44 
bees for digesting the honey, which is their principal 
food. 
The color of pollen varies to all shades — white, yel- 
low, and red, according to the color of the blossoms 
from which it is gathered. Some pollen which is not 
needed for immediate use, is closely packed in the 
worker cells for future use, and often covered with 
honey, and capped over with wax. By the use of mov- 
able-comb hives, some of this bee-bread may be taken 
from strong stocks and given to those that are desti- 
tute of this article, by merely removing a comb con- 
taining bee-bread, and giving it to such as should 
need it. 
Bees always prefer to gather fresh bee-bread, even 
when there is a large amount in the cells. In early 
spring, before the bees are able to obtain it from blos- 
soms, a substitute for pollen should be given them. 
Take unbolted rye meal and put it dry into shallow 
troughs, about two inches deep, and set them about 
one rod in front of the hive ; or, take a comb from 
the hive, and fill from 200 to 300 empty cells with dry 
rye meal or buckwheat flour. A better substitute for 
bee-bread can be made as follows: Take yolks of 
eggs, hard boiled, and unbolted rye meal or buckwheat 
flour, of equal parts, mix it with a little honey and 
feed as above directed. I have used wheat flour, mixed 
with bran, which the bees carried into the hive very 
