1905.] Advice to Beginners in Bee-Keeping. 81 



ing 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 beginner 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 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. This time 

 should be ascertained by the bee-keeper, who will then stimulate 

 his stocks beforehand, so that they may have their largest popu- 

 lation ready to gather the produce of the various flowers. 



H 



