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seasons, when the bees cannot fill their hives, one must see fha*it can have no success at all. Yet, even when the latter part ofthe season has been unpropitious, it has not been found that anyharm was done by the trial; the piece being put on before win-ter, and plastered down.
‘ If the hive be quite full of honey in the combs, and if theseason also admit, they will fill the top also with honey. If not,still it affords air to the bees, and may be removed when theseason to work is over.
‘ Early in the season, when the weather was fine, and thebees active, it was observed that they began at once at the topof the cover, and filled it all downwards till they reached theunder hive, leaving only the usual passages. But, when the o-peration was performed late, they seemed to calculate; begansometimes at the under hive, and attached the new combs to it;or carried up a piece of comb of small diameter, as if they hadfdt conscious of the impossibility' of filling it.
' ‘ In case any person should think of trying this method, witha view to spare the bees, and, at the same time, to get the finesthoney, it would he as well to attend to the following particu-lars :—That, in a bad season, when the hives are not full, it can-not answer ; that, even in the best season, it ought not to bedeferred beyond the middle of July ; and that it never shouldbe attempted until the hive seems to be full of bees and honey.But, with these cautions, if the season he fine, and plenty ollatter pasture for bees, it is an operation that will hardly fail ofsuccess, if it be correctly gone about.
‘ A smooth plank of ash, from one to two inches thick, withone pillar wedged into the middle, and sunk into the earth, andmade firm in a hole opened by an iron crow, makes the best stoolfor a bee-hive. It is neither too rough, nor too cold ; and themice do not get up. ’
4. Gallovsay ,—comprehending the Counties of Kirkcudbright and Wigton .
I. Cattle —have beerr long the staple produce of these coun-ties ; and the breed is well known to be excellent. As a pi*
’ ty full account of them has been given in the 14th Chapter it-self, it is not necessary to enter into particulars here.—‘ Th®
‘ whole number of cattle sold annually, from Galloway', accord-‘ ing to very accurate information, maybe stated at.20,000.
4 The proportion of bullocks is about two-thirds ; the remainder‘ are heifers, including a few cows.' Of this number, 2 or 3000have been imported annually from the neighbouring counties, otfrom Ireland and the Highlands. The cattle sent to the Norfoltmarkets, which are of the best description, brought 13 1. a-piece, at jan average for two or three years preceding 1809; but about 3000are sold in Dumfries, or sent to the North of England, which v