no A Modern Bee-Farm 



the advice sometimes given, to the effect that such dummy 

 must be tight fitting and have an entrance of only two inches 

 or less cut out of the bottom edge, will have reason to 

 appreciate the loose fitting board. 



When keeping bees in a loft, Mr. Cowan, the present editor 

 of the British Bee jfournal, raised the crown board of his hives 

 with small pieces of wood, such as match ends, as. well as 

 giving the same space between the floor and body of the 

 hive. Perfect ventilation was in this manner secured without 

 draught, being in a large closed space; but the same plan 

 could not be thought of with hives standing in the open. 



Really there is nothing to be done to the bees during the 

 winter months, and all the foregoing provisions have to be 

 settled before the cold weather arrives. Cold, with judicious 

 ventilation, and clear space under the frames, a good cover, 

 plenty of stores, and stocks in good heart, can do no harm. 



SPRING. 



About the 21st of December the queens will begin to 

 deposit eggs ; in due time the young will hatch out, and 

 slowly the brood nest is enlarged, until by the time the older 

 bees begin foraging, the consequent heavy losses are fully 

 compensated by those brought to life while outside all 

 appeared quiet. 



The production of young bees at this early date is not 

 always without intermission ; cold in itself never hinders it, 

 as the brood is at the very heart of the cluster, but if unable 

 to obtain water for many days together brood-rearing ceases, ■ 

 only to be renewed as soon as the workers can get abroad. 

 Pollen is as a rule always present in well-stored stock combs, 

 and when this comes in freely (March to April), all fresh from 

 the fields, the brood nest is rapidly extended. Now is the 

 time to see that the bees have more than sufficient food to 

 keep them going. With a good queen it can hardly happen 

 that the combs will be too heavily charged with honey at this 



