bee-keeper's manual. 89 



The cause is probably this :— the bees in traversing 

 the combs, require a foothold convenient, and perhaps 

 quite necessary. In filling the cells two-thirds, or per- 

 haps, three-quarters full, the bees leave a footing; 

 whereas, if every cell were filled to its fullest capacity, 

 of farina and honey — the honey-cells being sealed over, 

 the bees would undoubtedly find difficulty in passing 

 over the combs with the requisite facility. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



WATER AND ITS USES. 



Writers on the management of bees have hitherto 

 given no elucidation of the necessity of bees having 

 water within their convenient reach, beyond the simple 

 assertion, that they either should have water placed 

 daily in pans near the apiary, or that they should be 

 situated near to some stream, lake or river of fresh wa- 

 ter. What the effect would be to have no water within 

 the ordinary range of their flight, has never been shown ; 

 perhaps for the reason, that an apiary cannot be placed 

 where the bees cannot find fresh water in some place, 

 within the range of their flight, unless it be in a desert. 



