MARCH 1, 1913 



153 



ilrs. S. E. HoAvard, "Wakefield, Mass., showing that full supers are not too heavy for a woman to lift. 



serviceable. ) Tlie shoes should l)e low- 

 heeled and comfortable. A close-titting' 

 .I'acket made from denim with an easy stand- 

 ing' collar, hooked at the throat, a soft hat, 

 and some bee-veils from black netting, com- 

 ])lete the outfit. 



.■^OFT CAXDY FOR SPRING FEEDING. 



Tn the spring, if feeding seems advisable 

 we give fondant made by the same formula 

 used for our cliildren in the early years. 

 This is made of a pound of gi-anidated su- 

 gar, four ounces of water, a pincli of cream 

 of tartar, and a pinch of salt. The mixture 

 is put in a covered pan, and boiled without 

 stirring until it just spirs a thread from the 

 upheld spoon. It is then poured into a 

 bowl on a firm table, and when it crinkles 

 like hot milk it should be beaten vigorously. 

 After it turns white it is poured into a 

 paper pie-plate. After a few trials a per- 

 fectly smooth cream can be produced. 



The explanation, of the formation of this 

 candy is that the first crystal stamps the 

 mass. The coarse crystals form on the sides 

 of the uncovered pan; and jarring, wdiile 

 cooling, will start coarse crystallization. 

 The cream of tartar converts a small amount 

 of cane sugar into glucose — quite enough 

 to prevent coarse crystals forming. (Com- 

 mercial glucose should never be used, as the 



makers will not go to the trouble and ex- 

 pense to reneutralize all of the acids used 

 in the conversion of the starch. ) 



Gradually the colonies are jirepared for 

 supers. The top-bars are scraped clean, 

 bulged combs are cut down to the proper 

 thickness, old queen-cells removed, bottom- 

 bars cleaned — every thing being put in the 

 best possible condition, while at the same 

 time the colonies are getting used to being 

 handled. We place tlu'ee pieces of veneer, 

 two inches wide, across the top-bars, pre- 

 venting the bees from plastering the sec- 

 lion-holders fast to them. We allow- the 

 bees to store the miscellaneous flow^ of the 

 early spring in the brood-chamber. 



"We have very feAv swarms during a good 

 honey-flow. The ground slopes to the south, 

 and the avenue is planted with catalpa 

 trees; and, having no high trees about, our 

 swarms rarely leave the place. Last year 

 there were eight that swarm.ed in succession 

 on the same grapevine. 



All finished honey is carefully scraped, 

 and packed in cases. The honey that is 

 produced in shallow extracting-frames is 

 cut out and put in buckets, and sold as 

 bulk comb honey, for wdiich there is quite a 

 demand. Our market is local, most of the 

 sales being made by telephone, although 



