A YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 
83 
FALL FEEDING. 
If colonies have not enough stores for winter at the close 
of the clover harvest— and with my present management 
they are not likely to have— I can hardly expect them to 
gather from later sources more than will meet their daily 
needs, till winter closes in upon them. So they must be fed ; 
and there is nothing, so far as I know, to be gained, and 
perhaps something to be lost, by postponing the feeding till 
late. In my locality, perhaps there is no better time than 
August. Of course, in some localities, it would be folly to 
feed so early, if indeed it would be necessary to feed at all. 
The feeders are the same as used in the spring— combs— 
and the paraphernalia for filling the combs the same as that 
described in spring management. The syrup is made 
stronger— 5 quarts of water to 25 pounds of sugar ; perhaps I 
had better say 5 pounds of sugar to one quart of water. I 
think that a stronger syrup might be better, as requiring 
less evaporation by the bees, but 5 pounds to the quart is 
about as thick as can well be filled into the combs without 
having it too hot for safety. An even tea-spoonful of tartaric 
acid for every 20 pounds of sugar is stirred into the syrup 
about the time the sugar is dissolved. The tartaric acid is 
first dissolved in a little water. I am not sure whether the 
tartaric acid is necessary, although if not fed to the Jjees the 
syrup without the acid will granulate in a short time. It 
takes a long time for the syrup to cool enough to be poured 
into the combs, and it is well to have a tub of syrup left over 
from the previous day to mix with the hot. 
Care must be taken to let no bees get in where the combs 
are being filled, and still greater care that none which get in 
shall get out alive. Every precaution must be taken to avoid 
getting the bees started to robbing. The entrances of the 
hives should be closed all but two or three inches. If the 
entrances were shallower it might make it too warm to close 
up so much. The combs must be put into the hives as near 
