124 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE 
combs, set the hive a moderate dis¬ 
tance from the fire, give them fre¬ 
quently a trough of sugared ale, and 
keep them in the room for some days, 
A certain degree of cold will throw 
a weak hive into a useful lethargy 5 
while it has not the same effect on 
a strong one: on this principle, the 
weak one may survive, while the other 
will perhaps die. The milder a winter 
or spring is, the sooner is their honey 
exhausted, but the sooner also they 
begin to breed] therefore they must 
be fed. 
In the month of March when the 
bees begin to work, it has been re¬ 
commended to lift the hive and sweep 
