HIVES. 
45 
ers should be accompanied by high winds, or cold 
rainy weather, but little honey is obtained ; and our 
bees have a numerous brood on hand that must be fed. 
In this emergency, if no honey is on hand of the 
previous year, a famine ensues ; they destroy their 
drones, perhaps some of their brood, and for aught I 
know put the old bees on short allowance. This I do 
know, that the whole family has actually starved at 
this season; sometimes in small hives. This of course 
depends on the season ; when favorable, nothing of the 
kind occurs. Prudence therefore dictates the neces- 
sity of a provision for this emergency, by making the 
hive a little larger for northern latitudes, as a little 
more honey will be stored to take them through this 
critical period. From a series of experiments closely 
observed. 
2,000 INCHES SAFE FOR THIS SECTION. 
I am satisfied that 2,000 inches in the clear, is the 
proper size for safety in this section, and consequent- 
ly, profit. On an average, swarms from this size are 
as large as any. 
The dimensions should be uniform in all cases, 
whatever size is decided on. It is folly to accommo- 
date each swarm with a hive corresponding in size ; 
a very small family this jmar, may be very large next, 
and a very large one, very small, &c. A queen be- 
longing to a small swarm will be capable of depositing 
as many eggs, as another belonging to a barrel full. 
A small family able to get through the winter and 
spring, may be expected by another year to be as 
numerous as any. 
