3-4 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



want five cents per pound for selling, which is too much. If you havehoney to 

 sell watch these points. It will pay you. I can retail my honey at a little less 

 profit than the grocers and make good wages. This cuts out the middlemen's 

 profit and brings the producer face to face with the consumer. You can create 

 a better demand and soon establish a firm trade. But you must produce a fancy 

 article ; try it. 



BEES AFTER THE HONEY FLOW. 



FTER the honey flow has passed, bees sometimes become some- 

 what troublesome. These troubles are often augmented by a 

 lack of correct information upon the habits and natural tendencies 

 of the honey bee. A little mistake may cause a great commotion, 

 and a little foresight will generally entirely prevent any difficulty. 

 When bees are unable to gather nectar in the fields, and 

 especially in the beginning of such a period, they are liable to make every effort 

 to secure from other sources those sweets they are unable to gather from the 

 natural. They will attack a weak colony — one unable or unwilling to defend 

 itself. Amongst the former we find weak colonies and colonies largely black, 

 amongst the latter, colonies which are queenless. If bees must be handled, it 

 should be done under cover of a tent made for the purpose, or towards evening, 

 and combs exposed for as brief a time as possible. 



The advantage to be derived from an examination towards evening is this : 

 if the bees get a notion and opportunity to rob they keep right at it until night, 

 or even longer, and the longer they have to work before night the more liable 

 they are to continue the attack next morning, and the more harm they are likely 

 to do. 



When the bees get excited through robbing they become irritated ; they 

 are more inclined to sting, and attempt to get into houses, and especially the 

 kitchen department. There is really no necessity for such discomfort, and the 

 bee-keeper who thus causes unnecessary discomfort to himself and his neighbors 

 should be corrected. 



As before stated, at such a time handle only towards evening, the later the 

 better, as long as the operation can be completed before night. Do the work 

 under cover of tent, if possible, but if the former condition is watched this latter 

 is not an absolute necessity. Expose no sweets at any time ; this will begin the 

 trouble. If bees are kept close to the house, it is well, if much canning or 

 preserving of fruit has to be done, to do it in the afternoon. 



To the bee-keeper who has not much experience, I would say : see that all 

 colonies have queens ; the bees lose courage when without a queen, and fall a 

 ready prey to those with more energy. The black bees are peculiarly liable to 

 thus become discouraged. 



