328 WINTERING AUD SPRING DWINDLING. 



and severe atmospheric changes ; much, also, on the length 

 of the Winters, which vary so much in different latitudes, 

 and the forwardness of the ensuing Spring. In some of 

 our Northern States, bees will often gather nothing for 

 more than six months, while, in the extreme South, they 

 are seldom deprived of all natural supplies for as many 

 weeks. In aU our Northern and Middle States, if the colo- 

 nies are to be wintered out of doors, they should have at 

 least twenty-five pounds of honey. 



In movable-frame hives, the amount of stores may be eas- 

 ily ascertained by actual inspection. The weight of hives 

 is not always a safe criterion, as old combs are heavier than 

 new ones, besides being often over-stored with bee-bread. 

 (263.) 



624. Practical bee-keepers usually judge of the amount 

 of stores by sight. The majoritj- of combs in an ordinary 

 Langstroth hive should be about half full of honey, for out- 

 door wintering, in this latitude. Remember that food is 

 needed, not only to carry them through the Winter, but 

 also to help them to raise brood largely, during the cold 

 days of early Spring. Bees do not waste their stores, and 

 the wealthy colonies will usually be found stronger, and 

 better prepared for the following harvest. 



Enthusiastic beginners, in Apiculture, are apt to overdo 

 extracting (753), leaving too little honey in the brood- 

 chamber for Winter. If the bees are not actually crowded 

 with honey, we would advise them to leave, to strong colo- 

 nies, all the honey that the brood-chamber contains. Some 

 may think that nine or ten heavy Quinby frames, are too 

 many for a colony, for they may he wintered on six or seven. 

 We will here give a bit of our experience on that point : 



625. Some 18 years ago, in an Apiary away from home, 

 where we were raising comb-honey (719), we had a number 

 of swarms, which, in the rush of the honey-crop, we did not 

 examine until their combs were built. At that time, the 



