THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



April 



as tight as possible at the top. This is 

 all that is to be done until fruit blos- 

 soms appear. 



During this season, (as I am a clip- 

 per), all queens are clipped. This be- 

 ing the best time, before the hives get 

 full of bees, and no danger of robbers. 



Bees that have been wintered out of 

 doors should also, at this season, have 

 their winter cases removed. ' 



The spreading of the brood nest, 

 which is practiced by some, must be 

 done with great precaution, and the 

 novice, as a rule, will be safer to leave 

 it alone to the bees, as I believe they 

 know more about this matter than we 

 do. 



If spring feeding is at any time 

 profitable, it is between apple blossom 

 and white clover. 



In conclusion, let me say: Let us 

 disturb our bees as little as possible 

 during the early spring. 



Thamesford, Ont. 



Stimulative Feeding-. 



Wvitti n fill- l/ic American Bee-Keeper, 



BY ED. JOLLEY. 



^jp\ OES it pay to feed in the spring 

 " ^I'l ^J to stimulate brood rearing? 

 ^ •''^ This is a question that comes up 

 for consideration nearly every spring. I 

 believe, if it is judiciously done, it will 

 pay in any locality where the honey 

 flow comes as early as the 10th of June. 

 Because, without feeding, very few 

 queens will be laying at their full ca- 

 pacity a month before this time, and if 

 they are not, it means just that much 

 shortage of honey-gatherers. 



One of the greatest draw-backs to 

 stimulative feeding has been that it is 

 a tedious, troublesome job — one in 

 which the greatest care has to be ex- 

 ercised or it will incite robbing. One 

 that when once commenced, has to be 

 kept up until relieved by honey from 

 natural sources. 



The easiest and most practical way 

 to stimulate brood rearing that I have 

 ever tried, is by feeding outside the 

 hive in the open air. I lay a few 



boards on the ground some distance 

 from my hives and feed by pouring the 

 syrup on the boards. Starting at one 

 end of a board I pour as large a stream 

 as will lay on the board without run- 

 ing off at either side, the whole length 

 of the board, and on to the next, and 

 so on until all the feed is used up. 

 When the bees get the boards cleaned 

 up they are apt to go nosing around, 

 and if there are any weak colonies 

 they are apt to try and clean them out. 

 To prevent this I make one of the 

 feeding boards into a shallow trough 

 by means of narrow strips. In this 

 trough I put about half an inch of 

 chaff. After the bees have gotten the 

 syrup off the top of the chaff they will 

 have to work down through it to get 

 what is left. They will root and turn 

 the chaff over and over, and put in 

 hours getting the little bit of honey out 

 of it. It keeps them busy and diverts 

 their attention from the weaker col- 

 onies. 



To begin with, I generally use about 

 four ounces of syrup, daily, for every 

 colony in the yard, and gradually in- 

 crease until it takes about half a pound 

 for each colony. Of course the weaker 

 colonies will not get as much of this 

 feed as the stronger. They will get a 

 ratio in proportion to the number of 

 their gatherers. But all will be stimu- 

 lated, the stronger building up faster 

 than the weak, will soon nave bees and 

 brood to spare to them, and by the 

 time of the honey flow there will not be 

 a colony in the apiary that is not 

 teeming with bees old enough for the 

 fields. 



This plan of stimulative feeding 

 originated, I believe, with Mr. R. C. 

 Akin, of Colorado, and was described 

 by him in one of the bee journals (I 

 cannot now recall which one) some 

 two or three years ago. 



FACING HIVES. 



Don't be too particular about front- 

 ing hives in any particular direction. 

 Face them whichever way is most con- 

 venient. I have tried facing them in 



