FEBRUARY. 433 



criterion, on account of the superfluity of bee-bread, which 

 is universally found in hives of two or three years standing. 

 Thus, many persons are deceived into a false security in re- 

 gard to the internal state of their hives, and a slow but a 

 certain ruin is the consequence. If, on examination, a 

 number of cells be seen sealed up, it may be safely con- 

 cluded, that the bees are not actually in want of food. We, 

 however, strenuously advise every one to take the advantage 

 of a fine day, and administer a plate full of syrup to every 

 hive. Be not deterred by the ridiculous notion, that feeding 

 bees makes them lazy ; the contrary will always be found to 

 be the case, and it will tend to accelerate the swarms, by 

 encouraging the queen to begin the laying of her eggs at 

 an earlier period than she otherwise would have done. 



The stools must be this month cleansed of all the dirt 

 which may have accumulated during the winter, and the 

 board sprinkled with salt. 



The entrance to the hive may this month be a little en- 

 larged, and in the middle of the day, when the sun shines 

 brightly, both the tin sliders may be drawn up ; for as the 

 bees, supposing them to be in a healthy state, will now take 

 their periodical flight, a contracted entrance is highly pre- 

 judicial to them. It is an acknowledged fact, that many 

 hives are annually lost from a total negligence or inatten- 

 tion to enlarging or diminishing the entrance of the hive, 

 according to the existing circumstances of the case, or the 

 particular state of the weather. Indeed, the majority of 

 persons are not aware, or they are actually ignorant of 

 the great advantage resulting from a due attention to this 

 apparently trifling point in the management of a bee-hive ; 

 but we are certain that a person has only to attend mi- 

 nutely to the state of two hives, one of which has been 

 managed with a due regard to the contraction or enlarge- 

 ment of the entrance, and the other with a total neglect of 

 it, to be thoroughly convinced of the justness of the advice 



