126 FOOD OF BEES. 



in the season witii this article. Shallow troughs or boxes are 

 set not far from the apiaries, filled about two inches deep 

 with -finely-ground; dry, unbolted rye-meal, oatmeal or even 

 with flour. Where bolted flour, or meal, is given, it should 

 be tightly pressed with the hands, to prevent the bees from 

 drowning in it. To attract them to it, we bait them with a 

 few old combs, or a little honey. 



The boxes must be placed in a warm spot sheltered from 

 the wind. Thousands of bees, when the weather is favor- 

 able, resort eagerly to them, and return heavily laden to their 

 hives. 



This artificial pollen or bee-bread, is kneaded by them with 

 saliva, or honey brought from the hive. This is easily ascer- 

 tained by tasting the little pellets, which in the hurry are 

 loosened from their baskets, and fall to the bottom of the 

 flour box. In fine, mild weather, they labor at this work 

 with great industry; preferring the meal to the old pollen 

 stored in their combs. They thus breed early, and rapidly 

 recruit their numbers. The feeding is continued till, the blos- 

 soms furnishing a preferable article, they cease to carry off 

 the meal. 



We will here add that, as a rule, colonies that do not carry 

 in meal or pollen, at the opening of Spring, are without 

 brood, either because they are queenless, or from want of 

 honey, or from some other cause. 



The discovery of flour, as a substitute for pollen, removes 

 a very serious obstacle to the culture of bees. In many dis- 

 tricts, there is for a short time such an abundant supply of 

 honey, that almost any number of strong colonies will, in a 

 good season, lay up enough for themselves, and a large sur- 

 plus for their owners. In many of these districts, however, 

 the supply of pollen is often quite insufficient, and in Spring, 

 the swarms of the previous year are so destitute, that unless 

 the season is early, the production of brood is seriously 

 checked, and the colony cannot avail itself properly of the 

 the superabundant harvest of honey. 



268. As bees carry on their bodies the pollen, or fer- 

 tilizing substance, they aid most powerfully in the impregna- 



