316 THE BEE KEEPEE'S MANUAL. 



they are stimulated to great activity by the returning warmth, 

 and are therefore compelled to eat much more than when 

 they were almost dormant among their combs. In addition 

 to this extra demand, they are now engaged in rearing thou- 

 sands of young, and all these require a liberal supply of food.- 

 Owing to the inexcusable neglect of many bee-keepers, 

 thousands of swarms perish annually after the Spring has 

 opened, and when they might have been saved, with but 

 little trouble or expense. Such abominable neglect is in- 

 comparably more cruel than the old method of taking up 

 the bees with sulphur ; and those who are guilty of it, are 

 either too ignorant or too careless, to have any thing to do 

 with the management of bees. What would be thought of 

 a farmer's skill in his business, who should neglect to pro- 

 vide for the wants of his cattle, and allow them to drop 

 down lifeless in their stalls, or in his barn-yard, when the 

 fields, in a few weeks, will be clothed- again with the 

 green mantle of delightful Spring! If any farmer . should 

 do this, when food might easily be purchased, and should 

 then, while engaged in the work of skinning the skeleton 

 carcasses of his neglected herd, pretend that he could not 

 afford to furnish, for a few weeks, the food which would 

 have kept them alive, he would not be a whit more stupid 

 than the bee-keeper attempting to justify himself on the 

 score of economy, while engaged in melting down the combs 

 of a hive, starved to death, after the Spring has fairly opened ! 

 Let such a person blush at the pretence that he could not 

 afford to feed his bees, the few pounds of sugar or honey, 

 which would have saved their lives, and enabled them to 

 repay him tenfold for his prudent care. 



I always feed my bees a little, even if I know that they 

 have enough and to spare. There seems to be an intimate 

 connection between the getting of honey, and the rapid in- 



