ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 99 



Tlie Feeding @f Beeso 



'^'^N EES are fed to prevent them from starving- when they lack 



Dv stores in the winter, or in times of scarcity during the 

 J summer or fall, to stimulate the rearing of brood in the 



spring, or at any other time when it is desirable, to fur- 

 nish them with winter Stores when they are lacking in the fall, also 

 to secure the completion of unfinished sections that may be left at 

 the close of the honey harvest. 



The feeding of bees for stimulating brood rearing in early 

 spring is now looked upon by many as of doubtful value; especially 

 is this true in the Northern States where weeks of warm weather 

 are often followed by a "freeze-up." If the hives are well protected, 

 and the bees well supplied with an abundance of sealed stores, 

 natural brood rearing will proceed with suf&cient rapidity, early in 

 the spring, without any artificial stimulus; the only time that spring 

 feeding is advisable is where there is a dearth of nectar, after the 

 early spring flow and before the coming of the main harvest. A few 

 bee-keepers have found it very profitable to feed enough at this time 

 to keep brood rearing in progress, then, when the harvest comes on, 

 the brood combs are full of brood and food, and the honey must go 

 into the super instead of being stored in the empty cells of the brood 

 nest. Not only this, but, as the result of uninterrupted brood rear- 

 ing, great armies of workers are brought upon the stage of action at 

 the proper time to help in the securing of the harvest. There come 

 to my mind, now, two notable exp.mples of men who have made a 

 great success of this kind of feeding; one is H. R. Boardman of 

 East Townsend, Ohio, and the other is Mr. E. W. Alexander, of 

 Delanson, N. Y. Mr. Boardman uses a quart, Mason jar with a 



