e by turning the hive bottom up, and letting the sun among the
combs. The number of inhabitants in them is easily seen. When weak,
close the entrance, till there is just room for one bee to pass at
once. The first real pleasant days, at any time before honey is
obtained plentifully, a little after noon, look out for them to
commence robbing. Whenever a weak stock is taken with what appears to
be a fit of unusual industry, it is quite certain they are either
robbers or young bees; the difficulty is to decide which. Their motions
are alike, but there is a little difference in color--the young bees
are a shade lighter; the abdomen of the robbers, when filled with
honey, is a little larger. It requires close, patient observation, to
decide this point, and when you have watched close enough to detect
this difference, you can decide without trouble.

A TEST.

But while you are learning this nice distinction, your bees may be
ruined. We will, therefore, give some other means of protection.

Bees, when they have been stealing a sack of honey from a neighboring
hive, will generally run several inches from the entrance before
flying: kill some of these; if filled with honey, they are robbers;
because it is very suspicious, to be filled with honey when leaving the
hive; or sprinkle some flour on them as they come out, and have some
one watch by the others to see if they enter. Another way is less
trouble, but will take longer, before they are checked, if robbing.
Visit them again in the course of half an hour or more, after the young
bees have had time to get back, (if it should happen to be them); but
if the bustle continues or increases, it is time to interfere. When the
entrance has been contracted as directed, close it entirely till near
sunset. When it has been left without, it should now be done, (giving
room for only one bee at a time). This will allow all that belong to
the hive to get in, and others to get out, and materially retard the
progress of the robbers.

ROBBING USUALLY COMMENCES ON A WARM DAY.

Unless it should be cool, they will continue their operations till
evening. Very often some are unable to get home in the dark, and are
lost. This, by the way, is another good test of robbing. Visit the
hives every warm evening. They _commence_ depredations on the warmest
days; seldom otherwise. If any are at work when honest laborers should
be at home, they need attention.

REMEDIES.

As for remedies, I hav