280 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



bees have not been multiplied too rapidly, and proper care 

 was taken to winter none but strong stocks, they will need 

 but little assistance in the Spring ; and nearly all of them 

 will show indubitable signs of health and vigor. 



I strongly recommend every prudent bee-keeper who 

 uses my hives, to give them all a most thorough over-hauling 

 and cleansing, soon after the bees begin to work in the 

 Spring. The bees of any stock may, with their combs, &c., 

 all be transferred, in a few minutes, to a clean hive ; and 

 their hive, after being thoroughly cleansed, may be used for 

 another transferred stock ; and in this way, with one spare 

 hive, the bees may all be lodged in habitations from which 

 every speck of dirt has been removed. They will thus 

 have hives which can by no possibility, harbor any of the 

 eggs, or larvEB of the moth, and which may be made per- 

 fectly free from the least smell of must or mould or any- 

 thing offeesive to the delicate senses of the bees. In making 

 this thorough cleansing of all the hives, the Apiarian will 

 necessarily gain an exact knowledge of the true condition 

 of each stock, and will know which have spare honey, 

 and which require food : in short, which are in need of 

 help in any respect, and which have the requisite strength 

 to lend a helping hand to others. If any hive needs re- 

 pairing, it may be put into perfect order, before it is used 

 again. Hives managed in this fashion, if the roofs and out- 

 side covers are occasionally painted anew, will last for gen- 

 erations, and will be found, on the score of cheapness, 

 preferable, in the long run, to any other kind. But I 

 pught to beg pardon of the Genius of American cheapness, 

 who so kindly presides over the making of most of our 

 manufactures, and under whose shrewd tuition we are fast be- 

 ginning to believe thatcheapnessin the first cost of an article, 

 is the main point to which our attention should be directed ! 



