276 DRESSING HIVES MILD AND SEVERE WINTERS. 



with a tin-plate, pierced with small holes, to prevent 

 the suffocation of the bees. 



In our climate, although the bees may SWARM se- 

 veral times in a season, it is found, with a few excep- 

 tions, that the first swarm only is worth preserving, 

 and as the first labour of these wonderful insects is 

 to sweep and garnish their dwellings, and remove 

 all obstacles to their industry, as much as possible 

 of this labour must be done for them, by rubbing 

 the interior of the hive with a hard brush, in order 

 to remove all loose and projecting straws. 



The spring and summer duty of the Apiarian, is 

 to watch the motions of his bees, to protect them 

 from enemies, to secure the swarms, and move them 

 temporarily, on a deficiency of food at home, to a 

 more plentiful pasture, which is customarily done 

 with safety and success. In the winter months, the 

 chief care is to feed the stocks when needful, and to 

 protect them from every annoyance, particularly that 

 of damps and moisture, and the melting of snow. 



Mr. Roberts, of Battle, Sussex, had a hive of 

 bees which swarmed in the last week of February, 

 1822, one of the mildest winters on record, all over 

 Europe ; but mild winters, from the moist state of 

 the atmosphere, are inimical to bees ; a cold and 

 severe winter is favourable, particularly to weak 

 hives, on account of the torpid state into which the 

 bees are thrown, and consequently the small quan- 

 tity of honey which they consume in that state, 

 must, on the principle of economy, be highly advan- 

 tageous to them. No cold of this climate was ever 

 known to destroy a hive, although ignorance may 



