THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEPER. 85 



ever, an expensive one, as they will often consume from fifteen to sev- 

 enteen shillings' worth of honey or prepared food, before their hive 

 attains the requisite weight. If, however, the thing be well managed, 

 a colony of this kind becomes exceedingly profitable. I reared one in 

 this way through the winter of 1849, which yielded me 34 lbs. of the 

 finest honey in the indifferent bee year that followed ; and it is now, 

 (February, 1851,) in the very best health, keeping up a much higher 

 average temperature than any of my other stocks. If this plan be 

 adopted, the stock should be formed as early as possible in August, 

 when the queen, if a good breeder, will be tempted to lay considera- 

 bly before the close of the year. The method, however, before detail- 

 ed, is to be greatly preferred, for the comb being for the most part 

 already constructed, not more than from six to ten pounds of food need, 

 in general, be supplied, at the cost of a very trifle, and this will put it 

 on as safe a footing as any other stocks. 



Towards the close of August, (see reasons for mentioning so early 

 a date in Chapter XI.,) every hive in the apiary should be put on a 

 proper footing to stand the winter, by supplying to those colonies, 

 which may be found deficient in weight, as much food as will bring 

 them up to at least 20 lbs. of contents — the garden hives should weigh 

 a pound or two more, to make allowance for the increasing weight of 

 the old comb.* For winter management, all that is requisite, besides 

 an occasional cleansing of the boards, is to keep off the effects of a win- 

 ter sun in cold weather. The felt or drugget blind in the window ap- 

 iary will answer the purpose of a sun guard well enough, where the 

 window faces the south. Besides this, in both bee house and window 

 apiary I take care to confine the bees close prisoners when the sun 

 shines in cold weather, as I also do during the prevalence of a high 



* As to these cottage hives, I have supposed before that it was intended they should qual- 

 ify themselves to stand as winter stocks ; and to this end, casting, in both cases, should 

 have been carefully prevented. If not more than four years old, and sufficiently strong in 

 weight and population, it will be advisable by all means to keep them to another season ; 

 should either of them, however, appear to be weak, or should it exceed four years in age, it 

 were best, perhaps, to break it up as soon as August is drawing to a close. To this end, 

 the bees may be first fumigated, or driven into an empty hive, and joined to their compan- 

 ions in the neighboring stock ; after which, cut out all the combs with care, and remove 

 from them all that is still occupied with brood. Whatever honey is found in the hive, 

 being of an inferior quality, will do admirably to mix with the food supplied to the artifi- 

 cial stocks. 



