fiiVES. 45 



ers should be accompanied by higb winds, or cold 

 rainy weather, but little honey is obtained ; and our 

 bees have a numerous brood on hand that must hefed. 

 In this emergency, if no honey is on hand of the 

 previous year, a famine ensues; they destroy their 

 drones, perhaps sonie of their brood, and for aught I 

 know put the old bees on short allowance. This I do 

 know, that the whole family has actually starved at 

 this season ; sometimes in small hives. This of course 

 depends on the season ; when favorable, nothing of the 

 kind occurs. Prudence therefore dictates the neces- 

 sity of a provision for this emergency, by making the 

 hive a little larger for northern ' latitudes, as a little 

 more honey will be stored to take them through this 

 critical period. From a series of experiments closely 

 observed. 



2,000 INCHES SAFE FOR THIS SECTION. 



I am satisfied that 2,000 inches in the clear, is the 

 proper size for safety in this section, and consequent- 

 ly, profit. On an average, swarms from this size are 

 as large as any. 



The dimensions should be uniform in all cases, 

 whatever size is decided on. It is folly, to accommo- 

 date each swarm with a hive corresponding in size ; 

 a very small family this year, may be very large next, 

 and a very large one, very small, &c. A queen be- 

 longing to a small swarm will be capable of depositing 

 as many eggs, as another belonging to a barrel full. 

 A small family able to get through the winter and 

 spring, may be expected by another year to be aa 

 numerous as any. 



