, 1908-06-13

being WllIloQ fOunQ Ill III apparatus ZOE
the purpose, called an extractor" The
emptied combs being replaced on the hive
are Immediately leaned up, repaired where
damaged, and speedily rethled by the busy
workers. The process of extracting may
be repeated twice or thrice in favourable
seasons where bee-pasturage abounds, and
by this method more than 1cwt. of honey
per hive has often been obtained. When
sections are used, a second crate may be
put below the first 80 soon as this is well
on towards being filed. The two are then
left on the hive till the torwardest one is
quite completed-that is till all the cells are
sealed. In fortunate circumstances a tier
of three crates may frequently be employed.
Each section when flied weighs lib. A
good shallow frame will yield from Bib. to
Alb, of honey, and as a crate usually holds
10 frames, it is easy to understand how sue
c%essful bee-masters reap, by modern appli-
ances, a large harvest of their special pro-
dlce.
Two or three other points deserve brief
consideration. One is that Bookkeeping opens
up an array Of deeply interesting and moss
striking fac:s in natural history. Any good
text book on the subject will a~bundantly
confirm this statement. Then the pursuit
easily becomes d most attractive hobby. An
old French writer says, indeed, on n'aintS
pas les 0beiAeS: on sc pdsSi0nne d'eur, and
this is commonly verified by experience.
Again, the occupation is one e1njnently suit
ed for women, as it does not entail going out
of doors in bad weather to supply food, and
is not open to the objections incident to the
breeding Of various domestic animals. As q
matter of fact, not only are many Of the
lady students at our agricultural and horti-
cultural cole -es taking up the study and
practice of agriculture, and becoming certi-
fed experts, but throughout the country
hundreds Of women and girls manage, or
help III the management Of, thousands of
stocks of bees. Nor need timid people be
afraid of being stung. Adequate protection
may lie secured by wearing q veil and gloves,
and, moreover, the bees can be completely
subdued and controlled by a few putfs of
smoke from an appliance for the purpose.
or by the use OF a cloth spr nk!e1 With
dilute carbolic acid.
Another very important point is the init.
mate relation between insects and our crop.
of fruit. Nearly all the blossoms of our
orchards and fruit gardens are dependent
for proper pollination on the agency of bees.
Hence it is q well-known fact that apples.
pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots,
nectarines, Strawberries, raspberries, currants
and gooseberries all yield much better results
where some stocks OF bees are kept in thoir
neighbourhood. That honey is not only g
very palatable, but also a most wholesome.
article of diet, might be shown from it's
chemical constituents and from the special
nature of the two sugars it contains. More.
over, its value as a remedial agent, especially
is throat and bronchial troubles, is well
known. This may be due not merely to its
emollient nature, but also, perhaps, to a fact
of quite modern discovery. Most people
imagine that the sting apparatus of the bee is
solely to act as a weapon of offence and de-
fence. The truth is that it's primary use is
widely different-viz, to inject iuto each
filed cell of honey before it is scale q
minute drop from the "poison-bag." The
chief ingredient of the liquid is formic acid.
which acts as an antiseptic, and prevents
fermentation, which would. otherwise occur
IN the honey. Possibly it is this very small.
but powerful, element which has medicinal
properties of an advantageous kind.
AS to literature which may be recommend
ed for those who wish to pursue the subject.
we may mention Cheshire's two volumes on
"Bees and Bookkeeping" and Cowan's adj
mirable little British Bee-keeper's. Guide
Book" For those who wish for poetry
mingled with science there is, of course.
MaoterlInck's "Tifa of tho Roon