loo PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING 



are known to be old. It is best to hive these 

 bees on built-out combs where; possible, and feed 

 them up rapidly. If this cannot be done, five or 

 six sheets of foundation must be given to them, 

 and they may, winter on a contracted brood-nest 

 of that extent. 



Comb building; at this season should be spared 

 them when possible. It is to the, advantage of 

 the bee-keeper to obtain his bees as soon after 

 the beginning of August as he can, and to this 

 end he should be early afoot — or perhaps I ought 

 to say awheel — among the outlying districts. Many 

 old skeppists will probably be averse to having 

 their bees taken up at this early date. Then it 

 should be explained to them that except in odd 

 districts, or in heather localities, the skeps get 

 lighter nearly every week after the end of July, 

 and this they may easily prove if they take the 

 trouble to weigh them. 



It is not a bad plan to go round in early spring 

 and make arrangements with cottagers for the 

 driving of their bees .at the end of the season, and 

 if a trifling amount per skep is offered there will 

 usually be little difficulty in settling the matter. 



In hiving the bees they should be treated ex- 

 actly as swarms, and then fed as rapidly as they 

 will take the syrup. A good set of driving irons 

 may be made by taking some stout wire, about 

 one-eighth thick, and bending it to the desired 

 form. 



