270 
TIIE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
sons, their aggregate resources should he such that, when 
an equal division is made, there will be enough food lor 
all. If some have more and others less than they need, 
an equitable division may usually be effected in movable- 
comb hives. Such an agrarian procedure would soon 
overthrow human society ; but bees thus helped, will not 
6pcnd the next season in idleness ; nor will those which 
Were deprived of their surplus, limit their gatherings to a 
bare competency. 
Early in October — in northern latitudes, by the mid- 
dle of September — if forage is over, all feeding required 
for wintering bees should be carefully attended to. If 
delayed to a later period, the bees may not have sufficient 
time to seal over their honey, which, by attracting moist- 
ure and souring, may expose them (p. 256) to dysentery. 
Such colonies as have too few bees to winter well, should 
be added to other stocks. 
West India honey is, ordinarily, the cheapest liquid 
bee-food. To remove its impurities, and prevent it from 
souring or candying in the cells, it should have a little 
water added to it, and, after boiling a few minutes, should 
be set to cool ; the scum on the top should then bo 
removed. A mixture of three lbs. of honey, two of brown 
sugar, and one of water, prepared as above, has been 
used by me (p. 257) for many years, without injury to 
my bees. 
It is desirable to get through with feeding as rapidly 
as possible,* as the bees are so excited by it, that they 
consume more food than they otherwise would. In my 
hives, the feeder may be put over one of the holes of the 
honey-board, into which the heat ascends. The bees can 
then get their food without being chilled in cold weather, 
* Feeding stocks, drlvon Into In the Fnll Into empty hives, unless combs (p. 71) 
can bo glvon to them, will seldom pay oxponses. 
