6(3 



NOVICE'S " GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



about like honey. When you have made 

 one boiler full, pour it into your extractor 

 and start another. Don't let it burn, the 

 women know how much it should be 

 stirred. 



We believe the syrup answers equally 

 well if made of cold water and sugar sim- 

 ply stirred up, and the syrup poured off 

 when the sugar has settled, but we cannot 

 ret it Ms thick by this method, and conse- 

 quently it takes the bees longer to evap- 

 orate il to the point at which they decide 

 it should be to seal it up. Last season 

 we led s^ine that they kept in the cells 

 nearly two weeks before thev would seal 

 it, hut they wintered on it equally well, 

 and besides, if we wish them to take it 

 rapidly, it should lie given them warm. 

 In regard to cream of tartar, we would 

 add about twelve teaspoonsful to every 

 hundred pounds of sugar simply to pre- 

 vent granulation of the syrup on our 

 utensels, etc., while handling it. If you 

 can get it into the combs and the bees 

 seal it up before it has time to crystalize, 

 it answers every purpose just as well, but 

 to do this you must have all strong colo- 

 nies, as in fact you should have any way. 

 So many have succeeded without cream 

 of tartar that we have no hesitation in 

 saving it is not essential. Even should 

 the syrup turn to sugar in the cells, it will 

 do no further harm than the fact that 

 they are very apt to waste it in the spring, 

 when it is being consumed. 



HOW TO FEED 



don't matter, so you get it all sealed up as 

 soon as possible. We think it will pay 

 you to get your tinsmith to make you 

 about one fourth as many tea kettle feed- 

 ers as you have colonies, and you can 

 then probably get all through in three or 

 four days, and where he makes a number 

 at once they can be made cheaper. It is 

 true a tin milk pan placed on top of the 

 frames with a cloth laid over it does very- 

 well, and some of our friends say they 

 work as rapidly, in warm weather. We 

 prefer the tea kettles because they hold 

 j i it about 25 pounds each, and when 

 once tilled and placed on the hive, that 

 hive is done; besides, it can all be atteud- 

 e 1 to without even daubing the fingers if 

 you are careful. Have your extractor 

 mounted on a box of the right hight to 

 allow the gate to run into the feeder, 

 plai e these when filling in a, shallow pan, 

 'mi learn to fill them without running 

 them over; when the syrup is cool enough 

 to allow your hand on the feeder, place 

 Ih in on the top of the frame- of the hive. 

 I! 'tore you have learned the knack of in- 

 verting them quickly, you had better car- 

 ry along a. pan, and hold them over thai 

 until they cease dripping. Abt/ve till 

 ' bin" i don't gel robbers al work ; to he 

 o" that noil" of your feeders leak, try 

 them all with boiling water before using 

 them. Sometimes in soldering, ;i crevice 

 is only closed with resin, and tl.e hot. syr- 

 up melts this out. If they will not leak a 

 drop when inverted full of water, there i^ 



no danger, and after they have once been 

 used they are all right for a life-time, even 

 if made of the cheapest tin. Wash the 

 outsides if you wish but not the inside. 

 They will never get sour if thick syrup 

 be always used, and when dried on, it 

 prevents rust. The hive must be nearly 

 level, of course, and this is a feature, 

 about the "simplicity ' we like, for we al- 

 ways have them thus. A second story is 

 always used in feeding, and one such may- 

 be used for several by turning back the 

 cover until feeding is done, and then 

 moving both feeder and upper story to 

 the next. 



How MUCH TO KEL.D. 



Many experiments seem to indicate 

 that ten pounds of sugar will safely carry 

 a colony through the winter, but it is so 

 easy to give them the whole amount to 

 take them through until May, while we 

 are about it, that we think such a course 

 best, and we are fully satisfied that sealed 

 combs of food is more economical and 

 just as beneficial as any possible way of 

 "tinkering" with liquid food in March and 

 April. In buying the sugar, to be sure 

 and have ample stores, we would calcu- 

 late twenty pounds of siujai' for each col- 

 ony. 



Some, of course, will consume more 

 than others, and in April and May we 

 should see that supplies are equalized 

 with the two-fold purpose of supplying 

 the needy, and getting syrup all used up, 

 out of the way of honey. 



Had not unscrupulous patent hive 

 venders encouraged the idea that honey 

 could be made by feeding bees sugar, we 

 should not deem it necessary to state here 

 that sugar syrup will always be that, and 

 nothing more. Those who choose can 

 try, if they like, to see how much it takes 

 to build comb. 



WHAT TO DO WITH FALL 1IOXEY. 



As we have never been so fortunate as 

 to have a yield of honey here after the 

 middle of Sept., we can only suggest a 

 remedy. If there is no lull in the yield 

 of honey during warm weather, it might 

 be difficult to get them to use the syrup. 

 Experiment will have to be the guide. 

 When you get combs nicely filled with 

 syrup, endeavor to make them store in 

 comb given them temporarily, and these 

 may be taken away, or combs might be 

 tilled at any time, and laid aside until all 

 pasturage was over and then given them; 

 and were it not for the danger of thus 

 depriving them of all their stores of pol- 

 len, we should call this a very good way, 

 and in fact we have made first-rate colo- 

 nies by shaking the bees and queen from 

 after swarms that were destitute, (obtain- 

 ed from neighbors of the "box hive per- 

 suasion") on a few Langstroth frames of 

 sealed honey in December. As winter 

 stores are safer than honey alone, even if 

 only partly of syrup, we would advise 

 those having box hives that need feeding 

 to use the syrup by all means, and the 

 .-aim, remarks will apply to thooe haviije 



