and its Economic Management. 177 



many who never seem to realize that ' Unity is strength,' 

 and that nothing less than the most intense power, as ex- 

 hibited in the almost hurricane strength of profitable 

 colonies, will ever bring them a reliable income year after 

 year. 



You want for the production of honey just that strength 

 of numbers which turns the ordinary gentle workers into 

 ever suspicious defenders of their home, ready to assail, if 

 need be, any intruder who disturbs them without due pre- 

 cautions ! You want during the summer that teeming 

 hive which all day long shows you such a continual stream 

 going and coming, that the tiny insects appear almost 

 thicker than hailstones ! You want, after the removal of 

 the surplus receptacles, a hive of ten or twelve frames so 

 over-crowded that great lumps of clustering bees hang 

 outside until really cold nights compel them to crowd 

 inside ! This of course, will not be so noticeable in the 

 Conqueror hive, with its chamber under the stock and the 

 well ventilated space around. 



Do you want honey ? Honey by the hundredweight and 

 by the ton ? Then again read, and re-read the commence- 

 ment of this chapter, and let the autumn not pass without 

 a general renovation and uniting of poor colonies. 

 Pray do not cling to those miserable weaklings, fearing 

 you are sacrificing all hope of future increase. Ah ! that 

 is just the word ; in the completion of that last sentence 

 is found the whole trouble. How many there are who 

 cannot bring themselves to 'close down' their scattered 

 forces, and so make their chances of wintering almost cer- 

 tain, and positively securing stocks which will give six 

 times the increase (if required) that any three weakly lots 

 would, even supposing the latter will all winter safely. 



So far as food and strength are concerned, we are now 

 ready for 



