FALL FEEDING. 331 



blossoms in the fields, before the beginning of the main har- 

 vest, if the weather is unfavorable to the honey flow. Large 

 quantities of brood hatch daily, requiring much food, and a 

 few days without honey sometimes endangers the life of colo- 

 nies, on the eve of a plentiful harvest. 



Few people realize the great risk of starvation just at the 

 opening of the honey crop. A good way to feed destitute 

 colonies in Spring is to give them combs of honey, which 

 have been saved from the previous season for this purpose. 

 If such cannot be had, the food may be put into an empty 

 comb, and placed where it can be easily reached by the bees. 



Honey partially candied, or granulated (830), may be 

 given them, in small quantities, by pouring it over the top 

 of combs in which the bees are clustered. A bee deluged by 

 sweets, when away from home, is a sorry spectacle; but what 

 is thus given them does no harm, and they will lick each 

 other clean, with as much satisfaction as a little child sucks 

 its fingers while feasting on sugar candy. 



Hard candied honey is still better and may be heaped or 

 plastered over the top bars back of the cluster. 



If a colony has too few bees, its population must be re- 

 plenished before it is fed. To build up small colonies by 

 feeding, requires more care and judgment than any other 

 process in bee-culture, and will rarely be required by those 

 who have movable-frame hives. It can only succeed when 

 everything is made subservient to the most rapid production 

 of brood. 



Fall Feeding. 



608. By the time the honey-harvest closes, all the colo- 

 nies ought to be strong in numbers; and, in favorable sea- 

 sons, their aggregate resources should be such that, when an 

 equal division is made, there vsdll be enough food for all. If 

 some have more, and others less than they need, an equitable 

 division may usually be effected in movable-frame hives. Such 

 an agTarian procedure would soon overthrow human society; 



