■2() 



sl,„uM 1„. a. .,n:,ll as ,„.s,l,l.. Conla.., w,th l.are ea,.h is vory. ve.,- .,a.h ^-'^^-^^f^' 

 one at oaol, ,.,„.„e,-, are ,„.„1, s., are a cuplc ol ,,„.e.s ,.t unplau.,! .' x 4 hunber a httle 

 l„n.>a- than tlu- w.dtl, „f the l.ve, one ,,lae..a „n,ler ea,-h en,l of the l..,tt„nt board. As 

 ha. ah-eadv been sa,d, the hotto,,, l,oa,.l ,tu,st be pevfeetly kn'el aeross the frames, >.ut 

 a bttle lumber at the haek. Xo vegetat,on of a„y ktnd should he perm.tted to grow 

 above ds level ; better stdl, destioy it entirely, as all g.owth ndcrteres w,th the flight 

 of the bees, 



Onr first oxeursion through a beediive has l,een quitea long one and has distirrbed 

 the arra.vgements of the nimates not only to a considerable extent, but possibly to the 

 injury of Ihe young, b,r in May it is a rather extensive incubator where as many as 

 10,000 eggs are bebig halehe.l, while .-.0,(100 young bees are being brooded. An open 

 hive means tlie l,,ss of heat ; 1 hei eb.re. we res.,lve that in future we will do the necessary 

 examinations as speedily as possible, and never lift the cover unless the shade tem,,era- 

 ture is about 05', or Wirnier. 



CHAPTER V. 



The Bee People. 



From the dawn of history fhe greatest iiitelleefs have found a fascination in the 

 study of the inmates of the hive, bir here is a b.rm of society which closely resembles 

 that of human beings. Only in recent times has its actual organization been understood 

 x\-if h all the marvellous activities that are carried on night and day. The subject is an 

 entrancing one, but this is not the occasion to enlarge upon it ; our business at present 

 is to become familiar with such facts as will lead to success in our aim, which is the 

 production of surplus honey. 



The inmates of the hive are of three kinds — queen, worker, and drone. The queen 

 is not the ruler of the colony, as was for centuries supposed, but is the mother of a big 



FU-. 17. 



Queen. 



Drone 



Worlver. 



family. Her sole function is to lay eggs, her capacity being literally thousands every 

 twenty-four hours. From October to February she lays very few, but with the advent 

 of the first pollen from the willow in spring she resumes her activity, laying eggs as fast 

 as the worker-bees can take care of them. About May 1st the colony becomes strong 

 enough to permit her to develop her full gait, and this she will keep until the honey-flow 

 in .fuiie deprives her of the u.se of the cells. In the fall, as the cells are emptied, she 

 resumes her laying for a fe^v weeks to profile bees for the winter, then enters upon her 

 peiioil of rest. 



