198 A Modern Bee-Farm 



each time being replaced by another frame with a g^uide to 

 be built out in like manner. 



But the more important item to consider is the 



Special Plan of Feeding, 



which is not allowed to fail at any time while honey is not 

 coming in. Slow-feeding as generally practised, is of no 

 avail in producing the largest quantity of brood. In 

 times of scarcity constant and heavy stimulative feeding is- 

 the only course that can be adopted for this purpose, and 

 that I have found can be carried out only by a combination 

 of dry sugar or candy feeding, and a rapid supply of 

 syrup. That is, the dry feeder at one side, a frame syrup 

 feeder on the other side — both acting as the dummies on 

 either side of the three crowded combs. 



This combined process is the only one that can be 

 made the means of forcing the largest amount of brood in 

 early spring, and yet hitherto fast feeding has been 

 condemned, because it has been considered that the bees 

 will then fill up everything with food to the exclusion of 

 brood. With ordinary colonies this is often so ; but 

 following the times, bee-keepers have become too closely 

 wedded to the modern practice of using full combs, or 

 sheets of foundation in the stock chamber. Their minds 

 do not travel back to the possibility of making bees build 

 their own combs to far greater advantage, and frequently 

 more profit, without the expense of foundation. 



In Spring 



therefore, to enable one to get the greatest advantage in 

 brood production, I put in a guide only to the central 

 frame, when by feeding as already shewn, the result is 

 astonishing. The queen occupies each cell as the work 

 proceeds, and there being no part thereof occupied by 



