THE FARMER'S MANUAL* 201 



per food, and the latter as dangerous, and often ex- 

 posing the Bees to the dysentery ; and adds, " Wher- 

 ever honey is given, it should be mixed with some 

 good old white wine, in the proportion of six pounds 

 of honey to one of wine ; it should then be placed on 

 a slow fire, and stirred until the honey is all dissolved, 

 then poured out into a jar or other vessel for use. 



Dissolve one pound of sugar in a quart of good old 

 ale ; boil and skim it until it is clear, when cooled, it 

 will have the consistence of honey, and may be given 

 your Bees. A little salt added to their food is both 

 safe and useful, especially when they are threatened 

 with the dysentery. Molasses and water boiled, with 

 a little salt, may be a good substitute, together with 

 a little treacle. 



M. Ducouedic recommends the addition of a little 

 flour to their food ; but Mr. Huish objects, and adds, 

 " the admixture of any farinaceous substance acts as 

 a laxative upon the Bees, and instead of invigorating, 

 weakens and debilitates them." 



CHAP. XXI. 



On the establishment of a hive, tJvt Bees of which have 

 perished by accident or want. 



When Mr. Reaumur gave his explanation of a 

 swarm, he was not far removed from the discovery of 

 the re-establishment of a hive, the Bees of which 

 have porished by hunger, or accident. A very sim- 

 ple remark on the existem e of tle eggs r -l the queen in 

 the hive, and on the promptitude with which those 

 egg> are hate-hod upon the return ot the warm season, 

 would have infallibly led to this discovery. Mr. 

 Huish thus closes this chapter; u Whenever the Bees 

 of a hive have perished in autumn or spring, the 

 hiv^ should be immediately taken from the Apinry, 

 and deposited in a dry place, carefully protected 

 from insects, spiders, mice. &c. When the warm 

 weather has set in, it may be brought from its repo 



