112 FIFTY YEARS A^IOXG THE BEES 



harvest, 40,000 bees in two colonies will not begin to 

 store as much as the same bees would do if they were all 

 in one colony. Of course you have thought of that, but 

 possibly you have not noticed so clearly that something 

 like the same rule holds good about building up in spring. 

 Take a colony that comes out of the cellar with only 

 enough bees to cover two combs. It will remain at a 



Pig- 35— Port of Home Apiary (from SoutJizcest). 



stand-still for a long time. Indeed, it may not stand still, 

 but may become weaker, so that it will not have as 

 much brood June 1 as May 1, with a possibility of peg- 

 ging out altogether before the harvest opens. On the 

 other hand a colony with bees enough to cover well three 

 frames is likely to hold its own, beginning to increase 

 slowly as soon as weather permits ; and if it has bees 

 enough to cover four frames it will walk right along in- 

 creasing its brood-nest. 



GIVING BROOD TO STRONGER. 



Shall I take frames of brood from strong colonies to 

 give to the weaklings? Xot I. For tht damage to the 



