270 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



sons, their aggregate resources should be such that, when 

 an equal division is made, there will be enough food for 

 all. If some have more and others less than they need, 

 an equitable division may usually be effected in movable- 

 comb hives. Such an agrarian procedure would soon 

 overthrow human society ; but bees thus helped, will not 

 spend the next season in idleness ; nor will those which 

 were deprived of their surplus, limit their gatherings to a 

 bare competency. 



Early in October in northern latitudes, by the mid- 

 dle of September if forage is over, all feeding required 

 for wintering bees should be carefully attended to. If 

 delayed to a later period, the bees may not have sufficient 

 time to seal over their honey, which, by attracting moist- 

 ure and souring, may expose them (p. 256) to dysentery. 

 Such colonies as have too few bees to winter well, should 

 be added to other stocks. 



West India honey is, ordinarily, the cheapest liquid 

 bee-food. To remove its impurities, and prevent it from 

 souring or candying in the cells, it should have a little 

 water added to it, and, after boiling a few minutes, should 

 be set to cool; the scum on the top should then be 

 removed. A mixture of three Ibs. of honey, two of brown 

 sugar, and one of water, prepared as above, has been 

 used by me (p. 257) for many years, without injury to 

 my bees. 



It is desirable to get through with feeding as rapidly 

 as possible,* as the bees are so excited by it, that they 

 consume more food than they otherwise would. In my 

 hives, the feeder may be put over one of the holes of the 

 honey-board, into which the heat ascends. The bees can 

 then get their food without being chilled in cold weather, 



* Feeding stocks, driven late in the Fall into empty hives, unless combs (p. 71) 

 can be givn to them, will seldom pay expenses. 



