72 BEE-FARMING. 



and prosperity was again heard: thus he timely saved the 

 stock from starvation. When a natural swarm leaves 

 the parent hive, they carry away with them as much 

 honey as will last them for food three days. The real 

 object the bees have in view when they fill their honey- 

 bags before swarming is to be able to begin building combs. 

 The first day, if not the first hour, they are hived in an 

 empty domicile, they lay the foundation of their new 

 home. Bees can prepare more wax from a pound of 

 sugar than from the same quantity of honey. It is there- 

 fore wise economy to give syrup to the recent swarms, 

 and so enable them to gather honey, which they are only 

 too willing to do, and store it in the cells they are rapidly 

 making from the syrup. 



Bees are not made idle by feeding them. Your bees 

 will be idle if they are forced to stop in the hive through 

 rainy weather, for which neither you nor they are 

 responsible. Poor things, they are actually dying from 

 want of food : give them a little syrup ; how thankful 

 they seem for your kindness, and show it too by working 

 away at cell-building as fast as possible night and day. 

 No time is lost. And how can they rear the brood with- 

 out food ? One of the most pitiable sights in bee-keeping 

 is to see the stocks throwing out their young before they 

 are mature, to perish. Most bee-keepers have seen in 

 early autumn the young drones cast out : they are white 

 and soft, called nymphs. They will not do this except 

 compelled from lack of food ; they love their young quite 

 as much as do other creatures. Whatever you do, feed 

 your helpless stocks when newly hived. Don't stint them, 

 be liberal, and you will have in the end an abundant 

 harvest. 



In wet summers often lift up your hives, and if you 

 find they are becoming lighter in weight, when they should 

 be gainms day by day, don't blame your bees, but feed 



