The Poplar Standard

With the Wax and Honey Makers.

Bees winter better if they have part honey and part sugar to live on during cold weather.

Look out for the weak colonies of bees and give them honey from those that have more than they need. Thousands of colonies starve to death every winter. If you feed the bees sirup be sure it is not too thin or trouble will result. Three parts water and four parts sugar will be about the right mixture.

It is economy to buy hives in the flat and put them together at leisure time, rather than to buy them all nailed and painted, as the latter cost about one-third more. Even a novice can put hives together without trouble, as machine made hives are so accurately cut that all parts fit easily and interchangeably.-Farm Journal

Throughout the winter period of inactivity it is best to keep the bees as quiet as possible. After providing for their comfort by properly housing and sheltering them it is best to let them severely alone during frosty weather.

It will be important, however, to watch the entrances to the hives and keep them open. There is danger of these openings becoming stopped up with dead bees, even when only a small percentage of the cluster meet their death in winter.-Country Gentleman.