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ILLINOIS STATE DEE-KEEPEBS' AlSSOCIATION. 



125 



ing at the proper time is beneficial. 

 The proper time may be considered 

 from more than one standpoint. No 

 colony should be allowed to become 

 short of stores, regardless of the time 

 or season. The fate of the honey 

 crop ihangs on how the brood is fed 

 between fruit-bloom and clover. It 

 stands to reason if frost or cold wet 

 weather comes, the brood would suf- 

 fer if no unsealed stores are within 

 their reajch. 



My experience has been that feeding 

 in the open brings the best results; 

 gives each colony an equal chance, 

 but in my section of the country for 

 the last few years I find my neigh- 

 bors' bees are almost too impudent; 

 just help themselves without an in- 

 vitation. So I have to be satisfied to 

 feed each colony separately, and thus 

 make sure the food-supply is ade- 

 quate. 



I prefer the division-board feeder, 

 but have successfully used other ways, 

 such as ampty combs filled with 

 syrup, etc. I think the Miller feeder, 

 for general purposes, the best feeder 

 on the market, and for fall feeding 

 there is nothing better. 



JACOB HUFFIMAN. 



Monroe, Wis. 



Mrs. Holbrook — Does the Miller 

 feeder require removing the frame 

 from the hive? How are you going to 

 feed a colony in the winter, such as 

 you find are weak and require stores? 



Mr. Wilcox — J would never feed a 

 colony in the winter unless absolutely 

 necessary; then I would feed it a comb 

 of honey if I had it. 



Mr. Huffman — In my way, I will 

 answer that question. His plan is all 

 right If you have the honey to put in. 

 If not, take a chunk of candied honey 

 and put on top the frames and put a 

 quilt or something over that. I have 

 carried quite a few colonies through 

 the winter with candied honey. They 

 - seem to like it better because it is 

 honey. 



Mrs. Holbrook — I was wondering if 

 it would be safe to give a colony a 

 pail of granulated honey in the winter. 

 Would it remain granulated ? Would 

 they be able to eat it without its "run- 

 ning," before spring? 



Mr. Huffman — Yes, I have found it 

 very successful; I have fed 500 pounds 

 , of ihoney in that way. I don't know- 

 that it will do s colony the same good 



as the liquid, but it is easier and 

 quicker; it will save the colony. 



Mr. Arnd — ^Would not the heat of the 

 bees liquefy that honey? 



Mr. Hoffman — I lay the pail down 

 like that (illustrating), and lift this 

 end up, and the bees can come up 

 around the pail on the side. I have 

 •seen as many as a quart of bees at the 

 end of the pail; the bees liquefy it 

 themselves while using it. 



Mr. Arnd — Has any one tried stimu- 

 lative feeding by puttktg granulated 

 sugar in the division board-feeder? 



Mr. Huffman — That is Dr. Miller's 

 plan; I never tried it. As I under- 

 stand, Mr. Arnd, you meant the divis- 

 ion-board feeder; I meant Dr. Miller 

 does that with his Miller feeder; he 

 puts in the granulated sugar, first, then 

 water on top, and that soaks down 

 through and liquefies it. 



Mr. Arnd — ^I have heard if you put 

 granulated sugar, A 1 sugar, in the 

 division-board feeder, there would be 

 just enough moisture so that the bees 

 could go in and help themselves, with 

 no water in it at all. 



Mr. Huffman — I think it might work 

 all right. 



Mr. Arnd — They don't put in any 

 water at all;, there is enough moisture 

 inside the hive so that the bees can 

 suck the sweetness out of the sugar. 



Mr. Wilcox — How many believe, if 

 the bees could take the dry sugar, put 

 into the feeder, there would be enough 

 moisture in the hive, or any other 

 place, so they could take any portion 

 of it? 



Mr. Arnd — ^The way I happened to 

 a-sk that question, somebody told me 

 that was the way they stimulated their 

 bees. 



Mrs. Holbrook' — How can you feed 

 sugar for stimulative feeding in the 

 spring? Stimulative suggests feeding 

 them prior to honey flow, or to brood 

 rearing. How can you feed sugar syrup, 

 or sugar, with safety? 



Mr. Huffman — I might refer you to 

 what Mr. McEvoy said at the Albany 

 convention; he said a good deal the 

 same as Mr. Crane; who said his' bees 

 would all have starved if it were not 

 for the stimulative feeding. He simply 

 used granulated sugar, and all he did 

 was to make that haif and half, and 

 stirred it until the granulation was all 

 cut of the sugar, and fed it in that 

 way. 



