, 2,000 inches,) well stored with honey; a large family
of bees, and in a healthy condition, which must be ascertained by
actual inspection. The age is not important till over eight years old.
Stocks possessing these points, can be wintered with but little
trouble. But it cannot be expected that all will be in this condition.
Many bee-keepers will wish to increase their stocks and keep all that
is practicable, by supplying any deficiency. I shall endeavor to make
it appear profitable to do so, until bees enough are kept in the
country, to get all the honey that is now wasted.

All can understand why it is a loss to have bees eat honey part of the
winter and then die--that the honey consumed might have been
saved--that it makes no great difference to the bees whether they are
killed in the fall or sacrificed in the winter. I am not an advocate
for fire and brimstone as the reward of all unfortunate stocks, and
shall recommend it only when its use will make it no worse. We will see
how far it can be dispensed with.

GREAT DISADVANTAGE OF KILLING THE BEES.

Those rustic bee-keepers who are in the habit of making their hives
very large, such as will hold from 100 to 140 lbs., and killing the
bees in the fall, and sending the honey to market, will probably
continue the use of sulphur, unless we can convince them of the greater
advantage of making the hive smaller and have fifty or eighty lbs. of
this honey in boxes which will sell for more than can be realized for
their larger hive full, and at the same time, save their bees for a
stock-hive, making a better return in the long run, than one hundred
dollars at interest. When hives are made the proper size, the honey
will not be an object sufficient to pay for destroying the bees.

SECTION OF COUNTRY MAY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT POOR STOCKS NEED.

The kind of requisite to be supplied to our deficient stocks, will
probably depend on the section of country. Where the principal source
is clover and basswood, it will fail partially, at least, before the
end of warm weather.

Some poor or medium stocks will continue to rear brood too extensively
for their means, and exhaust their winter stores in consequence; such
will need a supply of honey. But where great quantities of buckwheat
are sown, cold weather follows almost immediately after this yield, and
stops the breeding. Consequently a scarcity of bees is more frequent
than honey. There are exceptions, of course; I am s