A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 35 



The syrup should not be heated in making. By stirring the water and 

 adding the sugar slowly the latter will be found to dissolve readily. The 

 bees should be fed each evening at or a short time before sunset. In 

 feeding, take off hive cover, insert a funnel into the opening in top of 

 feeder and pour in the syrup. When feeding to stimulate brood rearing 

 about one pint of the syrup should be fed daily, and the amount grad- 

 ually increased as the colony increases in bees and brood. When feeding 

 for stores alone, the syrup should be made of one part sugar to one part 

 water, and can be fed in larger quantities; in fact, fed as rapidly as 

 the bees will remove it and store in the combs. 



In the vicinity of Uvalde, Texas, when feeding for stores, the bee keep- 

 ers use "peloncellos," a sugar manufactured in Mexico, from cane, with- 

 out being in any way refined. Cones of this sugar, weighing about thir- 

 teen ounces each, are placed in an empty super above the brood nest, and 

 the bees allowed to help themselves. According to Mr. J. K. Hill, of 

 Uvalde, this sugar does not stimulate brood rearing when fed in this way. 

 As a feed, it is cheaper than cane sugar, costing about 3J to 4 cents per 

 pound. 



The careful bee keeper will at no time of the year allow his colonies 



Fig. 16. Division-board feeder. (After A. I. 

 Root Co.) 



to run short of stores. During the summer season, in case of all honey 

 in a hive becoming exhausted, the colony invariably swarms out and 

 hunts for a new location, thus being lost. 



THE HONEY FLOW. 



During the spring many native plants, trees and vines yield an abund- 

 ance of nectar. This is termed the "honey flow" by bee keepers. The 

 honey flow in Texas may occur any time between February 15th and 

 May 15th, and in duration may last from two weeks to three months or 

 longer, according to locality and season. Honey flows are designated 

 as "spring," "late summer," or "autumn," according to the season in 

 which they occur, the spring honey flow being the most important. As 

 soon as the weather becomes warm enough for the bees to fly, and the 

 flowers commence yielding nectar, brood rearing is begun in the hives. 

 As the flow of honey increases, more and more eggs are deposited by the 

 queen, and the working force of the colony increases rapidly. If the 

 colony is not at least of medium strength at the beginning of the honey 

 flow, it will not attain its "working strength" in time to store much 

 of the surplus honey. As soon as weather will permit in the spring all 

 colonies should be examined and those found weak should be fed as men- 



4 A 



