176 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



EFFECTS OF FEEDING CONTRASTED WITH NON-FEEDING. 



I had an opportunity of witnessing the effects of 

 feeding as contrasted with non-feeding, in a very- 

 striking manner the past season in California. Two 

 gentlemen, whom I shall call H. and R., in the city 

 of Sacramento, bought twenty-five hives of bees from 

 us in December, 1858 ; in April following they be- 

 gan to divide them, or make artificial swarms ; and 

 having had but little experience as bee-keepers, they 

 fell into the error common to the inexperienced ; they 

 spread them out too thin, or in other words, attempted 

 to increase them faster than the condition of the 

 stocks and the amount of honey being gathered at 

 the time would justify. As a natural consequence, 

 they nearly ruined many of their colonies. When 

 the bees found the supply of honey failing in the 

 fields, and the stores at home reduced by being 

 divided into small nuclei, they apparently became 

 discouraged, many deserted their brood, which after- 

 ward had to be removed, and all the stocks in the 

 apiary came to a dead stand-still. "Whilst in this 

 dilemma, Messrs. H. and R. applied to us for advice. 

 The difficulty was easily understood, and the remedy 

 at ouce suggested itself; simply to get refined sugar, 

 reduce it to a syrup, and feed. Other bees were 

 kept near them, and not being disposed to feed their 

 neighbors' stocks, we suggested that they get pans 

 or boxes made in the manner we have described in 

 another place, and feed in the chamber or upper part 

 of the hive. They at once acted upon these sug- 

 gestions, and commenced feeding inside the hive, 



