270 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



One year I took no surplus, and fed 2800 pounds of granulated 

 sugar for winter stores. Some years the clover crop will be a 

 failure, but plenty of stores will be gathered later in the season 

 to carry the bees over winter. It is not always easy to tell in 

 advance just what will be, but it is best to err on the safe side; 

 and it is no harm to have more stores on hand than are actually 

 needed. It is also better to have the feeding done early. If the 

 feed is gi\-en so early that it can be given thin enough, the btes 

 make chemical changes in it that make it better for winter. 



FEEDING SYRDP. 



Formerly I did not take this into account, and syrup was 

 prepared that approached the consistency of honey. Water was 

 put in a vessel on the stove, and when at or near the boiling- 

 point granulated sugar was slowly stirred in at the rate of five 

 pounds of sugar to a quart of water. When the sugar was 

 about dissolved, an even teaspoonful of tartaric acid for every 

 twenty pounds of sugar, previously dissolved in water, was stir- 

 red into the syrup, for without the acid the syrup is likely to 

 turn into sugar in the combs when fed so thick. If I were to 

 feed late in September, or in (.Ictober, I think I should prefer 

 the same syrup now. 



FEEDING EARLY FOR WINTER. 



But by feeding in August or early in September the work 

 can be made much easier, and at the same time the food will be 

 better for the bees. For they will so manipulate the thin feed 

 given them that no acid will be needed, making their winter 

 stores much more like the stores they obtain from the flowers. 

 There is nothing complicated about the feeding, and there is 

 not the same trouble with robbers as when syrup is made. First, 

 (he feeders are all put on, and left standing uncovered. Then 

 the amount of sugar needed in each feeder is put in dry, wheth- 

 er that be two pounds or fifteen pounds. Then I go around to 

 each feeder, and, making a depression in the center of the sugar, 

 put in half a pint or more of water. I do this rather than to 

 put in the full quota of water at first, because in the latter case 

 it is possible that the water would force its way into the reach 



