Live Stork. 



242 



for handling easily. In the early evening the hive must be prepared to receive 

 them. The shallow-frame lift or section-super should be taken away leaving only 

 a thin quilt over the frames, which have already been fitted with brood-foundation. 

 Then the front of the hive must be raised from the floor-board about an inch, by 

 means of two wedges. Next, a board, the width of the hive, is placed in front of, 

 and level with, the alighting-board, sloping down to the ground. This temporary 

 board and the alighting-board are covered with a cloth hanging over the sides to 

 the ground, to prevent bees from crawling underneath. Then the skep or box is 

 taken between the palms of the hands, and carried mouth downwards, until it is 

 just above the sloping board. With a smart jerk, the bees are thrown out in 

 front of the hive, and they will at once begin to take possession of their new home. 

 As tiiey run in, watch should be kept for the queen. It is a satisfaction to see 

 her safely enter her abode. When all are in, the wedges should be taken away 

 and the front of the hive lowered to its proper place. Crushing of any of the 

 bees must be avoided. Any that are in danger may be cleared away with a feather, 

 if the swarm has beeu a longtime on its .journey, or if the weather is bad on its 

 arrival, the bees will be greatly benefited by being supplied with half a pint of 

 warm thin syrup, through an opening in the quilt and by means of the bottle-feeder. 

 On the second day after hiving, the quilts should be turned back from the ends 

 of the frames to ascertain if the "foundation" remains properly fixed, and to 

 see if the work is going forward well. If this is the case the quilt may be taken 

 off and the queen-excluder put on in its place. Over this a lift of shallow frames 

 should then be placed and covered warmly with a quilt and carpets. The stock 

 may now be left alone till the end of the honey season. More skill is required for 

 obtaining comb honey in sections in good condition, but the section rack may be 

 used instead of the shallow frames, if desired. 



It is important that the beginuer should clearly understand the principles 

 that underlie successful bee-keeping. A colony of bees consists of a queen, a large 

 number of worker-bees, and (during summer) a certain proportion of drones. The 

 strength of a healthy stock depends on the vigour and laying power of the queen, 

 who is at her best in her second season, i.e., a queen hatched in June, 1904, is at 

 her best in May, 1905, and should be replaced by a young one in 1906, either by 

 natural swarming or by re-queening. Queens may be purchased, or raised by the 

 methods taught in text-books. The economy of a hive consists, first, on the keeping 

 up of the warmth of the brood nest (by means of the heat evolved from the bodies 

 of the clustering bees) to such a point as will stimulate the queen to lay eggs, and 

 will enable young bees to be reared ; secondly, on the feeding of the queen and 

 nursing of the brood, and cleansing the cells for the queen's use ; thirdly, on the 

 obtaining of pollen, water, and nectar for the brood ; lastly, on the building of 

 the storage combs and collecting nectar for the future supplies of honey. The 

 first three of these conditions must be fulfilled before the last can be begun ; 

 therefore, it is only by means of a large and vigorous surplus population that a 

 stock can gather enough stores for its future use, and provide also for the bee- 

 keeper. It is obvious that the aim of the bee-keeper is to keep his stocks strong, 

 for a weak stock is always unprofitable. 



The next consideration is, that the crowded condition of the hive should 

 be secured at the right time, i.e., at the honey-flow. Honey is the concentrated 

 nectar of flowers. Spring and early summer are the times when the land is gay 

 with a wealth of blossom, and the honey-crop is gathered. Late summer and 

 autumn are times of seed and fruit, and only a gleaning of nectar from bramble 

 and wild flowers then remains. There is a period every year, varying in each 

 district according to soil and altitude, when the supply of nectar is most abundant. 



