of naturalists, which their pens have recorded, books enough have been written on apiarian matters to form a goodly library in themselves. I have adverted to the profit which may be derived from a judicious management of bees: I will relate to you an anecdote in illustration of it, which I could wish may be generally circulated among our rural population, not excepting even our rural clergy; for even in this land of Goshen I fear there are but too many of our working clergy to whom the anecdote may be well worthy of attention. A good old French bishop, in paying his annual visit to his clergy, was very much afflicted by the representations they made of their extreme poverty, which indeed the appearance of their houses and families corroborated. Whilst he was deploring the sad state of things which had reduced them to such a condition, he arrived at the house of a curate who, living amongst a poorer set of parishioners than any he had yet visited, would, he feared, be in a still more woful plight than the others. Contrary, however, to his expectations, he found appearances very much improved. Everything about the house wore the aspect of comfort and plenty. The good bishop was amazed. "How is this, my friend," said he, "you are the first pastor I have met with a cheerful face and a plentiful board! Have you any income independent of your cure?" "Yes, sir," said the curate, "I have; my family would starve on the pittance I receive from the poor people that I instruct. If you will walk with me into the garden, I will show you the stock that yields me such excellent interest." On going to the garden, he showed the bishop a long range of bee-hives. "There," said he, "is the bank from which I draw an annual dividend, and it is one that never stops payment." His harvest of honey enabled him to reduce materially his consumption of sugar, and also to send a considerable quantity to market; of the coarser portions he made a tolerable substitute for malt liquor, and the sale of his wax nearly paid his shoe-maker's bill! Ever since this memorable visit, when any of the clergy complained to the bishop of poverty, he would say to them "Keep bees! keep bees!" So say I.