There are half a dozen small trees and
bushes in his little yard, and his bees are so accommodating that they
rarely swarm elsewhere than on these low trees within a lew feet of the
skips. He also places mullein stalks on a pole, and the swarms often
cluster on them. He told me that on one day last summer he had ten swarms
to look after, and that he hived them all; and he says that his wife is as
good at the work as he is. On a pole which forms the corner of a little
poultry-coop he keeps the record of the swarms of each season, and for last
summer there are sixty-one notches. A year ago this month four swarms went
into a barrel that stood in a corner of his yard, and he left them there.
By fall they had filled the barrel with honey, and then, in his vernacular,
he 'tuck it up'; that is, he killed the bees, and removed all the honey."
"That is the regular bee-phrase in this region. If a hive is to be emptied
and the bees destroyed, or a bee tree to be cut down, the act is described
as 'taking up' the hive or tree," Burt explained. "By the way, Amy," he
added, "we must give you a little bee-hunting experience in the mountains
next October. It would make a jolly excursion. We can leave you with a
guard at some high point, when we strike a bee-line, and we might not be
long in finding the tree."
"We'll put the expedition right down on the fall programme," she said,
smilingly. Then turning to Mr.
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