At that time the word "hive" had not yet come into common American use. The words stand, stok, stake, stall, or skep were used to indicate a colony of bees. It is fortunate for the historian that a man like Adams had the patience to delve into the musty old records in search of information concerning bees. The first time he was able to find the word "hive" was in the inventory of Thomas Barker of Rowley, who, in 1650, had "two hives of bees and some auld boards. " An examination of the records of that period indicates that nearly every farm had a colony or two of bees. It must be remembered that in that day honey and maple syrup were the usual sources of sweets since commercial sugar as we know it had not yet come into use.

After 1670 bee culture declined rapidly in New England, if we are to judge from the evidence available in the records of the period. Within a short time a colony once equal in value to three sheep was valued at only three shillings. Along with this decline in value appears an equal decline in number of bees kept. It is assumed that the appearance of American foulbrood was responsible for the decline. Quinby was probably the first to recognize the disease many decades later. Hence, there is little direct evidence on this point. At any rate, for the next thirty years there is nothing to show any continuation of interest in bees.

An interesting story is told of the origin of the bees mentioned by Whittier in his famous poem, "Telling the Bees. " Henry Rolfe is said to have obtained bees from the abandoned apiary in the town of Newbury after John Eels, the apiarist, became a public charge. In his will he bequeathed a swarm of bees to his kinsman, John Whittier. They were taken across the Merrimac to the Whittier homestead in Haverhill. It is probable that it was descendants of these same bees that were inherited by the brothers, John and Moses, and sister, Mary. Mr. Adams records the fact that he had it direct from the poet himself that the incident described in the poem was not fanciful but took place as described.

Just the same as a month before,

The house and trees;

The barn's brown gable, the vine by the doorNothing changed but the hive of bees.

Before them, under the garden wall, forward and back,

Went drearily singing the chore girl, small,

Draping each hive with a shred of black.

Trembling, I listened, the summer sun,

Had the chill of snow.

For I knew she was telling the bees of one Gone on the journey we all must go.

This "Telling the Bees" is an old custom, the origin of which is lost in the dim past. It still continues in some remote localities in the Southeast.

Thus, we find that until the time of Quinby and Langstroth little progress had been made in the practical care of bees during all the centuries that man had depended upon them as a source of sweets. Quinby had not advanced far when he bored an auger hole in the top of the hive to permit the bees to store honey in a separate cavity, which was the forerunner of the super.

Quinby took up beekeeping in New York in 1828, and Langs-troth started with two hives at Andover, Massachusetts, in 1837. These two men were destined to revolutionize the industry and to hold an important place in the hearts of those who live by the labor of the busy little insects. The publication of the books written by these two men at about the same time was the signal for the advance to begin.