88 PLEASURABLE BEE-KEEPING. 



II. Feeding. 



Wliy feed and when. Feeding has been truly 

 described as "the bee-keeper's lever to success," for 

 unless bees receive attention in this respect the fullest 

 profit cannot be secured. There are doubtless many 

 cases where feeding has not been necessary either to 

 encourage brood-rearing or to ensure a sufficient 

 supply of food for the use of the bees during the 

 •winter. This can only occur, as a rule, in those 

 districts where there are early and late crops of honey- 

 producing flowers. 



As a case in point, feeding during the autumn of 

 1893 was not necessary in " Ivo " apiary, as a late 

 crop of mustard, and another of brank or buckwheat, 

 provided the bees with ample food, which not only 

 kept up the breeding until late in September, thus 

 ensuring strong colonies of young bees, but enabled 

 the bees to store in the brood-chamber an amount of 

 surplus sufficient to carry them safely through the 

 winter. 



Feeding is needed first to prevent starvation during 

 the winter, and, secondly, to induce the queen to lay 

 eggs early and late- in the season. As the amount of 

 food gathered and stored by the bees is dependent 

 upon the weather, there are, of course, times when 

 only a moderate quantity of food is stored, as was the 

 case particularly in 1888, and the result is, that only 

 in those apiaries where a liberal supply of food is 

 given, will the bees live through the winter. 



The loss of stocks in the spring, after an unfavour- 

 able season, is simply astounding, due in some cases 

 to want of knowledge, but more frequently to neglect. 



