Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-30

like our own limited monarchy, though
naturally the bee colony is much small
er, and is. moreover, spelt differently,
Assuming, then, that you have Sc
cured your queen bee, you bring her
home in small paper bag, and deposit
her on convenient bough of a tree,
or twig of a shrub. Now commences
one of the most amazing phenomena
known to naturalists. You have your
hive, you have your queen bee the
flowers are simply exuding honey from
every pore; yet you have no swarm.
This is obtained in the following man
ner:
You rattle an old tin can filed with
haricot beans, and before you've ratified
half "a dozen bars bees will appear from
all directions anG cluster around the
queen in dense clots. What exactly the
instinct is which impels the bees to rally
to the call of an old sardine tin nobody
knows. Perhaps it sounds to them like
20 Honey, My Honey" by Hivan
Caryll. My own theory is that for gen.
erations bees have associated this par
ticular noise with the presence of
queen bee much in the same manner as
we have learned to recognize that the
national anthem bleated by husky
school children usually betokens royalty
in the vicinity.
, However that may be, it is an estab-
lshed fact that bees do swarm to the
harmonies of tin cam and as soon
as they have gathered in sufficient num-
bers you merely have to transfer the
clotted bees from the bough (or twig)
and insert them into the hive through
the little door in front with the aid of
teaspoon or pair of glove -stretchers.
Your initial labors are then finished;
the bees 60 all the rest. There is no
necessity to get up early and turn them
out to grass; nor do you have to carry
sustenance in the shape of bran -mashes
or molassine meal to the hive. The bee
is self contained, self supporting and
the only exertion you will be called upon
to perform is to collectthe honey at in
tervals during the summer months.
This, I admit, is rather dangerous
job, owing to some prejudice which the
bees have to being deprived of their
patiently gathered hoard. Here you
will require to take firm attitude, and
1t should be pointed out gently but
decisively to the bees that the honey
which they have collected was not theirs
to start with, and hence they have
no claim upon it. At the same time
every precaution should be taken to
cover the face and hands from the pos
lsibility of attack by some annoyed and
peevish bee that perhaps did not hear
or understand what you said.
Ample and effective protection is af :
forded by inserting the head in butter
hy net, which should be tied closely to
the wearer's thorax, care being taken
not to garrote him in the process.
Wicket keeping or boxing gloves may
be worn upon the hands, while the dish
to receive the honeycombs may be carr
ried by the servant, who should first be
informed that the operation Is entirely
harmless and that the bees will not sting
her so long as she stands perfectly still
and breathes through her nose.
The more timid beginner may prefer
to encase himself completely in a dsep
sea divers outfit, but the danger To this
is that should bee by chance And its
way up one of the speaking tub
the wearer will have a siaply rotten
time while they are finding the spannss
with which to unscrew him.--Ashlov
Sterne in London Opinicp-