THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEPER. 59 



for it must be borne in mind, that it is this very brood, (and not so 

 much the bees actually driven from it, especially if the driving take 

 place early in the autumn,) that will live out the winter, and assist most 

 in advancing the prosperity of the hive to which it is added the following 

 spring. To preserve it, therefore, let the following instructions be 

 closely attended to, which are somewhat different to those recommen- 

 ded to the cottager. When most of the bees have been driven from 

 the hive, and united to the parent stock, let the top be removed, and 

 each bar of the hive lifted out, having previously passed a hnife under 

 it, so as to sever the comb below from its attachments to it. All the bars 

 being lifted out, proceed to cut out of the hive as much of every comb 

 as contains honey, taking care not to cut quite down to the part which 

 contains the brood ; indeed, it is well to cut out no more comb than 

 is actually honeyful. This being done, (and the quicker the better, 

 that the brood comb may not grow cold,) let the hive be set over the 

 stock to which the bees out of it have already been joined. They 

 will quickly cluster over the remaining comb, carry below what little 

 honey they may find in it, and hatch out the brood. In this way, the 

 winter stock will be most beneficially strengthened with large promise 

 for the future. Three weeks later, (or in less time if the brood were 

 not very young,) the upper hive may be removed, and the stock below 

 set in order for the winter season. If not more than three or four 

 inches deep of honeycomb have been cut away from the upper part 

 of the hive beneath the bars, the now empty combs, (if still fresh and 

 good ; that is, not more than two or three years old,) may be pre- 

 served with advantage ; they will prove a most valuable boon to a 

 prime swarm of the following spring, and will most materially, not 

 merely assist its own profitable advancement, but also increase the next 

 year's honey harvest- of the bee owner. The hive must, of course, be 

 carefully stowed away, and covered up in a dry place, to keep it fresh 

 and sweet, and safe from the invasion of the prying and destructive 

 wax moth. Should more than four inches deep of comb have been 

 cut away, what remains had better, perhaps, be removed altogether 

 and melted down, because the bees, to whom it might chance to be 

 given the next year, would very likely not elevate their new works 

 sumciently, (for in this case they work upwards,) to touch the bars, 

 and there secure them, before the weight of the new structure, (honey 

 laden,) causes it to incline out of the perpendicular, and, perhaps, to 



