310 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



the feeder placed above the sections. The 

 feeders were then kept continually supplied 

 with the extracted honey without dilution. 



Seven colonies were employed and an ac- 

 curate account kept of the material in the 

 case of each colony. The results may be 

 most briefly told by the use of a table as 

 shown on the {)receding page. 



But little need be said in explanation of 

 the table. On the average out of every 100 

 pounds fed .58 (i-lO pounds reappeared in the 

 shape of comb honey. Some colonies did 

 much better than that. In selecting col- 

 onies some not very strong were taken to 

 make the fact prominent that for iUo best 

 results the very strongest should be chosen. 

 This fact of employing some colonies not 

 very stroii'.', with others already meuti'intd, 

 make the circumstances of tiiis experimn't 

 about as unfavorable as they could ordir a- 

 rily well be, yet there seems lo l>e no difficul- 

 ty in showing a large percentage of protit. 



To show this I think we m;i\ protxily 

 make the calculation in this wa.\ : 



Increased value of .WS lbs. Saz. of uiifin- 

 ishfd section honey at 7o. ; 



Value of 426 lbs. 12 oz. " gain " at 15c 



Increased weight of brood chambers 

 r)9-+ at 5c 



41 Itt 

 tj9 41 



Total 



Deduct value of 788 l))s. 8 oz. fed ai Nc 



98 



$113 56 



b;j o,s 



Profit $.50 48 



This does not take account of the labor of 

 feeding, but I think the improved condition 

 of the colonies may well off-et that item. 



There is one draw back with this product 

 — it is liable to candy and so makes it neces- 

 sary that it be disposed of and consumed 

 without much delay. Perhaps on account of 

 this defect I have estimated the value at too 

 high a fij'ure. If some unobjectionable 

 method of preventing candying could be 

 found it wiiuld be a great advantage. 



Lapeeb, Mich. Oct. 21, 1K!)3. 



fl can say to Bvo. Taylor that J, too, have 

 tried feeding honey without diluting it. but 

 the bees take it so much more slowly that I 

 abandoned it. To make the best success at 

 feeding back, there should be populous col- 

 onies, with I he brood nest somewhat con- 

 tracted, hot weather, and the honey thinned 

 to nearly the consistency of nectar. It 

 should l)e thinned with hot water and fed 

 while warm. 



I can tell you how honey can be treated so 

 that it will not candy when " fed back," but 

 I presume that some of my readers would 



consider the plan objectionable. You know 

 that some of us mix a little honey with the 

 sugar that is fed in the fall for winter stores. 

 This is done to prevent crystallization. 

 Well, this rule will work both ways. A little 

 sugar mixed with the honey will prevent 

 crystallization. — Ed.] 



Apicalture in College and Station. 



PKOF. A. J. COOK. 



¥' 



'Oil ask for an ar- 

 ticle on the above 

 subject. As I have de- 

 cided convictions, I 

 am glad to comply 

 with } our request, 

 only regretting that 

 lack of time forbids 

 the care in writing it 

 that its importan(e 

 demands. All should 

 know that our special 

 Agricultural Colleges, 

 like those of Michigan, Kansas, Massachu- 

 setts, Maine. Peunsjlvania, Mississippi, etc., 

 and the Agricultural Department of Univer- 

 sities like that of New York at Cornell, of Illi- 

 nois at Champaign, of Indiana at LaFay- 

 ette, of Wisconsin at Madison, of Tennessee 

 at Knoxville, etc., were largely en owed by 

 the general government, which fact alone 

 made the existence of many of these col- 

 leges possible. The Morrill Bills, one passed 

 in 18fW, granting 40,000 acres of public land 

 to each member of congress for each Slate, 

 and the other passed three years ago grant- 

 ing !jiir),000 to each college ( which amount 

 should be increased $1,000 annually till it 

 reached $2.5,000 for each college each year), 

 were conditioned on the fact that agricul- 

 ture in its various departments should be 

 specially taught in each college. In each 

 State this munificent gift from the general 

 government has been supplemented by the 

 State often with very generous liberality. 



Thus we see that the money for these col- 

 leges has come from a general tax, either 

 State or National, and that agriculture in all 

 its branches is to receive benefit. Thus the 

 bee-keepers have a clear rujht to be leraem- 

 bered ; first because they have helped lo 

 found and equip colleges and stations, and, 

 secondly, because ai>iculture isan important 



