Eeduciug the stock with a " tired " queeu to six frames, or a pitiful 

 shallow chamber, is a lame dodge, and a coufessioii of failure to realise 

 the needs of this particular harvest — such attempts generally ending 

 in a blank one. 



Black Bees a failure. 



Black bees are condemned by the progressive bee-keeper. Some 

 who still cling to them, notwithstanding their crushing failure to with- 

 stand the I. of Wight disease and foul brood, limit their natives to 

 about six frames per stock for securing heather-honey; and yet say 

 these bees are the best to use at the moors. 



This plan simply proves the failure of that variety, as well as of 

 their owners, to secure the best results. Nothing more certainly shows 

 that natives are not sufficiently prolific, and that no stock which needs 

 restricting to so few frames, will ever secure the highest results in 

 heather-honey. 



Feeding Heavily 



before taking the stocks to the moors is another practice that must be 

 condemned on several counts. The object is that the stock combs may 

 be crowded with stores instead of brood, and the owner of stocks thus 

 treated imagines that the bees must therefore store the heather-honey 

 in the supers. 



I^et us see how this plan works out. In the first place, the bees thus 

 heavily fed by a' process of " wear and tear " have just euded work on 

 the earlier season's flowers, and a great many of them are not only 

 adult but aged ; consequently the additional hea\y and needless storing 

 results in the wearing out or ageing of many more of these hard-worked 

 bees ; a poor condition for starting once again at the heather on a 

 third process of heavy storing, which as a matter of fact they do not 

 undertake, for old bees, it should be understood, are not honey gatherers. 



By all means see that the bees have a fair amount of food before 

 the journey, but do not risk your reputation in sending to the moors stock 

 combs crowded with syrup, a large proportion of which is certain to 

 be stored in the sections with the heather-honey, if the weather is 

 favourable for active work in the supers. 



Only July-reared queens of a suitable variety, and the stock combs 

 solid with brood at the beginui:ng of August, will save the tons of 

 heather-honey that are usually wasted for want of correct application ; 

 while the stocks when brought home will have enough youthful bees 

 for safe wintering. 



11 



