THE APIARY. 
411 
the winter that the bees have been overtaxed In 
maintaining their temperature, and are in the spring 
already infirm, instead of ready for the duty of raising 
a new population. 
In the South by the beginning of April, in the 
North, according to Mr. Raitt,’* some weeks later 
— the period to some extent determined by the first 
abundant gathering of pollen — spring stimulation may 
most fittingly be commenced ; for it Is now needful 
that the bees raise brood to their utmost capacity. 
To this end the colony must be enabled to keep 
up a considerable temperature, and removing the 
outside combs_, so that the bees are somewhat 
crowded between the dummies, is most important. 
This removal of combs decreases their resources, 
but will not discourage brood-raising if we begin to 
feed ; and it Is not really necessary, and at first not 
desirable, to give new’ material, as our object is not 
an accumulation of store, but a densely-filled brood- 
nest. I have already hinted that bees do not so 
much arrange their household expenses according 
to that which they have laid by, as according to 
income; so that they are greatly stimulated by simply 
uncapping their store, when their removal of the 
honey from each opened cell. In order that they may 
repair the slight damage which our uncapping has 
occasioned, will aflfect them much as though an equal 
amount of food had been given them. Instead of 
uncapping with a knife, as is usual, I employ a wire 
hairbrush, with which I strike the comb a few times, 
making punctures in the cell cappings; this causes 
* The Bee-keeper's Record, Vol. V., page 41. 
