A6 BEPOBTS. 



FEEDING BEES. 



One great object of bee-culture, is to obtain from tHe bee the 

 greatest amount of he ney. Now how shall this be done? "Will 

 feeding answer the purpose? By giving them an inferior sweet, 

 shall we receive a more delicious one? Shall we feed therefore, 

 or shall we not feed the bees ? To this we answer, experience 

 teaches that this practice does not amount to much, when more 

 honey is the sole object — that this does not increase the amount 

 of marketable honey — that no one ever receives back the amount 

 fed, or has the quality of this much improved. Hence giving to 

 the bees an inferior article to obtain in the end a superior one, 

 does not gain much favor. You may as well search for the phil- 

 osophers stone, to change every thing into gold, or the alchemists 

 universal solvent to change all substances into their original ele- 

 ments, as to take this course. Again, should you feed your bees, 

 they inight irnitate the loiterers and tattlers in the street, instead 

 of continuing their well earned title of busy-bee. AVe have no 

 doubt, however, but under certain circumstances, it is well to 

 feed bees. For instance, when without this supply they \yill 

 perish for lack of food, or when a person, having a large number 

 of small swarms, does not wish to diminish these by consolidating 

 them. Under such circumstances he must feed ; but even then, 

 he must not use the multitude of common sweets, unless he 

 wishes to ruin his whole stock. Such a course would make a 

 Ben Franklin of many a man, by paying too dear for his whistle. 



PRODUCTS OF HONEY. 



« 



Setting aside the bees themselves, we now approach to us the 

 pleasantest part of bee culture. How delicious is honey ! It is 

 one of our pleasantest luxuries. Look at the clean, white, silver, 

 capped cells, all filled with the delicious, aerial, ambrosial sweet, 

 a fitting nectar for the gods ! Who does not like it ? Either in 



