Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1881-12-08
Agrifn1M!a1.
Home and Farm.

bees fed him with honey when, as an
infant, he lay concealed in tho Gre
tan cave from his fathers search
Tho Curets,, q Crstsn tribe. used to
dance around the babe and drown bis
cries by rafting brasen cymbaIs.
whsnc comes the origin Of swarms Of
bees at the present day being pursued
BY housewives with much changing Of
ksys against frying.pans, the belief
being universal that this noise is
agreeable to them. Indeed Pliny.
with questionable logic, argues, be-
cause this clatter is always made
when bees swarm, therefore they must
b. gifted with the sense Of hearing
Kirby. who wrote most valuable
mon ogrsph on bees, estimated that
there are about two hundred and fifty
species Of them IN England. It is
generally supposed that those bees
which are peculiar to the New World
are destitute Of all offensive weapons.
--umboldt, however, explains that
they have stinga, though comparative
feeble ones, and they use them very
ssldo,n-only, in short, when irrita-
ted and forced to defend themselves.
While seated on the peak over Cara
cas-, 10 South America. he tells NE.
determining the dip Of the needle, /
found my hands covered with sps.
ciey of hairy bse, little smaller than
Tho houey.bess Of the north Of Europe.
These insects make their nests in the
ground ; they seldom ay, and from
the slowness Of their movements l
should have supposed they we're be-
numbsd by the cold Of the mountain.
The people call them aneeletos (little
Angels), because they very seldom
sting" Among the numerous tribes
Of leaf-cut,ing and mason bees COM
mon in England, most possessors Of q
garden must have noticed the rsva'
s.s Of the meyachile centuncula'is, one
Of the former class. 1t is much small.
Or than the hive bee, and cuts little
ssgments, as clear Is if punched out
BY a mac hine, from the leaves Of roses
and peas. The operation is very
speedily performed when the bee has
once made her choice; the strong
msudibles 90 to work, and coon the
bee flies off with her green load. Il
followed, it will be found that bel
nest is situated in some palisade o,
gate. post. The creature runs her tuu
nels into wood by means Of thes'
same powerful jaws, and then line'
them with the pieces OF leaf. They
are not fastened together, but thu
cells are honey-tight, and as fast al
they are lined with leaves, an egg II
dropped into each. Perbapu Virgil
Pluy, and the other ancient writers
who speak Of bees carrying ballast tt
steady themselves il, windy weather
had witnessed the doinss Of leaf-cut
ting bees, and COMPOUNDED them with
hive, bees.
The working bee never lives Longer
than nine months; they labor 60 In
cesesntly, that it is supposed that
they never sleep. The daily con
sumption and waste Of large hive o.
beer in summer may be taken at two
pounds Of honey it vii show the in
dustry Of the working bees to bear in
mind, that, beyond this, such hive
in favorable weather will often accu-
mulate honey to the amount Of fou'
and six pounds daily. Indeed, it il
upon record that a hive once gained
twenty pounds weight CT it in two
DAYS! 1t is curious that even wild
hive of bees can soon DO taught te
recognize and refrain from attacking
people who approach them. No won
dor that the ancients esteemed then
divine; that their poet laureate, &C.
cording to the Platouic philosophy
assigned them "a participation in the
Supreme Mind and in heavenly Intu
ences;' and that another speaks o
their powers Of presaglng wind anc
fine weather. Modern science polnt'
out that the fructifying Of manv flow
ers is due to the labors Of bees II
mingling the pollen; and most gar
densrs have noticed tie difficulty o
preserving pure strain Of any plant
when these active workmen have &C