The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-12-13
Zee Supcrs.it,ous.


IN ancient days il was popular belle
respecting bees, that morning and evening
like Il camp in time of war, sentineIs were
fixed over the community, who hummed in Il
peculiar manner at change of guard, Ike
trumpet sound, as Pliny observes. The same
veracious authority states that only clean
persons physically and morally could take the
honey from the hive; IL thief is especially
hated by the bees. A swarm OF bees, 1t was
said, had settled upon the mouth OF the infant
Plato, as an omen of the enhancing sweetness
of his language and philosophc speculations
much in the same way, we suppose, as byron
said that nightingale must have sung on the
head of the bed when Moore was born. Bees
were by the ancients supposed TO detest strong
scents; the smell of crab, if it were cooked
near hive, would half kill the inmates. If
winter killed your bees, ancient Latin folk
lore directed you to expose them in spring to
the sunshine and to put hot ashes of the fig
tree near them, when they would come to
life again. Ii 4 bee stung person, it was
thought it lost its sting III the wound, and
either persisted at once or became drone.
Mutitudinous were their enemies supposed to
be. Swallows, bee eaters, wasps, hornets,
gnats, either seized bees on the wing or stole
into the hives and made free with the honey :;
frogs and toads laid in wait for them at he
waters edge as they came to drink; even
sheep were thought baleful as the bees en-
tangled themselves hopelessly in their wool
The popular voice at the present day adds to
this black list of their foes, sparrows, tomtits
and hens 1t is certain that mice are
amongst their worst enemies; happy is the
bee keeper who has not tancied his hives I'M
usually still some winter, and on opening one
discovered that Il colony of mice has taken
up its abode amongst the combs, laying waste
the honey. Snails too, frequently enter and
plumber the honey, as the bees have Il great
repugnance to touching such cold Shiny
creatures, they are allowed 10 come and go
at will. The deaths head moth is also said
TO enter, deceving the bees by initiating the
bpZzlng of their queen, and 50 getting at the
stores unmolcstcd. Many are the stories told
of the bees immuring such robbers in cells of
wax, and 50 destroying them. The truth,
however, seems to be that when the door is
once forced bees yield the rest Of their fort
rcss up to the invader in sheer despair.
Great rs is the difference between the
facts which modern science and more exact
observation have established with reference
to bees and the vague popular ideas of Their
economy which were entertained respecting
them by antiquity not the least curious cir
cumStanCe is that ancient and modern bee
keepers alike meet on the common ground of
bee supcrstitions and folklore.
The hatred of bees to an echo, which was
IN ancient article of the bee masters faith,
does not seem to be confirmed on invcstiga-
ton Much modern folklore Oh bees may be
picked up by any one who cOnverses with the
peasantry i'll almost any part Of England.
From some reason or other, bees are looked
upon as peculiarly "uncanny' creatures.
Thus we are told in Lincolnshire that bees
would desert Il hive on the occasion OF II death
in the family unless some one knocked att
of a
superstition we find to prevail in Essex and
even Cornwall Similarly the belief that
after death hives ought to be wrapped in
Grape or mourning of some kind is current
in Lincolnshire and East Anglia generally.
1t is even found in LithuauLl, and is probably
connected with an ancient idea that honey
was symbol OF death. In Yorkshire thcrc
is IA custom of inviting bees to the funeral.
If Il wild or humble bee enter Northamp-
tonshire cottage, it is deemed certain sign
of death if a swarm OF bees alight on a dead
Tree, Or the dead branch of living one, there
will be Il death IN the family within the year
II is curious why the bee should in EurOpeI
be SO connected with death, whereas in Hin
doc mythology the bOWetrng Of Kama (thc
IIindoo Cupid is formed Of bees, perhaps as
a symbol OF love strong as death.
Ii is worth mentioning one or two more
bee supcrstitions. They will never thrive, i'll
Is sald, III a quaIrClsOmc family, nor Whcn
they have been stolen. There can be no
greater piece Of i'll luck than To purchase Il
swarm; it must always be given, and then the
custom is to return something for it in kinu
"a SMALL pig, say, or some other cquivolant
Money should be avoided In the transaction
as much as possible. In Hampshire, it is Il
common saying that bees are idle or I'M
fortunate in their work whenever there are
wars. At the risk of being esteemed credu-
lous, we may mention that the martial year
1870 was an unlucky honey year East
winds and drought seemed in that year TO
have rcpresscd the secretion of honey in the /
hectares Of many tiowcrs.-BeigrorJa.
REMEDY FOR A DOG BITE.-ln the case of
The bite OF a dog where the teeth penetrate
The flesh, whether the dog was known to be
mad or not, use the same precautions. Wash !
The wound with warm water extract all the !