5?0 UAKK AND MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 



summer, so that it is thoroughly ripened, or grape sugar, may be 

 used and dysentery thus avoided. 



Pasturage for Bees Wild-flowers, clover, peas, beans, 

 fruit-trees of all kinds, flowers of the field and garden these are 

 the best feeding-ground for the bee. Cactus, black hellebore and 

 mignonette are also favorable. Many others are appropriate to dif- 

 ferent sections, as the Pacific Coast, etc. Buckwheat is a desirable 

 feed for bees and every bee-keeper should have a small field of it. 

 If he had no land it will pay him to furnish seed for a neighbor to 

 do so, or to pay a dollar or two an acre for the honey it yields. 

 This is about as advantageous a plan as there is in the way of artifi- 

 cial pasturage. The honey is dark but it is perfectly wholesome for 

 the winter feeding and enables the bee-farmer to gather the finer 

 qualities of honey from clover-blossoms, flowers, etc., for sale pur- 

 poses. 



Water Supply If there is no convenient natural supply, 

 a small vessel must be placed near the hive, and frequently filled 

 to the brim. To guard against drowning, a thin piece of wood, 

 perforated with holes, may be so placed upon the water as to cover 

 its whole surface. 



Sunshine and Shadow Too much heat is injurious to 

 bees. They should never be exposed to the full glare of the sun in 

 hot weather. 



Enemies of Bees A few species of birds eat bees; so do 

 toads. Mice, rats, slugs, snails, wasps and hornets are enemies of 

 bees. Against all these, adequate care and watchfulness will pro- 

 tect the hives. 



Never Kill a Bee The smoke of the common puff ball, 

 when dried so as to hold fire, has a stupifying effect on the bees, 

 and renders them harmless. 



Wintering" Bees This is one of the most important 

 branches of the science of bee-keeping. It is most important that 

 in taking the surplus honey from the hives there is enough left to 

 winter the hive in good condition. If hives are used so that the 

 surplus can be removed from the top, leaving the bee combs in the 

 lower story untouched by the extractor, there will seldom be 

 occasion to feed. It is customary to remove honey till a certain 

 period in the fall, allowing time for the bees to lay in their winter 

 stock. But if there are too many colonies and too little feed it is 

 necessary to give additional feed. The best feed is made from 

 granulated sugar, which should be of the best quality. Twenty 

 pounds of sugar will make twenty -eight pounds of sirup, which is 

 almost as good as, and cheaper than, feeding honey. The bees 

 should be fed about half a pint to a pint every night till their 

 combs are full. In the beginning care must be taken that you 

 have enough bees in each hive to winter successfully. There should 

 be bees enough in each hive to fully cover four L frames, and if you 

 have the four combs average five pounds each, you will be on the 



