368 A Modern Bee-Farm 
or the whole quickly cleared away should any cause arise 
for so doing. 
Feeding by Syrup-filled Combs in Spring 
is another process which requires a degree of caution in 
carrying out, such as few are aware of. The excitement 
caused by introducing whole combs of unsealed food 
before a younger element of life has been created, causes 
unnecessary flights with its consequently increased death 
rate among the older inhabitants of the hive. 
Making Syrup. 
In making syrup over the fire, the operator frequently 
boils it too long after all the lumps are melted. This gets 
rid of too much moisture, and the food ultimately granulates 
in the combs. 
The best way is not to boil a minute longer than is 
required to reduce all the sugar to syrup. It is hardly 
necessary to boil at all, if the sugar is first put in the 
vessel and boiling water then poured over it, when constant 
stirring will soon reduce the whole. 
For Autumn use the usual proportion is one pound of 
sugar to half-a-pint of water. In Spring one-fifth more 
water may be used, and this thin syrup is much required 
by the bees from the end of February, as it prevents a great 
waste of adult bees, in that they have no need to fly for 
water, as they otherwise would. 
Cane versus Beet Sugar. 
There is probably no jam now made, or marmalade for 
that matter, with pure cane sugar. ' Not only is beet sugar 
used, but generally a poor quality at that, with the addition 
of “glucose” to give it “body,” or that firmness so well 
known in bought jams. 
Cane sugar in cubes is always quoted at a shilling or two 
