lo Oct.. 191'] Spring Mdiiagement of Bees. 683 



either as fcdder or as green manure, and to the careful conservation of 

 his bulk manures. Farmyard manure, instead of beyig allowed to rot 

 in the weather, should be pitted, and a small amount f)f some material, 

 such as gypsum, added. 



Special attention needs to be directed to the lifiuid excrements, as they 

 are of much greater nitrogen value than the solids ; and, if possible, they 

 should be collected in a tank or other receptacle. If they are to be 

 used immediately, dilution with an equal (juantity of water is advisable 

 and a little superphosphate may be added, as the urine of grass-eating 

 animals is deficient in phosphates. It is advisable, however, to u.se 

 some of the liquid excrements along with the .solids in the rotting process 

 in the pit. In fact, the whole may be used in this way if sufficient bulk 

 material, such as straw. &c. , be present. 



In this way, large (quantities of valuable manure may be prepared ; 

 ind, as the value of the addition of farmyard manure to the majoritv of 

 soils is well recognized, its utilization need not be further advocated here. 

 What needs to be emphasized is the fact that valuable plant food is being 

 continually lost from the majority of farms, mainlv through neglect. If 

 the farm is to be carried on as a business proposition, and to be worked 

 in a businesslike way, then the owner will have to do his best to see that 

 these losses are reduced to a minimum. 



SPRING MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 



F . R. Bculnie , Bee Exfert. 

 {Continued from page 618). 



Under normal conditions, a colony of bees increases rapidly in strength 

 during Septeml)er and October. As .«oon as all the combs of the brood 

 chamber are occupied by bees, and before they are actually crowded, the 

 second or upper storv should l)e put on and the bees induced to commence 

 work in it. This is done bv taking a comb containing honey from the 

 brood ciianii)er and putting it into the second story and directly over the 

 I)rood coml)S, while the frame from the upper story is placed into the 

 brood chamber. \\'hen a colony of bees has become crowded before the 

 super is put on. it will quite likely l)e inclined to swarm and no amount 

 of manipulatif)n will cure it of that tendency till the swarming .season is 

 over. When bees are worked for extracted honey there is much less swarm- 

 ing than when coml)-honey is produced. 



If a maximum jjrofit from the number of colonies kept is aimed at, the 

 raising of comb honey in i 11). .sections should not be attempte<l in any 

 locality whicii has not at least a fair honey flow. Many owners of bees 

 find it very difficult to induce Itces to work in the section supers. There 

 are various reasons for this tlisincliualion of the l)ees to enter sections. 

 Bees at any time prefer \o work together in large luunlH-rs and without 

 any break in the ((imbs in a vtrliial direction, and are then-tore dis- 

 inclined to work at comb-building in such com])arativelv small clusters as 

 th«' lib. .sections necessarily create. Further, the sections are, in many 

 instances, supplied with \'ery small starters of foundation, leaving a dis- 

 tance of 3 in. from the l)ro<Dd-c<)ml)s to the k)west point of the starter in 

 the .section. Jiees invariablv store their honev just abo\e the hnxxl ; and. 



