

VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 71 



has swarmed or is nearly ready to swarm, lie makes such 

 changes as are necessary, and leaves the bees to care for them- 

 selves until his visit one week hence. The white honey flow 

 in Vermont from which we get our supply honey, usually com- 

 mences about June ioth to 15th. The best condition for a 

 colony to be in at the commencement of the honey flow is to 

 have the hive just crowded with workers, bees combs full of 

 sealed and unsealed brood and the colony making no prepara- 

 iou to swarm. Honey should be removed from the hives as 

 soon as thoroughly sealed and placed in a warm well ventilated 

 room away from all dust or insects. Honey stored in a dry 

 warm room, will improve in quality if the temperature be kept 

 warm and even for a number of weeks. The worker bees 

 raised in August and September are the ones that live through 

 the winter and care for the colony until young bees are raised 

 in the spring. Every colony should have a good laying queen 

 in the hive August 1st. All colonies should be examined in 

 September and weak colonies united and all should have suffi- 

 cient stores to winter upon ; 25 pounds of honey may do, but 

 30 pounds might be better some seasons. If bees are wintered 

 in the cellar the temperature should be kept as even as possible 

 in a dry cellar 40 to 45 . If a person cannot control the tem- 

 perature and ventilation of his cellar, outdoor wintering would 

 be preferable. 



The site selected for the location of the apiary should be 

 where no surface water would collect during heavy storms. 

 The ground should not be uneven but have a gentle slope. In 

 Vermont a southeastern exposure is preferable, and protection 

 irom cold spring winds is desirable. This may be obtained by 

 wind breaks and probably a hedge of evergreen is as good as 

 any and as cheaply provided. 



