FEEDING. 321 



with honey, even when they are considerably numerous, in 

 order to have them breed as fast as possible ; not so spar- 

 ingly however, as to prevent them from storing up any hon- 

 ey in sealed cells; or they will not be encouraged to breed 

 as fast as they otherwise would. If he has no spare comb, 

 and the hive is populous enough to build new comb, it must 

 be supplied moderately, and by all means, regularly with 

 the means of doing this ; the object being to have comb 

 building and breeding go together, so as mutually to aid each 

 other. If the feeding is not regular, so as to resemble the 

 natural supplies when honey is obtained from the blossoms, 

 the bees will not use the food given to them, in building 

 new comb, but chiefly in filling up all the cells previously 

 built. If honey can be obtained regularly, and in sufficient 

 quantities from the blossoms, the small colonies or nuclei 

 will need no feeding until the failure of the natural supplies. 



In all these operations, the main object should be to make 

 every thing bend to the most rapid production of hrood ; 

 give me the bees, and I can easily show how they may be 

 fed, so as to make strong and prosperous stocks ; whereas if 

 the bees are wanting, every thing else will be in vain : just 

 as a land where there are many stout hands and courageous 

 hearts, although comparatively barren, will in due time, be 

 made to " bud and blossom as the rose," while a second 

 Eden, if inhabited by a scanty and discouraged population, 

 must speedily be overgrown with briars and thorns. 



If strong stocks are deprived of a portion of their combs, 

 SQ that they cannot from natural sources, at once begin to 

 refill all vacancies, they too must be fed. 



I have probably said enough to show the inexperienced 

 that the rapid multiplication of colonies is not a very simple 

 matter, and that they will do well not to attempt it on a large 

 scale. By the time the honey harvest ordinarily closes, all 



