ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 33 



with bees well filled with brood, and in just the trim to receive a boun- 

 tiful harvest of this most delicious nectar." 



Now we will see what A. I. Root says upon this subject. We will 

 take the first edition of his A B C of Bee Culture, and turn to page 75. 

 Where he speaks of a drouth cutting short the supply of nectar he says: 

 "Many of the queens stopped laying entirely. At this stage a little feed 

 during the night would start the queens laying wonderfully, and the 

 fed colony would rush to the fields for pollen in a way that demon- 

 strated at once that feeding at such a time was a very profitable in- 

 vestment if one wished to build up weak stocks and nuclei. A stock 

 that had been fed a half-teacupful only would go out for pollen an hour 

 earlier than the others, and would bring in double the quantity. A still 

 smaller quantity will set them to building out foundation most beauti- 

 fully; and I never in my life saw the work in the hive go on so satis- 

 factorily as it did during the hot dry dusty days under the influence of 

 a very moderate amount of feeding during the night." 



And then, again, on page 77, he says, "And after feeding perhaps a 

 ton of the grape sugar I am prepared to say that it is a decided success 

 for stimulating brood-rearing, for rearing queens, and building up col- 

 onies." 



We will now take the late Henry Alley's Bee-keeper's Handy Book 

 and see on page 107 what he said in regard to stimulative feeding: 



"When a colony is being fed, the queen commences to deposit eggs 

 more vigorously, and the colony exhibits greater activity than its neigh- 

 bors that are not stimulated. Feeding for this purpose should not be 

 resorted to until the bees commence to carry in pollen as the effect of 

 the Increased activity prior to this time would be injurious. The proper 

 time is to feed at night, and not over half a pound of food should be 

 given at any one time unless the bees are short of stores, and it should 

 be discontinued when honey can be gathered from natural sources. 

 Food for stimulating should be made quite thin with water, say six 

 pounds of sugar and five pints of water, and a small amount of honey to 

 flavor. The water will be utilized by the bees in brood-rearing." 



I should advise making the syrup more than half water. I sliould 

 like also to call your attention to the latest edition of the ABC and X 

 Y Z of Bee Culture, and see what is there said on this subject; and right 

 here let me say that this edition to our bee literature is worth far 

 more than its cost, and should be in the bands of every honey-producer 

 in the land. On page 200 the authors say: 



"In getting colonies up to good strength to gather the honey har- 

 vest, or Induce nuclei, or full colonies for that matter, to cells for the 

 purpose of queen-rearing, the daily feeding of half a pint of syrup 

 should be practiced." 



They also say on page 203, in speaking of H. R. Boardman, of East 

 Townsend, Ohio, that he practices a plan which often insures a crop of 

 honey even during poor seasons. "In brief it is this: He feeds all his 

 colonies as soon as it becomes settled warm weather, whether they need 



