posure to damp, &c."

They appear however sometimes to be seized, in the spring, with
dysentery; this is occasioned by their feeding too greedily, it is
supposed, on honey dew, without the mixture of pollen and other
wholesome nutriment.

The only remedy that has been found for this disease, is to give the
bees plenty of honey, such honey as that extracted from the refuse combs
in the autumn, that had abundance of bee-bread pressed amongst it,--the
more the better,--mixing with it a table-spoonful of salt, and giving
the bees their full liberty, and a clean hive. Many things are necessary
for the preservation of bees, but more especially in this country, where
the bees have only one season in five, on an average of years, really
good for their honey harvest; wherefore the owner should take care to
provide the light stocks with a sufficient quantity of food, which they
have not been able to secure by their own industry, either through the
badness of the bee-pasturage, the inclemency of the seasons, the
weakness of the colony, or the spoil made by their enemies; and
sometimes by the ill-judged management of their owners, in robbing the
bees beyond the bounds of reason.

By this last unjust way of proceeding, these poor industrious little
insects are absolutely starved, and their greedy masters deservedly
experience the old proverb; that "Too much covetousness breaks the bag."

It is impossible to ascertain what quantity of honey will serve a hive
of bees the whole winter, because the number in the hive may be more or
less, and in some years, the spring is more forward than in others; but
25 lbs. is said to be the quantity required in a common cottage-hive.
During frost, the bees consume very little food indeed; and still less
during severe cold weather. Mr. White (with many other apiarians) is of
opinion, that a greater degree of cold than is commonly imagined to be
proper for bees is favourable to them in winter, for the bees during
that period, are in so lethargic a state, that little food supports
them.

The best method to feed the weak stocks, if in one of Mr. R. Golding's
improved Grecian hives, is to place some combs (drone combs reserved for
that purpose) filled on one side with honey, over the centre-board, and
covering it over with a common hive.

The advantage of feeding bees from above is great; they are less likely
to be attacked by the bees from other hives, and they do not become
benumbed by the cold,