A small swarm, which if left to itself would infallibly die, may be often built up into a moderately strong stock by slow and judicious feeding, such as I have described for spring stimulation. The regularity of a small supply will induce the Bees to build Worker comb, and as fast as built, the Queen will stock it with eggs. If too much food be given it will be a misfortune, the cells being filled with honey where should be brood. Autumn feeding should be on a totally different plan to that I have been writing of--then the one object is to get the Bees to store enough in their hives to last the winter. Towards the end of August every hive should be examined, and such as do not contain at least twenty pounds of honey should be fed until that weight be reached. The weather being warm, the syrup will soon evaporate sufficiently, so the Bees may be supplied as fast as they can take it. A strong stock will have no difficulty in storing away a quart of syrup in twenty-four hours. If the hive be not fully supplied with combs, this liberality should not be exercised, or too much Drone comb will be made, which is not desirable; better by far first persuade the Bees, by slow feeding, to make the comb, and then give them the wherever to fill it. It is a common practice to obtain Bees by means of driving, either by gift or purchase, from those who would otherwise destroy them in the autumn for the sake of their stores. These Bees, by slow feeding, may be induced to fill their hives with combs and honey, but the experiment is troublesome and costly, and those who have other stocks would find it better to join the poor eastaways to their more fortunate sisters, which will benefit all parties. Such a beaten out stock of Bees would consume thirty to forty pounds of honey to bring them into a fit state to winter. Syrup, as a Bee food, may be made as follows, and the present low price of loaf sugar, which should alone be used (about \(33s.\) per evt.), is a great advantage to the Bee-keeper, as this article is undoubtedly the best for general feeding. If a strong syrup be made of it by boiling with water, the sugar will either recrystallize as the syrup cools, or subsequently, as the water evaporates. If it be used in this form it is liable to solidify, or, as the sugar baker calls it, grain, after it has been deposited in the cells by the Bees; should this happen, they will be unable to feed upon it. This may be effectually prevented by adding to the syrup while boiling a small quantity of vinegar. The amount of vinegar necessary varies with its strength; but about a tablespoonful of that in general use will be sufficient for four pounds of sugar, which will make with two pints, or forty ounces of water, a syrup of the right consistency, and which should boil for ten minutes after the vinegar is added ; twenty ounces of water measures a pint. Rather more water may be used early in the season, when the Bees are breeding rapidly, because they then need a thinner syrup to prepare food for their young than is required for store for winter consumption. After preparing this food, put a little of it upon a piece of window glass, when it should simply grow stiffer, without losing its transparency, as the water dries out of it. If crystals are formed, and it becomes white and opaque, it must be reboiled with a little more vinegar. Instead of vinegar, cream of tartar may be used, of which a quarter of an ounce must be added to four pounds of sugar. This food will at the present time cost about \(2s\). \(8d\). per fourteen pounds, or a little over \(2d\). per pound.