A Twentieth-Century Bee-Farmer. 



He turned to the barrow, on which was a large box, 

 lined with warm material, and containing bar frames full 

 of sealed honeycomb. 



" These are extra combs from last summer. I keep 

 them in a warm cupboard over the stove at about the same 

 temperature as the hive we are going to put them into. 

 But first they must be uncapped. Have you ever seen 

 the Bingham used? " 



From the inexhaustible barrow he produced the long 

 knife with the broad, flat blade; and, poising the frame of 

 honeycomb vertically on his knee, he removed the sheet of 

 cell-caps with one dexterous cut, laying the honey bare 

 from end to end. This frame was then lowered into the 

 hive with the uncapped side close against the clustering 

 bees. Another comb, similarly treated, was placed on the 

 opposite flank of the cluster. Outside each of these a 

 second full comb was as swiftly brought into position. 

 Then the sliding inner walls of the brood-nest were pushed 

 up close to the frame, and the quilts and roof restored. The 

 whole seemed the work of a few moments at the outside. 



" All this early spring work," said the bee-master, as 

 we moved to the next hive, " is based upon the recognition 

 of one thing. In the south here the real great honey-flow 

 comes all at once : very often the main honey-harve§t for 

 the year has to be won or lost during three short weeks 

 of summer. The bees know this, and from the first days of 

 spring they have only the one idea — to create an immense 

 population, so that when the honey-flow begins there may 

 be no lack of harvesters. But against this main idea there 

 is another one — their ingrained and invincible caution. 

 Not an egg will be laid nor a grub hatched unless there 

 is reasonable chance of subsistence for it. The populace 

 of the hive must be increased only in proportion to the 

 amount of stores coming in. With a good spring, and 

 the early honey plentiful, the queen will increase her pro- 

 duction of eggs with every day, and the population of 

 the hive will advance accordingly. But if, on the very 

 brink of the great honey-flow, there comes, as is so oftsn 

 the case, a spell of cold windy weather, laying is stopped 

 at once ; and, if the cold continues, all hatching grubs are 

 destroyed and the garrison put on half-rations. And so 

 the work of months is undone." 



23 



