An apiary in the garden of every village clergyman would afford the means of economising this unclaimed bounty of Providence. An amusing, instance of the fondness of bears for honey is related by a Muscovite ambassador to Rome, in the "Feminine Monarchie; written out of Experience by Charles Butler. Printed in the Year 1609,"--a quaint, but sensible work:-- "A neighbour of mine (saith he), in searching in the woods for honey, slipped down into a great hollow tree, and there sunk into a lake of honey up to the breast; where--when he had stuck fast two days, calling and crying out in vain for help, because nobody in the meanwhile, came nigh that solitary place--at length, when he was out of all hope of life, he was strangely delivered by the means of a great bear, which, coming thither about the same business that he did, and smelling the honey, stirred with his striving, clambered up to the top of the tree, and then began to lower himself down backwards into it. The man bethinking himself, and knowing that the worst was but death--which in that place he was sure of--beclipt the bear fast with both his hands about the loins, and withal made an outcry as loud as he could. The bear being thus suddenly affrighted, what with the handling and what with the noise, made-up again with all speed possible. The man held, and the bear pulled, until, with main force, he had drawn him out of the mire; and then being let go, away he trots, more afeared than hurt, leaving the smeared swain in joyful fear." Bees may be very inexpensively and profitably kept in the cottager's hive (see page 80), which will be found a very productive one. It is true that it has not the appliances of windows and bell-glasses; for the cottager is not supposed so much to care for his hives as a source of amusement; his object in bee-keeping is simply the profit it may bring. For those of our readers who wish to have united the facility, of observing the bees with that of the plentiful production of honey, we would especially recommend the improved cottage hive, described at page 69. If inclined to go to a little further expense, the hives described at pages 51, 62, 77, and 84, all afford constant opportunity for inspection of the bees, and allow of their working freely in the most natural manner. The Stewarton hive (page 109) is also a favourite with those who give the preference to honey, stored in boxes, although the opportunities for observation are not so great as with some others. There are few hobbies which cost so little outlay as the keeping of bees! Once the "plant" of hives is purchased, there is little, if any, additional expense, and always a probability of a fair return. If honey be obtainable, the bees will find it; they work for nothing, and provide themselves, with sustenance, requiring only a very little labour from their keepers, and that labour of a pleasing and instructive, kind.