256 A Modern Bee-Farm 



are present only when additional heat can be dispensed with ? 

 As a simple matter of fa'ct, they have but one use, and that, is 

 the fertilization of the young queens. 



There are two important points in reference to feeding that 

 were first brought forward by Mr., Abbott, late editor of the 

 British Bee jfournal, and which require careful consideration. , 

 That veteran always insisted that to stimulate bees to extend 

 the brood nest when desired they must have a gentle continuous 

 supply. Again, when it is necessary to supply food for winter 

 it should be given during the month of August, because the 

 bees are then better able to store and seal it. Now, while we 

 may not all quite agree with the latter statement, there is 

 much of truth behind it. Where there is no late harvest I do 

 not see how one can improve upon such advice ; certainly it 

 is not advisable to extract from the brood chamber later than 

 that month, and the substituted food can hardly be given too 

 soon, if we wish the bees to settle down quietly before cool 

 weather comes on. Moreover, if the food be supplied im- 

 mediately after the harvest, the remaining strength of tTie old 

 workers will be utilized in storing it, and so they perform a 

 beneficial act to the colony before expiring, as it is desirablei 

 they should do. 



Many complain that the more prolific varieties use up all 

 the autumn stores in brood rearing, and the same bee-keepers 

 wil^tell us that if fed up in August their bees will want feeding 

 again by October. But at this time stores must not be given 

 slowly ; all a colony requires should be supplied in one dose in 

 the course of two or three days. Give nothing more, when 

 breeding soon ceases and the bees invariably quiet down. 



Dear Reader, whatever the side issues may be, I need 

 hardly say that bees are cultivated for the production of honey. 



