**Taking out the stock in trade valued at $133, we have $109.80, and I think we had better put one hundred dollars in the bank to the firm's credit, and by Molly and her mother exchanged glances of pleasure and approval at Tom's remark, and Molly said, "Bravo, Tom. Next year we must admit you into the firm as something more than'silent partner'," and then she continued, "Now boys, as we have closed up our cash accounts for this season let us look through the hives and prepare them for the winter. What do you think about leaving them on the summer stands?" "I think we had better try out-of-doors wintering. You said Uncle John left his out last winter and only lost one colony," said Rob. "Well, then, we will decide to do so. Now let us examine the hives. In September we found that hives number five and seven were not as strong as the others, and we supplied them with empty combs and gave them a pint of food every night. Now we will see if the queen has laid well and has sufficient brood started. It is just as important that the colonies should be in good condition now, in order to winter well, as in the spring to gather honey, for their prosperity in the spring depends much upon preparation now. Each colony should cover at least four large frames, but it is better still to have them cover five or six frames. The sun is shining so brightly to-day that the air is quite warm and we can safely open the hives ; see, quite a number of bees are on the wing! There, Rob, bring the smoker, we will look first at number five. Indeed the colony is much stronger than when we last examined it. There are five frames densely covered with bees and the other five frames well stored with honey. I think we can feel assured that the colony will thrive during the cold weather. Now, having laid a frame prepared for the purpose right over the ones where the bees are clustered, we will lay over it a piece of bagging or burlap and on that spread about a deck of soft, loose chaff, or enough to fill the top of the hive, and then put on the cover and leave them, without much fear of loss from the severity of the winter. Some make a chaff cushion by taking pieces of burlap the width of the hive, sewing them together and then filling it loosely with chaff, place on top of the frames containing the bees. Others fill the top with pieces of carpet or bagging and straw. Now for number seven. This does not seem as strong a colony as the other. Only four frames covered with bees, but many of them are young ones, and the queen is young too, so she will probably begin laying early, and with four frames well supplied with honey ; we will pack them with division boards on each side and above, just as we did the other one, and leave them to their fate, which we trust will be a propitious one." Do you think this weak colony would do better in the cell?" asked Tom. "We will try it this winter out of doors. Of course in this climate we cannot tell what the weather will be, some winters being more severe than others. Some bee-keepers, I know, leave half of their hives out-of-doors and take the other half into the cell, and thus are sure that part of them at least will winter well. Other bee-keepers combine their colonies aud make all of them very strong. We must learn by experience. I believe when they do winter well on the summer stands they are said to build up faster in the spring than if they had been kept in the cellar." "Now we will examine and pack the other hives. They all seem to be in excellent condition. I presume we could have extracted more honey, but I thought it best to leave an abundant supply to winter on. It is much better to have some left over in the spring than to be obliged to feed them very early, although sometimes, even when they have stores on hand, it is well to feed a little as soon as honey is brought into the hive. from whatsoever source it comes, the queen is stimulated to lay. You noticed, did you not, Rob, that the frames are placed a little farther apart for wintering than we had them in the summer so that the bees can cluster readily and thus by added warmth keep each other alive. You find, too, that scarcely any drones remain, for as soon as the swarming time