The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-09-24

OF honey from the walls of the Hautbov
and Fiddle Inn, Ockhan, Surrey. The
outer walls OF the house are about
three fee5 in thickness, and at the very
top OF the third story colony of bees
had established themselves, holding
undlsturbed possession for number of
years. AT length the inn-keeper de-
termined to find out their whereabouts.
After diligent search under the roof,
piece of comb was found. Descend
ing to one of the upper bedrooms.
chisel and hammer went to work, and
a square of about two feet was opened
in the front wall; here large mass of
comb was discovered; and after fumi-
eating the bees, about one hundred
and twenty pounds of honey were se-
cured. Another and still more ex.
traordinary ''take' of honey was
secured at Winters Hall, Bran
ley, Surrey, the seat of Mr..
George Barrett. Some bees had long
held possession of space between the
ceiling of the coach-house and the
granary; on effecting an entrance,
about three hundred weight of honey
was secured.
In some countries the honey-bee still
roams at will and uncontrolled; this is
notably the case in the western parts
Of the United States and Canada. The
discovery of their natural hives for the
purpose of securing the honey is the
calling of class of persons known as
bee-hunters. A writer of considerable
repute thus speaks ON this subiect:
''The beautiful forests in which we
were encamped abounded in bee trees;
that is to say, trees in the decayed
trunks Of which wild-bees had estab-
ltshed their Hives. 1t is surprising in
what countless swarms the bees have
oversprcad the far West within but a
moderate number of years. The In
dians consider them the harbinger of
I the white man, as the buffalo is of the
red man, and say that in proportion as
the bee advances, the Indian and the
buffaloretire. We are always accustomed
to associate the hum of the beehive
with the farmhouse and the flower
garden, and to consider those indus
trious little animals as connected with
the busy haunts of men; and [ am told
that the wild bee is seldom to be met
with at any great distance from the
frontier. They have been the heralds of
civilization, steadily preceding it, as it
advanced from theA Atlantic borders;
and some of the ancient (early) set
tiers of the West pretend to give the
very year when Che honey-bee first
crossed the Mississippi. The Indians,
with surprise, found the moldering
trees of their forests suddenly teeming
with ambrosial sweets; and nothing,
am told, can exceed the great relish
with which they banquet for the first
time upon the unbought luxury of the
wilderness. At present the honey-bee
swarms in myriads in the noble groves
and forests that skirt and interscct the
prairies and extend along the alluvial
bottoms of the rivers. 1t seems to me
as if these beautiful regions answer lit
orally to the description of the land of
promise, "a land flowing with milk and
honey; for the rich pasturagc of the
prairies is calculated TO sustain herds
Of cattle as countless as the sands upon
the seashore, while the flowers with
which they are enameled render them
very paradise for the nectar-seeking
bee.'
A bee-hunt must be a very exciting
adventure, and, as most people would
think, attended with considerable risk;
but the ingenuity OF the settlers, and
especially of the bee-hunters, who
make living of the business, is equal
to the occasion. Let us, for the sake
of greater brevity, suppose a case,
which is, however, little other than a
narrative of simple facts. A party sets
out in quest of bee-tree-a tree in the
cavity of which colony of bees have
established themselves. The party is
headed by veteran bee-hunter, tall,
lank fellow, with his homespun dress
hanging loosely about him, and hat
which might be taken for beeskep.
A man similarly attired attends him,
with long rifle on his shoulder. The
rest of the party, six in number, are
armed with axes and rifles Thus ac-
| coutered they are ready for any sport,
or even more serious business. Reach
ing an open glade on the skirts of the
forest, the party halts, and the leader
advances to low bush, on which he
places piece of honeycomb. This is
a lure for he bees. In very short
time several are humming aboutit and
| diving into the cells. Laden with
| honey, they rise into the air and dart
off in a straight line with almost the
velocity of bullet The hunters watch
attentively the course they take and
set offin the same direction, still watch
| ing the course of the bees. In this way
the tree which the bees have made
their home is reached. But it will often
| happen. as may be suspected, that the
| bees will elude the sight of the most
vigilant hunter, and the party may
wander about without succeeding in
| finding any treasure. Another method
is then adopted; few bees are caught
and placed in a small box with glass
top, having at the bottom small piece
of honeycomb. When they have salts
fled themselves with honey, two or three
are allowed to escape, the hunters taking
care to observe the direction of their
flight and to follow them as rapidly as
possible. When these bees are lost
sight of, two or three others are set
free and their course followed, and so
on until the identical tree has been
reached. 1t sometimes happens that
one set of bees take an opposite course
to their predecessors. The hunter
knows by this that he has passed the
tree, or otherwise missed his mark,
and he retraces his steps and follows
the lead of the unerring bees. The
sight of the bee is so strong and keen
that it can descry its home at an i'm
mense distance. 1t is well-ascer-
tanned fact that if a bee be caught on a
flower at any given distance south of
its home, and then be taken in close
box an equal distance north of it, the
little creature, when set free, after fly
ing in circle for moment, will take
a straight course to its identical tree.
Therefore, the hunter who has intelli-
gence, patience and perseverance on
his side is sure to be successful in the
end.
1t not unfrequently happens that
when in the immediate neighborhood
of the tree, the hunter may not be able
to distinguish the particular one he is