84 THE BEE AS AN INSECT. [Ch. t. 



dwelling has not been enlarged at the time when tlie 

 bees are increasing. Upon the antiquated and inhuman 

 plan where so great a destruction takes place by the 

 brimstone match, breeding must, of course, be allowed 

 to go on to its full extent to make up for such sacrifices. 

 Our chief object under the new system is to obtain honey 

 free from all extraneous matter. No oiu can depend upon 

 gathering pure honey from combs where storing and breed- 

 ing are performed in the same compartment. For fuller 

 explanations on this point we refer to the various de- 

 scriptions of our improved hives in a subsequent chapter 

 of this work. 



We often receive from Scotland magnificent boxes of 

 honey ; and though the fine quality is no doubt to be in 

 part attributed to good pasturage, it is largely owing to 

 keeping the stocks strong, and thus having hives well 

 stored and well populated early in the season. A 

 weakly hive will take some weeks, if not months, to 

 grow populous ; and as soon as the strength of the hive 

 has recovered, the honey season will have advanced, 

 if not ended, whilst the strong stocks have been able 

 to take full advantage of the supplies, having an abun- 

 dance of labourers to collect the honey and store it in 

 supers for their master. 



There can now be scarcely two opinions as to the use- 

 lessness of the rustic plan of immolating the poor bees 

 after they have striven through the summer so to " im- 

 prove each shining hour." The ancients in Greece and 



