GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Pig. 3. — Cake of candy in position. 



The color of the candy when cold should be about 

 that of light amber honey. If it is darkened very 

 much it is scorched and unfit for the bees. To pre- 

 vent the scorching, reduce the fire toward the last 

 so that the syrup will boil but slowly. 



We find that the block of candy is made 

 tougher, and that it is less likely to assume 

 a granular form so that it crumbles to 

 l^ieees, if a small amount of honey is mixed 

 with the syrup. About one pint of honey 

 to 25 lbs. of sugar is sufficient. We also 

 find that a given amount of sugar will make 

 very close to an equal amount of candy. In 

 other words, if one desired to make up 50 

 blocks of candy about the size shown in 

 these illustrations (which average 5 lbs.) he 

 will need to get ready about 250 lbs. of 

 sugar. 



If the boiling is done in a kettle it is a 

 good plan to put in about half a teaspoon- 

 ful of lard in order to prevent the mixture 

 from boiling over. 



If the paper pie-plates that have been men- 

 tioned before in these columns hold enough 

 candy, the syrup, when it is ready, may be 

 poured into them; but ordinarily a some- 

 what larger amount of candy is necessary. 

 The pie-plates hold about 11/2 lbs. of candy. 



Fig. 



up the caudy with a chaflf-tray. 



Fig. 4. — Sheet of 

 candy. 



]tli laid over the 



The cakes of candy shown in these illustra- 

 tions are about IV2 inches thick, 6V2 wide, 

 and 9% long, and they weigh, on the aver- 

 age, 5 pounds. Forms should be made of 

 proiDer size, which will make the cakes of 

 candy smaller at the bottom to facilitate 

 their removal when cold without taking the 

 forms apart. Before pouring in the candy, 

 line the forms with wrapping paper, fold- 

 ing the corners neatly. 



The appearance of the finished cake of 

 candy is shown in Fig. 1. When giving 

 candy to the bees, lay three or four small 

 sticks across the top-bars in order to leave a 

 bee-space underneath, F-igs. 2 and 3. Lay 

 an enamel cloth on top. Fig. 4, over which 

 set the chaff-tray or super containing a 

 chaff cushion as the case may be, Fig. 5. 



The bees start working on the candy at 

 once; and after a week's time, if the cakes 

 are lifted. Fig. 6, a line of gi-ooves corres- 

 ponding to the space between the top-bars 

 is the result, said grooves being eaten out 

 by the bees. 



Fig. 7 shows a close view of the candy 

 after having been in the hive just one week. 

 By this time the three spacing-sticks will 

 have become imbedded in the candy to some 

 extent; but the spacing is not so important 

 after the bees have once eaten some of the 

 candy, forming passageways. 



Fig. 8 shows the remains of a paper pie- 

 ])Iate of candy that has been in the hive for 

 several weeks. The plate retains its shape 



