138 A MANUAL OF BEE-KEEPING. 



supplied to them incorporated with the sugar. In making 

 the barley sugar as much as one-fourth or one-fifth by 

 weight of flour may be added, and carefully stirred in 

 when boiling. 



Those who wish for early swarms and strong stocks 

 will do well to feed slowly in March or in April, even 

 although the stock has plenty of stores ; one of Mr. 

 Cheshire's feeding stages will be found an admirable aid 

 to effect this properly. The object aimed at should be 

 to aflbrd a constant steady supply without a break ; if the 

 stage be used, as much as the Bees can suck through 

 two or three holes will be sufficient, this will be perhaps 

 one-third or one-fourth of a pint daily ; so long as this 

 supply be kept up, so long will the Queen lay, and the 

 Bees tend the young ; but if the supply be stopped for 

 a day or two, and nothing comes in of Nature's pro- 

 viding, the Bees will destroy all the young larvae, and 

 even those almost ready to emerge, .should famine 

 appear imminent. In May and June, when bad weather 

 succeeds a few fine weeks, the Bees may often be seen 

 carrying out their nearly mature young in thousands. 

 When feeding is continued during the day as well as 

 night, take care the supply is well protected against 

 robber Bees, or it will lead to fights and slaughter. 



Bee-keepers often express astonishment that their 

 Bees, after wintering all right, die in the spring ; the 

 cause is easily explainable : the stock had enough honey 

 to last the winter, but not sufficient to supply the large 

 demand of spring, when the young put in their claims on 

 the commonwealth. 



When a stock has become very weak and impover- 

 ished, the Bees often display such lassitude that they do 

 not accept the proffered food ; in this case they may be 

 excited by pouring into and amongst the cluster half 



