1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



79 



numeral note of their standing in the garden 

 fixed to the hive. 



The time is the three sti'l months, to wit : 

 from the first hard weather in Sagittarius to the 

 first calm and pleasant day in Pisce*, (except 

 continued good weather call them out a little 

 sooner) when it is time to set every stall in his 

 old standing again. If in the removing, you 

 mistrust any stall for his lightness, it will be 

 good, when they are come back again, warily to 

 feed them, so that no stranger partake with 

 them. 



And for the place, it must be close, dark, and 

 quiet. Close, that no heedless body come there 

 to wag or jog the hives ; dark, that the light 

 draw not down the bees ; quiet, that no noise 

 awake them. What the poet said of the sound 

 doubled by echo, 



Ubi concava yu'su 



Saxa donanl, vocUque offensa result a imago, 

 is meant of any (though chiefly of violent and 

 reiterated) noise. And if the room be not free 

 from mice, set traps for them, and often view 

 the hives that there be no breach made into 

 them 



This housing or double restraint scemeth most 

 for the late and small swarms, of whose suffici- 

 ency you shall doubt. 



The single restraint is fit for the best stalls ; 

 the manner whereof is, that they be close 

 doomed, fast barred (with a little breathing- 

 place only if the hives be full of bees) and well 

 hackled down to or below the stool. 



The place (being their old standing in the gar- 

 den) must be kept close and quiet, free from 

 noise and noisome cattle, that may either wag or 

 wake them. 



The time of this restraint must be shorter, be- 

 ginning the first cold day after Mid-Sagitt irhi<, 

 and ending the first warm and calm weather 

 after mid-A,uarius ; so soon as by their contin- 

 ual murmuring, the bees signify their desire to 

 come abroad, then presently let them go. 



If you distrust their safety in your garden, you 

 may have them, for what time you please, within 

 the compass of this single restraint. 



And for the meddling sort of swarm, use either 

 the double or single restraint ; but, however, let 

 them be without any breathing place, as having 

 air enough in the vacant rooms of the hives, and 

 give them the time of the double restraint. 



Nevertheless, when restrained, bees are thus 

 dismissed, if at any time, you fear a piercing 

 night frost, you shall do well to bar them all up 

 in the evening, and in the morning to unbar 

 them again, unless either snow or rain, or bois- 

 terous wind forbid you. But while the snow 

 covereth the ground, let them not out at all. 



From Wildman. 



Providence has ordained that insects which 

 feed on leaves, flowers, and green, succulent 

 plants, are in an insensible or torpid state from the 

 time that the winter's cold has deprived them of 

 the means of subsistence. Thus, the bees during 



the winter, are in so lethargic a state that little 

 food supports them ; but as the weather is very 

 changeable, and every warm or sunny day re- 

 vives them, and prompts them to return to exer- 

 cise, food becomes necessary on these occasions. 

 Mr. White is of opinion that a greater degree of 

 cold than is commonly imagined to be proper for 

 bees, is favorable to them in winter. If a sharp 

 frost continues for two or three months without 

 intermission, you may observe through your 

 glass, that the bees are all this time closely 

 linked together in clusters between the combs. 

 If they are not altogether without motion, yet it 

 is certain that they stir not from their places 

 while the cold continues, and therefore eat not 

 at all. 



The following directions are given for feeding 

 of bees in the Maisonruntique : Replenish the 

 weak hives in September, with such a portion of 

 combs full of honey taken from other hives, 

 as shall be judged to be sufficient supply for 

 them. In order to do this, turn up the weak 

 hive, after taking the precaution of d( fending 

 yourself with the smoke of rags, cut out the 

 empty combs and put the full ones in their place 

 where secure them with pieces of wood run 

 across in such manner that they may not fall 

 down when the hive is returned to its place. The 

 bees will soon fix them more effectually. If this 

 method be thought too troublesome, set under 

 the hive a plate of liquid honey, unmixed with 

 water, wffch straws laid across it, and over these a 

 paper pierced full of holes, through which the 

 bees will suck the honey without daubing them- 

 selves. This should be done in cloudy or rainy 

 weather, when the bees stir least abroad, and the 

 hive should be covered to protect the bees from 

 robbers who might be allured to it by the smell 

 of the honey. 



The degree of cold bees can endure, has not 

 been ascertained. We find that they live in the 

 cold parts of Russia, and often in hollow trees, 

 without any care being taken of them. Their 

 hives are frequently made of the bark of trees, 

 which does not afford them much protection 

 from cold. Mr. White, therefore, confirms Mr. 

 Gedde's observation that bees which stand on 

 the north side of a building whose height inter- 

 cepts the sun's beams all the winter, will waste 

 less of their provisions (almost by half) than 

 others which stand in the sun, for coming seldom 

 forth, they eat little, and yet, in the spring are 

 as forward to work and swarm as those which 

 had twice as much honey in the autumn before. 

 The owner should, however, examine their state 

 in the winter, and if he find that instead of being 

 clustered between the combs, they fall down in 

 numbers ou the stool or bottom of the hive, the 

 hive should be carried to a warmer place where 

 they will soon recover. He must be cautious in 

 returning thorn again to the cold, lest the honey 

 be candied as before observed. 



Where the winters are extremely severe, the 

 authors of the Maisonrustiqne advise to lay on 

 the bottom of an old cask, the depth of half a 

 foot of very dry earth,, powdered and pressed 

 down hard, and set on this the stool with the 

 hive ; then to preserve a communication with the 

 air, which is absolutely necessary, to cut a hole 



