On the Management of Bees. 343 



For the effect of this I can answer. It has been done by me 

 repeatedly for many years back, particularly at the commence- 

 tnent of this my favourite pursuit ; and so far am I from thinking 

 the feeding of bees to be a useless and unavailing attempt, that 

 I have, without deviation, year after year adopted it, beginning 

 the feeding earlier or later according to the weight or strength 

 of the hives when they were put up in October. Having ascer- 

 tained their relative weights, I calculate from them how long 

 their stock of honey will last them, and their feeding is com- 

 menced accordingly. My whole stock is numbered 1,2, 3, 4, &c. 

 and on coming to town, I leave with my servant instructions in 

 this way: for example. No. 1, to be fed at Christmas ; No. 2, 

 the middle of January; No. 3, the latter end of February ; No. 4 

 need not be fed, as I consider it to be strong enough to get 

 through the winter without assistance. 



A decided advocate, therefore, for feeding bees during the win- 

 ter, and having ascertained the utility and advantage, as well as 

 the mode of putting it in practice, I communicate my method, 

 as I have successfully pursued it. The composition which I give 

 to my bees is moist sugar and sweet beer boiled to the consist- 

 ence of treacle ; it is inserted into the hive in a small trough or 

 scoop made of wood, hollow, and of this shape. 



This is to be filled daily. To insert it into the hive through 

 the front door, would be to bring the bees of all the adjoining 

 hives to share it, and to engage them in fight and destruction : 

 my bee-house opening wholly at the back, I cut a hole large 

 enough to admit the trough at the back part of the hive; and 

 when the trough is inverted I shut the outside doors quickly : 

 thus no bees of the adjoining hives are roused ; and the hive fed, 

 enjoys the whole of what is given to it: the only attention re- 

 quired on the occasion is, to take care that the board or stool of 

 the hive is perfectly level, lest the food should be spilt, which 

 would take place if the board was higher either in the front or 

 back part of the hive. 



It is a received opinion among the common people, that no 

 hive should be suffered to stand longer than three years ; for it 

 will certainly die in the fourth, or be good for nothing. No 

 opinion can be more erroneous : I last year took a hive which 

 had stood fourteen years, which I kept for the sake of the ex- 

 periment, and which gave me a swarm the last season : but hav- 

 ing cast a swarm last year, I found the number of bees so re-; 



duced, 



