266 THE beb-kbepsr's guide ; 



stirring- till all the sugar is dissolved we may make the syrup 

 without any heat. We use equal parts of sug-ar and water, 

 and may easily stir by using the honey extractor. We put in 

 the water and add the sugar as we turn the machine. A little 

 tartaric acid — an even teaspoonful to fifteen pounds of syrup — 

 or evena little extracted hdney, will also prevent crystalliza- 

 tion. If fed warm in early spring it is all the better. 



Many advise feedin the poorer grades of sugar iu spring. 

 My own experience makes me question the policy of ever using 

 such feed for bees. The feeding of glucose or grape sugar is 

 even worse policy. It is bad food for the bees, and its use is 

 dangerous to the bee-keeper's reputation, and injurious to our 

 brother bee-keepers. Glucose is so coupled with fraud and 

 adulteration that he who would "avoid the appearance of 

 evil" must let it severely alone. 



In all feeding, unless extracted honey is what we are 

 using, we can not exercise too great care that such feed is not 

 carried to the surplus boxes. Only let our customers once 

 taste sugar in their comb honey, and not only is our own repu- 

 tation gone, but the whole fraternity is injured. In case we 

 wish to have our combs in the sections filled or capped, we 

 must feed extracted honey, which may often be done with 

 great advantage. I have often fed extracted honey back to 

 the bees, after the honey-flow ceased, when it would be quickly 

 stored in the sections. More frequently, however, I have 

 utterly failed of success. 



HOW TO FEED. 



The requisites of a good feeder are : Cheapness, a form to 

 admit quick feeding, to permit no loss of heat, and so arranged 

 that we can feed at all seasons without in any way disturbing 

 the bees. The feeder (Fig. 123), which I have used with good 

 satisfaction, is a modified division-board, the top-bar of which 

 (Fig. 123, b) is two inches wide. From the upper central por- 

 tion, beneath the top-bar, a rectangular piece the size of an 

 oyster-can is replaced with an oyster-can (Fig. 123, ^), after 

 the top of the latter has been removed. A vertical piece of 

 wood (Fig. 123, d) is fitted into the can so as to separate a 

 space about one inch square, on one side, from the balance of 



