Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-10-29
TAKING BEES TO BLOSSOMS.
The Annual Going from Village to Where
IN Wild Heather Blooms.

the Wild Heather Blooms.
AS soon as the first yellow tint be.
gins To show ON the oats the village
beemau Of the EOydcrlaud thinks it
time his skeps were away To- the moor
land, for then the flower harvest is al.
most over, and the heather is coming
into bloom. lie has been making pre-
paratinns for months i'm anticipation
of an event OF importance 10 his peck
ct and associated in his mind with
mystery aud romance. 4 few bee
keepers are so fortunately placed that
they can convey the sleeps by train,
and it was once common 10 employ
donEeys. The long cart borrowed
from . ncighboring farmer is now
most generally used. Il is brought
down after dark, when the bees, after
the completion OF their days work,
have retired for the night, and the
owner has foiled their cggoss with 4
piece Of perforated tin. Where a
number OF villagers have each i hive
or two they combine 10 cnplOy sew.
eral carts, and the scene before &c
parturc IS very animated.
When all is ready the procession
moves OF along the dar; road, rem
dered darker by the elms on either
side, but the villagers lot il be rs late
as possible for the sake Of GOODNESS,
and also that day may break before
they come to the path pcTiloUs among
the hills, At dawn the summer an
gler, rs he is casting his inst ly on
the hill stream, and wondering rs he
does so whether rain or sunshine is
portended by the night cap Oh the hill
and the ribbons Of mist waving above
the pine tree, will catch a view of the
carts slowly rumbling along a wheel
track midway between the woody
slope and the water. Non and horses
all look tired and draggled, but their
journey is well nigh at an end. \ few
miles more and the welcome saluta-
ton Of the shy dogs in .he glen which
e strangers so seldom will announce
the end of their labpr rs. In a very
brief space Of time ii, hives arc placed
on their stands with Il disused sheep
fold, and the bees ar let out.
After n sweep round, i'm which
they seem to take their bearings. the
industrious and Business like insects
settle down to work. and within an
incredibly short pace of time they
may be seen returning with their bur-
dens. IL is usual TO pay the shepherd
a small sUm-lalf a crown or SO-to
keep an eye on the slcps, and | have
counted from COO TO LOCO under one
mans charge. The fed OF heather,
extending YER many thousand acres.
Is visited by the convoy. and old
hands will tell at once by tho very
hue Of it il there is any honey: if the
night has been dewy, however, and the
morning balmy, ones boots are
whitencd with pollen while walking
through IT, On such a day the stream
Of bees from the fold 10 the heath is
sc large and continuous as almost 10
darkcn the air; and 50 latent on their
work are they, that, like men in a
hurry, they will hustle against any
obstacle, with this difference, how
ever, that lac who happens to 10 the
obstacle is sure to be sung.
Yet it requires all their industry,
for the harvest is Il very brief one.
When the autumnal winds arc driy-
ing before them the first shower Of
withered leaves; when the harvest
wages have been paid and the kim
dance held; when the children are be.
ginning to look for blackberry and
hazel nut. the beekeepers will come
back for their hives. Gloomily they
will travel home in mist and rain If
the season has been cold and the skcps
are empty; but far other will they
fare il the season has been good, and
twenty pound tops are common, while
there arc top swaTms that will turn
the scale at forty. Scots Observer.