The Bees Gather Honey

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7026, 9 December 1932, Page 2

The Bees Gather Honey

Day after day, at the first hour of sunrise, the explorers of the dawn return, and the hive awakes to receive the news of the earth. “The lime trees arc blossoming to-day on the banks of the canal.'’ “The grass by the roadsile .is gay with white clover.” “The sage and the lotus are about to open ” “The mignonette, the lilies arc overflowing with pollen.” Whereupon the bees must organise quickly and arrange to divide the work. Five thousand of the sturdiest will sally forth to the lime trees, while three thousand juniors go and refrcsii the white clover. Those who yesterday were absorbing nectar from the corollas, will to-day repose their tongue and the glands of their sac, and gather red pollen from the mignonette, or yellow pollen from the tall lilies; for never shall you see a bee collecting or mixing pollen of a different colour or species; and indeed one of the chief preoccupations of the hive is the methodical bestowal of these pollens in the store-rooms, in strict accordance with their origin and colour. Thus docs the hidden genius issue its commands. —From “The Life of the Bee,” by Maurice Maeterlinck.