162 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL AND GAZETTE. 



populous, the only remaining question is as to 

 the state of the stores. Bees managed in the 

 manner directed in these essays, rarely need 

 feeding in ordinary years, for prime swarms 

 and the transposed parent stocks seldom fail to 

 secure ample supplies for the "winter. Spring 

 feeding, to supply actual want, is hence never 

 necessary in s«ich an apiary. 



But spring feeding may be resorted for an- 

 other and at times highly usefvd purpose — 

 namely, to stimulate the bees to earlier and 

 more energetic brooding. When thus employed 

 by us, we usually divide the allotted quantity 

 of honey — commonly three pounds — into six 

 portions, giving them half a pound at each dose, 

 and feeding these at such regular intervals that 

 the last portion shall be administered just be- 

 fore full spring pasturage opens, thus preventing 

 any interruption or cessation of the brooding 

 process. Of course, we feed only those stocks 

 which it is intended shall swarm, and which, 

 consequently, alone need stimulating. 



For food nothing besides pure honey or sugar 

 candy should be used. Which of these is to be 

 preferred depends on the season. If this be al- . 

 ready much advanced — say the end of March 

 or the first of April, use diluted honey, or two 

 parts honey mixed with one part water; or 

 take one part honey, one part sugar candy, and 

 one part water. Earlier feeding for stimulating 

 purposes is objectionable, and should never be 

 resorted to, and where from some unusual cause 

 winter feeding appears to be necessary, undi- 

 luted honey should alone be used, or sealed 

 houey in the comb when it can be made acces- 

 sible to the bees through an opening in the top 

 of the hive. We prefer, however, in every case 

 to unite a colony that appears to require feeding 

 in the winter with some other stock well sup- 

 plied with stores. 



Experience has taught us that winter feeding, 

 if the colony is feeble, is not only troublesome 

 and expensive, but rarely of any real use, be- 

 cause, if such do not at last perish in the spring, it 

 will require continual nursing during the ensu- 

 ing summer, and prove to be a source of vexa- 

 tion instead of pleasure. 



, Stimulative feeding as early as in February or 

 the beginning ©f March is almost invariably in- 

 jurious, as the bees arc thereby tempted to fly 

 out, even in cold days; become chilled, and 

 perish; or if the rigor of the weather is still 

 such as to keep them confined, they are likely 

 to suffer from dysentery. 



From about the middle of ]\Iarch onward, bees 

 should also be fed with rye-meal or wheat-Hour 

 whenever the weather permits Ihem to fly. It 

 may be put in a shallow box or in the cells of 

 one Side of old drone combs, and set in some 

 sheltered nook near the apiary, to which the 

 bees may be attracted by previously placing 

 there, for their use, a plate containing a small 

 quantity of diluted honey. They will carry in 

 flour or meal freely, so long as they cannot 

 gather pollen, for which it is found to be an ex- 

 cellent substitute; but they will totally neglect 

 it as soon as they can procure pollen from na- 

 tural sources. 



This whole matter of spring feeding, how- 

 ever, except for the stimulative purposes already 



mentioned, should be regarded by the bee- 

 keeper as an annoyance to be guarded against. 

 He should be careful not to winter any stocks 

 not sujjplied with sufficient stores to carry them 

 safely through the longest and hardest winter. 

 Better, far better, to unite his weak colonies 

 early in the fall, and feed them plentifully while 

 they can yet cap the honey in the cells. He 

 will thereby save himself much uneasiness in 

 the winter, and vexation in the spring. His 

 stocks will be in a condition to begin brooding 

 as early as it is desirable or safe for them to do 

 so; early swarms may then be expected; or his 

 bees will at least be in a condition to avail them- 

 selves of the pasturage which the country 

 around may supply, when the season fairly 

 opens. 



We have made no reference to any of the 

 numerous substitutes for honey which have 

 been proposed, recommended, or used as bee- 

 feed. We have never resorted to any of these 

 ourselves, and have not found that those who 

 did so derived any permanent benefit there- 

 from. They cannot safely be used, except at 

 times when the weather permits the bees to fly, 

 and are thus unfitted for winter or early spring 

 feeding; and they are of no account whatever 

 Avhen the season is so far advanced as to* allow 

 bees to roam abroad. Besides, were they not 

 ofcJierwise objectionable, it would be found, 

 from the cost of the articles and the trouble of 

 preparing and administering them, that there is 

 no saving in the end. Hence, if feeding must 

 at any time be resorted to, it will be cheaper, 

 more convenient, and certainly far more safe, 

 as being conducive to the health of the bees, 

 to procure houey for their use. 



But even this, if it cannot be given them in 

 the comb, should be boiled, skimmed, strained, 

 and diluted by the addition of one-third the 

 quantity of pure water, before it is used as feed. 

 Much of the honey imported from Cuba is im- 

 pure, or at least from some cause noxious to 

 bees; and the introduction of foulbrood in 

 apiaries, where it was used, has been in repeated 

 instances attributed to it. Copper and brass 

 vessels, too, have been said to impart poisonous 

 properties to honey kept in them; and German 

 silver has recently been added to the catalogue 

 of suspected articles. Whether these are really 

 contaminating or not, has not yet been clearly 

 asceitaineil ; but prudence will admonish the 

 cauiious bee-keeper not to let his bees have ac- 

 cess to honey kept in such vessels. 



Some critics have found fault with the poet 

 Soutlie}'-, for ascribing, in his ^^ Curse of Ke- 

 Jiama,''^ to Camdeo, the Cupid of Indian my- 

 thology, a bow strung with bees. The idea is 

 not so absurd as thej^ imagine; and the poet 

 doubtless was led to it by his knowledge of the 

 natural history of these creatures, and that they 

 form themselves into strings, festoons, or 

 chaplets. 



Anger is no useless passion in bees. It is 

 necessary to them for the preservation of them- 

 selves and their property, which, besides those 

 of their own species, are exposed to the ravag.,3 

 of numerous enemies. 



