THE HONEY-BEH. 187 



to carry his bees through not only the winter months, 

 but those of spring also. But even to the well-pro- 

 visioned, a little additional supply will be welcome, 

 and prove advantageous, infusing fresh spirits into 

 the hard-working labourers, encouraging the laying 

 of the Queen, and consequently contributing greatly 

 to the rapid increase of the population, and to the pro- 

 duction of early swarms. We need not fear being 

 over-liberal ; the bees are excellent economists and 

 will carefully husband what we entrust to them. 



The first care of the cultivator, after the appear- 

 ance of his bees in spring, is to inspect his hives. 

 Lifting them gently from the stool, he will sweep 

 away all the dead bees, eggs of moths, scrapings of 

 wax, mouldiness, or other offensive matters that have 

 accumulated during the winter, and clean and dry 

 the floor-board effectually. The lower part of the 

 combs, where the population is scanty, is sometimes 

 found to be mouldy ; it will save the workers much 

 trouble, and contribute to their health, to cut those 

 parts away. Let the cover, if of straw, be next taken 

 off; mice are often found lodging between it and the 

 hive, and, secure from observation, work their way 

 down into the interior. The cover should be re- 

 newed, and carefully fastened close to the hive by 

 one or two wooden hoops. As the consumption of 

 food in spring is very great, in consequence of the 

 prodigious quantity of brood reared the queen lay- 

 ing at the rate of 100 to 200 eggs daily the culti- 

 vator must see that there is an abundant supply, and 

 commence feeding, if there appears any thing like a 



