250 THE BEE-KEEPER’S MANUAL. 
the depredations upon the rye-mill. As far as the 
letter of the dispute is concerned, their position is 
established: bees can do without pollen, the same as 
aman can do without mutton—by the simple process 
of substituting beef. It is not pollen as pollen that 
the insects must have, but they must have some sort 
of nitrogenous food; and pollen is the sort most assimi- 
lated to their nature, and which most readily falls in 
their ordinary way. 
Cleaning.—As far as any disturbance of the bees 
would be involved, this must be deferred till they 
are again on the move—in March, or perhaps at 
the end of February. But the flight-holes should be 
inspected from time to time, to make sure that 
there 1s no accumulation of dead bees within, for 
these not only give great offence to survivors, but 
endanger the safety of the colony by preventing the 
passage of air. Whilst the bees are in activity they 
attend to this duty themselves, but in winter it must 
be performed for them. This is also the season in 
which empty hives should be renovated in readiness 
for spring requirements. All other work of the nature 
of preparation should likewise receive attention during 
this season of enforced comparative leisure. 
As soon as the above-named period of cleansing 
has arrived, Mr. Cowan recommends a complete 
transfer of the family into another hive which has 
already undergone its renovation. The old one is 
then scalded and washed over inside and out, frames 
included, with the solution of salicylic acid, as di- 
rected under “Foul Brood,” the combs also being 
sprayed with the same before they, are inserted in the 
