38 the cottage and farm bee keeper. 



August. The plan to be pursued in its removal is in all respects sim- 

 ilar to that already explained at full, where the first glass or cap had 

 to be taken off the former year. Nor should the plunder of the main 

 stock itself be delayed much beyond this time, except where the sur- 

 rounding country affords much autumn pasturage for bees, in which 

 case, also, the super, (if not full,) may be kept on a fortnight or so, 

 longer. Where the queen is still vigorous, a good deal of brood may 

 yet be found in the lower hive, on driving the bees out of it, at the 

 period of deprivation. If so, after uniting the bees, as before directed, 

 to the nearest stock, and cutting out each comb carefully, I would 

 recommend the part containing the brood to be separated, and to be 

 placed over the stock to which the bees have already been added. In 

 order to effect this, let the bungs be removed from the top of the hive, 

 and set a plate of zinc over the holes ; next adjust the brood combs in 

 an empty flat-topped hive turned hottom upwards, (from which the 

 bungs have previously been removed,) in such a manner, that the bees, 

 on being admitted to the combs through the coinciding holes of the 

 two hives, shall be able to get at every cell — in order to which, the 

 combs must be so arranged as not to he flat against each other. Now- 

 cover this over with an empty bell hive pushed down over it, and 

 withdraw the zinc plate ; the bees will shortly ascend, warm up, and 

 hatch out the brood with their accustomed care, after which, at the 

 end of three weeks, the top hives may be removed, and everything 

 set in order as before. 



For autumnal management, in general, in respect to weighing and 

 feeding up of stocks, I refer the reader to what was said earlier in the 

 chapter, under the head of the first year's treatment of the apiary. 

 It remains for me to add a few words on the selection of breeding 

 stocks to stand the winter. My plan is — and it is a plan I would ear- 

 nestly press upon the bee keeper's notice — to heep the same stock on 

 from year to year, so long as the hives themselves -are sound and un- 

 injured ; and, if properly painted every year, having also a wooden 

 hoop at bottom, they will last full fifteen years and upwards. My rea- 

 sons for recommending this unusual plan are as follows : — First, that 

 these stocks have always young queens, and a more youthful and vigor- 

 ous population, if they have swarmed once, and only once, in the pre- 

 ceding summer ; and secondly, that the bee keeper's honey harvests, 

 being gathered from virgin hives, and fresh combs, will be so much 



