, 1880-08-28

process like an apeient,B siton disguAeA in
gatdenesis clothesss Aisoeialion of person.
81 contact with the bee come in no doubt
to prejudice the memory ; and so. on the
whole,lt the general pablie u Inclined 20
think that keeping bee: aud wasPs wou'd
BE- very much the same in ths. end. .and
that from q point OF view Of personal com.
fort, It might be ~ thrifty to 1keep'' blue
bottles, aDd to buy honey ct q shop.
Yet beekeeping.. wheo taken up on
method, and with the advantage Of the
experience OF the Associations, 10 not the
painful and ~dubiously profitable pursuit
that many might be inclined TO think.
For q thing bees do not sting the harm.
less visitor. as those who 20 to the Gar.
dens this week and find themselves sur
rounded by swarms Of the insects. will
soon discover, to their great ease of mind.
1t 10 q revelation to the unlearaed 10 such
matters. and an agreeable one, for the bees
fly about the bead and settle on The clothes
in numbers sufficient to put an army 10
rout. Nor even when handled by profes-
sional fingers do the insects sting. not from
any extraordinary sleight OF hand in the
performer, but apparently from q positive
disinclination in the bee TO make itself OBJ
jectionable. The liberties often taken
with them by experts would amply Justify
the little honey-makers in acute retaliation:
but they suffer the handling as harmIessly
as if they were moths. AT the same time
every pound of honey taken from the
comb would nrqhablv renrasent 70 tho
amateur or the clumsy depredator o GER
tain number OF stings but here again.
what with smoking the bees stupid before
the operation commences, and what with
protecting the hands and face with gloves
end wrappers. the disagreeable element Of
honey.takiDg is reduced to q minimum.
AS regards the profits to be derived from bic
industry, there need be no doubt whatever,
for honey is always salesble. and the cost of
producing it IS confined to the first outlay
in hives. The amount OF comb which o
hive will produce varies of course greatly.
and it 10 only within the reach OF beekeep.
ers OF long experience and most careful
procedure TO attain such prizes rs o hive of
"a hundred and sixty pounds weight.
But even twenty pound OF comb per hive
10 worth the taking. when IL is remember.
ed that the price OF honey seldom falls
below nine pence a pound. aod that. given
the mel ghbourhood OF flowers thirty hives
may be kept as easily 90 one. The Gotta
ger must see bis insects comfortably hous.
ed and conveniently placed, and then, il DO
chooses, he can cit down opposite the hives
and watch his bees paying bis rent. 1t 10
not even necessary fos him to be 10 the
immediate vicinity Of flowers. for bees will
travel surprising distances for their materi-
ais ; but the greater the distance they
have to 60, the less of course 10 the honey
they can store for, let the little workers
be never 30 industrious and eager, the
weight they carry fatigues their tiny limbs
and they have often to rest 90 they 20
from flower 10 hive. In the suburbs Of
London, where the insects can come ct
their ~fsvourite blossoms, the wild flowers
the bank and ditch, bee-keeping will
prove remunerative, and where
fields or market gardens; with beans and
peas. and fruit trees, clover. sainfoin. and
are near, the success of the expert
ment is az certain as il the hives were 10 a
shop. Ia France, the other day,
q shrewd beekeeper. seeing his way to
honey cheaply. moved bic hives from the
country into the town, and act them in
next door to . sugar refinery, and
the result amply justified his sagacity, for
the bees, finding the sweet ingredients 90
convenient, and approving Of their quality,
proceeded tn transnort the confonfs from