192 
MANAGEMENT IN SPRING. 
begun her laying, and the rapidly increasing quantity 
of brood, that none hut well provisioned hives can 
support the expenditure. In April, however, the 
industrious insect begins to get something ontof doors ; 
besides the gooseberries and currants, the seeding 
turnips and furze, the willows are putting forth their 
catkins, and the buds of the plane and horse-chestnut 
are swelling, all of which contribute to relieve the 
winter magazines and render it quite safe for a buyer 
to set about forming his apiary. Let him, therefore, 
choose a fine morning, when the bees are busily en- 
gaged in carrying in farina, and observe attentively, 
and in their turn, all the hives from which he is to 
select his purchase, counting the number of each that 
enter within a minute’s space. He will fix, of course, 
on those that exhibit the greatest number. 
The cultivator will sometimes at this season dis- 
cover, to his mortification, that one or more of his 
hives has been totally deserted by the inhabitants. If 
there is no want of honey in the combs, and no appear- 
ance of mice or other vermin having obtained access 
to it, the probable cause of this desertion is the death 
of the queen during the winter, from age or from 
accident. In such circumstances, the whole popu- 
lation will gradually leave their habitation ; and while 
many wander about in the cold, and ultimately perish, 
others may be seen dispersing themselves among the 
other hives in the apiary. The owner should in this 
case shut up the hive, carry it into a dry place, and 
reserve it for a late swarm, to which it will be a 
valuable acquisition. It is worthy of remark how 
