368 



THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 



in winter. 



The bees were allowed to build as they pleased, and save for 

 the two sticks placed crossways inside as supports for the comb 

 nothing was done to assist in their work ; whilst at swarming time 

 the burly drones seemed almost as numerous as the bees themselves. 

 And there was no queen bee in those days — at least the beemaster 

 thought not. The eggs were deposited by a certain number of 

 "laying bees" told off for the work ; "an' when they laying bees 

 dies the hive is bound to perish." 



Swarming time and "taking-up" time, were two important 

 events in the bee year, for at these periods the skeppist took an 

 active part in the ordering of the bee garden. 



A QUAINT COTTAGE 



The Home of a Cotswoki Beemistress 



Photo by A. H. Bowen 



The yellow throated crocuses had come and gone, the apple 

 orchards were roofed with pink blossoms, and at last the merry 

 month of May brought in the swarming season. 



The oldest hives in the garden were generally the first to 

 swarm, and the bees would give warning of their intended migra- 

 tion by "hanging out" in great brown clusters all over the face of 

 the hive, and down the leg of the stool; whilst the sweet summer 



