Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-20

To those who attend conventions, as
well as other devutees of this Interest,"
ing pursuit. bees and Bookkeeping are
nll-important themes, no matter what
phase IL presented.
The management Of these busy little
insects "for pleasure and proht' Will .
no doubt receive n thorough investiga- /
ton and discussion, by those who are /
fortunate enough TO be present; but !
as that pleasure is denied me. ! Will |
offer few remarks upon the theme as |
signed to me- feeling assured that they
will prove Interesting not only To those
at the convention. hut to the thousands
who may read the report Of the proceed
ings OF the association.
II / commence by stating that bees
have been dOmesticated for thousands
of years It would be interesting 10
many. but I shall go farther back than
that, for this useful insect can be traced
into prehistoric tlmes-lnto the re-
mote eras OF the earths Development
even before the elevation OF the Alps
in Europe. For remains Of fossil organ
isms there found, demonstrate that be
fore these gigantic mountains We're
lifted heavenward there existed a sub
tropical climate with a temperature OF
GO 20 10 degrees where now the eter-
nally snow-capped mountains Of Swift
zerland are found There. away In the
upper miocene--the middle division Of
the tertiary strata-have been found
the petrined remains Of apis mellnca
Cour domestic honey-bees) as well as
honey-producing flowers, and some bee
enemies, or bee-killers, as they are
often called
In the "Rfth day" Of the great crea-
tive period IL Is said that insects were
created to fly above the earth" Each
day" Tor creative period) was In all
| probability a thousand years, and the
ffaysr tod Mt
| least a thousand years before the adj
| vent Of the human race upon this
! planet To find them gathering the
nectar from the flowers in Central Eu-
| rope. long before the elevation Of the
Alps, or the creation or man, is not
strange, though that fact was unknown
until this late day
Again, at the dawnng of history, the
! honey-bee is mentioned and eXtolled.
| Palestine, 1000 years ago, was said to
be "a land flowing with milk and hon
ey." In the mythology OF the Greeks
and Romans. the bee occupied dis
tinguished place. In the mythic trndi-
tons OF the Saga" period. among the
Noremen. the legends are fun Of them,
The Greeks and Romans prepared for
them hobitations, and dedicated them
10 their gods. or the descendants OF
their fancied deities.
At Thebea, an ancient city destroyed
by Achilles In the Trojan war, there
was found a beehive beautifully carved
4 on n tomb.
In the Koran. the sacred book Of the
Bedouins. by their prophet Mahomet. it
Is recorded that honey was a favorite
article both for food and medicine. Gu
riously enough, Mahomet AYERS that
the only creature the Lord ever address
ed was the busy honey-bee, viz "rhe
Lord spake by inspiration to the bee.
saying: Provide thee houses in the
mountains and In the trees, and OF
those materials wherewith men build
hives for thee"
These hives, as shown by all the
ancient relics. Were made Of cylinders
Of clay, such as are in general use to-
day in al the oriental countries.
In ears history bees are mentioned
as located on the coasts and islands Of
the Mediterranean and Black seas. and
in the interior OF the contlnent8 OF Asia,
Afrlcn and Europe. They are said to
be Indigenous IN Syria, Greece. Italy,
Egypt, Sicily. Germany and Gaui.
The earliest mention OF honey as an
article Of commerce is, that the Jews
were engaged In trading II at Tyre,
that old and honored mart Of TRADE
in Phoenlola. --Ezek. xvii, IL.
Not until the seventh thousand years
after the creation Of the honey-bees
did man commence 10 scientifically
manage them. II required patient
study and close observation to accom-
plish anything In that direction.
We are vastly Indebted to many mas
Tor minds in Europe far the patient
study OF their habits. and TO the inver.
tive genius OF Father L.angstroth. In
our own country. for the production OF
a hive suitable for practical and sue
cessful management. which has revo