MANUAL OF THE 
34 
er gets too cool. If tho weather is col<l they will not 
remove the honey to the cells. It will remain in the 
dish and become sour. It is then very unhealthy. — 
Much care should be used to prevent the honey from 
dripping down on to the bottom board, as in this case 
robbery will be apt to follow. 
All Hives should be weighed, and marked, before 
using; then the amount of honey in the Hive can be 
nearly ascertained at any time. Each good swarm 
needs 30 pounds of honey to keep them through the 
feeding season. Some swarms need more than others 
Much depends upon the winter and the manner of 
wintering them, as will be seen in Rule Eleventh. 
Weigh your swarms in October, and deduct from 
the weight 8 or 10 pounds for the weight of the Bees ; 
from 3 to 6 pounds for the weight ot the comb and 
the weight of the Hive. This will give nearly the 
number of pounds of honey. All good Apiarians a- 
copt this rule. Many swarms are lost by not making 
calculation in regard to their winter’s stock. They live 
perhaps till March, or April, and having consumed their 
food perish, when a very few pounds of honey (per- 
haps 2 or 3) fed in the right time would have saved 
them. Had you destroyed your Bees in the fall, you 
might have saved the honey ; had you fed them a little, 
you might have saved the Bees. But in this case, both 
are a dead loss. 
Bees fed in the spring are very apt to get robbed.— 
Neighboring swarms become destitute, or nearly so, 
and commence a warfare upon weak swarms before tho 
blossoms put forth. 
RULE ELEVENTH. 
On Wintering Bees. 
As soon as frost has killed the blossoms, and no- 
more honey and Pollen are to be obtained, you should 
remove all the drawers from the chambers of the 
Hives, and cover the apertures by placing a piece of 
board in the chambers, to prevent the breath of the 
Bees from entering the drawers, and chambers, as is 
