94 



PEACTIOAL BEE-KEEPING. 



others pack themaelve-: closely between them. This matter of food should 

 be completed before the advent of cold weather, for then to have to 

 disturb the stock is most wasteful and damaging, as we shall see pre- 

 sently. If, however, it be necessary to give food during the winter, let 

 it be barley sugar (made as explained at page 47), except that as much 

 sugar is dissolved as possible, the syrup being skimmed during the boiling, 

 which must be continued until if a drop of the syrup be let fall on a 

 piece of glass, it wiU chip off upon being touched. The stirring must be 

 continuous, as if any of the sugar be burned, the caramel (or cook's 

 colouring, burned sugar) formed, will prevent the bees touching it, while 

 it will cause it to deliquesce and drop down amongst them, gluing them 

 hopelessly together. This barley sugar may be put in pieces into a 

 bottle over the feed hole, or laid across the frames under the quilt here- 

 after explained, or thrust up between the combs in skepa. 



Protection, as applied to skepa, has abeady received some attention 

 es 10 to 12); and frame hives generally leave the hands of the 



Hat-kick Coteb (Wintek Form). 



maker thoughtfully provided with every external arrangement necessary 

 to enable them to winter independently ; but those who desire to leave on 

 their stands ordinary single sided hives, such as Fig. 11 represents, may, 

 with a little ingenuity, construct those exceedingly useful casings known 

 as hay rick covers, which, while they do not require that finished car- 

 pentry which ia beyond the capability of the amateur, can be slipped 

 into position without disturbing the stock. A reference to Kg. 59 will 

 show its character. The dotted lines indicate the hive, of which A is the 

 alighting board, and B C the bottom board. The case consists of four 

 sides, which should not be less than two inches wider than the height of 

 the hive j these are arranged like the sides of a wheelbarrow, and are 

 each about Sin. wider at the top than at the bottom. A roof, D, B, F, 

 consisting of four triangular pieces, completes the whole. This is merely 

 lifted on and off, and however rough the workmanship, it may be mads 



