Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-12-20
TRADITION ABOUT BEES.
The Busy Insects Object TO Being Kept
by Quarrolsomo Families.


mankind takes more interest than tho
bee, says tho London Standard, and
there certainly is none around which so
many superstitions have clustered from
time im.nemorial. The important part
tho busy little bee has ever played in our
domestic life, how it's deeds have been
sung by our poets and moralized on by
ourpreachers, it is not proposed to dilate
on here; but some of the current supersti-
lions connected with it, though worry
amusing, may not be generally known.
Primarily, quarrelsome people, if in
clincd to live in the country and keep
bees, arc warned to mend their ways or
Their hives will soon become deserted.
ices may be, and we believe are, very
pugnacious among themselves, but they
strongly object, SO say the country folk,
to belong to contentious household.
4 querulous family, we are assured, will
get no honey, keep as many bees as
they, may. Another good example set by
Thorn is that they object TO thrive if dis
honestly come by; on the contrary, they
forthwith pine away and die, thorcbv
showing highly commendable respect
for the eighth commandment. And il
they must not be stolen, neither must
bhNI DO DUH. Il " oCll Luclu .LOr ulOH0y Is
considered most unluclly proceeding.
but they may he bartered away, and all
will go right. ...
bushcl Of corn was always consid-
cred fair equivalent for a swarm, or a
small pig would be taken in exchange.
So long as the bees are bartered they
are happy, but to be guilty Of selling
them is grfevous omen indeed, than
~ trI, -
evidently their self-respect is touched,
and they refuse to work for an owner
who has bought them into slavery
Their sympathy with mankind and his
troubles were shown in a variety Of
ways. 1t is a common saying in Hamp-
shire that bees do not succeed at all in
storing up honey whenever there are
wars abroad. A large bee-kceper says
he has constantly noticed this during
the last European wars. though ordi-
nary people will reflect that they can
not remember fny great scarcity Of
honey at those particular times. But
the most commonly-acccpted belief is
that the bees in certain cases share our
troubles, and this is moro particularly
noticeable in connection with death.
In some districts the entrance of a
bumblc-bcc into q cottage is looked
upon as certain sign of death, and in
others their swarming upon piece of
'lrad wood Is regarded as equally omi-
nous. A story is told of the wife Of q
respectable cottagcr living in Sussex
who died in childbirth whose husband
accepted the blow quite philosophicafly
because he said they had been warned
Of the cvent'a fortnight before her con-
fncmcnt. The woman went into tho
garden and saw that their bees in the
act Of swarming, had made ehoice of q
dead hedgc-stakc for their settling
place. This is considered an infallible
token Of approaching death in tho
family. and In this instance it ia more
than probable that the prediction
brought about it's own fulfillment.
Informing bees of death in the
family Is a custom still, we believe,
practiced in many parts Of England.
The necessary formalfties were very
precise, and If they were not fully con-
formed with the bcos would certainly
take offensc and leave their hives never
30 return. So universal was the custom
few years ago that an inquiry after q
rot1nger's bees would occasionally elicit
somo such reply rs this: "They have
all gone away since the death of poor
Dick. for we forgot to knock at the hives
md tell them that he was gone dead"
Tho answer would be given with MS much
gravity as If the speaker wcrc relating
how her hen roost had been devastated
by fox, or her pigs had died Of swine
fever. If neighbers wore talking of Che
death OF q friend some one in tho COM
party would most likely wonder If the
bees had been informed of tho sud dr.
sumstancc, and would be conaforted by
reply in tho affirmative, and that q
piece Of tho funeral cake had been do
Posited in their hives A correspondent
writing OH this subject says this super
sutton is common among tho small
&trmcrs Of Devon. lie once knew On