76 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



recommended b}'^ some has I think 

 much to do with the granulating 

 of the s^-rnp sometimes comphiined 

 of. Some again advise the use of 

 acid to prevent this granulation of 

 the sj'rup but I have never used 

 and have never seen an_y necessity 

 for it. After the sugar has been 

 added to the water let the syrup 

 come to the boiling point, when it 

 is removed from the stove and is 

 read}' for feeding as soon as its 

 temperature falls to about 100° F. 

 While on the stove any scum that 

 may rise should be removed. 



Now, with a supply of empty 

 combs obtained from the stock of 

 surplus combs, increased if need be 

 by extracting the honey from any 

 combs free from brood and bee- 

 bread that can be got from the 

 brood-chambers of the colonies to 

 be fed, we are prepared to give the 

 bees an opportunity to do their 

 part of the work. But when shall 

 they be allowed to begin? This 

 will depend somewhat on the sea- 

 son ; but just as soon as a consider- 

 able proportion of the brood-cham- 

 bers are free from brood the work 

 should be taken up with ardor. 

 When this time comes, take a hive 

 prepared with the required number 

 of empt}'^ combs and a division- 

 board, to the first colon}' to be op- 

 erated on, and set the hive with the 

 colony off its stand and arrange 

 the other hive in its place ready for 

 occupation by the colon}'. Now 

 shake and brush the bees off their 

 own combs upon the ground in 

 front of the hive prepared for them, 

 when they will at once take pos- 

 session of it and the same process 

 is pursued with the next and the 

 rest. 



To do this work well, one must 

 take advantage of times when the 

 bees are quiet as on cloudy cool 

 days or during the cool hour of 

 early morning or of sunset ; and 

 then, if many colonies are to be 

 treated, promptness and energy 



must be displayed. If any robbers 

 are abroad keep everything secure 

 from their curiosity ; and, when a 

 comb containing brood is found, 

 give it to a colony devoted to the 

 dut}' of caring for an}^ brood that 

 maybe found as the work goes on. 



When 1 have a few colonies thus 

 changed into new hives I proceed 

 at once to feel them. I furnish 

 each with a second story and within, 

 on the top of the frames airead}'^ 

 in, I fix a four quart tin milk pan 

 firm and level, fill it with the warm 

 s^^rup already prepared and cover 

 loosely with apiece of rather light 

 cotton-cloth about 16 or 18 inches 

 square. Success with this milk- 

 pan-feeder all hinges on tlie man- 

 ner in which the cloth is put on. 

 Fold under two opposite corners, 

 so that the syrup will not be en- 

 tirely covered, and draw together 

 at the middle as it is placed in po- 

 sition, so that there is sufficient 

 slack cloth on the syrup to allow 

 it to settle with the S3'rup to the 

 bottom of the pan ; otherwise, the 

 opposite corners of the cloth will 

 cling to the edges of the pan, so 

 that the cloth will after a little 

 hang across the pan instead of set- 

 tling with the syrup and as a result 

 many bees will be lost. 



Instead of pans almost any ca- 

 pacious feeder may be used. I use 

 pans for the sake of economy as 

 they can be obtained by the dozen 

 for six or seven cents each. 



In a da}'^ or two, as soon as the 

 first pan full is stored the pan 

 should be again filled and when 

 this is all taken up by the bees the 

 super and feeder may be removed 

 and the colony marked ready for 

 winter quarters. 



To a few of the stronger colonies 

 a double set of empty combs should 

 be given, and also twice as much 

 feed so that there may be a few 

 sets of combs (filled with syrup and 

 capped over) in reserve, to be used 

 later in supplying those that have 



