410 REMOVAL OF HIVES IN THE AUTUMN. 



a place in those remote regions, where the hives would be 

 safe from the depredations of the robber. This difficulty- 

 is, however, very easily overcome, as is generally the case, 

 when a sincere disposition to remove it, exhibits itself; for 

 although the mountains themselves be but very thinly in- 

 habited, yet at their feet there are many cottages, the owners 

 of which would be very glad to admit some bee-hives into 

 their kail-yards for a very trifling remuneration. During the 

 short time of their stay, they would not require any atten- 

 tion from the proprietor, and having once deposited them, 

 he need not give himself any further trouble about them, 

 until the flowering of the heath has ceased, when the hives 

 may be brought back again. 



In the generality of cases, man is inclined to adopt that 

 mode of action from which a promotion of his interest may 

 be confidently expected ; it is, however, strange, that al- 

 though we have exposed to many apiarians the signal ad- 

 vantages to be derived from the removal of their hives, they 

 have uniformly listened to us with the greatest attention; 

 they have apparently coincided in the justness of our re- 

 marks; but the hives remained in their original position. 



To a weak hive, the removal must be of peculiar advan- 

 tage, and when the trifling expense which attends it is put 

 into the scale with that, which arises from a constant feeding 

 during the winter, independently of the great trouble with 

 which that operation is attended, we cannot conceive any 

 person to be so wilfully blind to his own interest, as not to 

 adopt the system of removal. 



We, however,'" not only recommend in the strongest terms 

 the removal of hives in the autumn, but we would also 

 wish to see it adopted in the spring in those places, where 

 the bees have the advantage of furze. It is one of the most 

 early flowering shrubs, and the farina of it is sought with 

 the greatest avidity by the bees ; the broom and the sallow 

 are also very early in their flowering, and those shrubs are" 



