226 What to Feed, 
HOW MUCH TO FEED. 
If we only wish to stimulate, the amount fed need not. 
be great. A half pound a day, or even less, will be all 
that is necessary to encourage the bees to active preparation 
for the good time coming. For information in regard to 
supplying stores for winter, see Chapter XVIII. 
WHAT TO FEED. 
For this purpose I would feed granulated sugar, reduced 
to the consistency of honey, or else extracted honey kept 
over from the previous year. The price of the latter will 
decide which is the more profitable. Dark, inferior honey 
often serves well for stimulative feeding, and as it is not 
salable may well be used in this way. To make the syrup, 
I use one quart of water to two of sugar, and heat till the 
sugar is dissolved. My friend, R. L. Taylor, first boils 
the water, then stirs in the sugar till all boils, when he 
‘says it will not granulate even with no acid added. A 
little tartaric acid—an even teaspoonful to fifteen pounds 
of syrup—or even a little extracted honey will also pre- 
vent crystallization. If fed warm in early spring it is all 
the better. 
Many advise feeding the poorer grades of sugar in 
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 repu- 
tation, 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 cannot 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 reputation 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 greatalvantage. I have often fed extracted 
