86 THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEFFR. 



•wind in mild weather, by pushing in the slides between the box and 

 the wall in every colony, which keeps them in total darkness, be the 

 ghtter of snow or the sun's glare ever so bright. In the meanwhile,, 

 it is prudent always to open the ventilators below, to afford them the 

 necessary air. In calm mild weather, however, the bees should have 

 free access to the open air, as exercise in winter, where it may safely 

 be enjoyed, is of great advantage to them. On the breaking up of 

 a frost, and after a general thaw, afford as much air as possible ; also 

 a current of air through the hive occasionally in mild dry weather, 

 will be found very beneficial, especially in wooden boxes, which are 

 more liable to accumulations of damp, arising from condensed vapor, 

 than the old bell-shaped cottage hive. 



The process of board-cleansing, which I have before described in the 

 instance of straw hives, may be thus conducted : Let an evening be 

 chosen when the wind is blowing in a direction towards the apiary ; 

 then remove the blank ventilator so as to cause a rush of air over the 

 floor board, which will compel the bees to ascend up among the 

 combs. This effected, slide the hive gently but quickly on to the 

 board of its side box, which must previously have been removed. 

 After scraping and washing the board thoroughly — at the same time 

 drying it by the fire — the hive may be pushed back again to its old 

 place without a single bee having escaped to annoy the operator. 



Second Tear. — I come now to the second year's treatment of the 

 house apiary, in obedience to the plan and rule which I laid down to 

 myself at the beginning. As to the early treatment of the hives, much 

 the same attention will have to be bestowed on them towards the ap- 

 proach of spring as was recommended to be given to hives managed 

 on the cottage system, including the judicious excision of mouldy 

 combs. These, however, are not likely to be found so early in the 

 history of a new apiary. Most writers on bees advise the partial feed- 

 ing of even strong hives in the early spring. To this opinion I myself 

 incline, having tried it with advantage. It must be done with much 

 judgment, however, or it becomes of positive injury to the bees. In 

 the case of stocks established in the natural way, there is nothing so 

 good to feed with as warm diluted honey. Instead of this, for a stock 

 artificially formed, the food supplied should be somewhat inferior in 

 ■quality to that stored in the hive, as it is important that whatever pre- 

 pared food was given them in autumn should be all cleared away be- 



