Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 85.djvu/183

Rh field over which he has taken us; apiculture in his time was a picturesque occupation, even when seriously pursued. His picture of it is pleasing, not only as a thing beautiful in itself, but also as affording an interesting contrast to the apiculture of to-day, as enabling us to measure our present growth by an ancient scale. Practical beekeeping is indeed far different now from what it was in those days; apiculture at present shows many new features, and lacks many that distinguished it then. Yet in one respect it remains the same, and, I venture to think, will always do so; that is, in the enthusiasm of the bee-keeper for his bees. Even as Aristæus, we to-day are grateful for our teeming hivefuls With Virgil we cry,

 Averter of thieves and birds, protect them. Let gardens breathing with saffron flowers allure them, Let the guardianship of Hellespontaic Priapus, with his willow scythe,