162 PERIODS OF DEPRIVATION. 



CHAPTER XX. 

 PROPER PERIODS OF DEPRIVATION. 



IT should be an invariable rule with the apiarian, 

 never to remove an upper hive or box, till an 

 under one be quite full ; and even then, it should 

 be ascertained that the contents of the inferior 

 one, (if taken at Michaelmas,) be not less than 

 18 pounds. If it do not contain so much, a 

 sufficient quantity should be returned in the box 

 that has been removed, otherwise recourse must 

 be had to feeding. MR. ISAAC says that he has 

 carried a colony that had no honey at Michael- 

 mas, safely through the winter and spring, with 

 only eight pounds of honey. Huber succeeded 

 with less ; but it appears that his observations 

 were made upon weak stocks that were not 

 altogether destitute. 



A variety of experiments were made by MR. 

 JOHN HUNTER and MR. KEYS, to ascertain the 

 quantity consumed during the respective months 

 of winter and spring, and they all led to one con- 

 clusion, namely, that it amounted upon an average 

 to eight pounds, taking the season through, from 

 the beginning of October to the end of May, 

 when the spring proves ungenial. During the 

 first six months the consumption was not more 



