A SELF-SUPPORTING HOME 



the month, a few sleepy-looking bees emerged, 

 flew about for a short time, and returned, 

 evidently giving a favorable report of the 

 weather, for the next day a continuous stream 

 issued forth and hovered around the hives. 

 Many of the -winter evenings had been de- 

 voted to studying bees and their care, so I 

 had rudimentary knowledge enough to realize 

 that as there was little, if any, natural food 

 for them to gather, it would be advisable to 

 mix a syrup of sugar and water, and put it 

 into shallow dishes near the hives, the motive 

 being to supply sufficient nourishment to 

 stimulate brood rearing. 



Not knowing what knowledge the previous 

 owner had possessed, the fear presented 

 itself that the queens might not have had 

 their wings cut, so, as I had no desire to lose 

 a swarm or climb to impossible heights after 

 them, I screwed up my courage and pre- 

 pared to attempt the task of finding and 

 clipping the royal ladies. I had no smoker, 

 so a bundle of hay, slightly damped, was put 



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