126 Directions how to manage bees 
be reinforced with fix pounds of honey comb, 
as direted in page 110. Three pounds of 
honey will be a fufficient faupply for fuch as 
weigh eighteen pounds. Some hives perhaps 
will not exceed fourteen pounds or fo; yet, 
if they have few bees, they will not need to 
be fupplied; for, befides that they ftand in 
no need of it, a frefh fupply of haney would 
invite robbers, whom they would not be able, 
on account of the paucity of their numbers, to 
withftand. A thinly inhabited hive ought, 
therefore, never to be reinforced with honey, 
unlefs the bees are ready to perith for want of 
food, which, in fuch a hive, feldom if ever hap- 
pens. But a hive that is well peopled ought 
to be abundantly fupplied, even although there 
may appear to be a fufliciency of food, be- 
caufe the fuperfluity will not be loit. The 
bees are faithful {tewards, and will not fail to 
repay their mafter’s generofity with ufury, * 
| For 
* The fupplying of bees with food, in any feafon, but efpe- 
cially in {pring, is of great advantage to them, as it cheers their 
fpirits, and roufes them to breed earlier than they otherwife 
would. I would therefore recommend to every bee-mafter, to 
give a little additional tood, even to hives that have abundance, 
in order to revive and exhilarate the bees, and encourage them 
te 
