24 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



There are times when the bees must 

 be fed to live, and it is quite logical to 

 use the cheapest .and most convenient 

 material available, but even under 

 stress of such necessity I question if 

 it would not be better to bu^'^ cheap 

 honey for the purpose, if only for the 

 looks of the thing. When it comes to 

 stimulative feeding and feeding for 

 winter stores, there is no question in 

 my mind but that honey is the better 

 food both from the point of utility and 

 from that of ethics. 



Suppose it is possible to so feed the 

 bees that all of the syrup is consumed 

 and that none of it goes into the sur- 

 plus; the average consumer won't be- 

 lieve it. It may be said the consumer 

 does not know. Perhaps not in many 

 cases, but he does in others, and sus- 

 pects all. Then if he asks the bee- 

 keeper, what is the result? We know 

 that the small amount of syrup that 

 gets into the honey from stimulative 

 feeding (when this is carefully and 

 honestly done) is small indeed. But 

 there are the looks of the thing, and 

 the name of it, and such a name does 

 not react to our advantage. 



But none too few among us are not 

 careful with stimulative feeding, and 

 as for fall feeding, they crowd the 

 brood chamber with food. Anyone 

 who is familiar with the various feed- 

 ing systems advocated is well aware 

 that most of them afford ample oppor- 

 tunity for some of the syrup to get into 

 the honey. If there is a probability 

 or a possibility of any being there, 

 then the bee-keeper cannot honestly 

 say that his honey is absolutely pure. 

 And until we can say that we cannot 

 raise our hand or voice against others 

 who buy our honey and then add more 

 sjTup of some kind. 



Furthermore, countenancing of the 

 feeding practice aft'ords an excellent 

 cover for the dishonest man to feed 

 purposely for sale as hone3\ 



But there is another phase of the 

 subject. 



We are competing with sj'rups of 

 different kinds, based on sugar or glu- 

 cose, and we turn around and buy 

 from our competitors, get the name of 

 having their goods in our products, 

 and get the priceof our products forced 

 down toward the level of theirs. Be- 

 sides the influx of cheap honey threat- 

 ens the prices still more. 



Is it not possible for us to drop the 

 sugar and buy this cheap honey and 

 feed that to our bees, thereby removing 

 one article of competition, stopping 



our patronage of the sugar manufac- 

 turers and removing all grounds for 

 stigma on our goods ? 



The danger of foul brood need cause 

 no vvorr}'. Scalding the honey will 

 prevent contagion from that source. 

 For very late fall feeding and for 

 spring stimulating, the honey is much 

 better than sugar syrup. Bees have 

 to "invert" the cane sugar before they 

 can use it. It is really a part of the 

 digestion of the food, but is performed 

 outside the alimentary canal proper. 

 It costs the bees energy, and this 

 energy is normally given when the at- 

 mospheric temperature is high and 

 when bee life is cheap. Late given 

 sugar stores and early spring food 

 demands the services of the bees when 

 conditions of temperature and numbers 

 are ag^ainst them. They can thrive 

 under such adverse conditions, but how 

 much better might they do if they did 

 not have to work against such odds. 

 Some bee-keepers have said thej' can 

 see no difference between the two kinds 

 of food, so far as the bees are con- 

 cerned. But the difference is there 

 and can be determined when the ex- 

 periments are properly made. The 

 sugar men appreciate the value of our 

 patronage, and they use our letters 

 and our published articles to further 

 the sale of their goods. Their circu- 

 lars bearing our recommendation go 

 broadcast over the land, and they 

 speak of the use of sugar in terms of 

 tons, not povmds. 



Here is an extract of a testimonial 

 from one such circular. I have omitted 

 name for obvious reasons: 



"Within a month we have used a ton 

 of Dry Granulated Sugar pro- 

 cured from Sugar Co., which 



we have fed to our bees. Today we 

 are ordering two tons more of the 

 same, and expect to feed it during the 

 entire season. We find the best way 

 to feed it is two-thirds sugar and one- 

 third water. * * * * This sugar 

 makes a good syrup and the bees take 

 it and store it readily." 



There are the facts, gentlemen. It 

 is for you to decide whether or not you 

 will continue practices so fraught with 

 danger to our industry. 



To my mind, the most logical argu- 

 ment in the foregoing is that the using 

 of sugar for feed, increases the amount 

 of honey left upon the market. This 

 is true; and, if the amount of Sugar fed 

 were considerable, I should look upon 



