ADVANTAGE OF PERIODICAL FEEDING. 233 



not ascend amongst their clustered companions. If, however, 

 the time of feeding be chosen when the weather is fine, we 

 would advise that several soup-platefuls should be given 

 at a time. The bees will deposit in their cells what they 

 cannot immediately consume, and all danger of immediate 

 or future want is obviated. 



There is another fatal objection to the method of feeding 

 adopted by the country people, which consists in the food 

 administered by them candying in the cells, which not only 

 renders it of little or no use to the bees, but is highly pre- 

 judicial to them, as the combs become in a manner useless ; 

 a considerable time is also wasted by the bees in the cleansing 

 of the cells from the obnoxious matter, which would other- 

 wise be more profitably employed. All food which is ad- 

 ministered to bees should previously undergo the process of 

 boiling, by which all danger of its candying is obviated. 



In the recommendation of the administration of a plenti- 

 ful supply of food, we do not wish however to be understood 

 as advising that a lavish quantity should be given ; for as 

 extremes in everything are attended with evil, so it is in the 

 feeding of bees, for too much food is as injurious as too 

 little ; and this arises from the natural greediness of the bees 

 for any food which they can deposit in the cell, and if a su- 

 perabundance be given, rather than relinquish the treasure, 

 they will fill the brood combs with it, and in a great degree 

 spoil them for the future reception of the eggs of the queen. 

 We have in several instances known the fructified eggs of 

 the preceding season destroyed by a lavish mode of feeling, 

 for the bees appear to entertain such an innate sense of the 

 fear of hunger, that every other consideration seems to vanish 

 before it. 



Considered from that point of view, periodical feeding 



appears to possess the superiority over an abundant supply 



of food at one time There is, however, one rule by which 



the apiarian may be guided, and that is, by the extent of the 



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