FALL MANAGEMENT. 819^ 



bottom up, will soak into the wood at tte base of tbe' 

 combs ; this will have a tendency to loosen the fasten- 

 ings, and render them liable to fall, &o. 



The next March the bees were again transferred 

 from the old to the new hives. My method is as fol- 

 lows: As the (Oqmbs in the hive to receive the bees 

 are rather cold, I set them by the fire, or in a warm 

 room, for several hours previous. I take a warm 

 room before a wiijdow, and as some few bees fly ofij 

 they will collect there. The new hive is turned bot- 

 tom up on the floor; the old one on a bench by the 

 side of it, having smoked the bees to keep them quiet. 

 One comb at a time is taken out, and the bees brushed 

 into the new hive ; (a little smoke will keep them, 

 there). When through, I get the few on the window, 

 and tie over a cloth to confine them, and keep them 

 warm for a few hours longer. Paralyzing with puff- 

 ball will answer instead, but they do tiot always all 

 fall out of -the combs when the hive is filled to the 

 bottom, and it is possible that if a few were left, the 

 queen might be one. Also a very few bees are worth 

 saving at this season, and the combs might ■ have to 

 be broken out at last, for this purpose. 



When a good-sized family is put in a hive contain- 

 ing fifteen or twenty pounds of honey, and near half 

 full of clean new comb, they are about as sure to fill 

 up and cast a swarm, as another that is full and has 

 wintered a swarm. 



CAUSE OF THKIB SUPERIOR THRIFT. 



One cause of superior thrift may be found in the 



