44 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
have bees that would not sting, as every 
mischievous or meddling hoy would be disturb- 
ing them and pilfering their stores. 
Remedies such as ammonia, tobacco juice, 
common salt, &c., are recommended, but, as a 
rule, the pain is over in a few minutes, and it 
is doubtful whether anything will prevent the 
swelling in some cases. 
The best plan is to use a veil over the face 
when handling the bees, and to use a little 
smoke. It is surprising how quiet a puff of 
smoke will make the bees if used at the right 
time. Too much smoke of tobacco will make 
them worse, or stupefied and sick ; tobacco 
smoke acts on the bees very much as wine 
does on human subjects. It requires experience 
to find out how much to give and when to use 
it. For non-smokers a fumigator is very 
useful, and old cotton rags or rotten wood may 
be used in this, but woollen materials should 
always be avoided, as the smell is most offen- 
sive to bees, and makes them worse than 
anything else. Any material that has a bad 
smell should never be used. 
FEEDING BEES. 
I never feed my bees, and did not intend 
referring to this subject; but as I have had 
many enquiries in regard to the best food, 
I certainly recommended pure honey in prefer- 
ence to any sugar or syrup, and the simplest 
way (if you have some honey in the comb) is 
to put a frame into those hives that require 
it, then no robbery will occur ; but if comb- 
honey is not to be had, then feed with thin 
honey. 
When feeding is required to make up the 
winter store, give to an ordinary strong hive 
two or three pounds of honey at a time, 
putting it in late in the evening, and taking 
away any that may be left early in the 
morning ; but a strong colony should carry 
that much up in one night, if not too cool 
weather ; then repeat the supply till sufficient 
store is provided. In spring, in the warm 
weather when feeding is required, it is advis- 
able to mix one-third of water with the 
honey, as then the food is wanted for the 
young brood, giving half to one pound at 
a time, and repeat it three or four nights 
a week. This will make the bees increase 
rapidly, and strengthen them ; the thin food 
should be covered with grass or straw to 
prevent the bees being drowned. 
When honey, whether in comb or not, can 
be obtained it is by far the healthiest food for 
the bees, and quite as cheap as good sugar, 
and I am astonished to find, how some bee 
keepers prefer sugar or syrup ; it may be 
as good for the beeman, but certainly not for 
the poor bees, as nothing can equal their 
natural food which they alone can gather ; 
and a farmer might as well feed his cow on 
dry straw and water, and expect the same 
yield from her as if she were provided with 
good fresh clover or grass In conclusion, 
L recommend leaving a sufficient supply of 
honey in the hive, and if this has not been 
done and feeding must be resorted to, give 
nothing but good honey. 
DIARRHOEA. 
After the above article on feeding it may 
be well to make a few remarks upon diarrhoea, 
which occurs usually in the winter and early 
spring, when the bees do not fly out, and 
consequently cannot getrid of their excrements, 
or occasionally when the weather is too bad 
for them to leave their hives, they then eat 
too much honey and often swell out as if they 
were drowned — they die either inside or 
outside the hive ; but when the weather gets 
fine and they can get out every day the 
sickness soon disappears, and in a climate such 
as we have in Australia this disease should 
not occur, unless bad food has been given 
them, and they have been much disturbed 
during the winter. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
(To the Editors of the Australian Beekeepers' 
Journal.) 
Gentlemen, — I have to thank you for the 
copy of the initial number of your journal you 
kindly sent me, and to express my satisfaction 
at the evident progress you are making in 
apiculture, shown by the fact of your starting 
a journal devoted to the interests of the 
industry. You may enter me as a subscriber, 
and I wish you every success in your venture. 
With your permission, I should like to 
make a few remarks on two or three subjects 
I see touched upon in the number to hand. I 
must first state that 1 did not receive the copy 
till the beginning of this month, and being so 
busy I have been unable to write earlier. In 
your report of the meeting of the Victorian 
beekeepers’ Club, and also in a letter from 
“ Drone Comb,” the question of adopting a 
standard frame for Victoria is discussed, a 
question of the greatest importance to the bee- 
keeping industry. There appears to be a 
divided opinion upon the matter, some advoca- 
ting the Langstroth and others the British 
Standard frame. Without going over the 
ground I have so often gone before, that is, 
showing wherein the one frame is superior to 
the other, I may state that I have had 
