jerk  of  the  limb,  the  bees  are  precipitated 
on  the  sheet  near  the  entrance  of  the  hive.  A  gentle  tapping  on  the 
hive  with  any  convenient  instrument,  as  a  pocket-knife  or  a  stick,  will 
cause  them  to  enter  the  hive  with  astonishing  rapidity.  They  are 
then  left  undisturbed  until  evening,  when  they  are  carried  to  their  per- 
manent positions. 
From  15  to  20  pounds  of  honey  is  considered  the  yield  of  a  good 
hive  during  a  favorable  season  ;  the  hive  being  robbed  soon  after 
swarming.  The  present  mode  of  robbing  a  hive  differs  from  the  olden 
way  somewhat.  By  the  present  process,  newer  honey  and  lighter 
comb  is  obtained  ;  the  original  method  being  to  form  hives  by  placing 
four  or  five  square  boxes,  one  upon  the  other,  the  topmost  box  being 
taken  off  and  an  empty  one  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  others.  The 
honey,  or  wax,  in  this  top  one  was  generally  four  or  five  years  old,  be- 
cause only  one  box  was  despoiled  in  a  season.  In  rare  instances,  how- 
ever, the  honey  was  new,  the  bees  having  eaten  the  old  and  refilled  it. 
The  hives  now  in  use  are  constructed  so  as  to  allow  new  honey  and 
comb  to  be  taken  every  year. 
The  dark  color  which  characterizes  much  of  the  yellow  wax  seen  in 
our  shops,  is  due  to  different  causes,  among  the  most  influential  are  the 
flowers  from  which  it  is  collected,  and  the  age  of  the  comb  ;  this,  from 
being  a  few  years  old,  becomes  very  dark.  Impurities,  also,  affect  the 
color  of  the  wax,  and  the  manner  in  which  the  honey  and  comb  are 
separated  ;  but  I  have  never  seen  anything  to  authenticate  the  state- 
ment made  by  a  prominent  wax-dealer  in  this  city,  who  aflirms  that 
old  bees  make  dark  wax,  and  young  bees  clear  wax." 
