WINTERING BEES. 321 



II must not, however, be forgotten, that although they eat 

 comparatively little in the Winter, unless they have been 

 made over-populous, they must be well supplied in the 

 Spring; as they will then have a very large number of 

 mouths to feed, to say nothing of the thousands of young 

 bees bred in the hive. If any old-fashioned bee-keeper 

 wishes, he can thus pursue the old plan, with only this modi- 

 fication ; that he preserves the lives of the bees in the hives 

 which he wishes to take up ; secures his honey without any 

 fumes of sulphur, and saves the empty comb, to make it 

 worth nearly ten times as much lo himself, as it would be if 

 melted into wax. No humane bee-keeper need ever feel 

 that there is the slightest necessity for so managing his bees 

 as to make the comparison of Shakspeare always ap- 

 posite : 



" "When like the Bee, tolling from every flower 

 The virtuous sweets ; 



Our thighs packed with wax, our mouths, with honey ,^ 

 We bring it to the hive ; and like the bees, 

 Are murdered for our pains." 



While I am an advocate for breaking up all stocks which 

 cannot be wintered advantageously, 1 never advise that a 

 single working-bee should be killed. Self-interest and hu- 

 manity, alike forbid the unnecessary sacrifice. 



Wintering Bees. 



In the Chapter on protection against extremes of heat and 

 cold, the proper principles on which the successful wintering 

 of bees, in cold climates, depends, were discussed at some 

 length. It was there shown how desirable it is, that the stocks 

 should be kept as still and dry as possible, and neither too warm 

 nor too cold. Even since the failure of a plan which seemed 

 very promising, (see p. 124,) I have devoted much time and 



