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than will be used by the bees in brood rearing. If a large quan- 

 tity is fed, it might later be stored in the supers and sold. Under 

 the pure food laws, honey is defined as " The nectar of flowers 

 gathered by the bees and stored in their combs." The chemist 

 can distinguish between cane and beet sugar and the nectar of 

 flowers, and the bee-keeper would thus become liable to prose- 

 cution even though he intended no violation of the law. 



The bee-keeper may further help the bees by supplying arti- 

 ficial pollen, if hives a/e out of doors, sometime before natural 

 pollen is available. Rye or wheat flour mixed with bran or 

 some other coarse material makes a substitute that the bees will 

 use freely until the natural pollen can be found. 



Bees also use a large amount oif water, and if this is supplied 

 at all times in some sheltered spot where it is warm, it will save 

 the lives of many. 



The bees which live through the winter die very rapidly in 

 spring, especially in a changeable climate like Maine, living 

 only long enough for the young bees to mature and take their 

 places. With bad wintering, they dwiiidie so rapidly that the • 

 colony is often lost outright or only succeeds in building up to 

 full strength, and the honey crop is lost. 



Nothing is gained by uniting very weak colonies early in the 

 spring. They had better be united with strong colonies, or 

 tucked in snug and left until the weather is warm and settled, 

 and both are gaining. At the opening of the surplus harvest, 

 they may be united with profit if honey is the object sought, 

 or left alone- if increase is desired. Let it be borne in mind 

 that the bees that gather the surplus crop must be about forty 

 days old from the egg when the flow opens, if we are to secure 

 the best results. The young worker bee emerges from the cell 

 at twenty-one days, and for the next three weeks performs the 

 work of the hive, acting as nurse bee, preparing the food, feed- 

 ing the young larva, sealing them in their cells, building combs, 

 and, at times, receiving the nectar from the field bees and stor- 

 ing it in the combs. They take daily flights when the weather 

 is suitable marking their location carefully, and going farth.er 

 as they grow stronger, until about the fortieth day from the egg 

 when they become field workers. In the rush of the season, 

 they wear themselves out in about one month. Were it not for 



