44 BEE-CULTURE. 
spoonfuls of honey should be given to the Bees, near the last of March, 
when the weather is good. This will be found to arouse them to great 
activity, and will be likely to result in early swarming. Alargespoon- > 
ful of honey may be placed in each of the outer channels of the cham- 
ber, and suffered to run down upon the comb. This operation may be 
performed two or three times, after an interval of about two days, or 
the honey may be placed in a feeder. On the first of April, the tin 
slides should both be put in place, and the boxes be returned to the 
chamber. The object of this arrangement is to give the Bees more 
warmth for hatching and nursing purposes. This arrangement is to 
continue until the Bees swarm., Then the tin slides are to be with- 
drawn, to allow the Bees to ascend and commence their work in the 
boxes, and to prevent them from swarming a second time, which is 
usually an evil. 
ROBBING. 
Robbing is more common in autumn than in spring, or at any other 
season. Whenever it is discovered that there is any passing of the 
Bees from one hive to another, or that they are engaged in robbing 
each other, or there is any commotion among them arising from this 
cause, the remedy is very simple. Place a small block of wood upon 
the lighting board, directly in front of the Bee-entrance, in such a 
position as to allow just space enough for one Bee to pass and repass 
to and from the hive, and you end the trouble. 
TRANSFER OF BEES. 
~It becomes necessary sometimes to transfer Bees from one hive to 
another, but much more rarely than is supposed by many who advocate 
this measure. A Bee-keeper cannot entertain a more injurious idea 
_ than that which is sometimes advanced, viz.: that his Bees need to be © 
broken up, or transferred to a new apartment, once in two, three, or 
four years ; for if he acts in accordance with this mistaken idea, and his 
Bees are thus routed, he will be sure to interrupt their labors, and 
greatly curtail his own profits. It is certain that he has not taken into 
account the expensive work of the Bees in constructing the comb 
which is abandoned. ‘The loss which he sustains by such a transfer, is 
equivalent to the loss which a family sustains when they are burned ont of 
house-and home and lose their all. Such a disaster is to be submitted 
