The American Apiculturist 



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ENTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, SALEM, AS SECOND-CLASS BIATTER. 



Published Monthly. S. M. Locke, Publisher & Prop'r 



VOL. I. 



SALEM, MASS., SEPTEMBER, 1883. 



No. 5. 



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PLAIN . 

 TALK ON BEE-CULTURE. 



By J. E. PoNu. JR. 



V. 



STIMULATIVE FEEDING. 



Contributors to bee-journals 

 usuall}' make the endeavor to write 

 seasonable articles, but the idea 

 with them has been to make them 

 altogether too seasonable ; that is, 

 an article on wintering would be 

 written just as winter begins, and 

 an article on dividing swarms, 

 perhaps just after natural swarm- 

 ing had been finished. My own 

 idea is, that an article upon a given 

 subject should be written early 

 enough to give the reader an op- 

 portunity to digest it thoroughly, 

 and compare it with other articles 

 of a kindred nature in order that 

 he may form an intelligent opinion 

 upon the subject for himself, and 

 13 



in case several methods are advised, 

 to select the one that best suits his 

 convenience and surroundings. 

 To carry out my idea practically, I 

 now propose to give my views on 

 stimulative feeding. 



It is now well understood by 

 students of apiculture, that the 

 queen ceases her egg-laying labor 

 at the same time that her bees 

 cease gathering honey. This is a 

 beautiful and wise provision of a 

 beneficent Providence in an eco- 

 nomic point of view ; when no 

 stores are being gathered, no un- 

 necessary waste should be allowed, 

 else our bees might find themselves 

 on the eve of winter with many 

 mouths to feed and an empty 

 larder from which to supply the 

 food. We, knowing this import- 

 ant fact, are enabled to apply our 

 reasoning powers in aid of the 

 instinct of our bees, and by judi- 

 cious use of them, obtain far 

 greater profits for ourselves, than 

 the bees would give us if left solely 

 to the exercise of their own judg- 

 ment in the matter. Stimulative 

 feeding is found necessary for two 

 purposes only ; either to rear up a 

 large force of foragers early in the 

 season to take advantage of all the 

 opportunities ofiered them for gath- 

 ering stores, or to cause the hive 

 on the approach of winter to be- 

 (97) 



