WHEN TO COMMENCE BEE-FJRMING. 33 



of hives at the latter end of the year, when they are cheapest, 

 'l^he hives should be full of combs, and well stocked with 

 bees. The purchaser should examine the combs in order 

 to know the age of the colony ; the combs of that season 

 are white, those of a former year are darkish yellow, and 

 when the combs are black the hives should be rejected, 

 because old hives are more liable to vermin and other 

 accidents." As to the weight; your stock should not 

 v^eigh less than fifteen pounds without the hive. Of course, 

 a few words are here necessary. Do not think because 

 they are much lighter that they are also wortliless. It is a 

 very easy method to feed them up to the requisite weight, 

 but do not allow them to commence the winter without 

 fifteen pounds of food at the least. We make a syrup by 

 gently simmering three pounds of best lump sugar with 

 two pounds of rain-water. Do not be afraid to cut a small 

 hole, say 2 inches in diameter, in the crown of a straw 

 hive ; it is a simple plan for feeding them. 



A few words are needful about transferring a sv/arm to 

 the frame-hives. We always hive them first in a straw 

 skep which we keep for the purpose, then knock them out 

 on the top of the bars. Immediately they have settled they 

 should be removed without loss of time to the stand you 

 intend them to occupy permanently. It is well the moment 

 after knocking the swarm upon the bars to throw a table- 

 cloth over them for about half-an-hour ; for, if the top- 

 board is put on before they have gone down or have 

 clustered on the frames, a great number may be killed, 



MODERN BEE-HIVES. 



During recent years, owing to the knowledge of the 

 requirements of bees, or rather from the many practical 

 experiments on the economy and the working of the hive, 

 as well as from the extensive and widespread knowledge 



D 



